Adventures in a TV Nation
Michael Moore and Kathleen Glynn. HaperCollins 1998

I only discovered TV Nation at the end of its run on BBC2, and for reasons unknown, there don’t seem to have been any reruns. So it was with great pleasure that I delved into Adventures in a TV Nation. The book introduces the show and tells the stories of several of the features, from the conception of ridiculous ideas to the eventual segment, including the examples that never made it. There is also a chapter on the features that got stopped by the censors such as the Cuban success in the Health Care Olympics where patients from Canada, the US and Cuba were followed through hospital treatment for a broken leg. The Cuban system came out on top, with efficient, accurate and most importantly, free service, but the censors felt that the political situation was so volatile as to not be ready for such praise to be given!

It wasn’t exactly a hard read (all of three hours), but was immensely enjoyable, and a fascinating accompaniment to the show.