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Absolutely Fabulous Television from Across the Big Pond
By Brett Walther
April 27, 2002
I usually don't make much time for television.
In fact, you could say that I've grown downright disillusioned with North American television in general. I don't care how much money each of the supremely annoying cast members of "Friends" are making per episode, nor can I stomach the onslaught of lame newsmagazines that find menace in every corner of society that seem to dominate the prime time television schedule. For the most part, these programs can be summed up in three words: stale, formulaic and uninspired.
I've abandoned trying to tune in anything even remotely American through the faithful old antenna, and have made increasingly more use of satellite to deliver signals from abroad. My faith in the medium of television has been restored by the good old British Broadcasting Corporation.
From "Doctor Who", arguably the best science fiction program ever produced, based on the exploits of an enigmatic traveler through time and space; to "Absolutely Fabulous", a brilliant comedy series satirizing the lives of Britain's rich and famous; the BBC has consistently churned out some of television's most compelling programs.
I found myself yearning for more information about these programs, and found all that I was looking for on www.bbc.co.uk: the official web site of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The home of just about everything British, you can access information on all of your favourite BBC television programs that are currently in production from the drop down menu on the left hand column of the page. This menu contains links to "Absolutely Fabulous", "East Enders" and Jamie Oliver's "The Naked Chef" among others. The web site for each individual BBC program is a collection of various items of interest, from galleries of images, trivia quizzes, downloadable wallpaper, and even clips from the program
For older programs that are no longer in production, click on the "Television" link from the BBC home page. Then, click on the link to the "A-Z BBC TV Programme Websites" and consult the alphabetical directory at your disposal. Here you will find links to many of the BBC's cult classic series, including "Doctor Who".
The "Doctor Who" web site boasts its own chat room devoted to the series, as well as e-greetings and reviews of each of the episodes were broadcast over the series' impressive twenty-six year run.
Besides showcasing BBC television programs, bbc.co.uk is also a fantastic source for world news. From this site, you can download video and audio excerpts from BBC radio and television news programs. To find the most current news about a particular region of the world, simply click on the region of interest on the world map that is displayed on the home page.
When the American networks prove too dreary to endure, give the BBC a try! Even without a satellite, you can enjoy the best of the BBC through the World Wide Web.
Brett Walther is the Coordinator of the Oxford County Library Community Access Program.
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