BBC faces oblivion despite TV drama golden age

[colin79666]

“BBC faces oblivion despite TV drama golden age”

For me the very reason the BBC may well find I don’t bother with a TV licence when it comes up for renewal is that their channels are full of this kind of stuff.

A return to decent quality journalism on the news, more documentaries and science type programmes are surely what is needed to stand out from the crowd and remain relevant. Instead the BBC seems to be trying to compete with ITV on Saturday night “entertainment” and cooking shows, and against big budget American corporations on drama. Neither of these things make sense to spend public money on as the market already provides plenty, isn’t the point of public service broadcasting to fill a void, inform and educate?

Edited by colin79666 on Monday 15th February 14:15

[Eric Mc]

Not again.

[sgtBerbatov]

colin79666 said:

“BBC faces oblivion despite TV drama golden age”

For me the very reason the BBC may well find I don’t bother with a TV licence when it comes up for renewal is that their channels are full of this kind of stuff.

A return to decent quality journalism on the news, more documentaries and science type programmes are surely what is needed to stand out from the crowd and remain relevant. Instead the BBC seems to be trying to compete with ITV on Saturday night “entertainment” and cooking shows, and against big budget American corporations on drama. Neither of these things make sense to spend public money on as the market already provides plenty, isn’t the point of public service broadcasting to fill a void, inform and educate?

The BBC is a broad church, having to cater for 60 million people of the UK. Their biggest success stories are in the entertainment shows, the cooking shows, and the dramas which are then sold off to the yanks.

Further, the point of public service broadcasting is to keep the public happy, informed with just enough to not question the establishment, and to educate them to the point where they don't work out what's going on.

They're doing the job really well in that respect.

[hyphen]

Corrected link: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/15/bbc-...

Not sure it's that important - one bloke moaning.

[niva441]

I assume he's upset the BBC didn't commission his latest series.

[crofty1984]

I think the BBC would do well to let people pay to stream per programme. I'd not pay a full £150 or so, but if it was something like a series of His Dark Materials/Doctor Who/Top gear for a fiver (possibly tenner) I'd pay it.

[anonymous-user]

I do agree with the OP. The BBC schedule is chock full of crap dramas. The best thing the BBC has produced in years is “The Wheel” which says a lot. Dracula anyone? Absolute toss, just to name one of them.

[dave_s13]

I cancelled my TV licence last month after having no issue paying it for the previous 20odd years. I've just found I can a. Live without broadcast TV and B. Found the BBC coverage of the pandemic abhorrent.

So it's kind of a mini protest.

Saying that I would pay a subscription fee similar to Netflix for access to iPlayer. But they just seem hell-bent on never deviating from the current business model.

[Welshbeef]

F20CN16 said:

I do agree with the OP. The BBC schedule is chock full of crap dramas. The best thing the BBC has produced in years is “The Wheel” which says a lot. Dracula anyone? Absolute toss, just to name one of them.

Ok I’ll bite - again.

The bodyguard
Line of duty
Peaky Blinders
Spooks
The Missing
Nightswatchman
Killing Eve
Broadchurch
Luther
Normal People
Sherlock
McMafia
The Serpent
Ski Sunday
Strictly come dancing
Giro/Haji
His Dark Materials
Dr Foster
The Fall
Shetland
Planet earth
Serengeti
A perfect planet
Dynasties
Informer
Africa 4 episodes
Spiral
The A word
Australia Earth Magical Kingdom
Vienna Blood
The Secrets she keeps
Top of the lake
Mrs Wilson
The Salisbury Poisoning
Baptiste
Dublin Murders
Dark Mone£y
The ABC murders
Strangers
The Split
Come home
The City and the city
A very English scandal
Collateral
Black Narcissus
The widow
The Barking murders
Innocent.

Plus the sport
Plus pointless
Plus house of games
Plus Horizon
Plus panorama
Plus CBeebies
Plus bite size

[anonymous-user]

Listing them off doesn’t mean I need to agree all of that is good TV. Luther and Line of Duty are great. Spooks too. I’m sure there are more that I like there as well. Fact is, I watch 10 times more channel 4 than BBC; even with two channels. Their approach to everything is quantity over quality. Constantly churning out anything as long as it’s new.

Even though they have the older stuff on iplayer, why not choose some classics such as Luther to re-run on Saturday nights at 9pm? Save a fortune and provide decent entertainment.

Edit: Nightswatchmen - pure ste. Add peaky blinders to that. And mrs browns boys too. Isn’t broadchurch ITV?

[Welshbeef]

F20CN16 said:

Listing them off doesn’t mean I need to agree all of that is good TV. Luther and Line of Duty are great. Spooks too. I’m sure there are more that I like there as well. Fact is, I watch 10 times more channel 4 than BBC; even with two channels. Their approach to everything is quantity over quality. Constantly churning out anything as long as it’s new.

Even though they have the older stuff on iplayer, why not choose some classics such as Luther to re-run on Saturday nights at 9pm? Save a fortune and provide decent entertainment.

Ah - you’ve obviously not been watching it lately as Line of duty is being re run.

What top drama has CH4 shown?

[anonymous-user]

Welshbeef said:

Ah - you’ve obviously not been watching it lately as Line of duty is being re run.

What top drama has CH4 shown?

I was speaking more generally about the content, not only dramas, as is the link in the OP. Channel 4 in general has TV I find more entertaining. “Back” on Channel 4 is genius. 24 hours in police custody is superb. It’s a Sin too. BBC needs to trim down the quantity and making some better quality television. Leverage the back catalogue a bit more. Actually to be balanced I will say that “This Country” on BBC is excellent.

[hyphen]

F20CN16 said:

Channel 4 in general has TV I find more entertaining. “Back” on Channel 4 is genius. 24 hours in police custody is superb. It’s a Sin too. BBC needs to trim down the quantity and making some better quality television. Leverage the back catalogue a bit more. Actually to be balanced I will say that “This Country” on BBC is excellent.

Why didn't Ch4 pickup People Just Do Nothing?

[tangerine_sedge]

dave_s13 said:

Saying that I would pay a subscription fee similar to Netflix for access to iPlayer.

The monthly cost of a TV licence IS about the same as a family Netflix account and in my opinion offers significantly more, better and diverse content...

dave_s13 said:

But they just seem hell-bent on never deviating from the current business model.

If only the BBC had the autonomy, unfortunately it's the Royal Charter driven by government meddling which means the TV licence exists.

[anonymous-user]

hyphen said:

Why didn't Ch4 pickup People Just Do Nothing?

You’re going to cherry pick? I’ve had my say. BBC needs to focus on making fewer programmes and upping the budget on some of it’s best stuff in order to compete with the big budget stream productions like The Expanse or Jack Ryan (to name but two).

[Crafty_]

tangerine_sedge said:

If only the BBC had the autonomy, unfortunately it's the Royal Charter driven by government meddling which means the TV licence exists.

I don't see the BBC decrying the licence fee and wanting to change the system ?
The over 75s now being charged was because they increased the price. They want to retain the licence.

Dyke, as DG promoted freeview to prevent a method of controlling viewership (e.g. like a viewing card you'd receive if you paid for access) in order to ensure the licence fee continued. We could have a system by now where you could opt out and not receive content, but the BBC deliberately ensured the current situation was created and maintained https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/sep/17/broa...

They are utterly entrenched in to keeping the fee, when that fails they'll demand to be funded by general taxation.

Also welshbeefs list is great, Spooks - best part of 20 years old. Strictly come dancing and Ski Sunday quality dramas ?
Correct me If I'm wrong but isnt' Broadchurch at ITV series ?

Regardless, if you don't want to watch BBC output being forced to pay the fee because you wish to use rival services is not good value.
The best way for it to go is to prevent access to their output if you don't wish to pay, but thanks to Dyke's deliberate actions thats impossible and I odn't see why the behaviour should be condoned or supported.

[Welshbeef]

BBC part funded Broadchurch.

Production approval Edit
In autumn 2011,[7] Chibnall pitched Broadchurch to Laura Mackie,[9] the Head of Drama at ITV, who proved very enthusiastic about the proposal. Just a few days after she finished reading the scripts, she suggested Chibnall contact Kudos Film and Television, a production company.[7] Mackie then brought the show to ITV Director of Television Peter Fincham.[5] Broadchurch was green-lit by Fincham almost immediately[6] for airing in early 2013.[7]

Although ITV made a sizeable financial investment in Broadchurch,[16] additional funds were needed because of the cost of the large ensemble cast. Additional funds were sought from international partners, who would then win distribution rights in their territories. Before principal photography began, ZDF (German public-service television broadcaster) and BBC America (the American cable and satellite television network jointly owned by the BBC and AMC Networks) both provided additional funding.[7]

Broadchurch was created and written by Chibnall, and produced by Kudos Film and Television in association with Shine America and Imaginary Friends.[6][7][17][a] Chibnall served as executive producer[7][18] along with Kudos' Jane Featherstone,[7] while Richard Stokes was producer.[7][19]

[Mercury00]

Welshbeef said:

Ok I’ll bite - again.

The bodyguard
Line of duty
Peaky Blinders
Spooks
The Missing
Nightswatchman
Killing Eve
Broadchurch
Luther
Normal People
Sherlock
McMafia
The Serpent
Ski Sunday
Strictly come dancing
Giro/Haji
His Dark Materials
Dr Foster
The Fall
Shetland
Planet earth
Serengeti
A perfect planet
Dynasties
Informer
Africa 4 episodes
Spiral
The A word
Australia Earth Magical Kingdom
Vienna Blood
The Secrets she keeps
Top of the lake
Mrs Wilson
The Salisbury Poisoning
Baptiste
Dublin Murders
Dark Mone£y
The ABC murders
Strangers
The Split
Come home
The City and the city
A very English scandal
Collateral
Black Narcissus
The widow
The Barking murders
Innocent.

Plus the sport
Plus pointless
Plus house of games
Plus Horizon
Plus panorama
Plus CBeebies
Plus bite size

Broadchurch was ITV. Never heard of the rest.

[Crafty_]

Welshbeef said:

BBC part funded Broadchurch.

Isn't BBC America a commercial venture ?
Besides, the program was not available via BBC here and appears not to have been funded by BBC licence fee.

either way, it doesn't instantly make the BBC licence a "must buy"

[Welshbeef]

Crafty_ said:

Isn't BBC America a commercial venture ?
Besides, the program was not available via BBC here and appears not to have been funded by BBC licence fee.

either way, it doesn't instantly make the BBC licence a "must buy"

Frankly for the world class CBeebies alone it’s worth the licence fee. These educational shows are worlds apart from anything else.

Do you ever listen to Radio BBC? So much choice all funded by the licence fee. Commercial radio with its constant adverts is highly frustrating.