The scrapping of Sky's dedicated 3D channel shows that gimmicks are a big turn-off

What we watch on TV matters much more than how, says Ellen E Jones

3D TV sets will be going cheap at car-boot sales... (Getty Images)

3D TV sets will be going cheap at car-boot sales this weekend. That's because Sky has just announced the end of its dedicated 3D channel and, with it, another TV gimmick designed to hold an audience's attention.

Back in 2008, the red button's uses were multiple and mysterious, but now that it's possible to check the football scores on a phone, it's far less intriguing. Will the latest curved screens ever become a standard part of home entertainment? Perhaps, but the history of TV gimmicks makes one thing clearer than UltraHD – as long as the picture moves and the sound is audible, what we watch on TV matters much more than how.

David Simon has got his wires crossed

Even before Freddie Gray died from injuries sustained in police custody, people who'd never set foot in Baltimore could claim an in-depth knowledge of its flawed civic institutions, thanks to HBO series The Wire. But when The Wire's patch became the focus of international news, some found the status quo-supporting commentary of its creator David Simon disappointing. In a Monday night blog post, Simon called protesters' actions "an affront to that man's memory".

Disappointing: The Wire creator David Simon (Getty)

Is his support for traditional law and order really surprising? While The Wire was clear-sighted in its depiction of many urban ills, police brutality was rarely one. Now that this is a live-wire issue in America it seems, on at least one aspect of Baltimore, Simon's first-hand experience falls short.