A writer's recent experience with a pair of crumpled surgical stockings has led to a poignant reflection on a glaring absence from today's television landscape: the truly recognisable, beloved character.
The Nora Batty Benchmark: A Relatable TV Icon
Following a minor leg operation, the columnist spent Christmas in black surgical compression stockings, which eventually shrivelled and gathered around the knees. This evoked an immediate comparison to Nora Batty, the iconic character from the BBC's longest-running sitcom, Last of the Summer Wine. Played by the formidable Kathy Staff, Battleaxe Nora was a fixture in British living rooms from the show's 1973 pilot until her departure a few years before it ended in 2010.
At the show's 1980s peak, up to 19 million viewers tuned in. Nora, with her short temper, brawny arms, and stockings perpetually slumped around her slippers, was a masterpiece of truthful observation. She represented a breed of television character that has seemingly vanished: one that made audiences exclaim, 'I know someone just like that!'
The 2025 Schedule: Woke Fantasies Over Real Life
The writer argues that this authentic characterisation is precisely what has been missing from TV in 2025. Instead of relatable fiction, schedules are packed with reality dating shows and panelist squabbles. Contemporary dramas and comedies often seem less intent on reflecting who we are and more on instructing us who we ought to be.
The article describes a pervasive template: "Left-leaning, middle-class, in racially blended relationships, living with proudly 'non-binary' teenagers, in homes with gigantic open-plan kitchen-diners and bifold doors, celebrating diversity and denouncing capitalism." These creations, the piece contends, feel like "woke fantasies" rather than real people, making television feel like re-education.
Revivals Aren't the Answer for Scripted Gaps
Broadcasters themselves appear aware of a disconnect, hence the wave of revivals for classic game shows. Bullseye returned in November 2024, hosted by Freddie Flintoff, joining resurrected formats like Blankety Blank (hosted by Bradley Walsh), Wheel of Fortune (hosted by Graham Norton), and Gladiators. Rumours even suggest a Netflix remake of Blind Date with Emily Atack.
However, the article stresses that reinventing game shows does nothing to address the dearth of believable scripted comedy and drama. It points to the BBC and Disney's Doctor Who reboot as a cautionary tale of big budgets failing to resonate, noting even star Ncuti Gatwa was eager to leave.
The conclusion is a simple plea for 2026: audiences don't want lectures. They want to laugh at and love characters who remind them of themselves. The call is for a return to the craft that created legends like Del Boy, Hyacinth Bucket, and, of course, Nora Batty.
