despatx

I spend a lot of time in Barcelona, and the show that I never miss – indeed, Spanish TV's saving grace – is Doraemon. I watch it in catalan, and it is huge over there, absolutely massive. And it is brilliant! Just the sheer inventiveness of the gadgets and the scenarios – I mean, the guy writing the stories is seriously warped. Yes, it is desperately formulaic, but every episode is as enjoyable as the last one, and there are often slightly dark undercurrents – and the story is always fast-paced. Plus the cat, Doraemon, is a very lovable character, endlessly patient, while Nobita is a total waste of space, but easily identified with. I don't have a TV in the UK, and am quite happy to carry on watching it in catalan, but I can't help feeling a lot of people are missing out big time... Or perhaps it was on British TV long ago, and I missed it?