# Tonight With Vincent Browne - Unwatchable Due To Ad Breaks



## Lex Foutish (17 Feb 2010)

Did any of you watch Vincent Browne on TV3 last night? My favourite programme of the day has turned into a complete joke. Towards the end of the show, he has to take ad breaks and it's obvious at times that he's under pressure to do so. For the final section last night, (after an ad break), he had Matt Cooper and another female journalist on to review today's papers. He asked a question and she answered. Then he asked a second question (about Willie O' Dea) and said we'd have the answer after the break. After said break, the first thing spoken about was Man. Utd.'s victory and Matt Cooper steered it back to Willie O' Dea and less than a minute later, Vincent Browne said that he had to take another break, looked straight into the camera and said, "Sorry about this."

It was an absolute farce. Worse than watching local tv channels in America. I normally switch to another channel for the ad breaks anyway but, for the first time ever last night, I turned the programme off and went to bed. I can't figure out how they hope to hold viewers' interest in presenting the programme in this fashion.


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## Purple (17 Feb 2010)

While the format is good Vincent Browne is far too biased and opinionated for a serious informative discussion. I also find that the same pseudo-liberal pinko’s make up a large proportion of the panel each week.

The ads make it worse but Vinnie makes it unwatchable.


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## ajapale (17 Feb 2010)

I think TV3 was having extreem technical difficulties last night. For some bizzare reason it seems to have come live from the inside of a church. The sound was very very poor and it was allmost impossible to hear the discussion most of the time.

With regard to the Willie O'Dea issue I noticed that they said they would come back to it but they didnt. Matt Cooper did however make a cryptic remark along the lines "we will just have to wait and read about it in your (Vincent Brownes) newspaper article tomorrow". I got the impression that that the TV3 lawyers may have been sweating it in the background!


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## galleyslave (17 Feb 2010)

I agree with purple

Brownes own agenda rides roughshot over the program. I sometimes wonder why he bothers with a panel - except to disparage them - and simply gives us 30 minutes of his opinion. Not that I'm interested in it!


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## MOB (17 Feb 2010)

To be fair, I don't think that there is any real pretence at objectivity in the way this show is presented - many people watch it precisely because they will be entertained by VB mounting one of his hobby horses and thrashing it vigorously around the studio.  That said, I can only tolerate a little bit of it:- I inevitably find mself getting irritated and changing channel.


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## Latrade (17 Feb 2010)

Purple said:


> While the format is good Vincent Browne is far too biased and opinionated for a serious informative discussion.


 
To some extent that's what makes him watchable, bit like George Hook in that they wear their colours on their sleeves and put forward some quite ridiculous propositions. It can boil the blood, but when the panel is right it's good to see the proposition put down.

One difference is that I always get the sense Brown is just doing/saying what he does to wind people up or at least get them discussing. 



Purple said:


> I also find that the same pseudo-liberal pinko’s make up a large proportion of the panel each week.


 
Which is where the above argument fails and means I now rarely watch it. It's just loaded with cronies who'll agree.


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## galleyslave (17 Feb 2010)

I think the ads are a welcome relief from Vincent...


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## Lex Foutish (17 Feb 2010)

And why is Damien Duff always on the panel? 

[broken link removed]


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## sinbadsailor (18 Feb 2010)

galleyslave said:


> I agree with purple
> 
> Brownes own agenda rides roughshot over the program. I sometimes wonder why he bothers with a panel - except to disparage them - and simply gives us 30 minutes of his opinion. Not that I'm interested in it!



To be fair to him though, he sometimes rides the right people and doesn't let them squirm away from the hard issue. But it's rare that that happens, which is a shame.


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## Purple (18 Feb 2010)

sinbadsailor said:


> To be fair to him though, he sometimes rides the right people and doesn't let them squirm away from the hard issue. But it's rare that that happens, which is a shame.



Agreed, but only if they hold opinions that he disagrees with. He lets other away with all sorts of tripe.


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## Caveat (18 Feb 2010)

Am I the only one who thinks he generally doesn't come across very well on TV?

His opinions/bias aside, I find him a bit inarticulate and casual sometimes and not particularly professional.  

I've probably said it before but can RTE not hunt down and sequester Olivia O'Leary for these shows?


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## RMCF (18 Feb 2010)

I take it you don't have Sky TV?

If you had then you'd be well used to constant ad breaks. Sky TV is so bad to watch now its almost like American TV. Adverts interrupted by programmes.


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## Purple (18 Feb 2010)

Caveat said:


> I've probably said it before but can RTE not hunt down and sequester Olivia O'Leary for these shows?


 Agreed, she's superb.


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## Slash (19 Feb 2010)

Caveat said:


> His opinions/bias aside, I find him a bit inarticulate and casual sometimes and not particularly professional.



