Television is undoubtedly a great invention, but one of the main criticisms of it is that people just aren't selective enough. Lesley, got a television. how do you pick out the sorts ofprogrammes you want to watch?
I try and look at the programmes that are on to decide which particular ones interest me, rather than you turning it on a seven o'clock and you leaving it on until half-past eleven when the programmes finish.
Do you think of television though as a great time-waster?
Un. . . I think it can be a time-waster and it depends on how particular people are about what they want to see. . . Mm, it can just be a sort total amusement for someone and totally consuming without reallyconsidering what it is they're watching.
Aha, but how do you prevent it coming into your life and taking oversour evenings and at the same time perhaps get. . . get out of thetelevision some of the sort of best things. . . best programmes that. . . that undoubtedly are on television?
Well, I suppose one of the problems is. . . will depend on what a person's life style is, and that if he has other outside interests which are equally important to him as television, he will then, you know, hmm. be more careful about which programme she wants to watch because he has time which he wants to use for other things.
Do you think though that. . . that in. . . in a sense television skilled people's own er. . . sort of, creativity or their ability entertain themselves because if they're bored all they do is justturn on the television?
Yes, I think that is a danger, and I think that. . in fact is what mishappening to a lot of people who use it as their. . . their main. . . um field of amusement and. . . because they don't have other outside interests and even when people come round they'll leave the television and not be, you know, particularly interested in talking to them, you Know the television will be the main thing in the room.