TV clichés - the cup of tea

simu

Let's compile a list of annoying TV clichés.

1. Tea making cliché

Seen: on news and current affairs programmes.

Description: A member of the public is being interviewed in their house about some problem relevant to current affairs. They are shown filling the kettle, making a cup of tea as the voice-over waffles on. They are subsequently interviewed whilst cradling said cup of tea in hands. May be seen sipping tea also.

Purpose of cliché: Shows person as a nice member of the community who likes to drink a nice cup of tea like all upright citizens. Viewers no longer fear person might be blood-drinking maniac and thus, become receptive to person's complaints.

Reason why this annoys me: 1. People look very gimpy making tea unless director takes artistic approach - this is rarely done in current affairs programming. 2. This cheapens the sacred act of making and drinking tea. 3. Boring approach (self-evident in a post like this really).

Add your hated clichés to the list!

Telefís

. Walking in the front gate and up to the front door looking like a right cabbage
. Making coffee, not tea
. Watching RTÉ News on the telly for RTÉ News
. Mammy sitting at the kitchen table with kids cooing at the pictures they're drawing 'for the telly'
. Peeling carrots
. Peeling potatoes
. Chopping onions/peppers/turnips/cabbage/cauliflower/salad preparation

Why not make it a bit more interesting and feature other household chores - show them cleaning the toilet, scrubbing out the bath or clearing out the cat's litter tray?

Brerrabbit

Purpose of cliché: Shows person as a nice member of the community who likes to drink a nice cup of tea like all upright citizens. Viewers no longer fear person might be blood-drinking maniac and thus, become receptive to person's complaints.

Ahahahahahahahaha!
ROFLMAO!

this sort of thing is very prevalent in the likes of "ear to the ground" and "would you believe" poo like that. Rte are a bit of a joke really.

Talliesin

Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?
Are ya makin' the tea?

Elmo

Family Chatting over a cup of Tea, showing how much of a close knit family they are.

Why not make it a bit more interesting and feature other household chores - show them cleaning the toilet, scrubbing out the bath or clearing out the cat's litter tray?

The Angules might go with something like that.

Robbo

Elmo wrote:

The Angules might go with something like that.

Anyone remeber Colin Murphy's pisstake of the Angelus on the Blizzard back a couple of years ago? I think this deserves a petition for a Blizzard DVD, perhaps even one of those well meaning but entirely futile Internet petitions.

doh.ie

Robbo wrote:

Anyone remeber Colin Murphy's pisstake of the Angelus on the Blizzard back a couple of years ago? I think this deserves a petition for a Blizzard DVD, perhaps even one of those well meaning but entirely futile Internet petitions.

Was this the Northern Ireland version with the Orange Order? Was hilarious. The Angelus itself can be quite funny, too. The ordinary folk stopping what they're doing for a few moments would be much funnier if they had people stopping work from something you really shouldn't leave unattended - like a mad angle grinder, a computer company's motherboard/chip assembly line (a few flying through without processors!) or maybe a Garda hesitating from preventing a crime just long enough for the 6pm nod...

As for the current affairs shows, the practice is as bit daft, but I'd say the journalists are just too lazy or uncreative to do anything else. One that always makes me laugh is anything with children - often shows the mother returning home with the kids from school, seen opening the front door from the INSIDE (she's left an RTE cameraman in her house while she went off to pick up the kids...?!) and no one reacts with anything to suggest that this is in any way unusual...

mike65

This is a drama cliche and its the bloody mobile phone with low battery senario which of course puts someone in mortal danger...either that or its the "raises phone to the sky and can't find a signal" shock moment.

In news why do the newsreaders always shuffle the papers in front them (old school)? or (new school) press a few butons on the laptop?.

Mike.

simu

mike65 wrote:

In news why do the newsreaders always shuffle the papers in front them (old school)? or (new school) press a few butons on the laptop?.

Mike.

It shows their leet journalism skillz? Sure is annoying.

*Angel*

mike65 wrote:

In news why do the newsreaders always shuffle the papers in front them (old school)? or (new school) press a few butons on the laptop?

Cos they're still on camera and have nothing to do. What bugs me is when they finish the news (usually rte) and the cameras are still rolling, and they really badly fake laugh to each other cos they have nothing better to do!

Telefís

News 2 are great for the laugh, notably Anthony Murnane.
When you think about it, while the last report is rolling they're just sitting there with the other presenter twiddling their thumbs. So when they come back and say goodnight, why would they have just thought of something new and hilarious to say in the space of 5 seconds, as if it's their first opportunity to chat to each other since the prog started?!

Yeah what's with the laptop typing thing, indeed what's with the laptops at all - are they they playing Solitaire or something?

simu

Maybe they're on boards!

Telefís

Well if they are, GET BACK TO WORK!

shelsfan

Another thing that annoys me is the fact that when a mobile rings in a TV programme, its always "Ring-Ring Ring-Ring Ring-Ring Ring-Ring Ring-Ring".
At least get something different...

