Great TV and #97 The state

TV shows I like (a lot)

At the moment there are two TV programmes that I like (apart from nearly every quiz show from The Chase to Only Connect).

The first of these two programmes is The Inbetweeners a Channel 4 comedy which is one of those programmes that makes me laugh out loud, I admit I've been a bit slow on getting across this one as it10 moments from the show - difficult to resist.

ended in 2010 - here are what are described as the top

The other show is an American  (fairly conventional) drama that's showing, rather surprisingly  on UK comedy(ish) channel Dave, it's a Legal Drama (not sounding good is it?) and it's called Suits. What I like about this (and some other US dramas) is the moral questions which it asks as the programme continues it is clear that (as in life) situations and characters carry with them inconsistencies and ambiguities. Along with the writing and characterisations as in so many US series the gloss and production values show care and skill -really like this too - here's a promo clip.

Big Idea 97 is the State

Following the Politics of yesterday (not a commentary) the big idea is The State. The State is a construct which in many ways as an entity mirrors the individual in terms of being responsible for actions and having legal standing.

Africa Carve uo

Many of the states that now exist in Africa (and Asia to a lesser extent) are a result of European colonial adventures and have artificial  boundaries and  have problematic histories with dissimilar peoples and tribes forced to co exist.