The Abominable Snow Coverage

I, like every single other person who writes a blog in the world, feel compelled to mention the snow. There, I've done it.

Actually, I must mention the fact that I'm utterly delighted that my two kids were able to enjoy it yesterday. My 6 year old son Ethan decided to come back inside after 10 minutes. Probably because my 3 year old daughter Keira decided to keep pelting him with snowballs.

This moment of happiness for me, as a father, was tainted somewhat by some little bastards deciding to throw snowballs at my window. They did it to all of the neighbours, too. It's the same kids who kept nicking roses from my garden. Yes, I'm turning into a grumpy old curmudgeonly bastard.

Since the Eskimos have 1000 words for how excited British news reporters get about snow, it's no surprise that it's received blanket coverage (unfortunate pun intended) over the telly in the past couple of days. Of course, that's because it was snowing in the South East. My parents, who live in mid-Wales, have been literally snowed in for 3 weeks, snow half-way up their walls. Wales has barely had a mention on the news regarding the only killer in the world that's so loved by everyone, a bit like if Idi Amin made the Wonga man 'disappear'.

Mind you, BBC Cymru Wales doesn't do itself any favours. Okay, as a production company it's responsible for Doctor Who, Life on Mars, and, soon, Casualty. But, since I was a child, I've found it uncomfortably elitist. For example, their continuity announcers will excitedly point out any forthcoming appearances of anything or anybody Welsh in the next programme, their news reporters are told to over-emphasise Welsh language pronunciations, and their reporters all think they're major celebrities. I don't know what regional programming is like where you are, but here's an example of the anachronistic tat I had to endure at Christmas:

This was the show where I lost all respect for Ruth Jones. You see how obsessed she was in pointing out his Welsh roots? Every guest on the show was Welsh, apart from James Corden, who was there as a favour to his writing partner, or perhaps because he thought there wasn't quite enough of him on TV, so he thought he'd invade regional TV as well. They even wheeled out local weather presenter/egotist Derek Brockway in some bizarre mangling of a comedy sketch/song, under the misapprehension that local people will find this funny, or be amazed at the major celebrity they managed to secure. I don't know where to begin with how utterly awful this thing was. It was all very ITV in its operation, back-slapping, sycophantic, arse licking, musical numbers, a studio audience consisting of infirm simpletons, patronising to the core. I'm proud to be Welsh (not overly patriotic or anything; I don't speak the language, but I do love my country), but this 1970s-style third-channel, fourth-rate nonsense spoke volumes. I'm embarrassed by the thought of anyone outside of Wales seeing it. Um, whoops.

So, that lightweight drivel of a chat show leads me onto the news today that Jonathan Ross is leaving the BBC, coincidentally just after Graham Norton signs a two-year deal with them. Speculation's been rife on who should replace him on his chat show. Norton's probably going to get it, but beware, Graham, promotion via dead-man's-boots can lead to an uphill struggle for popularity. Just look at the Prime Minister. I don't object to him getting the gig (if he does), so long as the Beeb stop restricting him. His Channel 4 show was brilliant, but his BBC stuff has been so-so (I'm full of shit puns today). It'd never happen, but I think Simon Amstell would have been a good left-field choice, and Stephen Fry would be amazing (that'll never happen in a million years). Why can't they just get some heavyweight interviewer instead?

I'm just worried that his decision to leave was based on my decision to copyright the name "Film 2010".

Anyway, in the next few days, the excitement about the snow will turn back into terror, as it stops snowing and freezing over instead. Until Sunday, when it starts snowing again, then the childish glee once more commences, and people send their wonderful snow pictures to the news channels. I hope they show mine: