Part I. Features of TV ProgrammesBoth British and American TV broadcast documentaries, sports programmes and educational programmes to a limited extent every day. News reports are broadcast very frequently – several times a day, especially in the USA where news broadcasts are shorter. In both countries serials and series are popular. Some of them are produced exclusively for children. American viewers have many channels (separate broadcasting stations) to choose from for most hours of the day and night. Several channels transmit late night movies. British TV normally offers the viewer a choice of five channels. There are only one or two late night movies in a normal British schedule. CBS and NBC are the two major news broadcasting services in the USA. The two major British TV organizations – BBC and ITV – each have a news service too. Virtually all TV organizations in the US are independent and commercial. Of the British TV organizations, only the BBC is Government sponsored and non-commercial (and therefore, does not advertise). Advertising on the main commercial channels is limited to seven minutes per hour. ‘ Soap operas ’ – originally sentimental radio serials sponsored by soap advertising – are a regular feature of weekday afternoon TV in the US. British TV broadcasts soap operas too, but is better known for never-ending twice-weekly serials portraying domestic working-class life. American TV organizations tend to adhere to half-hour and one-hour broadcasts whose timing is coordinated. British TV organizations, by contrast, broadcast programmes with irregular length and starting times.
Vocabulary Words broadcast n., v. documentary n., adj. serial n. series n. channel n. transmit v. viewer n. schedule n.
Word combinations sports programmes educational programmes news reports broadcasting stations news broadcasting services soap operas regular feature
Exercises I. Study the TV Guide and find out: · Which programmes seem to be documentaries. · How many news reports, children’s programmes, TV shows are identifiable. · What the following abbreviations mean: CBBC, ITV, BBC, b/w. · How series and serials are differentiated. · What the usual length of TV serials is.
TV GUIDE BBC 1 6am Breakfast (S, T) National news; The National Lottery Daily Play [2063968] 9.30 Now You’re Talking! (T) [28581] 10.00 City Hospital (S, T) From Guys and St Thomas’; BBC News; Weather [51968] 11.00 House Invaders (R, S, T) Designer Laura McCree creates a football-crazy bedroom; BBC News; Weather [4500] 11.30 Trading Up (S, T) In Stourport [5429] 12noon Cash in the Attic (R, S, T) Raising money to fix a conservatory roof [42582] 12.30pm Bargain Hunt (R, S, T) Teams try to find bargains in Detling in Kent [39697] 1.0 BBC News; Weather (T) [48448] 1.30 Regional News; Weather [76149697] 1.40 Neighbours (S, T) Liljana is furious when David takes pity on Karl, while Lou returns to Ramsay Street [992237968] 2.05 Doctors (S, T) Helen and Mike’s relationship develops further [40468069] 2.35 Diagnosis Murder (R, T) A photo shop mix-up embroils Dr Sloan in the death of an escort girl [2972500] 3.20 BBC News; Regional News; Weather (T) [6135535] 3.25 CBeebies: Balamory (R, S, T) 3990993] 3.45 CBBC: Arthur (R, S, T) [5729429] 4.00 Chuckle Vision (S, T) [3762326] 4.15 New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (R, T) Canine capers [3858177 4.30 Watch My Chops (R, S, T) [9561622] 4.45 Cavegirl (S, T) Part two [9566177] 5.00 SMart (R, S, T) Personalising a mini scooter and creating mosaics [3691974] 5.25 Newsround (S, T) Reports [9665871] 5.35 Neighbours (R, S, T) [916974] 6.00 BBC News (T) [535] 6.30 Regional News Programmes; Weather [887] 7.00 A Question of Sport (S, T) Sue Barker hosts a special edition of the quiz to celebrate Sunday’s London Marathon. Matt Dawson is the guest captain, and he is joined by Ron Atkinson, Frank Bruno, Laura Davis and Jason Leonard [3413] 7.30 Top of the Pops (S, T) Tim Kash introduces performances by Joe, Beyoncé, Eamon, the Rasmus, Alex Cartana and McFly [871] 8.00 East Enders (S, T) As Pauline struggles to come to terms with Mark’s death, Martin lashes out at her, while Patrick strives to show Yolander he really loves her [5061] 8.30 My Family (S, T) Susan suggests to Roger that he should try to make Abi jealous, but Ben is convinced this will end in tears. Everyone is surprised when he takes her advice and shows up with a beautiful girlfriend – but is she too good to be true? [8968] 9.00 The Worst Week of My Life (S, T) The wedding finally takes place, but with Mel disappearing, her father locking himself in the study and Uncle Fraser dropping a bombshell will the happy couple make it up the aisle? See Pick of the Day [7264] 9.30 Have I Got News for You (S, T) New series. Satirical quiz, with Paul Merton and Ian Hislop