THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

… And there’s absolutely no business like show business. Oink!’s very own show biz editor has been digging and delving and getting to grips with the ups and downs and the ins and outs of what’s been happening - and why - in TV and around “the biz”. Here he is! Hammond Egg!

In the ‘old days’, television programmes started at around tea time, went on until 11 o’clock at night and everything was in black and white, often fuzzy. Oh, and there was only one TV station, the British Broadcasting Corporation.

GIVE US WHAT WE LIKE!
This has caused something of a revolution – and problems. Television companies need to fill the screens 24/7, and to do so, they have had to compromise on the quality of programmes, the way they’re produced, and what they cost to make.

As more and more TV channels became available, so we, the audience, demanded more. And in the mad scramble to deliver what we wanted and make money at the same time, mistakes were made by broadcasters and producers. Corners, and quality, have been cut.

WHEN IT GOES HORRIBLY WRONG...
We wanted more. Now. And TV is all about NOW! That’s when things started to really get out of hand. Instead of writers creating new programmes, producers and TV execs started thinking up new ideas to grab an audience – and make money. Reality shows were everywhere. The cheaper the production costs, the better - more money for the producers when they sold the programmes on to the broadcasters. And with the money made from phone-in viewers, they all had what was simply a gold-plated formula for success.

Until it all went horribly wrong. We heard about phone votes being rigged. Competitions being fixed. Even dear old Blue Peter was found guilty of misleading the public. Oh dear, oh dear.

But hang on a minute. Do we really think that a few TV executives, producers and even some of our TV stars went out of their way to deceive the public? They make huge salaries, so why would they do it?

TAIL WAGGING THE DOG!
No, the real reason was that the tail was wagging the dog. The audience was calling the shots and the producers were following, rather than leading. The broadcasters allowed it to happen. And this doesn’t work in showbiz. When you create to order, you’re not going to get Disney, or The Simpsons. You’re not going to get Dr Who, Spongebob Square Pants or My Parents Are Aliens. You’re going to get I’m A Celebrity Toothbrush! Which is why we’re all so keen on going to live concerts - because we know that what we’re seeing has value - what we see is what we get.

In her exclusive interview with OINK! recently, Natasha Bedingfield told us how much time and effort goes into her concert performances. She has her own great musicians and her own lighting and sound guys, some of whom have worked with her for yonks. It’s a team effort, she says. And whilst she doesn’t actually control the cost of tickets – unlike PRINCE did for his recent concert tour – she’s very much in charge of everything else. Which is why we get quality!

So where does that leave us? We have loads of opportunities to see our favourite artists perform live and it seems we are doing just that. As far as TV is concerned, it seems as though the TV business has had a few shocks to the system; hopefully, we’ll get better viewing and better value for money. We shall see! We should always remember one thing, though: if we don’t like something on the box, we can always turn it off!