Dumbing Up

A few years ago it was all the rage to accuse any and every media outlet of "dumbing down", a process by which (usually in order to appeal to a larger market) programmes and publications lower their expectations of the knowledge and or capacity for learning of their audience. There is still the odd murmur of such issues on "Points of View" or "The TV Show", but by and large the media has moved on to other issues, normally concerning the marital status of ladies with enhanced breasts.

It wasn't just the populist media that was accused of dumbing down, even the likes of BBC Radio 4 were occasionally accused of insulting their audience with a small number of comedy series which didn't suit the traditional 18:30 audience. A few years down the line, and having heard four of the five current offerings in the (now firmly established) tea-time comedy slot, Radio 4 is not only entertaining, but delightfully engaging.

As this is a Tuesday night, and the only one missing in my knowledge Wednesday's fantasy spoof "Elvenquest", we'll start with Thursday's "Hut 33". This slightly formulaic sitcom is rather traditional recalling a great number of series past, few of which have made a major impact, but having come to the series halfway through without any previous knowledge, the characters are easily picked up and the situations (set around the comings and goings of wartime codebreakers at Bletchley) are gently comic and entertaining. The series certainly beats a number of unintelligible and confusing sitcoms which have appeared and disappeared over recent years.

Friday sees the long standing tradition of "The News Quiz" which continues in the same vein of political and current affairs satire that it has done for several decades. Admittedly the show isn't quite as formalised as it was back in the eighties, but the level of the subject matter tackled is still respectably high. Current popular panelists are reliable performers, with the likes of Andy Hamilton, Frances Wheen and Jeremy Hardy being expertly directed by current chair Sandi Toksvig, who graduated to the head of the table when Simon Hoggart retired.

Across the weekend now to Monday, with "The Museum of Curiosity". This series introduces three guests each week who offer an exhibit to the museum and the guests are certainly an eclectic mixture of comedians, authors, poets, scientists, artists, historians and probably many others i've forgotten. On paper, the show sounds like half an hour of tedium, but the guests speak about their donations to the museum with such infectious enthusiasm and passion that the show exceeds all expectations and works beautifully. The show is presented by the Yin and Yang duo of John Lloyd and Sean Lock, with occasional direction from Bill Bailey who (given his high profile and regard) is rather quiet during the programme. There were some raised eyebrows at the concept of the programme when it was first commissioned and reviewers clearly didn't quite know what to make of it when it first appeared, but it has now found its feet and the key to its success - passionate, knowledgeable contributors able to deliver several entertaining minutes on their subject matter.

Tuesday continues in a similar vein. "Heresy" is now well established as a reliably performing programme which gives educated opposition to received opinion in a gentle everything you think you know is wrong format. Victoria Coren provides a well informed voice of direction in the show formerly chaired by David Baddiel and a panel similarly structured to that of "The Museum of Curiosity", with a slightly stronger bias towards comedians and humourists.

Perhaps i've been listening to Radio 1 too much recently, but the intellectual stimulation provided in the tea time comedy slot on Radio 4 looks to me like a definite move noted by the rather clumsy current slogan "Radio for Curious Minds: BBC Radio 4". Long may the curious minds find their entertainment in this refuge from the gloss and glitter of everyday life.