The Gadget Show Rant

Yes folks, it's time for my rant on The Gadget Show.

I started watching The Gadget Show a good while back now, although I think they were already in the studio by that time. It was, and as far as I know still is, the only show of its kind on terrestrial television here in the UK, and being a young teenager at that time it was right up my street and I enjoyed watching it. The presenters suited the show, the format was good and they were able to keep it fresh too.

Over the last year and a half or so though, I've noticed the show gradually slipping in its standard, and at this moment in time its got so bad that I'm no longer going to watch it from here on in. Here are my reasons why.

Firstly the gadgets they cover. The majority of the gadgets now are just so expensive to the common man, especially in these financial times. The rest seem to be just novelty items, which have no point or usage to them. Yeah I agree that a show of its type should have these types of things featured, just not for the majority of the show like they do.

Secondly the challenges. The challenges were good first of all and were fun to watch, but now they've just become a borefest, possibly because they've ran out of ideas that their budget can afford. The gadgets being compared are sometimes entirely different in terms of either what they are, or how they're supposed to be used and so provides little benefit to the viewer in this respect. Half of it is also the presenters just mucking around too which has went beyond humour and is now annoying. And when will you ever need a laptop that can withstand dynamite?

Now the presenters. The presenters used to be great on this show, but now they've become annoying and repetitive. What happened people? Jason is enthusiastic about gadgets, but its got too much now to the point where he's annoying to watch; I would like it more if he was a bit more serious rather than the sometimes OTT, larking about attitude he gets. Suzi should be kicked off the show in my opinion, she only really offers the show an attractive host, but it's as if she's reading of a card or something. Jon is probably the best presenter and the one I don't have a problem with, it's just that he now gets limited airtime. Dallas was OK but not great, and it's too early to tell with Ortis yet.

On to the Apple bias. This is my biggest problem. Apple products will often get superior reviews to their competitors', even if the competitors products have in fact got higher reviews elsewhere. It's got so bad now that Apple products are even being placed in shot where they aren't even relevant. It's even carried into the latest series which has only just started, placing an iPod on their Wall of Fame ahead of the original Sony Walkman. Without the Walkman, the iPod wouldn't be around (at least not as quickly), simple.

So yeah that's my rant. Hopefully Ortis will be able to kick some life into the show.