Episode 3 Points of View

A sitcom that's got you in stitches

and a chef who perhaps found live presenting to hot to handle.

All that and more coming up in the show

that lets you air your points of view on the week's TV.

First up this week,

it is the BBC's most popular weekly factual television series.

Countryfile's been achieving record ratings of late

with, on average, more than a tenth of the British population

tuning in every week for a taste of rural life.

After settling down to watch last Sunday's episode, however,

several of you got in touch, questioning the suitability

of the show covering a subject that's also seen a recent storyline

from The Archers hit the headlines.

Our countryside can sometimes be depicted as a rural idyll,

a place where things like domestic abuse just don't happen.

Whilst I appreciate this is a national problem

and I'm sympathetic to the issues,

this was an extraordinary programme to have aired this subject.

Countryfile is exactly that,

a programme devoted to rural affairs,

the husbandry of animals, crops and related issues.

Let's keep it that way.

Well, Bill Lyons is the man in charge at Countryfile.

We put your comments to him and here is what he had to say in response.

Domestic abuse was a really important subject

for us to cover on Countryfile because victims of abuse

who live in the countryside have far less support, far fewer resources,

than those who live in the cities.

Many of our audience, I know, watch Countryfile as a family

and family viewing comes with particular expectations

and that's what we had in mind when we covered it in the measured way

that we did with no distressing detail or images.

Overwhelmingly, the response to the programme has been positive.

And now to country further afield,

and Tuesday night saw the launch of a new three-part series on BBC Four

in which naturalist Stewart McPherson travels the globe

touching down on all of the UK's overseas territories.

Episode one saw Stewart bird-watching in Bermuda,

meet mutineers' descendants on Pitcairn Island

and crawl around after the coconut crab

that calls the British Indian Ocean Territory home.

Wow!

What a whopper!

Hello, crab!

Ooh!

God, that's a big one!

While many of you seemed spellbound...

All the islands are British territories

and he visited uninhabited islands, pristine coral reefs.

Absolutely amazing programme.

Others were simply stunned that,

while visiting the Chagos Archipelago,

Stewart failed to explore the story of around 2,000 islanders

forcibly removed by the British government in the '60s and '70s.

There was no mention of the indigenous Chagos Islanders

who were expelled by the UK government

under shameful circumstances to allow a US base to operate there.

Not such a paradise after all.

Well, we put those views to the programme's commissioning editor

and here is her reply.

Over on BBC One this week, the six-part thriller

that has pleased and perplexed you in equal measure.

Undercover follows the trials of a married couple.

As defence lawyer Maya attempts to untangle

the injustices of an old case,

husband Nick is battling to conceal a tangled web of deceit.

I'm not doing this.

You wouldn't be here if that were true.

It's been 20 years.

There's a perfect storm coming.

And that storm has been brewing over the last two weeks.

Undercover has some of you gripped.

The protest scenes, the beatings in the cell,

the way that Maya's application to become DPP

were being quietly subverted in the background,

they make such very uncomfortable viewing for us.

I'm looking to next week's episode

but I'm actually dreading it in equal measure.

For others, though, the drip-fed plot and a time-hopping narrative

mean you're a bit bamboozled.

It was confusing and disappointing.

I wasn't too sure if I wanted to watch the second one

but I did and I must say that the second episode

did redeem the series a bit so I will watch it again.

Episode three airs tonight at 9pm here on BBC One.

Do we have a decision?

Dramas of a different kind now

and a sitcom that has managed to tickle your funny bone.

Featuring an all-star cast including Alison Steadman, Russ Abbot,

Stephanie Beacham and June Whitfield,

BBC One's Boomers follows the ups and downs of three retired couples

from the baby boomer generation.

They were adamant they didn't want a church ceremony,

I have to say we supported them.

I don't like organised religion either.

No, I'm an atheist, thank God.

Wouldn't be seen dead in a church, me.

Eventually, I suppose.

Now, comedy, and particularly sitcoms,

can be notoriously difficult for commissioners to crack,

but, now in its second series,

Boomers seems to have struck the right chord with you.

We've seen them putting up with the trials and tribulations

of modern, everyday life situations

such as camping

and a gay housewarming

and a naming day.

I can't wait to see what they get up to next.

Get me out of here! Get me out!

What are you doing?

Well, she might calm down if she can't see anything.

She's not a budgie.

Last month, the BBC's big boss Tony Hall revealed the corporation

has revised its savings target upwards.

