Hogmanay TV was hell at the Bells
THE usual staples for Hogmanay are whisky and champagne, sausage rolls, shortbread, a lump of coal and black bun. It seems Scottish broadcasting, however, has another – tripe. As if Only An Excuse and the BBC’s eternal Hogmanay triumvirate of Jackie Bird, Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham aren’t enough, ITV lowered the bar further with Lulu proffering trite ‘Glesga banter’ kitsch for those nostalgic for the good old days of razor gangs, TB-ridden tenements and serial killer Peter Manuel. The BBC’s response, meanwhile, was Gregor Fisher’s ‘tribute’ – a euphemism for ‘nothing original to contribute’ – to Rikki Fulton’s Reverend IM Jolly. Jesus wept. You can sneer at Jools Holland’s pre-recorded Hootenanny all you like – but a 26-year-long growing chasm between its viewing figures and its competitors combined demonstrates tradition no longer excuses this annual offering of vaudeville. That the late Prince Buster’s Enjoy Yourself – recorded by Holland and his band in 2003 – has become a post-Bells staple thanks to the Hootenanny says it all.
MARK BOYLE, Johnstone, Renfrewshire SO the BBC is patting itself on the back over securing such a large television audience for its Hogmanay offering? Apart from Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, I thought the show was abysmal from beginning to end. Presenter Jackie Bird did her best, poor lass, to put some enthusiasm into the proceedings but I, and all my friends, were very disappointed and indeed ashamed at what was on offer. The fireworks display was spectacular but, from my sitting room window, I could watch something almost as breathtaking from a nearby hotel. Top marks to Knock Castle for putting on such a show for its guests.
MOIRA KERR, Crieff, Perthshire