“There’s nothing on the telly.”

We’ve all said it.

Of course, that’s not true: we have a veritable smorgasbord of shows to choose from.

We have about 200 channels to pick from nowadays and, on top of that, a whole collective noun of streaming services to play with.

But, as we all know, the vast majority of what is available, is total tripe.

Cookery shows! There are so many cookery shows! Why? Probably because they are cheap to make.

People moving house! Why do we want to watch people looking for a new house in the country – or in another country?   So what?  They’re moving house.  Good luck to them.  But do we really want to watch them do it?  I certainly don’t.

Young, fit, good-looking people, living together on a boat / island / mansion house.  Programmes claiming to be about relationships and social dynamics, when really it’s just about catching them on camera having sex together or fighting with each other.

Gogglebox. What the fuck is that about?  I know it’s been a huge success, but do people really sit and watch other people watching telly?  They do realise that these people are playing up to the camera, don’t they?  When we watch telly in my house, no-one talks, otherwise we miss bits of the dialogue… which is bloody annoying.

But, of course, there is some good stuff on there too.

I’m currently enjoying Shameless and Motherland on Netflix.  I watched all eleven series of Shameless, last year and I am now watching the US version, which I’m enjoying just as much, if not more.  Motherland is a little gem that passed me by when it was on C4. I never paid it much attention, to be honest. But, when I found out it was co-written by Sharon Horgan and Graham Linehan, I just had to give it a go. So glad I did.

On C4 I am watching SAS Who Dares Wins, the show which puts contestants through the rigours of Special Forces selection training. I love it when these contestants give their little VTs to camera: “I’m pretty tough-minded and I’m not the sort who gives in easily”, and then you see them at the end of episode two, slumped against a rock and sobbing whilst handing their armband back.

And on Disney+ I am currently rather taken with Agent Carter, the Marvel spin-off from the Captain America films, along with War Of The Worlds, which was recommended to me by Mrs. Jones. I’m only a couple of episodes in, but so far I’m quite enjoying this different take on H. G. Wells’ classic.

So, what about you… watching anything good?