DublinWriter

*Angel* wrote:

Cos they're still on camera and have nothing to do. What bugs me is when they finish the news (usually rte) and the cameras are still rolling, and they really badly fake laugh to each other cos they have nothing better to do!

Anyone remember that newsreader who got sacked out of RTE circa 1981 for making a nazi-salute just as the studio lights were dimming at the end of an RTE 2 news bulletin?

Apparently there was some big news story concerning Germany. He made the salute at the news end-shot, when there is a longer shot of the two presenters in silluete, shuffling their papers while the studio lights dim.

Apparently he never worked in the media again. He was dark and kind of youngish and chubby and with the hint of an English accent. I can’t remember his name.

DublinWriter

RTE wrote:

News 2 are great for the laugh, notably Anthony Murnane.

I thought it was totally risable how they tried to trendy-up the news on RTE 2 by having him lose the tie and sit astride a tall stool. He still looked like a bank manager. I can just imagine some 50-something 'exec' at RTE thinking that was would appeal to the youth and make the news seem more appealing.

More worrying/scary was that weird druggy flash thing going on between each news story. I've never taken Ketamine, but I've heard the whole 'Lost in the K-Hole' experience is something like that.

Telefís

That flash zippy sting thing is terrible!

The stools have been done away with, they use the standard set now for News 2, or News on Two, sorry
Murnane is an excellent newsreader on standerd bulletins, but can be a bit too chirpy at times at the end...

MrJoeSoap

Family Guy seems to have picked up on all the annoying cliches in American news broadcasting, like the time with Tom and Diane, the local news anchors, at the special olypmics:

Tom- "Oooh, a tough break"
Diane- "tough break indeed, Tom"
Tom- "Good contribution Diane"

And then of course theres Asian Reporter Trisha Takanawa.

We need something like this in Ireland, Podge and Rodge has become too repetitive and The Blizzard of Odd seems to have gone downhill. Theres a massive observational comedy gap left after Father Ted.

doh.ie

"Now it's over to Asian reporter, Trisha Takanawa, live at the scene!" - she's a legend!

tinkerbell

Do you want me to make ya a cuppa?

aaaaaargh! Always on every TV show! And I hate tea!

Elmo

I though exit poll and The 11 O'Clock Show really did the TV news cliché well.

I think X-it poll was underrated at the time. Their piss take on the TV3 newsreporter was excellent.

Yes if I was to give an A1 to a reporter a head of all the class I'd give a few head nods towards Ursla Halligan.

Elmo
Count to 5
Board.ie NEWS
Count to 5
Dublin

then they go back to the studio and tell us who was reporting :rolleyes:

Telefís

heheh
She's a right b apparently (not that it's not obvious anyway) - insists on doing her to-camera pieces at least 3 times...

Another televison cliché is doing the ironing in the middle of the room - where the heck is it plugged in??! Gail Platt is particularly skilled in this field of magic domestic appliances.

tSubh Dearg

I saw the "drinking a cup of tea" cliche yesterday on watchdog except with a twist! He was drinking the tea on patio furniture in the building site that was his non existant conservatory thanks to cowboy builders.

jill_valentine

I can't actually think of anything similar that hasn't already been nailed by The Day Today...

simu

tSubh Dearg wrote:

I saw the "drinking a cup of tea" cliche yesterday on watchdog except with a twist! He was drinking the tea on patio furniture in the building site that was his non existant conservatory thanks to cowboy builders.

Wow! Radical stuff there, TV people!

Elmo

I saw the "drinking a cup of tea" cliche yesterday on watchdog except with a twist! He was drinking the tea on patio furniture in the building site that was his non existant conservatory thanks to cowboy builders.

All i want to know is was he wearing a hard hat, I mean I have to get on to them about safety regulations.

Pigman II

Cliche:
Whenever they have some boffin on talking about his pet subject they'll use his bookshelves as the backdrop to emphasise his knowledge. In amongst all these books they'll stick one single framed photograph (presumably) of his family in order to show that he isn't a loner / social deviant.

seamus

Pigman II wrote:

Cliche:
Whenever they have some boffin on talking about his pet subject they'll use his bookshelves as the backdrop to emphasise his knowledge. In amongst all these books they'll stick one single framed photograph (presumably) of his family in order to show that he isn't a loner / social deviant.

If he's a boffin that's remotely related to anything science/technology, he'll be filmed in an office with a computer behind him, screensaver on.

If they're interviewing the head of a service industry company, they'll be filmed in a busy call centre.

If they're interviewing a newspaper editor, they'll be filmed in front of a busy cubicle farm.

If it's a programme about someone who has or had some sort of injury, and they have kids, ultimately they'll film them (a) Watching their kids playing, if they are unable to join in, or (b) Playing with their kids, delighted that they now can. The game being played will *always* be football or frisbee.