On 8th May 2019 I uploaded some of my favourite scenes from television programmes that were broadcast before the introduction of high definition and wide screens. They came to about five hours. On 8th November I uploaded some of my favourite scenes from television that were broadcast more recently. They came to about five minutes. The reasons for the enormous difference in length are (1) I am lazier than I used to be, (2) I am fussier than I used to be, (3) I was unable to copy some of the scenes onto d.v.d.s and (4) it seems to me that television programmes are not as good as they used to be. I have noticed the same thing about music, plays, novels, paintings, clothing and so on. In fact the twenty-first century could be described as a cultural desert. It therefore came as a surprise to me when I discovered a recent Japanese cartoon that was as good as any of those produced in the 1950s. Then I discovered others and noticed that they all had the same director, Hayao Miyazaki. He deserves to be as famous as Walt Disney. It’s a pity that his name is not so easy to remember.
I believe that the best cartoons are superior to any paintings because they have the additional dimensions of movement and sound.
To see these latest additions click here and go to ‘play all’.