YEARS and years ago, in the days when when I didn’t need bifocals to read the heating instructions on a takeaway Woolworths dinner, I remember tuning into Egoli.

In those early M-Net days it was pretty much compulsory viewing in our household, gripping stuff in the vein of the doings and screwings of the Ewings in Dallas.

But over the years Egoli lost its edge and I stopped tuning in. Until recently, albeit inadvertently while waiting for one of the 7pm shows I enjoy, like My Name Is Earl or Samantha Who . At first glance it seems that nothing has changed in Egoli. It’s the same old incestuous programme where people swop partners with monotonous regularity.

But there was one thing that was new – English sub-titles for which even I did not need to reach for my bifocals.

While you may think that the subtitles are a good idea in a bilingual show, I was astounded to note that the English subtitles were being used only when English was spoken.

We are left to battle through the Afrikaans items completely unaided. The point is – why on earth employ so-called English-speaking actors whose accents are apparently so difficult to follow that sub-titles have to be used?

The same apparently applies on certain e.tv programmes – and certainly subtitles are needed when some “English” presenters read news items, both on TV and radio.

English sub-titles for English scenes? I think it’s the ultimate insult to both the actors involved and intelligent viewers.