April 23rd was St George's Day; y'know, patron saint of England and all that? Slew a dragon? Well, you'd be forgiven for missing it, as it came and went without the slightest hint of patriotism in the national TV schedules. Worst of all, it was a Sunday which is not the heaviest ratings day, now is it? We could have been treated to something with a little Englishness about it. For example;
a biography of Churchill/Nelson/Monty/Guiness/Olivier/Caine/etc, etc, etc...
a screening of the '66 World Cup
a Top 100 Defining English Moments (not hosted by Graham Norton of course...)
any of the hundreds of Ealing/Pinewood films from over the years
a history of how England has changed over the last 20/50/100 years
perhaps even a documentary investigating the history of the man himself
It's An Outrage!!
Not even quirky Channel 4 could pull something together to celebrate the country's national day. What a shame.
I know we live in a multicultural society, but are we now afraid of our national identity? No matter who you are there's something to be said for at least recognising the defining moments and qualities of the country you live in. Can you imagine America without the 4th of July...?
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