Is Freddie from Scooby-Doo a colossal pervert? What does Howards' Way tell us about the eighties? How do you win America's Next Top Model? Which programmes do you only watch when you're off sick? And if you play the theme from Inspector Gadget in a nightclub, will people dance?
A host of comedians, writers and viewers wrestle with these and other weighty issues in Shouting at the Telly, a book of funny and heartfelt rants and raves on everything from soaps to sitcoms, sci-fi to reality shows, HBO to QVC.
All of TV is here: the age-old rift between BBC and ITV that tore families apart; the secret shame of crying at adverts; and those significant moments in life when television has made for an unforgettable backdrop. Richard Herring has a controversial new theory about Goodnight Sweetheart, Boyd Hilton shares his all-time comedy top ten and Rebecca Front demolishes the clichés of news reading. They're joined by a list of fellow telly addicts with axes to grind, including Emma Kennedy, Jim Shelley, Andrew Collins, Kevin Eldon and David Quantick.
So, if you have ever rooted for the most offensive candidates in The Apprentice or repeatedly corrected Supernanny Jo Frost's pronounciation of 'unacceptable' then this book will give you and your spleen many happy memories of the hours you've spent shouting at the telly.
'We love telly, and we think you love telly too, so why not read loads of fascinating opinions all about telly in this new book?' Heat magazine ****
