Bushell On The Box finds new home at Ustreme
Legendary TV critic and columnist Garry Bushell is bringing the iconic “Bushell On The Box” to Ustreme – giving members his unique and hilarious take on the telly every week.
Bushell On The Box was first launched as a newspaper column in 1987 and has spawned a popular ITV series, a boardgame, a DVD, two books, and weekly segments on C4’s The Big Breakfast, Nuts TV, and Virgin radio – as well as being spoofed by Viz as Bluto On The Box.
And after 16 years as a column in the Daily Star Sunday, it has now found a new home – right here on Ustreme.
Garry said: “I’ve loved TV all my life. At its best, it unites, excites and delights us. It takes chances and creates characters we either love and relate to, or love to hate. My earliest telly memories, apart from Twizzle and Torchy the Battery Boy, were of the neighbours crowding round my nan’s old box TV set to watch Quatermass, and the 1966 world cup final all in black and white.
“I saw the first ever Doctor Who in November 63, and still remember laughing at The Telegoons, Charlie Drake in The Worker and Harry Worth. I lived through the first golden age as a viewer – the brilliant sitcoms of the 60s and 70s, the ITC action shows (The Avengers, The Prisoner), the gritty and brilliant Euston Films series etc. But was a professional reviewer for the second golden age, ushered in by The Sopranos.
“For a while, the small screen was more interesting and daring than the movies. The HBO series, starring James Gandolfini as complex New Jersey mob boss, Tony Soprano, set a high bar for drama that has yet to be beaten.
“In its wake we got cracking US shows – The Shield, The Wire, Ozark – and thrilling fantasy and superhero sagas like Game Of Thrones and The Boys. Here, Life On Mars and Line Of Duty reigned, followed by early Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror, Top Boy, The Last Kingdom, Happy Valley and Luther. We still punch above our weight.”
But Garry said TV bosses had now “neglected their audiences in pursuit of an imaginary audience who aren’t remotely interested in them”.
“Their devotion to “woke” hokum stifles creativity and makes a joke of TV shows and adverts alike. If you believe the ads, a straight white couple can’t even buy a three-piece-suite or a Lotto ticket these days,” he added. “To get anything commissioned by the BBC, pitches must survive focus groups, various over-paid execs, and meet potty PC requirements. Only Fools & Horses would not be commissioned now.
“If the BBC could just rein in its writers’ tiresome self-loathing we might just be able to out-do the Yanks.”
Garry, who wrote 869 columns for the Star, said he was looking forward to bringing Bushell On The Box to its new home on Ustreme, where he could share his honest opinion on the best and worst of TV’s offerings.
Three episodes of Bushell On The Box will stream every week EXCLUSIVELY on Ustreme.