joined by quest host Alexander Armstrong and celebrity panelists Les Dennis and Germaine Greer (T, S) [15061] 10.00 BBC News (T) [92041] 10.30 Regional News; Weather [101245] 10.35 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (S) Alan Davies talks about his role in the forthcoming drama series The Brief, actress Kate Bosworth chats about her performance in the forthcoming film Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! [199210] 11.30 BBC3 on BBC1: Liquid Asserts (S, T) The enviable cash flow of Hollywood’s golden couple Brad Pitt and Jenifer Aniston is scrutinized. Though films such as Seven and Oceans Eleven have boosted Pitt’s coffers, he is now facing some stiff competition from wife Aniston [43177] 12.30am 3 Non-Blondes (T) A friend of Elizabeth Taylor can’t stop queue jumping; Weatherview [9700036] 1.05 FILM Office Space (1999) (15) Comedy starring Jenifer Aniston and Ron Livingstone. (Contains swearing, sex scenes and nudity). A jaded computer programmer goes to amazing lengths to get fired (S, T) «««[8893494] 2.25–6am BBC News 24 [28725291]
BBC 2 6am CBeebies: Fimbles (R, S, T) [5397790] 6.20 Teletubbies (R, S, T) [5308806] 6.45 Clifford The Big Red Dog (R, S, T) [7261871] 7.00 CBBC: Arthur (R, S, T) [47719] 7.30 Short Change (R, S, T) [4924993] 7.55 Newsround (S, T) [6439784] 8.00 Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (R, T) [4432581] 8.20 Stitch Up! (R, S, T) [4521429] 8.45 Looney Tunes (R, T) Bugs Bunny visits Granny [1648993] 9.00 Rugrats (R, S, T) [52790] 10.00 CBeebies: Tweenies (R, S, T) [9929041] 10.20 Andy Pandy (R, S, T) Teddy gets help from Andy; CBeebies Birthdays [5267974] 10.35 Balamory (R, S, T) The island holds a fun run, but Josie can’t enter [5500719] 10.55 Beebie’s Tails (S0 Stories [6993784] 11.00 FILM The Barefoot Executive (1970) (U) A lowly television production worker discovers his pet chimpanzee has the unusual talent of being able to spot good show formats. Comedy, starring Kurt Russel and Harry Morgan (T) «««[57210] 12.30pm The Phil Silvers Show (R, T, b/w) Bilko takes a gambling trip [2280581] 12.55 Wildlife on Two (R, S, T) [2298500] 1.25 FILM Build My Gallows High (1947, b/w) (PG) Melodrama about a private eye who falls for the beautiful woman he’s being paid to follow. Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum star (T) «««[23964351] 3.00 Animal Park (S, T) Longleat safari park staff selebrate a giraffe’s birth [2974] 3.30 Flog It! (R, S, T) Paul Martin gets expert advice on buying chandeliers [87993] 4.30 Ready Steady Cook (S, T) With Phil Vickery and Nick Nairn [9101326] 5.15 The Weakest Link (S, T) First-round losers get another chance [6275264] 6.00 Escape to the Country (R, S, T) Artists who want to leave London to find a property in rural Essex [18158] 7.00 Jack Dee’s TOTP 2 (S, T) The comedian picks performances by Kula Shaker, Noel Harrison, Annie Lennox, the Smiths, Petula Clark and the Osmonds. Last in series [1055] 7.30 Gardening with the Experts (R, S, T) Rachel de Thame looks at how the country’s top gardeners create and maintain their plots in keeping with the high standards of the Royal Horticultural Society [413] 8.00 Small Town Gardens (R, S, T) Designer Andrew Fisher Tomlin takes inspiration from Parc André Citroë n in Paris to help the owner of a bleak roof terrace in north London turn it into a stylish city garden [3603] 8.30 Gardener’s World (S, T) Monty Don prepares the ground for the new cottage garden at Berryfields, while Sarah Raven selects bedding plants and spring-flowering shrubs [9210] 9.00 Timewatch (R, S, T) Documentary examining the events of 1953, when a massive storm battered the coasts of England and Holland, claiming the lives of over 2, 000 people [278245] 9.50 Grumpy Old Men (R, S, T) Celebrities in their middle years John Peel, Rick Wakeman, Will Self and Bob Geldof offer a mature perspective on the ups and downs of modern life, beginning by commenting on everything from text-messaging to ponytails [594581] 10.30 Newsnight (S, T) Including at 11.00 Newsnight Review [1591806] 11.35 FILM A Walk in the Clouds (1995) (15) A disillusioned salesman agrees to pose as a pregnant woman’s husband. Romantic drama, starring Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sá nchez-Gijó n. (Contains violence and nudity) See Film of the Day (S, T) ««[306264] 1.10-1.50 Buffy the Vampire Slayer (R, S, T) Willow takes on Warren’s personality and finds herself forced to confront the terrible reality of Tara’s death. Meanwhile, Buffy faces a tough decision about Spike’s behaviour-modification chip [4275949] 2.00-6.00 BBC Learning Zone (T) [8378524]
FILMS ««««Brilliant «««Good ««Worth Watching «Poor (R) Repeat (T) Teletext subtitles (S) Digital Stereo (b/w) Not in colour
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