ITV - why is it so shit?

Okay, before I start, a disclaimer: I don't work for, nor have I ever worked for, a broadcast company. So don't see this as being the complaints of someone who was rejected by ITV, as I wasn't.

With that out of the way, I do have to say, ITV irritates the crap out of me.

And it's not just the ad breaks - Channel 4 and five manage to get away with having them and not irritate me (with the exception of the Toucan sponsorship ads around CSI) - it's the programmes as well. It's those geniuses at ITV that have brought us the wonders of "Celebrity Love Island", "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!", "Celebrity Fat Club" (I'm spotting a "Celebrity" theme here), "Neighbours From Hell", "Holidays From Hell", "Honeymoons From Hell" (another theme spotted and noted) and "Britain's Best Backyard" (I kid you not).

I could also have listed "Heartbeat" but I felt this needed a special mention. "Heartbeat", a programme set in the 60's that's been on our screen for so long that if they'd been playing properly would now be set in the early 80's. A programme that hankers for a time and place that never existed and never will. Twee. Sickly. Trash. It's a Mills & Boon novel without the clever plot twist.

The other thing about ITV that riles me was when they moved the "News At Ten". It would, we were told, allow them to show movies without having a 30min break for the news just before the film got really exciting. What happened? They started films before the news at the earlier time, so there was still a 30min break. Then moved the news back. And then the film start times back.

So, why do I care about this? I could always stop watching.

In fact, were it not for the World Cup and the fact that some of the matches are on ITV, I wouldn't have even mentioned them. But they are so shit, I felt compelled to complain. Who thought Mick McCarthy would be a good co-commentator? What exactly does he know about football? And the main commentators aren't much better.  I swear I heard "and there's the equaliser" being shouted when the Americans put the ball in the net for the SECOND time. What game are you watching? You prick, you get paid to watch this game. I'm doing it for free and I know more of what's going on! Wankers.

What I hope, in fact what I pray happens, is that advertisers stop using ITV. Completely. And ITV has to stop making shit programmes. Forever.