Saturday 28 May 2016

The Long Descent into Luveedom - a Critique of the Kermode and Mayo Film Review programme on BBC Radio

I’m an LTL...and all that.

I think I’ve heard every episode of the programme since it began, from the days of the all-too-brief slot where Mark used to give his quick, deft reviews when both presenters were more or less strangers to each other, through the strange period when the programme divided into two for no readily apparent reason (oh yes, it was the separate interview thing) right up to modern times when the show goes over the two hour mark quite often. Yup, although it is just a guess I think I have heard every single episode. This longevity shows how much I have enjoyed a lot of the programmes.

However, having heard, I think, all the episodes, I can and do say I’ve listened to my last. 

As I have become now a non-listener there is some telling truth to power I think is necessary but that the “good doctors” will never hear because sadly there exists now an "adoring throng" (to borrow a phrase from Blackadder).

Sorry to say, the programme has grown cute and over-ripe and too self-referential and far, far too pleased with itself. 

The programme has become a great endless, crowded traffic jam of moments for the cognoscenti. It has reached the station stop of Luveedom. But, it won’t stop because it’s too un-self-critical and unless I am mistaken will get worse and worse until the future brings us a hamster-owning filmgoers corner, or whatever.

I realized that I wasn’t enjoying the programme any more when it recently had guest presenters who presented a fun show (programme) but sans all the LTL, first-time e-mailer, I’m-an-anaesthetist-with-a-25-yard-swimming-certificate corner and its accompanying in-the-know baggage.

Enough's enough.

Good luck but sadly also good bye.