most annoying companion when watching television

[stalbridge]

As a child in the early 1960's I watched television with my mother and was very impressed when she could provide the real names for some of the actors and actresses in the films and television programmes we watched.

I started to learn them as well and we had a great time competing to name the actor/actress first and working out our score when the credits rolled at the end.

I got far too good at it.

My mother lost interest in the competition when I could name virtually everyone in any current British production for television down to anyone who had a line to speak.

Her only advantage was on American films and older British films. I soon filled that gap.

Not satisfied with naming the performers I could name their spouses and number of children, give an accurate year of birth and a potted biography and (allowing for the period) a strong hint about their sexuality.

A tolerant family would wait whilst I did this through the first part of most films and programmes hoping most of the main characters tended to appear reasonably early on.

If I did not actually name someone when they appeared I would be challenged and my answer checked at the end.

Friends are different to family. As a student I was threatened prior to any eagerly awaited programme or film "not to spoil the illusion". I eventually realised in addition to showing off I was undermining others enjoyment of television.

I made myself stop doing it, apart from the occasional outburst when I had struggled to remember a real name and had to share my success with someone.

I still waited for the credits and counted all the names, on my fingers, I could have said out loud during the programme or film. Scoring less than ten was an annoying disappointment.

My standard declined. I lost interest in learning new names and now most film/television actors/actresses starting their careers after the mid 1970's are unknown to me.

The advent of the internet has however seen something of a revival. It's so easy to tap in a name and one name leads to another and another and whilst I am absorbed in the memories of the 1960's and before, everyone else can enjoy their programme in blissful peace and quiet.

[image45]

It might be me as I rarely shut up talking about what is on! Thats why I often go to the pictures on my own as I have more chance of seeing whats on if I am alone.

[MB]

My grandparents used to do this and it used to drive us a bit potty, to be honest.



They were both white hot at it I have to say - but would then get into a squabble over it, which would remain, in those days, until the end of the film and the credits, during which they would wait with baited breath until one of them could claim victory and went rather over the top in revelling in it. The rest of the time they got on fine!



Weirdly enough, I later hooked up with a TV cameraman (my daughter's father) who has his own take on this particular quirk..he names people he has met, gives you a full rundown of their career, plus anecdotes and a general appraisal of their overall being. Mind you, I think this is a common quirk with television types - they also suddenly say 'look at that shot - what he was he thinking?' Snapping the illusion without meaning to..



Add that to an eight year old who relates the previous scene to you in it's entirety because you missed it - because she was relating the entire previous scene to you because you missed that... and you can see why - when her father is here - I rarely put on the television.



Oh, and friends who think going to the cinema is a dining and conversational arena and a teenager who tells me why I shouldn't be watching what I'm watching on political, moral and grounds of taste, in order, I suspect, to nudge the situation in favour of switching to some programme where bald headed men with guns will feature heavily and none of the above concerns are taken in to account it seems..

Aaaaagh!



I feel better now.

[batman]

My brother ..... constantly making comments such as "no one would behave like that", "why did he do that?", "that doesn't make sense", "ha ha ha look at that" and at least you're enjoying this" etc etc.