The BBC is screening a documentary called Terry Pratchett: Living with Alzheimer’s on Wednesday 4th February, at 9pm on BBC2 (with part 2 the same time next week). Some footage for this was filmed at last year’s DW Convention in Birmingham.
He’s also given a brief “What I’m watching” interview in the Radio Times:
Like most authors, I spend most days sitting in front of my computer, which means that I end up listening to radio rather than watching TV. Classic FM has been my default station for many years – classical music tends not to interfere with my hallucinatory thought processes! But, just recently, I’ve discovered Birdsong on DAB [a digital station that plays nothing but birdsong]. There’s something about the sound of the outdoors that adds texture to a room. It cools the room down, makes you feel relaxed.
I’m not what you would call TV’s biggest fan – I have no time at all for soaps and couldn’t give a stuff who won Strictly Come Dancing – but I do enjoy randomly grazing through channels. If I finish work at a reasonable time, I start flicking and, more often than not, end up on Dave.
A lot of people expect me to be a great fan of science fiction, but I spend all of my working life caught up in alternate realities, so I prefer my TV to be a bit more … ordinary. Top Gear always makes me smile. Not because I have a great love of cars, but because Jeremy Clarkson seems to be very good at annoying the people who deserve to be annoyed. He enjoys rattling cages, which I heartily approve of.
Then there’s QI, of course. I’m sure I’ve seen most episodes about 50 times! Personally, I prefer the old-fashioned quiz shows. Something very pure and simple, like Mastermind or University Challenge. The ones that attract the real eggheads.
(Reproduced from Radio Times 31 January – 6 February 2009)