Barnsley v Chelsea, BBC1 (From Chorley Citizen)

Barnsley v Chelsea, BBC1

11:54am Monday 10th March 2008 in

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WHAT drama, what tension, what excitement!

Saturday night viewing hasn't seen anything like it since Guy of Gisburn turned nasty and killed poor old Marion in the last episode of Robin Hood.

I'm not talking about Casualty - and Ant and Dec have not suddenly become interesting.

Not even the over-excitable Fearne Cotton managed to create such an impression in spite of all her shouting.

No, the most gripping piece of Saturday night telly had to be the last 10 minutes of Barnsley v Chelsea on BBC1.

I don't care if you don't like football. I would say it would have been impossible not to watch the last few minutes of this FA Cup tie and not start shouting at the set, urging on the Barnsley team who managed to pull off a remarkable win.

It was rather like watching Kirk Douglas in the Spartans - although with a more positive outcome - as the mighty Chelsea battered away yet could not break down the Barnsley resistance.

There is something quintessentially British about rooting for the underdog and the Beeb happened to be in the right place at the right time to capture all the excitement.

For once, not even John Motson could spoil it by hyping it up.

This was TV drama at its finest.