Green Guide letters: TV viewers bite back, week of April 5, 2018

Why so sheepish about the Lamb of God?
I fully understand that commercial channels are driven by the need for ratings and advertising appeal, but it was very disappointing that no networks were willing to broadcast a specific Easter film, such as The Passion of the Christ on Good Friday evening, or the engaging Joseph Fiennes' film Risen on Sunday. What, precisely, is so unappealing and inappropriate about reminding citizens what these most pivotal days in human history are actually all about?
The Good Friday Appeal Super Show obviously is a very commendable event and deserves its annual place, but did anyone on the program ever explain the biblical reasoning behind its name? It would be unfathomable that AFL Grand Final day would not feature the actual football match, or for Anzac Day to not feature a World War I documentary on television, so why be ashamed or hesitant to explain the historicity of two nationally observed public holidays?
Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn

Blame the gremlins
Oh dear, gremlins got into this week's Green Guide (March 29). In the program listing for March 31, viewers were advised that "daylight saving starts; please put clocks forward one hour". Actually, daylight saving ends on March 31, so we put our clocks back that night, not forward. Remember, "spring forward, fall back"! If GG had deliberately put the advice to "put clocks forward" as an April Fool joke it was inappropriate, as some people could have been confused by it, put their clocks forward, and have been two hours early on April 1 for Easter church services, etc. Let's hope it was just an honest error and that there'll be an apology next week.
Kaye Gooch, Prahran
GG editor says: It was (an honest error). We are (very sorry indeed). They (the gremlins) have been roundly scolded.

Programming 101
Channel Nine has taken a leaf out of Netflix's success and bought a new sci-fi series, called Timeless. Here is my prediction of what will happen. Nine will advertise the series as "coming soon" for months. It will screen the first episode mid-week at 8.30pm. It will screen the second episode at 9.30pm. In both instances it will make it almost unwatchable by punctuating it with five-minute ad breaks every 11 minutes. After a month, it will move it to 11.30pm, on a different night, and will not advertise this shift. After two more weeks, it will move it to Gem. A little later, it will discontinue episodes without notice, before resuming in the New Year. By this stage, the audience will have bought the DVD from eBay or streamed it. Net result, the further fracturing of Channel Nine's audience share.
Alex Parfitt, North Balwyn

C'mon pay and streaming viewers, write to us!
Surely, Green Guide coverage of pay TV, streaming and download options has become disproportionate to their number of actual viewers? In Green Guide's March 29 edition, features and other articles from these sources overwhelmed all others, in particular those about free-to-air programs. In stark contrast, the composition of GG's letters page comprises two letters regarding radio, nine on FTA and none on pay TV.
Ross Daniels, McCrae

Stan and deliver
Stan Grant is on a winner with Matter Of Fact introducing interesting and knowledgeable guests, but how disappointing when on Monday, March 26, the show was hosted by Peter van Onselen and his guest Sarah Henderson answered every question by denigrating Bill Shorten. Please, no political hacks spouting party propaganda.
Shayne Davison, Mulwala

Brain Rust, more like
Please, please ABC, retire Brains Trust after season one. It's the only show on TV that manages to be both excruciatingly slow and mindlessly hyper-active. Paul McDermott is embarrassingly silly (the audience silence after his giggles...) and the competitors are like transfixed experiment subjects. A sad and bad waste of my tax dollars. The test pattern would be wonderful in comparison.
Mick Webster, Chiltern

Four Corners, two-pieces
Very interesting Four Corners program on superannuation (March 26). Extra-interestingly, no mention of the bucketloads of cash that John Howard allowed the rich to tip into their super funds. I am sure that was not in Paul Keating's plan. And more fascinating yet is why we viewers were regaled so frequently with images of scantily-clad bodies on sunny beaches!
Elaine O'Shannessy, Wandin North

Sing-alonga-Ling
As each televised AFL match ends, Cameron Ling grabs a key player for an interview as the loud theme song begins. The pair could be talking Dutch for all we hear at home.
Leo Gamble, Mentone