Telly addicts

John Cleese instead of Shakespeare. The Blackadder instead of Pride and Prejudice. An episode of 'Alto 'Alto instead of a chapter in Oliver Twist. Incredibly, this is the new English literature curriculum according to the GCSE. Must a country with arguably the richest literary tradition in the world encourage its children to watch telly rather than read the books that have been an integral part of its heritage? The notion fills one-with dread, revealing as it does the misguided and sloppy thinking that English academia is now capable of. Teachers beware: what acts of valour will Monty Python inspire? What cultural points of reference will our progeny share with us? By changing the literary signposts on the road we travel, what can ensue, but muddled thoughts and confusion? Let's keep the classics on the bookshelves and the telly in a corner.