David Jason: Why I want my little girl to stop watching TV

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David Jason and daughter Sophie

During an illustrious 40 year career, Sir David Jason's television credits have included such family entertainment classics as Only Fools And Horses and the Darling Buds Of May.

Now the 66-year-old actor has told how he is trying to make sure his young daughter does not watch too much television as it makes children grow old too quickly.

• Hogfather star David Jason gets a touch of sloshed

"I'm trying to wean Sophie off as much television as possible," he said.

"You have to stop her watching anything that gets too late. We stop at 7 o'clock - that's our cut-off time. I certainly wouldn't want her to watch EastEnders, I'll tell you that.

"I find it's too aggressive, too miserable, too unhappy. It's an unhappy show and it's very miserable - if that's the way people spend their lives then it's very sad."

Jason, who became a father at the age of 61, added: "Sophie's absolutely great - it's nice to have a little one. But they're very difficult to bring up because she's getting very independent now.

"She's only six - but six going on 26. That's television for you - they're very influenced by television."

Speaking at the premiere of his latest project, the Hogfather, a Sky One drama adaptation of Terry Pratchett's sci-fi classic, Jason did praise two of the BBC's big name dramas, Dr Who and Robin Hood, but added that there needed to be more light-hearted family programming.

"Entertainment should be about good, clean, honest fun - that's my personal opinion.

"I suppose it's slightly old fashioned but I don't like a lot of swearing, I don't like a lot of violence and I don't like there to be too much sex in the things that I do because I don't think these things should be on in people's front rooms.

"We need entertainment - we need the Hogfather. I've been a great champion of anything that's fun, anything that I believe people will enjoy watching or listening to."

The veteran star attended the premiere with his wife of one year, Gill Hinchcliffe, and Sophie.

He later moved on to the movie's afterparty, held at London's trendy Zeta bar.

Surrounded by family and friends, including his brother Arthur who also appeared in the film, Jason enjoyed a selection of cocktails and Japanese-themed canapes in the bar's secluded VIP section.

After three hours of partying and mingling with fellow guests, Jason emerged from the venue shortly before midnight, looking a little unsteady on his feet.

Helped into a waiting chauffeur-driven car, the actor promptly loosened his tie before wearily slumping down, head in hands.

Jason is not the first celebrity to attack modern day TV.

Madonna recently admitted that she had banned her children from watching television, calling it 'trash'.

She said: "My kids don't watch TV. We have televisions but they're not hooked up to anything but movies. TV is trash. I was raised without it."

In September, a lobby group made up of renowned psychologists, academics and authors claimed that television was contributing to the premature death of childhood.

As a result youngsters are being turned into 'mini adults', with television exposing them to unsuitable material and making them more susceptible to depression and developmental problems.

With childhood obesity doubling in the last decade - and one in four children aged 11-15 now obese - the vast amounts of television watched by adolescents is also considered a major factor behind such alarming figures.

Similarly, the Food Standards Agency has demanded a ban on television advertising of junk food before the 9pm watershed.

 

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