Would happier TV programmes improve mental health?

I never buy newspapers and find the news on telly very shallow. I watch the plays and dramas that start at 9pm but that's about it. I like the politics show at lunchtime and radio 4 especially Women's Hour

Comedy is certainly good for the mind, an experiment in a US jail showed that when film comedies were played, the prisoners were a lot better behaved afterwards.
I can watch all sorts of things, including GOT but it’s acting and not real, whereas watching harrowing real reports is very different.
We do need to know some of what goes on in the world, but certainly not all, and yes, it does affect us mentally.
Not reading newspapers ( except rarely, now and then) is better too, and not watching the news non stop.
There is a case for wondering if people now have information overload that we are not designed to handle.

I enjoy programmes like '24 hours in A and E' - not because I enjoy people being hurt. I find it heartening to see the love of families, the commitment of carers, and to hear the backstories of peoples lives. I have a good old cry often, and sometimes am sad, but still, I put it on. It's life, in all its glory.

I actually quite like the Jack Dee comedy. I do watch and download films and series on the Talking Pictures Channel. They show really old films - The Huggetts is on this weekend. Mainly B movies and I've been watching 'Family At War' and 'The Big Valley' - escaping back to my youth. Although my partner sees some of them and asks if they were made before they invented acting, as some of them are very amateurish. (I love the painted backdrops showing when they are obviously filmed in the studio.) Family At War Trivia - Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton met on the set, married and had Benedict Cumberbatch - obviously not that quickly!

I enjoy comedy too. A bit of silliness goes a long way.

We tend to scroll through Freeview and record things of interest to watch when other programmes do not interest us. A few weeks ago I found myself watching very old repeats of On The Buses! and actually enjoying it. On reflection there was quite a few sitcoms back in the day and other programmes like The Generation Game and others, such as Take Your Pick etc. Life seemed to be much more light-hearted then and was reflected in TV programmes like these. I don't really like a lot of the stuff on TV nowadays especially these reality programmes which seem to just want to create envy or materialism in others. Some of today's programmes which pass for humour don't tickle my funny bone either!

I totally agree with the OP and think that watching all the horrible stuff has, with many people, dulled their senses to things around them. Just today in our local paper is a story of an 82 yr old woman who fell in our main street. Cars and people went past and ignored her until a van driver stopped to help.
I cannot think how, in our small town, the others could pass by and leave her there unless they have been blinded and deafened to reality.

HillyN Agreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I love watching comedy on The Telly, it 100% does help with mental health, it is fairly obvious really that in putting positive laughter into your brain is a good thing

People may sometimes forget that the brain, like the body, needs taking care of..

Brilliant thread !! I do not know if there is a joke thread on gransnet,but that would be a good idea I think, so that if you are feeling a bit down you can jump on gransnet and read a few jokes

maryeliza

"At the moment I regularly watch Only Connect, University Challenge, Rellik, Liar ( best laugh going), Doc Martin, Antiques Roadshow and C4 News. I’d only miss the last one if my TV broke."

You sound like my sort of person! Haven't seen anyone else mention University Challenge which is great! unitl recently I never figured out what Only Connect was about, now I understand I enjoy that too - and Eggheads

Can't see why these would give anyone anything but enjoyment, so great in addition to news - by the way, I always like to see what tie/socks Jon Snow is wearing!

My favourite programmes are on in the afternoon. "Find it, fix it, flog it" on Channel 4, then "Money for Nothing" on BBC1. I love to see old stuff being repurposed and it gives me a few ideas of my own. I've even got my DH interested. He re-covered a stool, and refurbished two kitchen tables.

humpty we were devastated when OC moved from Mondays to Fridays so now we record OC and then watch it after UC on the following Monday so we get our full hour. We love Victoria - she’s engagingly bonkers

I love UniChallenge and most quizzes. I also enjoy a good murder mystery (I enjoy the puzzle not the gore). However, real footage of war, famine, natural disasters, etc. really upset me because I can't prevent them. There have always been terrible things happening in the world but we didn't know about them in detail 24 hours a day. There is too much information now.

There are plenty of programmes which are not gloom and doom. Personally I find most comedy programmes distinctly unamusing though Upstart Crow with David Mitchell makes laugh.

I love whodunnits,they dont depress me at all,I have avoided Question time for a few years as watching politicians avoiding answering questions infuriates me .I do like old fashioned style crime series like Vera and Shetland and Taggart even ,currently we're watching Outlander and enjoying it immensly ,pure escapism

Although, Outlander becomes more like GOT in every episide ! I can only wonder what comes next, an undead Highlander??

I try to keep to light entertainment.... but then up pops the adverts for funeral plans.... give me strength!

TellNo1Ok I agree with you about graphic violence and believe that some people have become desensitised to death, violence and destruction by watching fictionalised situations depicting them.
Mass murderers have been shown to be enthusiastic computer game players, where graphic violence and murder on their screens is later translated to real life. Obviously games don't have the same effect on everyone, they must be very maladjusted and mentally ill to kill in real life.

I don't watch a lot of ITV/BBC News apart from Local News, I like to know what is happening around me. I have a daily paper for news.

Having Sky helps as so many channels to choose from but Freeview is very good too. I have just been watching Wild at Heart & now Heartbeat, lost count of how many times I've seen them. I enjoy both Emmerdale & Corrie. I do love a good laugh though but find most of the stuff on now such as Bad Move is unfunny. Bring back Dinner Ladies.

I too enjoy Doc Martin - his interaction with the dog makes me laugh

Get fed up with the news, brexit and may, drive me nuts. Like the old repeats, of comedy shows. Escape to the country which I will never do now. The new programme money for nothing like to see what they turn things into. My h loves bargain hunt.
Also like to put on my radio in the kitchen nice to listen to when I am cooking etc. Have a DVD too enjoy music.

I can't bear Eggheads. The way they answer questions irritates me, it's not this answer because of this, it's not that answer because of that, so it must be this one, aarrrgghh, just say your flipping answer why don't you!

I don't think TV programmes get me down, it's real life that makes the difference.
However, my sister can get very nervy or anxious so she needs comedy to cheer her up. She can't understand why I watch 'Casualty' as I needed chemo a three years ago - hadn't I had enough of hospitals? But it's fiction I'd remind her, an imaginary person in a story, not real life and not my life either.
Having said that 'The Darling Buds of May' was a lovely piece of escapism.

Hilly
I agree with you. And I think we would feel much better if we switched it off and went out and met some other people. I know there are a lot of people who just can't do that and for whom tv is a great help.
I think radio is better. I found myself redoing the putty on the garden shed while listening to Hamlet this afternoon. To my shame it took me ages to identify the play despite hearing about Rosencrantz and Guilden stein.
I made a pigs ear of the putty then looked up how to do it on YouTube.

And I agree about the funeral plans urrgh

Judy low
Yes upstart crow brilliant. Found it helped to watch with subtitles as dialogue so witty and fast.

Maryliza did they announce OC was moving? I missed it if they did - thought it must have been having a break then came across it by accident. Some of those teams are so clever the way they work out the connections. I am thrilled to bits if I get one right!!