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|WrittenBy=[[Charlie Brooker]]
|WrittenBy=[[Charlie Brooker]]
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|1|25|df=y}}
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2011|1|25|df=y}}
|ShortSummary= Brooker discusses early [[public information films]], criticising them for their often patronising and hysterical tones before comparing them to the more dramatic recent equivalents. He comments, "rather than using calm reason, most corrective television uses fear to hammer its message home", reflecting on how the [[nuclear scare]] was presented on TV - in particular, the British docudrama ''[[Threads]]'' and the American film ''[[The Day After]]''. Brooker comments on the presentation of current affairs - "today, tuning into the news is like looking directly into the face of terror" - bringing up [[cultivation theory]] to stress the dangers of this style of broadcast. He talks about the public's perception of crime, linking it to the media's portrayal of crime - in particular, the British TV series ''[[Crimewatch]]'' and the unrealistic crime-drama ''[[Wire in the Blood]]''. Brooker similarly criticises the hyperbole of disaster docudramas such as ''[[Air Crash Investigation]]'' and hypothetical, 'what-if?' [[TV serials]] such as ''[[Aftermath_(2010_TV_series)|Aftermath]]''. Brooker concludes with the remark that "[television] makes sense of our universe in a way that's as soothing as it is fake, and what's more, it gets away with it - and that is frightening".
|ShortSummary={{expand section|date=July 2015}}
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Revision as of 06:47, 22 April 2017

How TV Ruined Your Life
Title card
GenreSatire
Written byCharlie Brooker
Presented byCharlie Brooker
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerAnnabel Jones
Running time30 minutes
Production companyZeppotron
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release25 January (2011-01-25) –
8 March 2011 (2011-03-08)

How TV Ruined Your Life is a six-episode BBC Two television series written and presented by Charlie Brooker.[1] Charlie Brooker, whose earlier TV-related programmes include How to Watch Television, Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe and You Have Been Watching, examines how the medium has bent reality to fit its own ends. Produced by Zeppotron, the series aired its first episode in January 2011.[1]

Reception

The series was reviewed mildly positively, with some criticism of the series' topic (criticism of television), some positive remarks about specific segments, and some abuse in jest from Brooker's colleagues at The Guardian: "Ha! I mean, boo! I hate him."[2] In the Scotsman, it was noted that "though so far Brooker hasn't been pulling any punches", some of Brooker's topics were deemed too broad, some of his targets were called "too familiar", like his mockery of 1970s public service safety announcements, and Brooker himself "may be heading towards one of those programmes he has so savagely parodied."[3] The Metro enjoyed Brooker's making "merrily sardonic hay", and found his skewering of some TV fearmongering "spot on", but found his targets pretty easy, "nicking TV news (‘like looking directly in the face of terror’) with flesh-wounds when once upon a time he would have gone for the heart", and described the show as "cobbled together."[4]

Episode list

# Title Written by Original air date
1"Fear"[5]Charlie Brooker25 January 2011 (2011-01-25)
Brooker discusses early public information films, criticising them for their often patronising and hysterical tones before comparing them to the more dramatic recent equivalents. He comments, "rather than using calm reason, most corrective television uses fear to hammer its message home", reflecting on how the nuclear scare was presented on TV - in particular, the British docudrama Threads and the American film The Day After. Brooker comments on the presentation of current affairs - "today, tuning into the news is like looking directly into the face of terror" - bringing up cultivation theory to stress the dangers of this style of broadcast. He talks about the public's perception of crime, linking it to the media's portrayal of crime - in particular, the British TV series Crimewatch and the unrealistic crime-drama Wire in the Blood. Brooker similarly criticises the hyperbole of disaster docudramas such as Air Crash Investigation and hypothetical, 'what-if?' TV serials such as Aftermath. Brooker concludes with the remark that "[television] makes sense of our universe in a way that's as soothing as it is fake, and what's more, it gets away with it - and that is frightening".
2"The Lifecycle"[6]Charlie Brooker1 February 2011 (2011-02-01)
3"Aspiration"[7]Charlie Brooker8 February 2011 (2011-02-08)
4"Love"[8]Charlie Brooker15 February 2011 (2011-02-15)
5"Progress"[9]Charlie Brooker1 March 2011 (2011-03-01)
6"Knowledge"[10]Charlie Brooker8 March 2011 (2011-03-08)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Wolf, Ian. "How TV Ruined Your Life". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  2. ^ Wollaston, Sam (25 January 2011). "TV review: How TV Ruined Your Life and Pleasure and Pain With Michael Mosley". The Guardian (UK). London.
  3. ^ Mullaney, Andrea (28 January 2011). "TV review: How TV Ruined Your Life". The Scotsman. Edinburgh.
  4. ^ Watson, Keith (25 January 2011). "How TV Ruined Your Life seemed cobbled together". The Metro (UK).
  5. ^ "Fear". BBC Online. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  6. ^ "The Lifecycle". BBC Online. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  7. ^ "Aspiration". BBC Online. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  8. ^ "Love". BBC Online. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  9. ^ "Progress". BBC Online. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  10. ^ "Knowledge". BBC Online. Retrieved 1 March 2011.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=How_TV_Ruined_Your_Life&oldid=776627308"