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The Forum > Article Comments > Randle with care: ABC's tragic night of comedy > Comments

Randle with care: ABC's tragic night of comedy : Comments

By Peter West, published 25/5/2012

It seems that today ABC stands for 'Anything but comic', too much rope for Denton and downhill from there.

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If my daughter wants to watch something good she dials it up on YouTube. If I want to watch something good I put in a DVD. The concept of passively sitting in front of a television -- even one with fifty channels -- digesting whatever the broadcasting powers choose to thrust in front of us will soon be regarded as laughably archaic.

Remember: nobody can make you watch television without your consent.
Posted by Jon J, Friday, 25 May 2012 7:26:55 AM
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It's hard to disagree with Peter's viewpoint. We tried to watch 'Randling'. I think we lasted about 15 minutes before turning it off. As to ABC current affairs programmes, we gave those up years ago. How many apologists for the Greens must long suffering taxpayers pay for?
Posted by Senior Victorian, Friday, 25 May 2012 8:48:23 AM
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Re Randling. Thankfully we have two recorders and can decide what we want to watch and when.
ABC please stick to current affairs at which you excel. Oh and repeats of UK who dunnits as well of course.
Posted by sarnian, Friday, 25 May 2012 9:12:44 AM
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Peter West is WRONG WRONG WRONG about ABC.

He is WRONG!

ABC does NOT stand for "Anything But Comic."

ABC stands for Affectation, Bunkum & Cant

But it is so ham handed and unsubtle about its agenda that it ends up being hilarious.

The ABC is a parody of itself.

Its (unintentional) comedian in chief is Tony Jones. Q & A and Lateline are the funniest programs to be found anywhere on TV. Lateline is especially funny when Tony Jones tries to put words into the mouths of his interviewees.

I remember one classic during Howard's time. Some minister had said something disparaging about Indonesia. Jones, interviewing an Indonesian diplomat, opened along the lines of "Just how much damage has the So and So's statement done to Australia's relations with Indonesia?"

What made the segment so funny is that it soon became apparent that the hapless diplomat had no clue what Jones was prattling about.

No, when it comes to comedy ABC viewers have nothing to complain about.

But serious, dispassionate analysis? keeping its viewers informed? It's a wasteland.
Posted by stevenlmeyer, Friday, 25 May 2012 11:03:11 AM
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I too am one of the many thousands turning away from the ABC - unfortunately for me both television and radio. I have been a devotee of both media for many years however my loyalty is being pushed beyond all limits at the moment.'Randling' sure ain't funnerer - it is, as the author suggests, simply a vehicle for getting Dentons sneering mug on the box as a Stephen Fry wannabe. 'Australian Story' would be better screened on channel 10 at 6.30pm (provided with a vast supply of tissues) and Compass defies comment. I am even tiring of the relentless reruns of 'Midsomer' and 'Grand Designs'. But there is no alternative so it is being turned off. However even my 'fallback position' of ABC Classic FM to which I have been an avid listener has been hijacked by World Music, techno funk and hillbilly banjos and who knows what else. The common factor of my regular FM listening times, that of the early morning and drive programs is that both are hosted by women who seem hell bent on destroying the Classic content of Classic FM. Why are ABC program managers of both media so determined to fix something that wasn't broken. Unfortunately now both are broken - really badly.
Posted by ZandR, Friday, 25 May 2012 11:34:45 AM
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Thanks, Peter West, for saying so well what needed to be said. "so we have a tedious evening of people trying to be funny." Well no, not exactly. The incessant hyena-ical [forgive, just made it up] promos were so spectacularly bad that I knew I'd never watch it. And another matter, ABC, I now mute all your promos, as I always have done for commercial programs. Very poor show to raise the decibel level so high just because you're advertising yourself...too frequently,too loudly.
And, why aim, so poorly, for younger viewers when the whole population is aging. But, at least we're catching up with books we haven't read. Every cloud...
Posted by carol83, Friday, 25 May 2012 11:45:52 AM
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ZandR,

I long tuned out of ABC Classic FM. Fortunately here in Melbourne we have 3MBS.

See:

http://www.3mbs.org.au/

And on the internet you can get great classic stations such as BR Klassik (Bavarian Radio Classic)
Posted by stevenlmeyer, Friday, 25 May 2012 11:50:55 AM
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...Judging by the above comments, my opinion is reinforced that the ABC should be sold-off to commercial interests, and run along the lines of for-profit, forcing the organisation to face the reality of competition.

...What is “stand-out sad”, is the ABC’s unsuccessful attempts to compete with the commercial sector. For example, instead of an upper class toff show as Q&A, how about a Doctor Phil, down to earth show representing and directed towards the interests of the entire community. ABC programming is simply not directed towards real people “out there” in the community! The sooner the whole thing sinks the better!
Posted by diver dan, Friday, 25 May 2012 12:52:34 PM
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Can someone please pass on to the ABC this article and the comments which are a painfully accurate assessment of its programmes. Leslie
Posted by Leslie, Friday, 25 May 2012 1:50:58 PM
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Peter West makes a valid point.

