Michael Wood

There is a strange immortality to TV and Film that probably hasn’t happened before now, the BBC TV has only been going 76 years this year, which is around a persons life time (~77 for males and ~81 for females).

I’ve been watching and listening to the TV series ‘Yes Minister’ and ‘Yes prime Minister’ which is an excellent program, and has some of the best actors and writers in the history of british sitcom (putting the likes of ‘My Family’ to shame), the strange thing is that the main stars of the show; Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne - the people who i’ve been watching over the last week. Sadly all died many years ago.

I always think of someone dieing being the end to their physical presence or existance but it’s not so much the case anymore, there is something direct and personal about seeing video and hearing a person. I do of course recognise that all history before us carries this same property, as those who have died always live on in scripture or memories and are in the same way immortalised. I wonder what the perspective viewer of the home video camera generation will think when they see me playing in the sandpit aged 4 when they only knew of me aged 77.

Bit deep for a friday but I couldn’t find anyone to muse this with, so, dear tinterclick you will have to do.