Buzzin TV

Lily Allen and Friends – BBC3 Tuesdays, 10.30pm

As much as I would like to say Lily Allen and Friends is entertaining, fresh, funny and an all-round thumbs up show, unfortunately I can’t.

The idea is to base the show on the latest web trend – social networking. Lily Allen is the perfect host for such a show, as she herself found fame and fortune via social networking websites such as You Tube and Facebook.

But the show falls flat on its face on two accounts. Firstly, most of the content as well as the idea are internet-based. It works on the internet but doesn’t transfer so honestly to television where even BBC3 have rules and regulations to abide by, unlike the uncensored internet.

Secondly, the show is just the latest tv programme that tries too hard to be fresh, cool and whacky. What you get is a shabby, amateur and dull and lifeless show. This kind of show can only work if it isn’t seen to be trying. Take The Word for example. It was amateur, often fell apart but was also risky and at times desperately poor. Before it became a self parody of itself, it was good because it was bad.

I feel sorry for Lily Allen because the programme being a flop is not her fault. I only hope, being on BBC3, not many people have bothered to watch it!