The Games

Reality TV has been scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel for so long that when a third series of channel 4s The Games was announced it was almost too pathetic to be embarrassing - trouble is that you do end up watching it, saying to yourself "just another 5 minutes then I'll turn it off and read a book", but you never do. So, another year of celebrities (in the looseset sense of the term) battling it out in bizarre contests such as Ski-jumping, Sumo wrestling and trampoleneing, whilst simultaneously living together Big Brother style. The puzzling thing is just how seriously they all take it, as if their very careers depend on a winning performance - although I think I caught an insight into the phenomenon when overhearing a producer give Mel a bollocking for messing about during her gymnastics routine... does this mean the makers are encouraging drama for the purposes of ratings, surely not?! Anyway, the results were academic and the whole thing left me feeling slightly dirty for even sticking with it. Channel 4 - No fourth series, please... Kx