Community: Real Life

Television trauma


Anna

16-year-old Anna hasn't been able to walk for over two years. She tells us how life is as a teenager with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.).
Entry: 8

Why is daytime TV so bad? Anna's had enough.

I have just seen an advert for a programme and the catch phrase is "what does your poo say about you?" What is the world coming too?

As a keen viewer of daytime TV I can honestly say it is getting worse - either that or I am just getting more critical. I am lucky, now I am getting better I watch much less television. I can concentrate more so I can watch films, I have more energy so I can go out more with Speedy (my wheelchair), and I am listening to music and relaxing more. The thing is, that still leaves many hours in the day when I am doing nothing and boredom strikes. Today, for example, we have a house swap programme, a house "makeover to sell" programme, a car boot programme, news, news, a house "doctor" programme, Bargain Hunt, and then we have... Trisha which I must say is quality viewing - am I joking? YES!

This week we are lucky enough to be graced with ER except I am so shocked that I keep on forgetting it is on and realising five minutes before the end. I am not saying that all daytime TV is rubbish, take This Morning for example; class viewing! They have good interviews, the presenters are hilarious and, at the risk of sounding like an old housewife, their features are quite interesting, except the whole show is geared towards an audience of viewers aged 30+. Now if they included some fashion for the under 40, music reviews and viewers (that you see on the show) who were a bit, shall I say, younger, they would get a much broader audience.

"Oh mighty TV schedulers, please will you think of the poor sick teenagers made to watch programme after programme about selling houses!"

TV schedulers need to realise that they have students, ill children and young shift workers who are at home in the day. OK, we may not be the main "band" of people who are at home all day but do we deserve to die of boredom? I remember the time when we had new Diagnosis Murder episodes on (the highlight of my day!), ER running in order, and films that were filmed after 1945.

Oh mighty TV schedulers, please will you think of the poor sick teenagers, those poor young adults confined to their house, made to watch programme after programme about selling houses, increasing your house value and listening to old fogies discuss the value of the pound! So please will you re-think your schedules, include more dramas, films, soaps and interesting documentaries. (Keep Fern and Phillip though!!)

By the way, what would my poo say about me? Well if it could talk it would probably tell me to stop eating so much chocolate!

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