There are so many questions I want to ask Mum and Dad about why they did it, how it felt, how it changed them and what they’ve experienced since it started being broadcast. So if the hands don’t go up in the studio audience I’ll be quite happy to fill the airtime myself. But I rather suspect my guests will be as intrigued as I am.

And then there is The Sex Education Show. And where do we start with this one? Is this an honest attempt at public service broadcasting about an important subject? Or an entertaining and slightly titillating show about sex that you can get away with watching because its on Channel 4 and not Virgin + 1 at three in the morning? Take a look at the clip below and let me know what you think.

The format is certainly bold – and so are the images they show and the material they discuss. But is it on at the right time? Is it putting people off their dinner?! And do we really care that much about Anna Richardson’s sex life – charming and funny though she might be? There has been a rash of programmes on tv about sex recently. Maybe it is just a coincidence, maybe commissioners are trying to cheer us up from the desperate financial crisis or maybe they are reflecting changing social attitudes. But who is The Sex Education Show really aimed at? Is it aimed solely at teenagers? Why has Channel 4 really put this on? I think this might just be a pretty lively debate.

Given that the five most powerful people at Channel 4 are men (and dare I suggest it – white, middle class ones to boot) does it show on air? And while Selina Scott sues Five for allegedly discriminating against older women, where are all the older women on Channel 4…?

Our starting point is the recent G-Spot season of documentaries. Channel 4 described it as: “a new female-led documentary strand of intelligent and provocative films investigating a range of topical issues that impact on how women live now.” And what were those issues? Prostitution, vaginal cosmetic surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, wearing fur and, still to come, women who breast feed other people’s children. Those are, apparently, the women’s issues Channel 4 felt needed investigation in 2008.

Did you see them? Lots of my friends ended up being pleasantly surprised at the programmes’ intelligence. But some I’ve spoken to thought titles like The Perfect Vagina were too ‘Channel Five’ and they switched off. And is there any truth in the suggestion that any men watching were really just there in the vain hope that the presenter Lisa Rogers (who was once a scantily clad pin-up for lads mags) would eventually get her bits out?

But there are bigger questions too. Think about the images of women Channel 4 projects. Programmes about looking 10 Years Younger. Gok Wan can claim to be a positive and empowering force – but doesn’t How To Look Good Naked still basically tell women how to improve the way they look? And aren’t the models on Gok’s Fashion Fix still essentially thin and pretty? Strong women certainly feature on Dangerous Jobs for Girls, and arguably having Charlotte Church host C4’s Friday night youth entertainment show is a good thing. If I were to put my daughter in front of Channel 4 in the hope she would get great ideas about being a successful, confident and happy woman when she’s big, would my hopes be dashed?

Of course there are always people who argue it was better in the old days. When a woman – Liz Forgan – was director of programmes, when Carol Vorderman was the highest paid person at Channel 4, when The Tube was presented by Paula Yates and C4’s programme about TV – The Media Show – was presented by Muriel Gray. But then, remember the Red Triangle? And was Paula really any different to Dani Behr, Amanda De Cadenet or even Charlotte Church?

There is a rich seam here – and we’ll only scratch the surface on the show – but perhaps the website is a better place to have a more in-depth discussion….?

Finally, in response to some great viewer feedback on the latest series of C4’s The Secret Millionaire (incidentally, a series which recently profiled an extremely positive female role model), we’ll be hosting a live Q&A session with the programme makers during this Saturday’s show. Read this blog post to find out more.