A TV gripe

WATCHING the last episode of The Restaurant (BBC 2) this evening, I’m struck by the inevitability of the winning team. After all, if I was Raymond Blanc looking to form a partnership with a view to opening a new restaurant, there’s no question of who my choice would be. In fact, it was obvious from the very beginning of the series – and that, of course, begs a question: if it was that obvious why bother watching? M’m… Maybe it’s something to do with the dearth of good TV programmes, despite the choice of something like 40 digital channels. I have no patience at all with so-called “reality” shows, and I’ve not much more time for the various “talent” programmes – cheap telly at it’s most crass. (Where is the entertainment value in seeing people humiliated? Sorry, I just don’t see it.)

But maybe I’m just getting jaded in my viewing habits. When episodes of The Avengers and Columbo and The Rockford Files are the highlights of my evening’s (recorded) viewing, maybe it’s time I gave up high definition, digital TV for something really hi-tech: a good book!