The main difference is that French programmes tend to be much longer than British ones, and I don't quite know why that should be the case. I'm thinking in particular of so-called entertainment shows. Even the best of them go on too long, usually throughout an entire evening. The comparison is with those "eat as much as you want" buffer restaurants now proliferating in France. Before very long you are heartily sick of the fare in both instances.
We see the same phenomenon at work in presidential press conferences. François Hollande's latest offering last week lasted almost THREE HOURS. This is patently absurd and places an impossible burden not so much on the President himself as on the members of his government who are forced to sit and listen attentively to what their master has to say. The slightest tendency to drop off would be caught by the camera with unspeakable consequences. A study of the posture and expressions of the different ministers is far more rewarding than listening to il presidente showing just how clever he is. His ministers know full well that as soon as he gets back to one or other of his residences, François will carefully view their posture for signs of possible dissent. If I were him, I would pay special attention to the behaviour of one Laurent Fabius. His Cheshire Cat expression fluctuates alarmimgly between polite interest and weary contempt.
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