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TV Criticism
Clive James On Television
For the first time in one volume all Clive James's treasured TV criticism, originally written for The Observer between the years 1972 and 1982. From the 1972 Olympics to the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest, here is a decade of the most trenchant, witty and thought-provoking criticism of any kind, with a foreword from Clive James himself, described as 'the funniest man in Britain'.
731 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 1991
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About the author
Clive James
71 books291 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
An expatriate Australian broadcast personality and author of cultural criticism, memoir, fiction, travelogue and poetry. Translator of Dante.
An expatriate Australian broadcast personality and author of cultural criticism, memoir, fiction, travelogue and poetry. Translator of Dante.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 27, 2019
I have read and re-read this book on several occasions but I picked it up again after Clive James died. It’s a glowing example of how to do criticism, a nostalgia fest for a lost television time when there were a handful of channels and BBC2 and ITV would show operas and a list of television programmes to catch-up on - or avoid - even now.
James could always wear his knowledge lightly. And he always treated high and low culture with the same level of concentration. He could be equally scathing of overdone Shakespearean productions as he was about the Eurovision Song Contest. Or equally praising of a Kenneth MacMillan choreographed ballet or an episode of Minder.
If you write criticism or want to write criticism on any topic you should read this book. In particular you should read the introduction to each volume. (I should have mentioned that this is a bumper collection of three separate books.)
If you’re a young person you might find yourself googling names of actors - a lot of whom are still acting - or presenters or even whole programmes. Who now remembers ‘Nationwide’ or ‘That’s Life’? Even someone who was as much a part of the cultural wallpaper as Murray Walker must now be fading out of the popular memory.
In a way then this is much an historical document as a cultural one. The world of television is much changed. If you’re under 20 a lot of what happens here might seem baffling but you’ll still get the drift. Sports commentary hasn’t changed much. There’s just more of it. Where once was ‘Nationwide’ there is now ‘The One Show’. James’s criticism of acting styles and over-egotistical directors still stand. And we might not get plays and operas on television any more but they’re broadcast to cinemas, on DVDs or via websites.
In many respect although the period James covers in this book looks like a golden age we haven’t had access to culture - high and low - quite like we have now. Looking up a reference on Google can lead you to a YouTube clip that leads you to a book that you can buy on Amazon and have in your hands the same day. Or I can download an opera on Spotify or iTunes and decide I like it enough to go see it. Sometimes the whole thing is on YouTube, sometimes I can go to the cinema and see the Royal Opera production or the Metropolitan Opera. Or I can buy a ticket and go see it myself. So, much as I sometimes missed this kind of world it is a different one now and perhaps a better one.
Anyway to cut a long rant short you should read this. It’s funny, witty, clever and interesting.
James could always wear his knowledge lightly. And he always treated high and low culture with the same level of concentration. He could be equally scathing of overdone Shakespearean productions as he was about the Eurovision Song Contest. Or equally praising of a Kenneth MacMillan choreographed ballet or an episode of Minder.
If you write criticism or want to write criticism on any topic you should read this book. In particular you should read the introduction to each volume. (I should have mentioned that this is a bumper collection of three separate books.)
If you’re a young person you might find yourself googling names of actors - a lot of whom are still acting - or presenters or even whole programmes. Who now remembers ‘Nationwide’ or ‘That’s Life’? Even someone who was as much a part of the cultural wallpaper as Murray Walker must now be fading out of the popular memory.
In a way then this is much an historical document as a cultural one. The world of television is much changed. If you’re under 20 a lot of what happens here might seem baffling but you’ll still get the drift. Sports commentary hasn’t changed much. There’s just more of it. Where once was ‘Nationwide’ there is now ‘The One Show’. James’s criticism of acting styles and over-egotistical directors still stand. And we might not get plays and operas on television any more but they’re broadcast to cinemas, on DVDs or via websites.
In many respect although the period James covers in this book looks like a golden age we haven’t had access to culture - high and low - quite like we have now. Looking up a reference on Google can lead you to a YouTube clip that leads you to a book that you can buy on Amazon and have in your hands the same day. Or I can download an opera on Spotify or iTunes and decide I like it enough to go see it. Sometimes the whole thing is on YouTube, sometimes I can go to the cinema and see the Royal Opera production or the Metropolitan Opera. Or I can buy a ticket and go see it myself. So, much as I sometimes missed this kind of world it is a different one now and perhaps a better one.
Anyway to cut a long rant short you should read this. It’s funny, witty, clever and interesting.
December 9, 2021
Times change but stay the same
Here is the excellent and erudite Clive James capturing a slice of British culture from the 70s and early 80s. Bringing to mind the mostly awful banality of watching the box. Much like today but with a bit more "culture" can't imagine so much time allowed for opera and ballet in today's programming. Very insightful and, as always with James, a hilarious read.
Here is the excellent and erudite Clive James capturing a slice of British culture from the 70s and early 80s. Bringing to mind the mostly awful banality of watching the box. Much like today but with a bit more "culture" can't imagine so much time allowed for opera and ballet in today's programming. Very insightful and, as always with James, a hilarious read.
