Test Pattern: Light Entertainment, Politicians and Populism

farrago2010

With another election year upon us, the once safe world of entertainment television can expect to be inundated with politicians. Politicians are of course integral to programs such as Q&A, but what of the lighter side of the televisual landscape? Does the presence of our political leaders make great television? Or is it merely a cynical exercise in self-serving PR that sometimes, tantalisingly, has the potential to turn into a train wreck, and provide fodder for The Chaser for the remainder of their season?