Me and a colleague went to Harry Hill's TV Burp last night at the BBC TV Centre.
We got the green room treatment which is far preferable to sitting in the audience with the hoi polloi. You don't have to put up with being bullied by the warm-up man - the one at The X Factor is particularly horrible - and you don't have sit there dying for the loo while they go back and make everyone chuckle again over bits they didn't chuckle loud enough at before, and you can have a drink. You also get to mingle with the great man himself.
I know him pretty well having met and worked with a few times over the years, and he's a really nice guy. Very slight, quiet and unassuming but actually funny and interesting, which for a comedian is quite rare. And he really genuinely loves TV too.
So while I was having a fag out by that bit where Roy Castle used to tap dance round - the donut I believe they call it - I got to thinking about all the rubbish TV there is on and how Harry Hill has such rich pickings to choose from. No wonder the show's such a hit.
I'm dismayed to see I'm A Celebrity is back this week. I can't bear it, and this year the cast are worse than ever. Last year I watched the first one and considered sticking with it, but I didn't. Are we perhaps tiring of it?
And as for those awful things like Dating In The Dark and the forthcoming Pants Off Dance Off - words fail me.
There are way too many channels all clamouring for a successful formula. Consequently they're filled with endless crap, dull repeats, clone shows, absolute Z-list celeb bollocks and little of note. There really only need be about 12, including movies and sport, the demolition channel and the one where flowers bud and bloom really quickly.
Let's make it so.
