but a bit tarnished (UKTV Gold)

Member Name: indigo

Product:	UKTV Gold
Date:	24/11/00 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: some good comedy

Disadvantages: endless repeats, unreliable scheduling

UK Gold runs repeats of old BBC series 24 hours a day. Sounds dreadful? Well a lot of it is. All those docusoaps about hospitals, boats and holiday companies are repeated over and over again, until it gets to the point where you can recognise an episode within ten seconds. Remember all those terrible 80s series, usually from Australia, that used to be on BBC 2 on weekday mornings mornings? Can't live without a daily dose of Butterflies? Here's the place to find it.

This may sound like hell. A purgatory of endless specials, old Eastenders and The Bill (i swear they have at least 4 episodes a day, often the same one). However, in the evenings you can strike gold.

Sandwiched in-between those shows that were justifiably forgotten on terrestrial TV (e.g. My Hero - it's not funny! not a bit! Shooting Stars - a running joke should not be sustained over 5 series) are episodes of Absolutely Fabulous, the Young Ones and Bottom that still make me laugh, even on the twelfth screening. Ben Elton and Jasper Carrot are sometimes OK, even Only Fools and Horses. As a rule, after 9pm the programming improves amazingly! Films and drama tend to be dire, made for TV.

There is even an offshoot of UK Gold (called UK Gold Extra or something) that shows only old soaps and the Bill. This proves that cable and satellite have greater depths to sink to.

Summary: