SueK Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) Can anyone get into book programmes that feature on the telly. There is one on 6.30 (I think) on BBC 2 which has a few guests talking about their favourites - all in advance of World Book Day. I (we) love books here but I find these programmes terribly presumptuous - like people talking about a great wine with a meal or bl**dy Claudia Winkleman with her hands pressed into her chest talking up films (grr) - bring back Jonathan Woss for that programme. I just find it a bit dreary and I don't think it makes for good TV - unfortunately. Edited March 2, 2011 by SueK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 It depends - I like the "My Life In Books" on BBC2 at the moment, even though I think it would be better with a different presenter, and I love "The Book Show" on Sky Arts with Mariella Frostrup. I can take or leave the recent Sebastian Faulks series, but I'm looking forward to the one with Sue Perkins on Saturday tied in with World Book Night. I generally prefer shows that discuss novels rather than non-fiction, and I prefer discussions rather than documentary. (However, you're totally wrong about the Film show - it's so much better with Jonathan Ross who'd lost his edge and become a bit of a sycophant, whereas I like the discussion base of the programme now, and Claudia is Queen in our house anyway! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no-1-book-fan Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 There's the TV Book Club on More 4. It's not the most informative of shows and is a little bit trashy but it's alright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I used to like Bookworm, the program that used to be on Sunday afternoons with Griff Rhys Jones (before it was shoved over to Tuesday nights and then vanished from the schedules). If it wasn't for Bookworm I would never have read any Mike Gayle novels, or any of the Flashman books. BBC Four also did a very good series on British science fiction books a couple of years back, which covered a different theme each week. I don't mind My Life in Books, but it depends who is on there and what their choices are. Jeanette Winterson was quite interesting last night, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I don't mind My Life in Books, but it depends who is on there and what their choices are. Jeanette Winterson was quite interesting last night, for example. I agree completely with your sentiments here. I'm not loving the series, but I have enjoyed one or two. Jeanette Winterson was fascinating. PD James with Richard Bacon were also interesting. I love book discussions, so long as those taking part make the books the focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 The guests were a bit hit and miss .. some worked better than others (some made me squirm.) I liked P.D. James, Jeanette Winterson and Sue Perkins best, their love of books just shone out. Debo shouldn't really have been on there because she hates reading (though she did sort of acknowledge this with Evelyn Waugh's present of a blank book.) I suspect they weren't just her five favourite books they were probably the only five she'd read I could listen to Jeanette talk all day and Sue's books were some of my own favourites. Faulks on Fiction was ok, I guess any programme talking about books is a good thing. I didn't agree with the choices but liked hearing his opinions anyway. Looking forward to the programme on Saturday. I haven't caught up with the Channel 4 programme in a while .. the presenters made me cringe a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I think My Life in Books would've worked better if they'd had only one guest at a time & had it more like Desert Island Discs on R4, only the Snows seemed to gel well together probably because they're father & son. I would have liked to have heard more from Jeanette Winterson, Trevor Macdonald & Hardeep Singh (think that was his name) & would've given Sister Wendy & Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen a miss. I did enjoy Faulks on Fiction although I could have done without him telling me so much of the storylines especially Gormenghast which is on my TBR pile I watched a couple of the episodes of the book programme( can't remember which channel it's on) with Jo Brand but I didn't really like it , it seemed like the presenters & guests were picked because the producers thought they'd appeal to more people rather than because they were people who loved books & reading but I think that the only people who watch programmes like these are people who already love books anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysalis_stage Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) I shal be watching BBC2 tonight from half 7 onwards as it is dedicated to 'World Book Night' for a few hours that's after a jaunt to Warwick Uni Arts Centre to see if I can pick up a free book. I always prefered The Book Show on Sky Arts over The TV Book Club on More 4 which more often than not bored me to death which always felt awkward watching, probably due to the multiple presenters. Edited March 5, 2011 by chrysalis_stage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) If anyone's interested, there's a pretty good article on the Guardian website http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/mar/06/robert-mccrum-books-and-television about how the BBCs Year of Books programmes are going so far, and a suggestion that they should look back to a programme from the 70s for how book shows can work. Edited March 6, 2011 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no-1-book-fan Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I shal be watching BBC2 tonight from half 7 onwards as it is dedicated to 'World Book Night' for a few hours I saw that last night, really enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadya Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I'm sure there are some tv programmes about authors and books on Dutch tv, every Sunday morning a guest author is being interviewed for example. But I mostly watch the documentaries on YouTubes. They have something on different authors and poets. Even discussions about specific literature subjects. Right now I'm listening to a discussion about the motive for metaphor. YouTube is a wonderful source for different types of literature and poetry topic discussions and documentaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Reader Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I don't mind My Life in Books, but it depends who is on there and what their choices are. Jeanette Winterson was quite interesting last night, for example. This is the exact reason I am now reading Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. I wouldn't have even considered it before seeing Jeanette on this show. I thought My Life in Books was a great show and I hope they make some more at a later date. Sure it needs some tweeking but its about time we had a show like it. I think some of the guests worked well in their pairs and others would have shined even more if they were on their own and didn't have to consider the other guest needing some air time. Anne Robinson was much better at presenting it than I thought she would be I was pleased to see she was prepared to sit back and let others have their say and was also good a prompting some more conversation when it was time to move on. I used to enjoy watching a book quiz show but I can't remember the name of the channel it was presented by Kirsty Wark but I felt it really let itself down by only have snobbish team memebers and only concentrated on "high brow" books. No one is going to be interested if you make it so elitist. I have tried watching the chanel 4 Book Club but feel at the end of the programme I don't know anymore about the books at the end of it than I did at the beginning. I guess they are trying not to give too much away which is understandable. I do like that they interview the authors but feel it would be better if they could have the authors in the studio with them. I thought the World Book Night programme with Sue Perkins was brilliant. We really could do with more book tv shows but I think the tv makers thinks no one wants to watch them but I personally think they just haven't got the right formula show yet and don't advertise them nearly enough. Rant over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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