It appears the ABC has forgotten the meaning of 'balance' in its current affairs reporting. Among the worst examples of ABC imbalance are its persistent preaching on anthropogenic global warming together with censoring out of any opposing views; the campaigning for same-sex marriage; the bias against Christianity; and the promotion of the revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Syria at the expense of the rights of minorities.

It's time we had a review of the ABC's operations.
Posted by Raycom, Friday, 25 May 2012 1:55:23 PM
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It is a long time since I even consulted the ABC section of the program, & I realised it had been many months since I has watched Quantum.

I made a point of watching it, only to be confronted with a bit of "C" grade greenie propaganda. I obviously won't bother again. All the old informative shows have become simply tedious propaganda, so badly done that they must be counter productive.

But please, don't forget all those documentary programs that used to keep us glued to OUR ABC. They have now migrated to SBS, where unfortunately they are often programed opposing each other on the 2 channels. Yes some have been dumbed down, with excessive computer graphics, perhaps trying for a wider market, but still worth watching.

Now if only we could get the producers of these programs to understand that more than a few of their predominantly older audience suffer tinnitus. Loud background music/noise can make it impossible to decipher what is being said, & I am not about to put on a pair of glasses so I can read subtitles in my leisure time.

You can cater to your audience, or loose it. Perhaps better to hold the one you have, rather than try to find a new one.
Posted by Hasbeen, Friday, 25 May 2012 2:06:22 PM
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I'm with StevenLmeyer and ZandR on classic FM. I suspect it may be a part of their charter to play anything but real classical music during drive time, and instead must include the following: anything written for marimba, world music, folk jazzy watered down pop, at least one vocal piece with saucy lyrics, spanish guitar, and arrangements of well known pieces for instruments which aren't suited to the piece and utterly undermine the composer's original intentions. At no time is it to play short, lively, or moving well known favourites from the traditional canon in the times when it is likely to attract the most listeners, ie, peak hour. I generally stick to 3MBS too. And I share the author's and posters' views on the political bias of the ABC's news and current affairs, and the inanity of its "entertainment."
Posted by dozer, Friday, 25 May 2012 3:01:02 PM
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I have solved the problem by rarely watching anything on TV these days...seems to work. Commercial channels are appalling, the ABC has slid backwards sharply in it's quality, while SBS is ok, but half the doucmentaries are repeats...a good book is better, or some healthy exercise. I don't miss the goggle-box.
Posted by Phil Matimein, Friday, 25 May 2012 4:31:41 PM
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So, I haven't the slightest idea of what Randling is all about. That's because I gave up on the ABC years ago after years as a kid, watching my 6-days-a-week small business running father rail against this or that, then grew to understand what kept mugging him... The reality for me is that conservatives should give up wishing for the ABC to change and start pushing for it to be paid for by it's viewer-base. If the left want Lefty TV let them foot the bill...
Posted by Rossco B, Sunday, 27 May 2012 10:00:28 AM
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The frequency of ABC promos is inversely proportional to the quality of the advertised programme. Randling is such an example. I noticed very few promos for the excellent Silk - in contrast to the adverts at every break for the forgettable Crownies. At least the promos save you the 5 minutes of watching the first episode. I've asked the ABC to import Have I Got News for You without receiving a reply. If they want to run panel discussions they should be funny, intelligent and forthright - as is HIGNFY. QI seems to have finished despite many episodes that have not yet been broadcast in Australia. Ah well, there are always plenty of Jimmy Carr clips on You Tube.
Posted by Alan S, Sunday, 27 May 2012 11:14:49 AM
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I suspect Peter West is correct. I say "suspect" because since the aerial broke I have been watching iView. There I can pick and choose, and its invariably content made in the UK or USA that gets watched.
Posted by renew, Monday, 28 May 2012 8:49:11 AM
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I have discovered the BBC on line - no television (but judging by the promos they have as much tripe s is offered up by our free to air mob.) BBC radio on the other hand offers wit and intelligent discussion on a range of issues. The newsquiz is intelligent and humorous response to the week's events (Shaun take note) Melvyn Bragg's In our time provides 45 minutes on anything from Fredrick the Great to Game Theory. Of course the ABC is not a total wasteland - Occams Razor readily springs to mind but the few oasis that are left are not enough to sustain one in a desert of dross.
Posted by BAYGON, Monday, 28 May 2012 9:28:29 AM
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Baygon, I was recently in England and I can honestly day that the TV over there is worse than it is here...as a Pom, I remember enjoying TV in the past, but even 'apalling' is too good a word for Uk TV...we never watched it. I'd rather sit and stare at a blank wall than watch that drivel. Seems to be a worldwide phenomenon.
Posted by Phil Matimein, Monday, 28 May 2012 2:30:06 PM
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I saw the promos for Randle and decided then not to watch the programmes. This article on the inadequacy of ABC1's offerings must strike a chord with many who are looking for more depth and quality in their viewing.
Posted by Dickers, Tuesday, 29 May 2012 6:56:28 PM
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