I agree. Too many "Ehs" and "Ums".

What I really object to in the programme is the almost savage anti Fianna Fail bias shown by some of his guests.

The people of FF work ceaselessly for the people of this country with no thought for their own welfare, and, without FF, the country wouldn't be the way it is.


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## RonanC (19 Feb 2010)

Last night Vincent opened the show by quickly (100 mile an hour) introducing the guests (incorrectly introducing Damien Duff too  ) and immediately went to a ad break. 

What the hell is that all about?


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## demoivre (19 Feb 2010)

Caveat said:


> Am I the only one who thinks he generally doesn't come across very well on TV?
> 
> His opinions/bias aside, I find him a bit inarticulate and casual sometimes and not particularly professional.



+1 Always thought he was a bungling idiot and has the infuriating habit of interrupting his guests. I'm not sure if it's the ridiculous dyed comb over that Brown sports but he always reminds me of this equally annoying [broken link removed].


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## NOAH (19 Feb 2010)

I am new to Vincent Browne and I actually like what he attempts to weed out,  he is not anti Fianna Fail,  is not biased - he is telling it as it is.  The Willie o'Dea saga will back up Vincent for a long time to come.

Cowen should call an election and see how wrong Vincent is then.


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## Purple (19 Feb 2010)

NOAH said:


> I am new to Vincent Browne and I actually like what he attempts to weed out,  *he is not anti Fianna Fail,  is not biased* - he is telling it as it is.  The Willie o'Dea saga will back up Vincent for a long time to come.
> 
> Cowen should call an election and see how wrong Vincent is then.



I don't think too many people will agree with you there.


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## Staples (19 Feb 2010)

Latrade said:


> It's just loaded with cronies who'll agree.


 
In fairness, they're probably the only ones who'llagree to participate.  Anybody else would just be asking for trouble.

I'd agree that Browne's style can be annoying but at least he seems to have a genuine interest in social justice and isn't afraid to express it.


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## Purple (20 Feb 2010)

Staples said:


> In fairness, they're probably the only ones who'llagree to participate.  Anybody else would just be asking for trouble.
> 
> I'd agree that Browne's style can be annoying but at least he seems to have a genuine interest in social justice and isn't afraid to express it.



I don't think there are many politicians who don't have a genuine interest in social justice. It's easy for a well off lawyer to point the finger and shake his head but the people who have to pay for it all while maintaining a working economy can't ignore the fact that the solutions aren't as simple as Vincent suggests. He is, in many ways, the epitome of a smoked salmon socialist.


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## ajapale (20 Feb 2010)

Purple said:


> He is, in many ways, the epitome of a smoked salmon socialist.


 At least he doesnt sport a beard!


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## sunrock (20 Feb 2010)

Slash said:


> I agree. Too many "Ehs" and "Ums".
> 
> What I really object to in the programme is the almost savage anti Fianna Fail bias shown by some of his guests.
> 
> The people of FF work ceaselessly for the people of this country with no thought for their own welfare,* and, without FF, the country wouldn't be* *the way it is*.


 
I think we can all agree with the last part of the last paragraph above.
I have to admit that when George Lee was on the show the night he resigned ,he got a very serious grilling from Vincent and his guests,whereby Mr Lee was shown up for what he is.....not willing to roll up his sleeves and work hard at the politics game and prefering to return to the pampered life of RTE.
Of course some of vincents shows aren`t great....the subject for discussion and the guests mightn`t be great. At least we don`t have to put up with the reverential style of some of our other presenters.
What is so great about Olivia o Leary? Isn`t she with the BBC ?


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## Purple (20 Feb 2010)

ajapale said:


> At least he doesnt sport a beard!



Yes, there is that


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## Complainer (20 Feb 2010)

slash said:


> the people of ff work ceaselessly for the people of this country with no thought for their own welfare.


roflmao.


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## Mopsy (21 Feb 2010)

I agree with OP....pain with all those ad breaks. Don't know why they bother because I just switch channels and time the breaks.....so no brainwashing from ads for me. Also, sometimes it can be frustrating when Vincent asks a question, and then proceeds to answer it.......in drama style.......when he lets it flow, it's grand...but that doesn't happen often.


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## peelaaa (23 Feb 2010)

ajapale said:


> I think TV3 was having extreem technical difficulties last night. For some bizzare reason it seems to have come live from the inside of a church. The sound was very very poor and it was allmost impossible to hear the discussion most of the time.
> 
> With regard to the Willie O'Dea issue I noticed that they said they would come back to it but they didnt. Matt Cooper did however make a cryptic remark along the lines "we will just have to wait and read about it in your (Vincent Brownes) newspaper article tomorrow". I got the impression that that the TV3 lawyers may have been sweating it in the background!


Not sure if it was live, looked recorded


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