oceanMDX

Well, coming up on Star Choice (weakest HDTV selection) in only 1/2 an hour from now are: Six Feet Under(movie), Fireballs From Space (documentary), Brokeback Mountain, Crossing Jordan, Brothers & Sisters, Without a Trace, and American Masters. Currently, I'm watching 24.

oceanMDX

It's mainly the ones who don't have HDTV who claim that there currently isn't that much HDTV content.... I have HDTV and I know there is a lot of HDTV content available right now, and it's going to get much better this year.... Directv is saying that by the end of this year, they will be broadcasting 100 HDTV channels!!!!

YYZlover

I was sooooo looking forward to it and it is diabolical shite.

Thank you - I am not alone!

Biiiiink

Ah, I'm not missing anything then. I just don't like it! None of that appeals, with the possible exception of Six Feet Under. At a push.

Compare and contrast with the glorious pot pourri that is BBC 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/

oceanMDX

I didn't think you wanted to know everything in HDTV that was on this evening.... I only gave you what is coming on at 8:00 pm local time.

dbd33

I'm claiming that Canadian TV doesn't have much in the way of content and the little that's entertaining is ruined by the adverts; not specifically that there's no HDTV content but that there's no content period. Putting the programs in high definition would not make them more attractive to me as it's not the quality of the picture that's at issue. Friends is not going to be made funny by giving it more pixels nor the Jeopardy questions made less demanding by watching in black and white. I think it's only really porn that greatly benefits from a better picture and we don't watch enough of it to really care.

Biiiiink

I know, and I only quoted a part-time channel available to 70% of the UK population. I didn't think I was arguing about HD, but about content period. I still can't find anything much worth watching

iaink

What sort of stuff do you enjoy watching then? (or is this just a gripe about HD programming?)

I really think there is something for most people hidden among the commercials...unless you like cricket or rugby league. Question is, is it even worth the effort of finding it when there is other (perhaps more rewarding) stuff to do out there.

qwerty06

Any chances Torchwood would improve with HDTV?

Biiiiink

I'm not unhappy with the situation, I get to see pretty much everything I want on UK TV. I just wanted to know what those who say there is good stuff here mean by that.

It's not all bad news though, I was reading over at UK Nova that CBC ditched Emmerdale Farm last week rather suddenly

iaink

Surely thats entirely subjective?

We tape(well, not tape anymore, but digitally timeshift) these, but often dont actually bother watching them...

House
Boston Legal (for SWMBO, I find it a bit predictably silly, but I guess it has its moments)
Dr Who (when is that resuming anyway?)
My name is Earl
The Office ('murcan edition)
erm thats it...I just set up the box to try Deadwood, and I used to bother with 6 feet under, but missed a few seasons and lost interest.

Then there is the occasional Premiership and Champions league game when Liverpool are playing... and we usually end up watching something on PBS, documentaries or UK shows featuring detectives who need at least three bodies and two or more episodes before they figure out who dunnit...so we usually never do find out, or cant figure out what was going on...

SWMBO likes some of the Star Trec iterations, but not in a religous obsessive way and we both enjoyed Farscape while it lasted. Oh, "Mythbusters" sort of appeals to my cynical techy side.

Canadian content is conspicuos by its absence, although Rick Mercer has his moments, as does Red Green, and the two Ron Rames specials I have seen were hilarious....All comedy for some reason, maybe Canada doesnt do Drama?

Wingfield? Is that Canadian too?

None of its really important though in the big scheme of things...we tend to see more Bob the Builder, Vegitales and Disney movies than anything else now for some reason...and could happily go without any of the shows mentioned above if there is something better to do. The commercials are the main irritant, rather than the content...hence the timeshifting, but its hard to get into a show when they show 6 episodes and then jump to repeats, or just change the time slot.

dbd33

I would watch Desperate Housewives and the Sopranos if they were shown chronologically. I think they're well enough made, just ruined by the local stations. One reason I can't be bothered with the TV here is that the order of the episodes isn't respected. People raised here don't seem to mind, they spot immediately "this one is from when there was cleavage and smouldering glances" (Little House on the Prarie) or "this is from before big Pussy went off the boat" (Sopranos), they don't seem to need the plot and just absorb the atmosphere of the show. I like the narrative to run from beginning to end, like a book, and so would rather rent the disk.

oceanMDX

.... but the Spruce Meadows' Masters is shown in HDTV so that would enable you to see every hair on the horses' arses. Are you attracted now?

dbd33

I'd be mesmerised.

silver birch

We had 100's of channels in the UK and couldn't find anything decent to watch. Now we have 100's of channels in Canada and can't find anything to watch! The adverts drive me nuts here, especially through movies.

One TV question I was thinking about the other day was what Canadians think about The Royle Family and The Kumars, both of which have been/are on BBC Canada. I haven't yet met a Canadian who has watched them (not that I have asked that many Canadians this question!!). Anyone have any insights??