Dumbing down

Yes. I also hate the way they spend the first third of the programme telilng you what they about to reveal, with excerpts and snippets of film and sound bites, the second third telling you the story with the same shots and snippets, building it up to a fake cliff-hanger climax with an anticlimax of a denouement, then the last third listing everyone onscreen who had the least connection with the production, superimposed over a third viewing of the same excerpts and snippets. Are they trying to brainwash us?

I so agree. It's not like "The story so far........" - do you remember magazine serials? The net result of all this recapping is that the script actually never really progresses and you get very little information.

I have just watched the last in the excellent BBC4 series on Metalwork, Blacksmiths and wrought iron. Another example of dumbing down.The presenter's voice sounded like CBeebies (or, at best Blue Peter) and she clearly knew nothing about the subject matter. I also got very annoyed when she repeatedly referred to "Crystal Palace" - which to me means either the South London suburb or, at a pinch, a football team, when describing Paxton's glass and iron masterpiece - presumably she had never heard of THE Crystal Palace?

Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells!!

This drives me mad too and actually puts me off watching some programmes. It seems every five minutes they recap on what it is all about . Someone told me it was because people channel hop all the time - jumping from programme to programme - so they need to be told what the thing is about in the hope they will be interested and stick with it. Don't know if this is true but I think it is possible. I remember hearing some years ago that we live with a three minute culture, ie there is an assumption that people can only concentrate for three minutes at a time! What a depressing thought.

Yes. This has been going on for a few years now, and I don't think the practice is aimed at us older people - it's geared to the (presumed) short attention-span of young people! I think it's insulting to them, and will inevitably affect their expectations.

Oh yes - so annoying! Thank goodness for things like catch up TV, so you can whizz through these bits!

It's such a shame because the topics are usually varied and interesting but I also can't stand all the repetitions and find myself saying 'Get on with it' to the TV! It's not just documentaries but I've noticed it on house programmes as well. Not only do the adverts take up so much time but the recapping takes up further minutes unnecessarily. Surely young people's attention span isn't that short, is it? Or is it?

grace have you moved to tunbridge?

I wrote this on nnother thread:

But this is becoming the standard BBC delivery. I get annoyed with historical programmes. They tell you there was war in 16?? and because you might not be able to imagine what a war is, two men appear dressed in armour with swords. Actually if they said there was a war, then I believe them. Get on with the story!
We call them Kindergarten programmes in our family.

I think its to make a short programme seem to be a lot longer than it would be, an hours programme would only be perhaps half an hour long if there were no "recaps" !
When ever possible we record those type of programmes and fast forward all the " recaps"

I want detail not repetatition. Also give me credit for already knowing something.

Oh yes so it not just me. Crimewatch we see more of the presenter and she repeats everything when we really need the time on the suspects pictures.

Heir hunters. They start one you just get into it and they start the next person and then back and forth. I have put this in tv surveys for years but no change.

What is the purpose of this?

Being cynical, the more padding they put in, the less content. This means they can spin out two pieces of information for as long as they like. As well as all the other points everyone has made with which I entirely agree, why do we now have so many former presenters moving into the expert role? Six weeks presenting a nature programme, and you're suddenly an ecologist! There are plenty of experts still around, but all too often they have to trivialise the subject to suit what they believe we want! Why does everyone like and admire David Attenborough? Because he knows what he is talking about, he makes sure he isn't the focus of attention to the detriment of the topic and he explains and comments without talking down to us. Couldn't he run some workshops for the others?

Yes, like Richard Hammond!
Suddenly he's a wildlife expert....?
Give me strength....

I agree with everyone,it is frustrating, but it's all down to saving money!

Yes - it is all a pain - and as I said on another thread, overproduction is no substitute for real content. Like others, we often record programmes so we can fast forward the boring repetitions and the adverts.