BBC TWO Controller

Discovery Networks in the US has today confirmed the appointment of BBC TWO Controller Jane Root as executive vice president and general manager of the Discovery Channel in the US. She will start there in May.

The role of BBC Two controller will be advertised soon.

I wonder if she'll try to pitch a Discovery theme night called, "The Joy of Text"?

That'll teach 'em for poaching our people.

EDIT: Woops, that was BBC One, wasn't it. Ah well...

Lets hope the Heggesey is on her way out as well, then it might mean the dancer's last tango.

Good news for comedy fans - this is the controller who's personally cancelled a Goodies anniversary theme night which was in late planning stages, declared that Lee & Herring will never appear on her channel and seen it decend to the point where any new or fresh comedy is from BBC Three.

BBC Two is currently a bit of a state, really, Three & Four have taken up bits of it's role and it seems to have less of an identity. Hopefully things will pick up in it's 40th year (funny, that - I just spent half the day talking about the 40th birthday plans for the place I work, too)

EDIT: Meanwhile, even better news for comedy at the BBC:
BBC Press Release - Armando Iannucci returns to the BBC

And for the sake of the TVForum Ceefax fan club, lets hope the new controller is a Ceefax fan as well... we can't lose our beloved Ceefax gaps!

Thank you James! Although for the most part I will be sorry to see Jane go as she's done alright with BBC2. OK, she got rid of the 1991 idents; it was always going to be a brave person who did that, but what replaced them are still the best idents on TV and the 2 itself remains.

For goodness sake, just don't give Stuart Murphy or Dawn Airey the job! Just someone who doesn't change too much, although restoration of daytime schools would be welcome!

I bet alot of money was wasted doing the reasearch into the Goodies night by throwing it away at the late stages. Was the goddies any good I have never seen it on TV at all, why hasn't it been repeated?!?!?!?!?!?!?

It's probably dated, which I expect is also why we haven't seen repeats of Monty Python's Flying Circus on BBC.

I think it is the wrong woman going.

Yes, the Goodies are dated. They dont make me laugh anymore. Monty Pythons Life of Brian (not Flying Circus) is still hilarious though.

As it's Easter almost it is fitting for the immortal line to be included here:

"He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy. Now p.i.s.s. off!"

And what about the programmes..... surely that's the important thing, not the 10 seconds preceding them?

Dated is the wrong thing to concentrate on about a programme, though. Yes, The Goodies has dated a bit; but it's still funny. Something that the absolutely modern and up-to-date TPOLAAPOC is not.

Of course - and with a few exceptions, they've not been bad either!