BBC Scotland: Rome\'s Final Frontier

[mcbishop]

seems there is nothing on the tube about history ever worth watching

Not true. Chronicle shows how good it used to be (without lapsing into pointless nostalgia) before the rise of the independent production companies and the restless urge to dumb-down. However good or bad it was (couldn't see it in England and iPlayer isn't carrying it for some reason, but does have several Gaelic programmes which must have a minority audience outwith the Highlands and Islands; go figure) at least it wasn't Channel 4 and their 'we'll tell you what you've seen and what you're about to see' approach at each ad break just in case your attention span won't last three minutes. I get annoyed by frantic striding by presenters (they are not allowed to stand and talk to you), flirting at the camera (Bettany, I mean you), and over-use of re-enactors, but few things ever came quite so close to me burying an axe in the TV as that programme about Severus in Scotland with the repeated slow-motion wolf meme and a mopey-looking Severus imitator. I mean, really (he said, slipping into Victor Meldrew mode)...!

Okay, rant over. Probably just as well I couldn't see this latest offering ;-)

Mike Bishop