JUST recently I started writing a weekly TV review column for a newspaper in Spain that’s aimed at the British ex-pat community and holidaymakers.
My telly punditry pieces appear each weekend in the English language title, Think Spain Today.
The paper is sold throughout Spain and given away free on incoming passenger jets.
You might easily be handed a copy next time you fly off to the sun.
Writing criticism of TV is something I find easy … especially as I dislike the UK’s bloated TV industry and its (mainly) mediocre programmes so very much.
Doing the new telly column has reminded me of the fun I had lambasting broadcasters in the 1990s when I wrote the SAM BRADY column for the old Oracle teletext service.

With my sour expression and sneering questions, I spoiled the atmosphere of many a TV network launch – much to the consternation of assorted luvvies and the hagiographic scribblers from the women's and TV listings mags.
At one such press launch I was approached three times by the assistant to the bland TV presenter Mike Smith who wanted to tell me Smith was available to be interviewed by me.
Irritated by these interruptions, and downing my fourth free gin and tonic, I instructed the minion: “Tell Mike Smith I have no intention of interviewing him or anyone else connected to the meaningless bit of fluff you call a programme. Now p*** off!�
I know, it wasn’t big and it wasn’t clever of me, but, hey, someone has to give the telly t***ers their much-needed lesson in humility.
A while back I mentioned my Sam Brady column in this blog, and that prompted a discussion between an old college chum – who’s a regular reader of these Last Resort musings – and a woman friend of his.
In an email discussion with her he let slip that he knew Sam Brady (i.e. me) personally, and she reacted with great excitement and a compliment … of sorts.
Here’s what she wrote to my pal: “My God!!! You actually know Sam Brady!!!!! I would never miss his column, although for the life of me I can’t remember what it was.
“Was it a TV review thing? Oh, for the good old days of Oracle. You can tell him he has at least one fan – although I always imagined him to be somewhat of a d***head in real life.�
Charming! You will understand why I have “starred out� a certain word. This is a family-friendly blog, after all, if a little racy at times.

* APART from writing a review of the week’s news in rhyme for broadcast each Friday on Snelly’s Breakfast show on BBC Radio Merseyside, I occasionally review the papers for the programme.
And a few weeks ago, two life-long readers of the pro-Communist Morning Star newspaper, Rita and Mike Walker of Childwall, wrote to tell me they appreciated my mentioning on air the paper they clearly love.
They also sent me a big feature from the paper all about left wing festivals in Britain (there are still a few) and that was moderately interesting, so I thank them.
Let me point out, however, that I’m no Communist – and I’m not even sure I’d call myself a Socialist any more, whereas once, as a proud son of Wigan, I would have done.
George Orwell once memorably described Socialism as the pursuit of liberty and justice but I fear it has long ceased to be that.
I think what Socialism and Communism are all about is making humans conform and be “equal� – by force, if necessary. And I think that is sick and wrong.
Having got that off me chest, I do have a soft spot for the Morning Star, and I suspect that Rita and Mike are as principled as they are loyal, which is kind of touching. I wish them well.
And it’s good, for sure, that the Left still have a paper they can call their own, and that our society allows it the freedom to publish.
But let’s remember that in Communist nations of the recent past no such freedoms were allowed.
And let’s hold in our thoughts the millions who lost their lives under Fascist and Communist regimes in the previous century, and those who survived (just) to feel the jackboot of totalitarianism smash into their face – again and again and again.
Then again, to paraphrase the great Julie Burchill: They tell you how many people Communism killed; they tell you how many people Fascism killed; but they never tell you how many people Capitalism killed, and is killing still, because they wouldn’t know where to start, and the story would have no end.
Let freedom sing in your hearts, my friends. Always.

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