Season 3
20 episodes · 2011
1Phone Calls
David picks up on the assumption that everything is quicker and easier to sort out by text. Is sending bite-sized messages really that effective? Or is it just a small pointless chore?
2LOL
David tackles text speak and the charming little innovation LOL. But will he be for or against the modern habit of approving a joke with the abbreviation?
3Machines
David berates the modern button-loving gadget designers who are given free reign with their counterintuitive scratchable DVDs. Do you too lament the simple days of the VHS?
4Weddings
In this episode David takes issue with ridiculously extravagant weddings. He questions whether they're really supposed to be special for you, or for everyone else?
5Stag Nights
David rants about the totally invented tradition of the stag night.
6Naming Your Child
David discusses the folly of giving your child a unique name. But as soon as you get used to a name do you stop noticing it's strangeness altogether? Just think of 'Peep Show'...
7Sports TV
In this episode David gets agitated by broadcasters who plaster logos over logos over logos. Shouldn't there be a degree of mature cooperation where the highest bidder gets the slot?
8Chef's Special
David discusses the subtext of the sign 'If you are not satisfied with anything we serve, the chef will eat it himself.' Just how bad can the food be?
9Cheap Hotels
David picks up on British reservations about calling hotels 'cheap.' But cheap is good is it not, so why not say it?
10Friends
David discusses the trials and tribulations of keeping up with old friends from which there is no etiquette of release. Shouldn't there be a system for rotating them every ten years?
11Dell Quiz
David asks a series of questions that are not imminently googleable but to which there are definitively correct answers. The fabulous prize? A Dell XPS15z.
12Television Credits
You know those credits which disrupt your television viewing pleasure at the end of every programme? Squashing the show you were watching into one half of the screen, whilst a voice speaks over the music, what on earth are they thinking?
13Gifts
David has his say on the rationale of the gift-giving ritual, from ill-fitting jumpers to duplicate copies of the Bonesetter's daughter, the whole system is hideously inefficient. Aren't we better off putting anything we actually want on an accessible online list?
14Britain's Drinking Culture
David talks about the country's problem with its drinking culture; but not in the way of 'Broken Britain's Wild Teens In Booze Binge Shame Shock', rather like having a nice glass of wine at a party, or a pint in the pub.
15Dell Quiz Answers
David Mitchell provides answers for the Dell Quiz.
16Sustainability
Is there perhaps a way of combating wastefulness and planned obsolescence. From tables to fuel, could a subscription fee perhaps be a viable solution?
17Burden of Proof
David Mitchell follows his sustainability rant with one on saving the environment. There is always heated debate about global warming, but until there is proof it doesn't exist, shouldn't we be looking for solutions?
18Young Man
The phrase 'young man' is a joke that is made to a boy who is obviously not a man, but can also be said to a man who is clearly not young. This certainly gives David something to think about at the grand age of 37.
19Marathons
David Mitchell analyses marathon runners this week, and what the logic is behind their attempts to raise money for charity. Surely all the time they spend training, would have been better spent working a job? After all, they would make a lot more money for charity!
20Not Onefinale
With season 3 of David Mitchell's soapbox coming to an end, David discusses what matters (and what doesn't matter) when it comes to ranting.