With rising costs for drama and sport partly to blame,

the aim now, apparently, is to slash £800 million of expenditure a year

by 2022.

The Director-General pledged to push harder on efficiencies

but saving around 23% of the current annual licence fee income

means the BBC will face tough decisions about its output.

So, if you ruled the BBC roost,

which services would you be keen to cut

and which would you fight to keep?

We took to the streets of Southampton to find out.

Personally, I would cut BBC radio.

I think there's way too many radio channels, it goes up from 1 to 6.

They should have like one radio channel

where there's sports, music, news

and that would be so much better than having all six.

Personally, I would keep BBC News Channel.

I believe it's trustworthy, people like it, everyone watches it,

it's 24 hours and it just keeps everyone informed.

I would cut BBC Parliament.

It's a really niche channel.

I don't know anyone that watches it

and there's enough about politics on the news every day.

I would definitely keep BBC 6 Music.

It's the best radio station around at the moment.

Offers a really alternative mix of music

and a great alternative to the standard Radio 1 and Radio 2.

I would cut the amount of programmes that have celebrities in

because I get sick to death

of watching celebrities on the television.

I really like watching Pointless but I don't like Pointless Celebrities.

I'd keep BBC One

just because my heart tells me I ought to keep BBC One

because I grew up with it.

I'm choosing CBeebies today

because I think that there are so many other children's channels

that are a choice to children.

I would definitely keep science and nature programmes on the BBC.

What a wonderful family way of spending an evening.

I would definitely cut a couple of cooking programmes

because there's too many on at the same time

and so I think it's a little bit excessive.

What I would keep is documentaries because I think they're educational

and they're good for you to learn new things.

Absolutely amazing.

I would cut the BBC Three online service

and put it back onto the television as I really enjoyed BBC Three

and the programming that it had.

I would keep the sports broadcasting,

especially the national events

such as Wimbledon, the World Cup, things like that,

because I think it's important that people in the country

can watch those events for free without having to pay

for a satellite or cable connection for their TV.

Some food for thought for BBC management there,

and, while we're on food,

let's talk about BBC One on Saturday mornings and Saturday Kitchen,

which recently saw the show's regular presenter James Martin

hang up his apron after ten years at the helm.

Stepping into his shoes are an ever-changing line-up

of celebrity chefs

with last Saturday's episode being fronted by Lorraine Pascale.

Welcome to the show!

I'm attempting to drive the Saturday Kitchen express train this morning.

While Lorraine is skilled as a chef, no question about that,

unfortunately, some of you felt

that, when it came to presenting a live television show,

she didn't quite cut the mustard.

Now, let's get a taste of...

Oh, sorry.

-I'm getting ahead of myself!

-I know.

I appreciate it's difficult recording a live programme

but Lorraine Pascale lacked any kind of enthusiasm or charisma.

She was more intent on following her autocue and preparing her food

than listening to her guests.

I was looking forward to watching Lorraine Pascale

doing her guest appearance on Saturday Kitchen

but what a car crash of a show she had.

She tried her best but it just wasn't for her.

Normally, on pre-recorded programmes, she's great.

I'm not doing a very good job with these.

Over on Twitter, however, you were singing Lorraine's praises.

This is like the best Saturday morning I think I've ever had.

You are such a charmer.

Whether you are talking cookery shows or comedies,

please do keep your point of view coming to us.

You can e-mail...

Or just via the Points of View website,

where you can find our message boards and also send us a video,

which we love. The address is...

Finally, you can join in the discussion on the week's TV

and get in touch on both Twitter...

..or Facebook. Just search for Points of View.

Finally, this week, a show I have been personally following avidly.

Purely for Points of View research, you understand.

How To Stay Young,

a two-part documentary which wrapped up on BBC One on Thursday

had Angela Rippon and Dr Chris van Tulleken

zigzagging the globe uncovering the latest research

that could help put the brakes on the ageing process.

Another factor that scientists think

keeps the brains of the Okinawans so sharp

is the food that they eat.

Shimpuku Komaki is 100 years old,

one of the many centenarians here whose diet keeps him healthy.

An attention-grabbing title if ever there was one,

but, for you, both episodes really did live up to expectations.

I took from it a very positive feeling about growing older

and the importance of changing your diet and engaging in new activities.

Also, it means that I can dance around the house

now knowing that it really is good for me.

And that's a wrap.

Next week, for one week only, we are hopping over to BBC Two.

You will find us there at the earlier time of 1:15pm

so do adjust your generic hard disk recorder if you have to.

See you.

Subtitles by Ericsson