At a time when we’re many of us stuck in the house we’ll naturally look to the television to provide some cheer. So it was a Friday night and, though I’d felt for a long time that Have I got News for You had lost its edge, I decided to give it another go. After all it used to be my favourite programme of the week, a must-not-miss. Last night, however, I wish I had missed it.
It was woeful, and the main reason for that, was Paul Merton. Frankly, at a time when people are being furloughed or losing their jobs completely, Mr Merton ought to be ashamed of himself for looking so detached and disinterested. While others on the panel, Hislop especially, were doing their best to give us some levity, Merton hardly said a word. It looked like he couldn’t stand the guy sitting next to him, and when he did speak, his jokes were the same tired old stuff I’d heard time and time again. It was lazy and rubbish, he was lazy and rubbish, and as many of the fat-cat Premier League footballers are considering a wage-cut to help the poorer, Merton ought to do the same with his fee (robbed from the licence-payer) for this appearance. Or otherwise be asked to up his game, or be substituted for someone who actually wants to be in the team.
I don’t normally write this kind of stuff but I’m just fucking pissed-off about it.
Mark Bickerton 