Humphrys lashes state of UK television

Veteran broadcaster John Humphrys has delivered a withering verdict on the dumbing down of British television.

The presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme attacked the “mind-numbing, witless vulgarity” of reality shows like Big Brother.

He lamented the shocking levels of violence in soaps, particularly EastEnders.

“The good television of today is probably better than the best television of the old days,” he said.

“But the bad television of today is worse. It is not only bad. It is damaging. Meretricious. Seedy. Cynical,” he told the Edinburgh TV Festival as he delivered the annual MacTaggart Lecture yesterday.

“What about the effects of reality television on society as a whole? It does a number of things. It erodes the distinction between the public and the private, which is a profoundly important aspect of out culture.

“Much more worrying is its coarsening effect. That’s partly because of the sheer vulgarity. But it’s even more that it turns human beings into freaks for us to gawp at.”

Humphrys, aged 60, claimed he had not watched TV in five years – his old set broke and he never replaced it.

But in preparation for the lecture he asked the 16 channel controllers each to send him 10 programmes they were most proud of.

He said his viewing had left him deeply concerned at the state of British television which had changed greatly in the past five years.

“Call me a timid little soul, but I was actually quite shocked by some of what I saw when I came out of my Rip Van Winkle state,” he said.

“So much of it seemed not just vulgar and obsessed with sex, but altogether more confrontational than I’d remembered.

“I’ve worked in newsrooms all my life and I’ve been known to use the odd curse myself, but the violence of the language surprised me.

“It seemed almost impossible to switch on without encountering some sort of aggression … even in the soaps.

“Characters in EastEnders seemed never to walk past each other with a smile and a nod, as they sometimes do in real life even in the East End of London, but with a snarl and a threat.

“They couldn’t share a quiet cup of tea without the cup being thrown against the wall or their companion. I’m exaggerating a bit, but not much.”

It is reality television which causes Humphrys most concern.

“This is not just bad television in the sense that it’s mediocre, pointless, puerile even. It’s bad because it is damaging,” he told the audience.

“Programmes that are recognisably reality television make up a relatively small proportion of the output, but their influence has been out of all proportion to their number. They have infected the mainstream of the medium.”

Reality television is not even deserving of the name, he said.

“Reality implies authenticity and honesty. And whatever some of the stuff may be, it is not authentic and it is not honest.”

Quality strands such as Cutting Edge and Equinox are being marginalised in favour of the likes of I’m A Celebrity and Hell’s Kitchen, he contended. Even shows which started off well have become cynical and exploitative.

“Wife Swap was a brilliant idea, and the early programmes offered some fascinating insights into human behaviour and the dynamics of a marriage. But of course it had to go further to keep the ratings, and it did,” said the broadcaster, who says he does not have a television.

“Do we watch it now for understanding or for titillation? Again, I leave you to answer that.”

Big Brother 5’s “getting evil” theme was an example of the disturbing trend for pushing the boundaries ever further in a quest for higher ratings, he claimed.

And he warned it would not be long before British viewers were treated to Porn Idol.

Reality TV bosses were motivated by money and have no regard for the welfare of audiences or reality show participants, he said.

“You can hear the cash registers go ker-ching every time there’s a fumble beneath the bedsheets,” he said.

Humphrys even suggested that the late clean-up campaigner Mary Whitehouse may have been right all along.

“She said television was on a downward moral spiral. Foul language and fornication would become routine if nothing were done to stop it. They said she was wrong. Was she?”

The Today presenter also attacked former BBC director general Greg Dyke for attempting to dumb down political journalism.

“It was Greg Dyke’s view that we haven’t properly faced up to the fact that politics is inherently boring and it’s our job to make it less boring. I didn’t agree with any of that,” Humphrys said.

“Even if it were true that politics is boring, it’s not our job to make it fun. It’s a serious business and it’s our job to report it seriously. If people don’t want it, that’s their business, not ours. We shouldn’t be trying to lure them into politics by pretending that it’s just another game show. Greg got it wrong.”

He accused Big Brother bosses of a “breathtaking demonstration of piety” in their attempt to justify the show.

“They say it’s good for society. When Nadia won the last Big Brother we were told a blow had been struck for tolerance. Apparently choosing her in the first place had been part of a crusade to defeat prejudice against transsexuals. What prejudice? What humbug!”