Why is there no decent technology program on British TV?

[pty]

I've been between contracts for the last 3 months or so, doing bits and pieces of work here and there but mainly enjoying my time off (snoozing, watching tv and t'internet).

Considering the amount of people working in the IT industry, the popularity of IT/computing in general, the number of kids learning IT at school and university; why do we not have a single serious IT program?

Its not like there is a shortage of news stories, scandal, events and general 'stuff' going on.

I'd just want something in the vain of Working Lunch but aimed at the IT industry.

I do realise the BBC already have a show called 'click' but its utter tripe. It is too consumer-orientated and doesn't report on any serious actual IT/computing topics.

[Anonymusius]

I think it is because "we" mostly read our news about developments on site's like Slashdot. I now have some interseting site's in my google personal page (link) that give's me most of my news feed I want.
I think that it's just because there isn't to much ask for such an show, but if it would come I would watch ;)

[jwenting]

Anything more mentally challenging than Eastenders is way above the intellect of not just the TV audience but the producers and hosts employed by European TV stations.

[happygeek]

I used to be involved in something, many years ago, called 'The Net' which went out on BBC 2 and ran for a couple of years in all. We tried to treat technological issues with a bit more maturity and a bit less tabloidism, but to be honest I think we were ahead of our time. Not enough people were into the online thing at that point, so it was a bit like banging your head against a brick wall.

I scripted and presented a few pieces, which seemed to go down well at the time if the feedback I got was anything to go by. But audience figures of about 1.2 million peak just didn't swing it with the BBC methinks.

Now, I'm not sure that the audience would be there for such a show on TV anyway, they would probably much rather watch it on YouTube.

The TV audience, I suspect, would much prefer a kind of technology version of Top Gear...

[pty]

I actually remember the net and quite enjoyed it. I also remember .tv (the doomed sky channel with Richard Topping and a few other nerdy presenters).

I just think that the BBC have got it spot on with Working Lunch and Daily Politics and wish they'd do something similar with IT.

Anything more mentally challenging than Eastenders is way above the intellect of not just the TV audience but the producers and hosts employed by European TV stations.

I agree with you 95% of the time however there are some decent programs with intellectual/stimulating content.. generally the ones that aren't on ITV and Sky (well, the non-documentary channesl anyway)

I must admit to my daily Street Crime UK dosage though.

[happygeek]

Interestingly, one of the producers of .TV for Sky, Chris Long, is now one of the producers for Click at the BBC, which is why people such as Kate Thingy popped up there as presenters, I suspect.

Chris is, FWIW, a veteran IT journalist in the UK. He had many an important editorship before heading intt the freelance world, and then that of TV. If he can't persuade the BBC to make seriously serious tech TV, nobody can.

[UrbanKhoja]

.tv wasnt to bad, vagely remember it though, would be nice to have something between channel 5's gadget show and top gear though.

[yogi_bear_2k2]

Its becuase ALL the decent programmers, etc. live in the USA or China! When was the last time you heard of a British person creating a programme good enoough for mass distribution? NEVER! Our dumbness and stoneageness (such a word ( I would'nt know I am British!)) prevents us from contributing in Technology! Britains are made up of dozy people with VERY LIMITED brain power (me included!!) Example? How many viewrs do Eastenders and Coronation Street get? How SAD SAD SAD are those programmes? THE BEST place to be for technology is the USA! Britiain are at least 1000 years behind!! I rest my case!!

[pty]

So what is the american tech program that I should be looking out for on sky/bittorrent?

[yogi_bear_2k2]

I am very lucky that I do not have Sky and I can't get bittorrent to work, so I just look for technical tv programmes on the internet. G4 looks a very good show at http://www.g4tv.com/videos/index.html , http://www.geekentertainment.tv/ is very good too. Perhaps not very good for tech savvy people, but for novices like me their very good!

[yogi_bear_2k2]

OK, so perhaps I was being a little harsh on Britain and the British as a whole because I am tarnishing myself with the same brush, but, it just seems to me that America have got everything right! Better ecomony, more "Up For It" people and they seem to know how to party! Or maybe I should get out more!!