Having confirmed my love of staying in, in yesterday’s post, it’ll come as no surprise that TV is part of the picture. Except. Except. Evenings are actually quite full already.
Washing, dishes, prepping for the next day, trying to push back the waves of paper that come into the house. While someone else is working, working, and…probably catching up with some work. As am I, on occasion.
So when you finally do get to see some TV, it needs to fit in. Not too long, or we risk falling asleep or bailing out before we start. What does that leave you with? The classic 42 minute drama (hello Dr Who et al, in season). And documentaries.
Documentaries are why BBC4 exists, essentially. And thank goodness they do. They may sometimes be heavy on effects, ‘journey of discovery’ and so on. But truly great ones are astonishing.
Think Jim Al-Khalili explaining electricity, via frogs and electrodes, showering sparks, and, finally, sitting (apparently) on top of a pylon, in a metal vest, seemingly becoming a bit like a substation. And living to tell the tale.
Another favourite, in this household at any rate, is building-related programmes. Biggest this. Deepest that. Greatest known load of concrete…and so on.
But they are good, even for those who are less au fait with bending moments. At times, they throw out amazing stats that make you spool back to check what you’re actually hearing.
Because documentaries are ideal catch-up fodder. You might not check the schedules, see a documentary coming up, and change your evening arrangement. But want something to wind down to before bedtime? iPlayer? Yes, thanks.