Dumb Show In Town

Quite why the BBC's pointless One Show is filming in Margate today is anyone's guess. Perhaps Christine Bleakley left a shoe there while she was training for her water skiing challenge on the isle recently.

As for Adrian Chiles, who was it who described him recently as looking like an animated Toby jug, and not a very interesting one at that? I prefer to think of him as a pale, Brummie imitation of Benny Hill. Without the laughs.

Click here for more on Gazunder website

Right Royal Cock-Up And Chips

Talk about dumbing down! Did anyone else see Rock and Chips, the Only Fools and Horses prequel on BBC1 last night? Set in 1960, the show followed the adventures of a young Del Boy and Rodney's dad, Freddie 'The Frog' Robdal, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.

The famous jolly boys' outing to Margate was re-created but sadly 'Margate' looked more like Beaconsfield dressed up by the props department. Not a wave, slot machine or seagull in sight. Most of the action took place in the 'Duke of Margate' pub. And then there was the above. Surely everyone knows the only Royal Harbour in the country is in Ramsgate! Kuh!

Still, it doesn't surprise me, after hearing a chap on Radio 4 at the weekend saying: 'The army's not as regimented as people think.' Think about it.

I suppose if Rock and Chips had actually been filmed in Margate, it would have taken an Avatar style budget to make it look anything like it did in 1960. Back in 1989, when the original jolly boys' outing episode was filmed, they stood half a chance of finding something to film, as this BoobTube clip demonstrates:

Bignews On The Small Screen

Good to see local bloggers represented on the BBC's Politics Show this lunchtime, even if they did choose Bignews Margate's Tony Flaig over the isle's premier blog to discuss whether the Ike and Tina Turner Centre will or will not kickstart regeneration in the Arsonists' Playground. Also appearing were Derek Harding from the Margate Renewal Thingy Whatsit, local aesthete Stephen Roper, and some old duffer from Kent County Council.

Still, hopefully I'll get my chance to have my two penn'orth next week when the Beeb are due here in the Millionaires' Playground to discuss TDC and KCC's Ramsgate degeneration policies, such as the closure of all our cultural facilities and the imposition of a Stansted size airport on our doorstep!

Click here to see story on Politics Show website

Beeb To Tackle China Gate

I see next Wednesday's edition of the BBC's local news magazine Inside Out will be tackling China Gate - the day before the big council meeting to decide on planning permission. From what I've heard, roving reporter Glenn Campbell will be taking a more robust look at the proposed development than his previous effort, and the show will include a no holds barred interview with CGP boss, squillionnaire Ken Wills.

Expect: More empty promises of jobs by CGP, councillors and MPs.
Do not expect: The entire report to be set to the tune of 'Rhinestone Cowboy'.

BBC On The China Trail

And it's not feckin Beijing I'm talking about yer eejits! That reporter feller Glenn Campbell from BBC South East is making a fillum about the China Gateway project and wants yous all to turn up at Acol Village Hall next Thursday 28 August. He writes:

The meeting has been arranged through Cllr Sheila Bransfield and will take place from 4pm onwards. It's really a chance for us (the BBC) to get to meet and interview local people concerned about the China Gateway project.

Sure I hope he's not thinking of putting it to the tune of Rhinestone Cowboy now!

Ramsgate Under The Hammer

A big, ECR shout out to reader Caroline who spotted Ramsgate on the BBC's Homes Under The Hammer today. Caroline must be a fellow welfare sponger (although perhaps not with the political axe to grind) as HUTH is a morning show primarily watched by the kind of people who might be fragile enough at that early hour to take its title literally, given a probable diet consisting solely of cheese sarnies, disco biscuits and White Lightning. In fact, judging by the state of the property featured, it could well have already suffered that fate!

Anyhoo, back to the show. Presenter Martin kicked off the Ramsgate segment with an upbeat monologue: 'There's a real positive feeling about the stuff that's been going on here. There's a new high speed rail link into London and a lot of property refurbishment going on.' That's the spirit, Martin! Once inside the house in Richmond Road, however, he ascertained that all the floors had collapsed and the entire house was in imminent danger of falling down. Hmm, more than a spot of refurbishment required there, methinks. Auctioneers Clive Emson eventually, er, knocked it down to a London developer for £142,000, who then discovered Thanet Council had condemned it. But not to worry, a man from TDC eventually came along and offered him a £75,000 interest free loan. Result!

Click here to watch Homes Under The Hammer (until 9 July)

Media Fever

Yikes! Not only was it Thanet Night on Channel 4 yesterday, but today the BBC One O'Clock News was reporting live from Ramsgate's Royal Harbour. This time the story was about all the delicious cod our fisherfolk are having to dump back overboard because of EU quotas.

What with that and 57 crews parked over in Margate covering the nastiness there, our beloved council's much-vaunted Film Department must be clocking up overtime!

Cauli Poor Show

Time for a quick round up of the trade papers.

Fresh produce news, and Kent's biggest cauliflower farmer, Robert Montgomery, is to cease production of the crop as it's no longer financially viable. Mr Montgomery, who farms at Upper Hale, Birchington, near Margate, said that the cauliflower acreage had dropped 35 per cent in the Thanet area over the past six years, and nationally it was nearer 50 per cent. 700 acres of caulis, and 30 staff, will now go from the Montgomery farm.

What odds am I offered that Mr Montgomery will be growing a bumper crop of 'executive homes' in the not too distant future? Although, given climate change, it would be terrific to see peppers, or even olives, replace the fart bushes.

Oh, and the BBC has lost Neighbours, almost certainly to ITV1.

There. Where else would you get brassicas and broadcasting on the same blog? Quality!

Scooby Don't

Is it me, or are the writers of BBC1's Sea of Souls recycling old plotlines from Scooby Doo?

Watching the first in the new series last night, I was half expecting some ne'er-do-well to be de-masked and carted off to jail uttering the immortal lines: 'Why, if it wasn't for those pesky paranormal psychologists...'