This week’s Radio Times includes a rundown of the worst fifty programmes, according to Guardian journalist John Naughton:
50 Worst UK TV Programmes (top 20)
Quite rightly, ‘Minipops’ is on this list of shame, along with ‘Eldorado’ and ‘3-2-1′ (though good in a strange sort of way due to its sheer naffness). In my opinion, I think ‘Celebrity Love Island’, ‘Where the Heart Is’, ‘The Mint’ and ‘Duck Patrol’ should have been added to this. I would say he was harsh on ‘Going for Gold’, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ and ‘Wacaday’. All three of these programmes hold fond memories for me. In fact, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ was one of the first programmes I actually loved watching. Wacaday’s only crime was inflicting Timmy Mallett on a nation (no bad thing, having been popular in Greater Manchester on the late great Piccadilly Radio, 261 metres MW). As for Going for Gold, this quiz show should be revived along with Masterteam, Knightmare and Blockbusters. I used to like the school holidays, because I could watch Going for Gold and How We Used To Live in the half terms.
Quickfire Balls does deserve inclusion, along with all these other initiatives to try and extort money from us via our cathode ray tube/plasma/TFT screen instead of spending it on quality programming. Like ‘The Mint’.
This link will take you to the full fifty worst programmes. Debate amongst yourselves to your heart’s content:
