I must confess I have been watching this thread with some dismay. And I have been wary of buying in because so many of the Sky and Croft critics seem to tackle the subject with seemingly unlimited fervour and vehemence.
But what the hell.
I don't mind David Croft and I overall really like the Sky F1 product.
Many years ago, someone who I reckoned knew what they were talking about (was it Mike Doodson?... I'm annoyed that I can't quite recall.) told me that the reality of being live in an F1 commentary box is a waaaaay bigger challenge than most of us on our couches with a glass of wine and a slice of pizza can ever imagine.
Unlike almost every other sport, motor racing is full-on all of the time and F1 is more full-on than most motor racing categories. So very few opportunities to catch a breath, so to speak.
The cars within a team look identical apart from the frequently invisible numbers and the wee yellow strips above the airbox. These days, the drivers' helmets are 60% below the bodywork, they often have similar design jobs and then there's the halo.
The camera feed is not selected by the commentators so there is another disruptive element. Pit stops are frequent - in contrast to days gone by - and that mixes up the field much of the time.
I am not privy to Sky's target audience demographic but as others have noted, it's inevitable that they are attempting to appeal to both the casual viewers and we tragics who will notice if the Red Bull's rake is 3 degrees more this practice session than last practice session.
Then there's the issue of how people react to corny jokes, idle banter and off-topic chatter. The old saying, “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time” comes to mind.
Yes, I can understand that Crofty's sense of humour (and Ted's too, come to that) may not be to everyone's taste, but the vehemence (violence?) of some folks' reaction does take my breath away. Glad I'm not in the same room as some of them if they have a gun and after a couple of beers.
Yes, sometimes - but not often, I roll my eyes at some of Crofty's discourse but it does boggle my mind that it drives some folk totally ballistic. Lighten up.
A Grand Prix weekend, let's face it, is not 100% thrilling excitement and Sky has to cover it for many hours every time.
Overall, I see the Sky product as having a terrific variety of features, clips, interviews and, yes, stunts. I like it and I will say that very few, if any, of the complainers have described how they would approach a Formula One weekend if they were tasked with filling all the content Sky has to provide, race after race. A good lesson for life is to discipline oneself that if one chooses to criticise anything they should provide an alternative plan.
I spent my career in marketing and a factor that is mandatory for anyone involved in marketing is to set one's own preferences aside and focus of the needs and wants of the market. It's not what you like; it's what the target market likes.
Looked at that way, I really do feel that both Croft and his employer are making a far better fist of F1 coverage that some people here are conceding.
On top of his game. Alex Brundle has been very good, too, measured, like his dad. 
