Should we axe BBC Three and Four?

My point was that your analogy was flawed. Sky1 has nothing in common with Sky Arts, but BBC Four has a lot in common with BBC Two. Remember 'BBC Four on BBC Two'? If a show like Only Connect can make the jump, I'm sure a lot of other programming could make the jump too.


Personally my opinion is that BBC Four shouldn't be closed. It's a well established channel at this point and as you said yourself is value for money. But I simply disagree with your idea that the programming of BBC Two and Four is as far apart as Sky1 and Arts.

There are some BBC Four programmes that simply would not be broadcast-able on BBC Two. For example, some of Anthony Palmer's old documentaries on classical music just consist of a voice-over, soundtrack and still images. Great material, but no way would that cut it on BBC Two. Whereas, it does work on BBC Four.

Of course - this is why BBC Four exists, to show these programmes that would maybe not be as popular on BBC Two, but find a great home and loyal viewership on BBC Four where ratings are not so much an issue. But there is definitely a lot of overlap at the moment - the two channels are not as clearly defined as they could (and should) be.

Indeed. And the BBC3 of today is far superior to the BBC3 of the past.

Many (if not most) nights it is the highest rated multichannel service from about 10:30 till 1/2ish, granted that is thanks to Family Guy and American Dad but the repeats of original shows afterwards tend to keep that lead-in.

But that sort of programming used to be on BBC Two prior to the launch of BBC Four, and indeed on Channel 4 which similarly has lost its identity.

Spot on, yes !!!! BBC 4 is what BBC 2 should be, but isn't anymore, we've been had !!

You've completely missed the point of everything I was trying to say, yes I did use the word stolen perhaps wrongly. But saying that the Bake off has out grown BBC Two's remit - How has it? There is no format change, no difference in the program? But the popularity has shot up - which is what I was saying - people aren't so dense that they would watch something more because it is on BBC One - GBBO has proven that a programme doesn't have to be on BBC One to have good viewing figures.

BBC Three and Four aren't aimed at a niche audience they have a remit to produce programmes of certain genres. My point was that the BBC treat BBC Four as a guinea pig channel - When a programme gets to a certain level they move it. Which is what is fundamentally wrong with television at the moment.

Imports do belong on BBC Four as currently part of their remit is to broadcast international materials, though it is only a matter of time before Sky Europe is launched. One of the problems with BBC Four is that it is overlooked, underfunded and is always the first to be suggested to be cut - as other people have said, yes a lot of programming could sit on BBC Two's Schedule a lot of it wouldn't. The Majority of it's 100 Hours of Arts and Music Coverage wouldn't and a lot of its 110 Hours of Factual Programming is different to BBC Two's remit. BBC Two's remit has changed considerably in it's 49 Years.

When GBBO launched, baking was not the huge craze that it has become now. It brought it into the mainstream. This means the programme now appeals to a broader audience than it did when it launched on BBC Two, and therefore it now belongs on BBC One. The format may have stayed the same, but circumstances around it have changed meaning it falls out of Two's remit.



Well then, why can't there be a commissioning editor of iPlayer that specialises in online exclusives (an experiment recently proved this is viable) and then anything that becomes more popular as a result of this can find a home on One or Two?

As far as BBC Four's remit is concerned, 100 hours of arts/music and 110 hours of factual may sound a lot, but it's basically 4 hours a week, and when you look at it like that, the required content could easily be absorbed into One & Two's programming (and therefore their budgets)

BBC Three's remit is "to bring younger audiences to high quality public service broadcasting through a mixed-genre schedule of innovative UK content featuring new UK talent."

Yesterday's schedule consisted of a repeat of Great TV Mistakes, a repeat of BBC One's Atlantis, an hour long double bill repeat of 'Snog Marry Avoid', a show about street dancing, the repeat of EastEnders and a double bill repeat of Family Guy.

First of all, I'd hope all of us can agree that 'Snog Marry Avoid' is not 'high quality public service broadcasting' and is not disimilar to something ITV used to chuck out after midnight in the 90s.

Great TV Mistakes would be fine for BBC One (although it's the sort of show Channel 5 throw out at 10pm on a Friday). Do we really need a repeat showing of EastEnders with the likes of iPlayer and Sky+? I love Family Guy but that could happily take a post Newsnight slot on Two. That leaves the street dancing show, which (having not seen it) seems to fit the remit perfectly, but that hour long show could also make one of the main channels, maybe instead of repeats of Flog It?

Cupcake craze was massive well before bake off launched.

You seem to have misread my post. I don't mention the cupcake craze, I am on about the home baking craze which is very different.

This topic is one of the best I've read here on TV Baking Forum.

Exactly, it's irrelevant. The fact is that GBBO has gained a broader audience than BBC Two's remit, and therefore its place on the channel became untenable.