WhyWaitForever - London
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WhyWaitForever - London - TV
This page contains links to the major UK and European television channels enjoyed by Londoners and links to the US television networks and cable channels. We include US television networks and US cable channels since more and more and more of these will have European offerings. First airings of programs are usually in the United States. This is especially useful to those addicted to particular program series and find difficulty waiting for a delayed airing in the UK.
As to my own all-time favorite US TV character surprisingly it is Ted Baxter in the Mary Tyler Moore show (what are the chances eh!). Londoners visit the US and enduring US television should be part of every trip. Should Americans visit London then perhaps they can compare and see if they would agree on which side of the pond lies more quality intelligent programming.
English language soaps
These are the most popular television programs in London. Though I dipped in to most in their early years I am afraid my suspension of belief cannot stretch to the catalogue of woes that ribbon through these types of programs.
- Coronation Street
Set near Manchester.
- Eastenders
Set in London.
- Emmerdale
Set in the rural countryside near the Dales.
- Neighbours
Set in Australia in a land of sunshine, high morals and smiles.
- The Archers
The long running radio serial set in the farming southern shire counties.
English language
- BBC
UK general content state owned.
- ITV
UK general content independently owned.
- Channel 4
UK general content owned by the ITV companies.
- Channel 5
UK general content independently owned.
- Sky
UK general films sport.
- Bravo
UK populist satelite and cable channels.
- CNN
US view of world news and current affairs.
- CNBC
US view of world business news.
- Dave
Comedy and TV shows.
- Extreme
A series of adrenaline high inducing sports.
- Eurosport
European sports.
- Film 4
Films.
- Gold
Comedy and TV shows.
- Hallmark
US series.
- Movies 24
TV movies.
- MTV
Music.
- Watch
Comedy and TV shows.
- UK TV
Various channels including UKTV Food and UKTV Homes.
English Digital Television
It took many years to convert televisions from 405 line to 625 line and from black and white to colour. In a few years (as many as 10 perhaps) all analogue boxes will be converted to digital. In the meantime with the compromises inherent in the conversion processes a set-top box is the best most people will experience. This can be connected to a satellite dish or to a telecommunications cable or to a terrestrial aerial. in addition some require a connection to a telephone line. Reception quality depends on location so some of these options may not be available.
US television guides, networks and
cable stations
In the oceans of programs, stations and networks the TV guides provide a star to steer one by. Newspapers usually provide parts of daily schedules since the mind boggling repetitive of major parts of the schedules can be as easy to recall as pre-school nursery rhymes. The principle is to repeat many times during the day on every day of the week every week of the year ... aargh.
- TV Guide
The small but extensive guide to US stations which seems to be available in every check-out.
These are the major national US networks available in every hotel room in every US state, US territory and possibly on the proposed NASA mission to Mars.
- ABC
The original second of the first big three.
- CBS
The original third of the first big three.
- Fox
The major threat to the first big three.
- NBC
The original first of the first big three.
- PBS
The jewel of american broadcasting providing intelligent and quality television funded by the public and corporate sponsors.
- WB
Warner Brothers television subsidary that outgrew the film creator.
These are some of the many US cable television stations.
- A & E
General programming.
- Animal Planet
A nature channel.
- C-Span
US politics.
- Cartoon Network
Childrens programs and what seems like endless animation.
- Comedy Central
Comedy programs.
- Cinemax
Films and movies.
- CNN
The global news station.
- Discovery
Science and factual.
- Disney
Children's programs, animation and films.
- ESPN
Parocial american sports such as american football (a rugby variant), baseball (a rounders variant), ice hockey (a hockey variant) and basketball (a non contact British bulldog with added ball and hoops played by the tall). They even broadcast leagues such as from schools and colleges (amazing!) US commentators have great difficulties with the global game of football so be prepared to cringe (or turn the sound off).
- HBO
Films and movies.
- HGTV
Home and Garden DIY television programs. These can be really strange.
- MSNBC
Business and technology slant from NBC.
- MTV
The music channel immortalised by that Dire Straits song. Recently believed to have difficulties with some of the raunchyness of some of the plugging video offerings.
- Nick
Children and animation.
- TBS
General programming.
- TCM
Classic movies.
- USA
General programming.
- Weather
The weather and more weather a station for dipping into.
- WGN
General programming.
The advertisements are excessive, repetitive, intrusive, trite and tiring. The presenters and roving reporters of the general interest magazine shows have been selected by focus groups and in the main are as perfect and unnerving as those Stepford creations would be if they existed in real life. Even those involving in the boring and mundane that is the weather and traffic have a compulsion for excess and a penchant for over enthusiasm. Watch over a few days as a weather front moves in; the endless speculation, anticipation, glee, pain, post mortum and finally the raking over the dispersed ashes of a non-story passed.
US television is not the arena for the understated or for careful consideration of reasoned arguements. Sound bites at top volume is king though the "Larry" himself is still an oasis of consideration and intelligence (though the poor man still has to break over and over again for those pernicious advertisements). Long may his braces hunch over the desk to question the statesmen in his charming way (may I be bold and suggest forget the entertainers let them plug elsewhere).
German language national
- ARD
Germany's first national station showing general entertainment.
- ZDF
German's second national station showing general entertainment.
- NTV
German news and current affairs.
- DWELLE
German view of world news and current affairs.
- DSF
German sport.
- ORB
East Germany Brandenburg has a less US feel than other German TV stations.
- RTL
German entertainment.
- RTL2
German entertainment.
- SAT1
German entertainment.
- ProSieben
German entertainment with a lot of international films.
- Vox
German entertainment similar in output to ProSieben.
- TM3
German entertainment.
- Kabel1
German entertainment.
- MDR
German regional from "Middle".
- WDR
German regional from "West".
Satellite operators
and Trans-national organistions
The satellite operators sell transmission capability (transponders) on their satellites to broadcasters to transmit the television channels some of which are listing above. Transponder configuration details and channel details change from time to time.
Language skills
It is hard to imagine an easier way to improve language skills and to better understand different cultures that to watch the television produced by and for a particular country. Try watching a familiar program in a foreign language. Repeat aloud the familiar phrases. Keep a dictionary by your side.
Technical information
In the year 2000 to access most of above required a satellite dish. The above channels were in the main "analogue" and so were accessible to most "PAL" receivers. For the French channels an additional "SECAM" to "PAL" decoder was necessary. Now many of the channels are available through cable or digital satellite.