Ramblings

I have just discovered that since last August, Scottish Television (STV) have been uploading thousands of hours of their archives to YouTube, going back over 20 years . My search began via a Google alert for an interview with Anne Fine first broadcast on 4 November 1990 (when Anne qualified as a Scottish writer), which led me to the STVPlayer and from there on to the books programme Off the Page, and to Aly Bain and Friends, featuring the legendary (well, he is now) Shetland fiddle player. The first programme of ten (aired 6 November 1987) featured Richard Thompson previewing The Turning of the Tide, at that point unrecorded.

The quality is excellent, both technically and artistically. It's played straight, no gimmicks, and if you want to compare today's tv with that of 20 years ago look no further. Many hours of happy viewing lie ahead.