Bob Dylan picks some of his favourite TV shows of all time
Bob Dylan doesn’t do too many interviews these days, but in his latest with the Wall Street Journal, he has confirmed that he is still quite possibly the funniest person in music, and he still has us all dancing to his tune.
Speaking with Jeff Slate in promotion of his new book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, the croaky 81-year-old folk star revealed that he still tries to keep up with culture, but these days it is mostly in an inadvertent, sanitised fashion.
When speaking about his current TV viewing habits, Dylan said, “Two or three hours in front of the tube is a lot of binge watching for me. Too much time to be involved with the screen. Or maybe I’m too old for it.”
That seems all well and good, but the shows he watched really raised an eyebrow. I’ve binge watched Coronation Street, Father Brown, and some early Twilight Zones,” he said. “I know they’re old-fashioned shows, but they make me feel at home.”
For Dylan, these homely shows are a world away from the violence in movies, and sex on TV, filled with the good old-fashioned values on which we used to rely. “I’m not a fan of packaged programs,” he added, “or news shows, so I don’t watch them.”
And then he saved his most comic appraisal of modern entertainment until last. Concluding his TV takedown by saying: “I never watch anything foul smelling or evil. Nothing disgusting; nothing dog ass.” That dog-ass TV is some of the worst, and we’re glad it isn’t blighting Dylan’s day.
And away from the TV, he keeps himself active with “boxing and sparing are what I’ve been doing for a while. It’s part of my life. It’s functional and detached from trends. It’s a limitless playground, and you don’t need an App.”
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