11/14/2008: "Children in need!"

you may think im a grump... but really im not!
i like children in need, even tho i think its a sorry state of affairs if we need to raise millions each year to "buy UK children cot blankets" in this day and age.

i have given money this year (as i do every year - i only give to kids charities)
but please, for the love of god, sort stuff out about the actual occasion!

* if you are gunna collect money for CIN at the traffic lights... at least put something on your bucket about who you are and why your collecting!
and DONT hold the traffic up more than it already is!
* sort out the BBC program itself...

- tess daley? fern cotton? are you sponsored to find the most talentless crap available?
one presented one of the most successful kids tv shows in recent years, and managed to lower the viewing figures so far it was dropped from the schedules.. and the other took over presenting top of the pops and took it off air for good!
hardly a ringing endorsement!
- media studies students LISTEN UP!
learn please, to turn the audience microphones down.... its no good watching a program where the sound of the artist or the person talking is drowned out by incessant gimp screams from the audience!
TURN THEM DOWN FFS! (this could be applied to all programs really, but even more so on the BBC)
- applause for nothing - Pack the feck in please!
"we cross over to burt bloggs who will tell us whats coming up!" burt bloggs then announces whats happening next and back to the studio..... to rapturous applause for 3 minutes whilst the presenter attempts to shout louder than the audience volume, and you miss most of what they say.
- the whole thing looks unrehearsed, stagnant silences as one or two people on the stage witter on aimlessly until its time for the next link, seasoned actors and stage professionals are made to look like robots, get it sorted BBC will yas
- heres a crazy idea, when its time to move to someone with a microphone... turn it on BEFORE they start talking.. always a good idea to be able to hear what someone is saying!

the best one is for last....

stop the constant self promotion!
children in need started at 7pm.. by 7.20pm they had talked for 10 minutes about strictly come dancing special, and interviewed two of the dancers from it.
"name dropped" dr who 7 times
promoted eastenders 4 times and had an ex eastenders actress singing and promoting her own christmas panto.

its tedious!

children in need used to be a fast flowing funtastic night of song and laffs... now its getting to be predictable, stale and robotic.

sort it out fer fecks sake!