April 10, 2021
Is there a point to reading reviews of TV shows I never watched and likely never will? Yes, when it's this funny and is so good an example of what criticism can be.
I was using this as humorous reading at bedtime while simultaneously trying to read a collection of Christopher Hitchens' essays. Gradually James won out over Hitchens in my daytime reading as well - the range of knowledge is just as impressive and the jokes are funnier.
The mix of the highbrow and the lowbrow here is a testament to James himself and British television of the time. Occasionally his particular bugbears get in the way of the writing - long inquisitions on Shakespearean intonation for example. But generally he's just as funny on Pavarotti as he is on The Hulk.
Considering how much has changed, it's interesting what observations still ring true - the US is still better at making domestic political drama, Britain can only pull off the same trick with royalty (see The West Wing vs The Crown). Northern Ireland remains largely a mystery to British TV viewers. Dr. Who still tangles itself up in technobabble.
As for what has changed, even allowing for selection bias, the consistent presence of topics such as Nazism, religion and opera does point to a seriousness and self-confidence which seems to have been lost - see the recently announced plans for BBC Four, now the home for much of the arts and culture programming given prime billing here, to become archive-only. This collection suggests James would bemoan the loss but he wouldn't despair - there's always something interesting on TV.
I was using this as humorous reading at bedtime while simultaneously trying to read a collection of Christopher Hitchens' essays. Gradually James won out over Hitchens in my daytime reading as well - the range of knowledge is just as impressive and the jokes are funnier.
The mix of the highbrow and the lowbrow here is a testament to James himself and British television of the time. Occasionally his particular bugbears get in the way of the writing - long inquisitions on Shakespearean intonation for example. But generally he's just as funny on Pavarotti as he is on The Hulk.
Considering how much has changed, it's interesting what observations still ring true - the US is still better at making domestic political drama, Britain can only pull off the same trick with royalty (see The West Wing vs The Crown). Northern Ireland remains largely a mystery to British TV viewers. Dr. Who still tangles itself up in technobabble.
As for what has changed, even allowing for selection bias, the consistent presence of topics such as Nazism, religion and opera does point to a seriousness and self-confidence which seems to have been lost - see the recently announced plans for BBC Four, now the home for much of the arts and culture programming given prime billing here, to become archive-only. This collection suggests James would bemoan the loss but he wouldn't despair - there's always something interesting on TV.
April 26, 2022
Clive James was one of those unique celebrity writers; he had the capability and the desire to combine the most mundane and profane ideas and experiences with the most intellectual and cultured understanding. He had an academic's capacity to understand obtuse or challenging philosophy, language, art, but also a vulgarian's appreciation of kitsch and matters of the flesh. Therefore it's no surprise that this compendium of his three volumes of television criticism, 'Visions Before Midnight', 'The Crystal Bucket' and 'Glued to the Box' is built on his unique critical edifice of brains and appetites. Whether its appraising the value of a BBC TV production of Shakespeare or an episode of Dallas, a documentary about W.H. Auden or a match between Borg and McEnroe at Wimbledon James would invariably meld together the cerebral with the physical, and if one is attuned to this aspect of the author's writing and personality then this volume will be very enjoyable reading.
That the focus of the columns brought together here is on British television programming at a specific time will undoubtedly leave many potential readers cold. It is hard enough for someone who has more than a glancing familiarity with television in the 1970s and early 1980s to appreciate some of the criticisms of made by James herein. One might remember or even have DVD collections of some of the programs he reviews, however it would take an extraordinary completist to have access and understanding of the vast majority, especially if one doesn't come from the UK. Throw in the ephemeral nature of television and the more time-specific nature of what it was like to watch TV at a time when time-shifting, Pay TV and streaming was virtually non-existent, then it would not be surprising for a reader to chuck in the towel and forego the experience of enjoying James' prose.
For that is the real nub of this book's raison d'etre. It is not a book that will help an avid fan of 'Dynasty' or 'Fawlty Towers' find more reason to celebrate these and/or other programs of their time. This is not an adventure into what was good or bad TV fat least forty years ago. No; this is a book that has been compiled to show off the author's incredibly capable skills with writing witty and intelligent essays. Virtually every single review included in this book has a witty bon mot or gigglesome joke that points the way into understanding what Clive James did so well. He could wield a sentence like Bradman's cricket bat, smacking a ludicrous idea to the boundary, or playing a remarkably straight bat to something that challenged him. And all the time he did this there was a certain panache to his work.
Take as a case in point this comment on the singer Elkie Brooks: "Elkie used to be a raunchy singer with Vinegar Joe, a band that looked like an angry armpit. Now she has a wardrobe of frocks by Ossie Clark and Zandra Rhodes. She has been cleaned up, rubbed down, reined in and tricked out." This is pure James; nestled right next to a fantastically funny simile he makes a rather articulate criticism that undermines the qualities he refers to in the first instance.
