We are family? A blank holiday usually sort that out...

At this time, when it seems everyone is celebrating or avoiding the Jubilee (delete where applicable...) The creation of two Bank Holidays in a row has been a boom time for some digital channels such as Dave being able to put out back to back editions of its favourite shows such as QI and Top Gear, though this is the case for most channels on Freeview. Though there was a time when these occasions were treating as something special, a day off from the norm. But not now, in part because of any Bank Holidays meaning nothing at all to anyone now. As such schedulers in telly land agree the same as any member of the public, why bother?

Go back at least twenty years, when it seemed like Bank Holidays last had any meaning to anyone, there would be a smattering of family friends films on television to keep people who didn't go out amused. This fare would usually be a Disney film, nothing offensive almost like candy floss or chewing gum for the eyes. 

An off-shoot would be Disney Time where a presenter would be at a family friendly venue to link inbetween clips of Uncle Walt's finest films and cartoons. To anyone now this would seem antiquated, almost stale and boring. You were even lucky to get special editions of The Generation Game, Swap Shop and the alike, there to entertain the family. As a business, television does not provide this at all and it seems it wants to give up on these occasions and let other things win and just be a piece of furniture in the corner rather then something special to provide entertainment to people. 

But we look back on this with fondness and wonder why it can'y be like this again, the reason because we let it happen in this way. We throw some many babies out of bath water to the effect that we basically discount everything which maybe vaguely entertaining. So we are the cack handed society, who want things to be how they used to be, but hate it if it's put back to that way.  

Maybe its time that people, took a look at themselves to see what they have become as such. A blank holiday, that's what...

The man who never grew up...

Are we ashamed of what we are? In adulthood, we all seemingly have to be serious. But there is seemingly something in the air at the moment, with the release of The Muppets at the cinema there is a grabbing of people's younger lives. For most people, they are reminded of the original television series shown in the UK between 1976 and 1981. As a very young child one of my first televisual memories is of watching The Muppets, everything else is hazy, but clearly I can see Miss Piggy doing a karate chop to some unfortunate person.

Though by the looks of it with the release of the new Muppet movie, people are going along to interested to see if that it is the same as they remember. False impressions are a difficult thing to take sometimes, but just the memories are so strong. 

I will admit I am the first to watch if there's a movie which is say a Disney movie or family movie on the television. Everyone finds different meaning in these movies and that they look at them from a adult perspective. The sense of make believe isn't suspended, now you may ask why I don't do this. I would ask some people the same about watching the news, but when living a such a life we shouldn't forget about that inner child at all. 

During half-term week the schedulers make room for family movies or something to keep the children amused. Some would say that is impossible with so many things for them to do nowadays, though it is surprising that they are still watched. Remarkable to think this, but they have a hold when they appear. One such is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, either the Gene Wilder version or Tim Burton version. Now you can say the Tim Burton version is darker, meaning to appeal to the adult audience as well, but its the genre itself which reveals a lot.

They make big money, now that isn't only the smart thing. Competing against the whizz-bang action blockbusters, they hold their own offering an alternative to the cinema going audience. In the past few years, a new Tron movie has been released and with the major studios looking at these types of movies. Its little wonder that more of titles of yesteryear would be remade, the Disney back catalogue is huge. Such is which, that movies have been remade twice. I was flicking through the channels and saw a 90's remake of That Darn Cat on Channel 5 and in a couple of days the original will be on BBC2. 

So wither Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World and Condorman... As they might be coming back to a cinema near you soon...