But why?

[mandragora]

She asks plaintively.

Why does Channel 4 in Wales feel the need to put on some Welsh-language (not that there's anything wrong with the Welsh language, you understand. It's just that, language of my fathers though it is, I don't speak a bleeding word of Welsh), family entertainment (God, the horror) programme on at 9.00pm on a Friday night.

I'm in a hotel in Cardiff (Torchwood!), preparatory for a work-related course I'm attending at Cardiff University tomorrow, and was looking forward to seeing Ugly Betty at 9.30pm. But when I flicked through the channels at 9.00pm, and came to the '4' channel, which should be Channel 4, I discovered that it isn't. Or, well, actually it is, but it's the Welsh version and prime-time consists of various Welsh-language programmes, instead of the normal Channel 4 programmes.

Oh my God, they've got a Welsh-voice choir on now.

And before that it was a tenor, singing something that I think was meant to be funny.

It's just...really, really awful!

And I have to ask, why? I mean, it's the climax (I think) of Celebrity Big Brother over in England (and presumably Scotland), which is Channel 4's biggest ratings earner. And they're depriving the entire population of Wales the opportunity to watch it. No, I'm not pissed off at CBB (as I rather loathe it, and that was before the racism/ugliness, ignorance and stupidity debacle), but I wanted to watch Ugly Betty dammit. Okay, so I'm recording it at home and will be able to watch it when I get back on Sunday. But that's so not the point.

Bloody Welsh Channel 4.

Comments

[britta54.livejournal.com]

Bummer!

I also wanted to say Happy Late Birthday. I hope you had fun.

I've been thinking of you and the other lovelies I visited and wishing I felt more communicative but...there's nothing terribly interesting happening in my life. However, my mother looks very punk these days with hair approaching one centimeter in length.

Hugs,

$:-D

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the birthday wishes. It started off as not-fun (early morning meeting at work) but was definitely fun by the evening.

You're having a hell of a time atm, I know. I hope that you're bearing up okay under the strain and that your mother's treatment goes as well as it possibly can.

Hugs to you.

[britta54.livejournal.com]

I'm hanging in there.

Mom's treatment is finished, hopefully never to return, while Dad's is somewhere in the middle. He's holding steady so far but all this has been tough on both of them in ways I can't imagine.

Glad to hear your day improved. I hope Channel 4's programming did too.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

At least your father is holding steady, which is encouraging.

Tough on them, and incredibly tough on you, too.

[temaris.livejournal.com]

Because they get a fairly large chunk of change for it. The usual answer. I think they are required by the terms of their licence to have a certain percentage in Welsh. It always was a bugger when I lived in Wales. It'll all be on, just on some other night.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

I remember going to stay with the cousins in Wales as a child, and having these Welsh-language programmes on the Beeb. Which is understandable in a public broadcaster but I didn't expect it with a commercial broadcaster, even with Channel 4's remit.

[keletkezes.livejournal.com]

That's S4C, isn't it? I never realised it was so utterly different. Remind me not to go to Wales when C4's showing something interesting...

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Yep, steer clear of Wales in interesting times. Although I liked Cardiff a lot more than I thought I did.

[(Anonymous)]

Hell give me S4C than stupid shit called Ugly Betty.
If you want america stuff well f*ck off to America.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Grinning away at the fact that you don't have the guts to post under your name, and despite your rude comment you presumably wish to offend my 'delicate' sensibilities by not actually writing 'fuck'.

Well, fuck me, my very own troll. *pats sensitive little troll on head*

Oh, and you might want to check your grammar.

I personally would have written:

'Hell, give me S4C than' etc. The pause induced by the comma emphasises the 'Hell', which otherwise is in danger in being lost within the rest of the sentence.

I also believe that it's 'American'. Note the capital letter - place names are usually capitalised - and the 'n' at the end, as it's possessive.