Monday, May 21, 2007

Power to the People

The incredible battle of trafagar square - simply brilliant.
Before television was atomised to show endless runs of soap, and liquorice drama it was Pilger, Cook and World In Action et al. TV's social function, not withstanding the rose tinted outlook we attach to the yesteryears, meant something.

Injustices were served up without the chiming thunderous scores - alright just a little bit. There were few in comparison to today's consultants and pinstriped analysts telling us what we should be shown.

TV was about finding good stories and if they were about the under dogs, the neglected, the dissed, then all the more better.

Thatcher's Britain was an invitingly outrageous time to be in TV. If anything the tories gave TV land a reason to be earnest and all important. Then labour came to power and what happened next? Well if you ask anyone in TV land, we're doing as good a job then as we are now.

Tim Samuel's programme is big themed and generous, poignant and piercing. That was television, non-derivative and bold. I want my television just like that to expose the duplicitous nature of politics, life, of MPs who want to hide behind a bill that prevents the electorate - the very people who put them in power - from knowing how they serve the people. And to give some dignity to those people they were all cocker hoop to send to war, but readily abandon on their return suffering all manner of ilnesses.

More, please

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