Image: Channel 4

‘They make humans less like machines’, preaches the creator of the androids in the new Channel 4 drama Humans. They do this, he argues, by freeing us from tasks a machine can do just as well. But in the TV industry, even more is being outsourced…

At Freesat, we recommend our top TV picks in Showcase. These recommendations are made by real people. We look at all the programmes, trailers and previews we can, then talk about what we think. There’s a lot of debate — even a few arguments — and if we think it’s right, we recommend it. It’s a simple process, especially compared to what other services are doing.

When we explain this to someone for the first time, they’re often surprised. They expect it to be automated, because that’s what they are used to. Why do this yourself, they ask, when a machine could do it better — by learning from what they watched?

Here, too, our answer is simple — we don’t believe that’s true.

Recommendations engines base their choices on what you’ve watched before. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you want — the same type of programme, or a different kind of show on the same subject matter. But use one all the time and you can miss out on something completely new. Just because you’re a fan of Downton doesn’t mean Black Mirror isn’t for you.

This is even more difficult if you’re watching with other people. TV is all about shared experience, so recommending shows based on one person’s tastes can hide what someone else would enjoy.

You risk becoming trapped in a filter bubble — something it still takes a human touch to burst through.

Music platforms have already realised this. From Spotify playlists to Apple’s new radio station, curation is the word of the moment. TV, by comparison, has been conspicuously silent. That’s where we come in.

Showcase is available on TV, web and the Freesat mobile app.

We believe that a hand-picked guide to great TV can help you find shows you’ll love like nothing else. Everything from the biggest new series to hidden gems, all in one place.

Instead of personal choices based on previous viewing, we want to offer something for everyone. This means, sometimes, you’ll spot a programme in Showcase that you just know isn’t your cup of tea. In our eyes, that’s better than missing something you would have loved because an algorithm didn’t make the connection.

Thankfully, our customers agree with us. They’re already using Showcase to find great TV, and if they feel strongly about something — whether they agree or disagree with what we said — they’ll let us know.

Which brings us back to that initial question and our simple answer. ‘It’ doesn’t learn — but we do. Every day we’re on the lookout for what’s next. What you see may not be personalised, but what you get out of it will be.

The key isn’t making people less like machines, it’s imbuing our machines with something more human. That’s what we are doing.

We trust that you — as fellow humans — will do the rest.

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You can find this week’s Showcase recommendations here.

Humans airs on Channel 4, Sundays at 9pm. Catch the first episode on demand on All4.

Jon Wilmore is one of the telly fans behind Showcase.