The ITV network produced THE TIME , THE PLACE as their response to the BBC morning discussion show KILROY but this is a far inferior product . Whereas KILROY often had highly charged debates about current affairs and political hot potatoes like military intervention in the Balkans or asylum this show often went more for human interest stories . My major criticism of the programme though was its presenter John Stapleton who I found highly patronizing . As soon as one of the guests started putting the metaphorical boot into their local hospital , housing association or police force Stapleton would interrupt with the words " I`ve got to stop you there . They`re not here to defend themselves so we can`t go into that " I don`t think I`ve ever seen an edition go by without Stapleton not saying that . Seems like a very bad idea inviting people onto the show to discuss things then stopping them because the target of their criticism isn`t in the studio. Didn`t the producers ever think of asking the local hospital , housing association or police force onto the show ? And I also remember an edition dedicated to DOCTOR WHO fans where Stapleton obviously thought they were a bunch of anoraks . Shouldn`t we have a presenter who treats the guests with a bit of respect ?
THE TIME , THE PLACE went out live which meant the viewers were treated to a classic TV moment when a young very softly spoken women was talking about young hooligans :
Woman : They`re smoking dope , spraying graffiti , kicking in doors , f*** knows what else
It was the way she said it . It took the audience a couple of seconds to register what she said . Cut to an embarrassed Stapleton saying " You`ve made your point very articulately but we don`t allow that sort of language on the show "
ITV scrapped the show in the mid 1990s . KILROY is much better and still going strong
