Discussion programme hits embarrassingly low ebb

On Friday nights, we usually watch I Migliori Anni on RAI 1. The Italians have the best television in the world and they excel in variety shows. Last Friday I was using my computer and followed Xarabank on stream simultaneously. In my opinion this was television at its lowest ebb.

I must point out at the outset that I do not comment from a moral point of view. Actually I do not find most dirty jokes immoral per se and admit to have my own repertoire which, occasionally, I enjoy sharing in private and to the right audience, a disposition also aired by the panel speakers.

However, given the chance, I would not even dream of going public with jokes even if intelligently humorous in a sex/sexual context, as it is ethically wrong.

None of the puns in Xarabank was funny let alone intelligent. I felt sorry for the panel who were visibly embarrassed but had to force a smile simply as the show had to go on.

The double entendre sketch was not original or imaginative or entertaining but utterly vulgar and whoever wrote and approved it must have gone blank with ideas and should take up plastering or bee keeping.

Surely they would do a better job. I cannot think of any TV show local or foreign that gets so low in taste and Friday's Xarabank makes The Jerry Springer Show go down four or five rungs the notoriety ladder. The producers of Xarabank strive to break new ground in local television and they are succeeding... negatively.

Xarabank is the most watched programme in Malta... regrettably for the wrong reasons.