The Big Benefits Row hit our screens last night and what a row it was.
Heaven help anyone with a 3D TV lest they cut themselves on Katie Hopkins' disapproving finger as she gestures at everyone on less than forty grand a year. But let us not forget, she'll point where she likes.
TBBR (The Big Benefits Row) was a non stop barrage of information and not all of it useful.
It took all of nine minutes for the show to get around to airing the actual debate and then a further two minutes to dissolve into a full on verbal punch up. TBBR offered a panel of semi famous personalities as well as an audience full of semi famous personalities, ever wanted to know what Peter Stringfellow thinks about benefits culture? Well, wait no more.
Unfortunately the rest of the show found itself permanently on the brink of brilliance but never actually got there.
For every insightful comment from Edwina Currie there was ten minutes of mindless babble from a panel more concerned with personal gripes than making progress. For every eye opening fact gleaned from the YouGov survey we had ten minutes of the Katie Hopkins variety show.
As it went on TBBR quickly became the lowest common denominator, the kind of show that it wanted to be above.
A televised class war, with ringleader Matthew Wright failing to keep order.
Once again last night a sensitive issue was rolled out and beaten with a stick.
As Wright reminded us as the show drew to a close, this issue is not going away anytime soon. Of course it isn't Matthew, not if it's constantly rolled out to bring in ratings.SAM BRADLEY
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