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'Tiswas' Villanelle

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'Tiswas’ was TV inflected with punk;

Shameless, anarchic and thrillingly crude. 

‘Swap Shop’ was boring, establishment junk,

 

Aimed, so it seemed, at the nun or the monk;

Unconfrontational in attitude. 

Tiswas’ was TV inflected with punk;

 

Everything else, in comparison, stunk.

Study the facts and you can’t but conclude

‘Swap Shop’ was boring, establishment junk.

 

Whereas Chris Tarrant would glory in gunk,

Edmonds was craven and custard eschewed.

‘Tiswas’ was TV inflected with punk;

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No other kids’ show had half as much spunk.  

That’s why we sat there in front of it, glued.

‘Swap Shop’ was boring, establishment junk. 

 

Just like the things you have eaten and drunk

Telly helps make you: you are what you’ve viewed.

‘Tiswas’ was TV inflected with punk, 

‘Swap Shop’ was boring, establishment junk.