James is shown to be very aware of the conundrums of television and he is both willing to praise the programming for its cultural, social and artisitic achievements but also recognise that it is, by its very nature popular, and thus beholden to limitations. His observations on the effectiveness of two highly important mini-series of the late 70s, 'Roots' and 'Holocaust' are perfectly valid. He understands that such programming may be deemed to be low art, yet their status as a mass entertainment product means that their value for the viewership is more than one might expect.
On the other hand there are essays in this book that remind one that James was a bit of an elitist, and arguably a sexist one at that. There are numerous pages dedicated to television shows that would have about as much appeal and relevance to the average viewer in 1978 Clapham as an untranslated passage from Homer's 'Iliad', and I suspect the reader will react similarly. James also enjoyed the delights of female pulchritude, and he is not afraid to let the reader in on this none-too-obvious secret. His crassness can become somewhat tiresome, as would efinitely be expected in this era of #MeToo.
So why read 'Clive James on Television'? As stated previously, this is not a book to engage the reader in a revelrie of nostalgia about ye olde TV shows. No; this is a book that is designed to show off James' skill with words, his staggering intellect and his ebuliient personality. As one who has watched his own TV shows for many a year and read some of his previous works I have found this book to be mostly enjoyable. The focus on programs and events that are outside my cultural experience or memory is a hindrance, however not overly so. If one likes or loves James then this book will be essential reading. If one is interested in well written prose, in effect essay writing then these too are good reasons to read this book. It is very much a book of its author and of its time.
That the focus of the columns brought together here is on British television programming at a specific time will undoubtedly leave many potential readers cold. It is hard enough for someone who has more than a glancing familiarity with television in the 1970s and early 1980s to appreciate some of the criticisms of made by James herein. One might remember or even have DVD collections of some of the programs he reviews, however it would take an extraordinary completist to have access and understanding of the vast majority, especially if one doesn't come from the UK. Throw in the ephemeral nature of television and the more time-specific nature of what it was like to watch TV at a time when time-shifting, Pay TV and streaming was virtually non-existent, then it would not be surprising for a reader to chuck in the towel and forego the experience of enjoying James' prose.
For that is the real nub of this book's raison d'etre. It is not a book that will help an avid fan of 'Dynasty' or 'Fawlty Towers' find more reason to celebrate these and/or other programs of their time. This is not an adventure into what was good or bad TV fat least forty years ago. No; this is a book that has been compiled to show off the author's incredibly capable skills with writing witty and intelligent essays. Virtually every single review included in this book has a witty bon mot or gigglesome joke that points the way into understanding what Clive James did so well. He could wield a sentence like Bradman's cricket bat, smacking a ludicrous idea to the boundary, or playing a remarkably straight bat to something that challenged him. And all the time he did this there was a certain panache to his work.
Take as a case in point this comment on the singer Elkie Brooks: "Elkie used to be a raunchy singer with Vinegar Joe, a band that looked like an angry armpit. Now she has a wardrobe of frocks by Ossie Clark and Zandra Rhodes. She has been cleaned up, rubbed down, reined in and tricked out." This is pure James; nestled right next to a fantastically funny simile he makes a rather articulate criticism that undermines the qualities he refers to in the first instance.
James is shown to be very aware of the conundrums of television and he is both willing to praise the programming for its cultural, social and artisitic achievements but also recognise that it is, by its very nature popular, and thus beholden to limitations. His observations on the effectiveness of two highly important mini-series of the late 70s, 'Roots' and 'Holocaust' are perfectly valid. He understands that such programming may be deemed to be low art, yet their status as a mass entertainment product means that their value for the viewership is more than one might expect.
On the other hand there are essays in this book that remind one that James was a bit of an elitist, and arguably a sexist one at that. There are numerous pages dedicated to television shows that would have about as much appeal and relevance to the average viewer in 1978 Clapham as an untranslated passage from Homer's 'Iliad', and I suspect the reader will react similarly. James also enjoyed the delights of female pulchritude, and he is not afraid to let the reader in on this none-too-obvious secret. His crassness can become somewhat tiresome, as would efinitely be expected in this era of #MeToo.
So why read 'Clive James on Television'? As stated previously, this is not a book to engage the reader in a revelrie of nostalgia about ye olde TV shows. No; this is a book that is designed to show off James' skill with words, his staggering intellect and his ebuliient personality. As one who has watched his own TV shows for many a year and read some of his previous works I have found this book to be mostly enjoyable. The focus on programs and events that are outside my cultural experience or memory is a hindrance, however not overly so. If one likes or loves James then this book will be essential reading. If one is interested in well written prose, in effect essay writing then these too are good reasons to read this book. It is very much a book of its author and of its time.
February 16, 2020
Some laugh out loud moments at the time. Not sure it stands the test of time.
May 4, 2020
Every home should have one. In which an Australian falls in love with the box in the corner of the room, describing any and every kind of show in the days before Youtube and TikTok. Funny too!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews