I reckon the only reason the BBC FOUR DOG still exists at all is that if it went altogether, there would be no possible justification for BBC THREE continuing to have one, and that would probably make Stuart Murphy cry. Actually, isn't it about time BBC THREE got a new controller?
I reckon the time will have come when Mr Murphy gets dragged over the coals for the channel's rock solid dependency on Little Britain to get any viewing figures. It'll be phrased as "mutual agreement", which is translated to "he was fired".
There's also Two Pints, which seems to be on BBC Three whenever I tune in. It's a moderatly good show, but not really worth seeing more than once, let alone constantally repeated. But the people who are involved in these shows must make loads off all the repeat fees seeing as how often they're shown.
BBC Three's repeat rate is ridiculous - but it's some stupid regulations that mean we get repeat after repeat of BBC3 programmes.
BBC3 could be much more of a public service if they repeated some of BBC1 and BBC2's programmings.
A typhical example is "Extras", which is getting one airing a week. Giving viewers another chance to see that on BBC3 would be far better than the thousanth repeat of Little Britain!
BBC Three's repeat rate is ridiculous - but it's some stupid regulations that mean we get repeat after repeat of BBC3 programmes.
Yes, the BBC made a rod for their own backs by promising to make 80% of BBC THREE's output was commissioned for the the channel, and 90% produced in the EU - promises which Tessa Jowell then held them to as conditions of approval. Which means BBC THREE is stuck with a small number of endlessly repeated programmes - specifically Little Britain, Two Pints..., Little Angels, Body Hits and Trauma. I think that, overall, BBC Choice (at its best) was actually a better channel than BBC THREE is today.
Obviously though, BBC Choice at its best was in 1999/2000, when virtually no-one had digital anyway. It certinally wasn't too great a channel in 2001, when we got digital.
Obviously though, BBC Choice at its best was in 1999/2000, when virtually no-one had digital anyway. It certinally wasn't too great a channel in 2001, when we got digital.
Indeed, both BBC Choice and ITV2 were cracking channels until late 2000 when digital really took off. Yet rather oddly, as soon as they were both exposed to a larger audience (and therefore should have got better), they started turning into watered down shadows of their former selves. ITV2 in particular has never recovered imo (and yes I realise that it's one of the most popular digital channels, but I feel that's got rather more to do with it repeating last night's Corrie and it's myriad 'extra' shows than it being genuinely valued as a decent standalone channel in it's own right, which is what it used to be).
Quote:
Yes, the BBC made a rod for their own backs by promising to make 80% of BBC THREE's output was commissioned for the the channel, and 90% produced in the EU - promises which Tessa Jowell then held them to as conditions of approval. Which means BBC THREE is stuck with a small number of endlessly repeated programmes - specifically Little Britain, Two Pints..., Little Angels, Body Hits and Trauma. I think that, overall, BBC Choice (at its best) was actually a better channel than BBC THREE is today.
I think this is the problem with all of the BBC's 'phase 2' digital channels (BBC3/4, CBBC, Cbeebies), the quotas of specially comissioned programming and ridiculous restrictions on imports ('90% produced in the EU' is just a more politically correct way of saying 'no more than 10% US imports') are stifling them all.
Of the 4 new channels, BBC4 is the only one which I can see improving (which has been largely through widening what was an overly narrow remit - the strict production quotas remain). CBBC Channel has never really got off the ground (something I think entirely attributable to the fact that it has virtually no US imports, which are a staple part of the CBBC blocks on BBC1 and 2), BBC3 is going downhill, and Cbeebies might be popular but this doesn't stand up to close inspection - t's easy to satisfy toddlers with an 8 year old episode of Teletubbies, and most of the programmes which were newly comissioned for Cbeebies are now coming to an end, leaving Cbeebies as more of a branded programming strand to repeat archive programmes than a forward looking channel which is actively comissioning new stuff.
If these channels are going to improve, the restrictions on them need to be relaxed.
BBC Three now consists of
Little Angels (boring),
Doctor Who (any self-respecting fan will by now have got em all on DVD),
Two Pints (seen before.....several times)
EastEnders (currently 2nd worst soap after Hollyoaks),
Little Britain ("Yeah I know" became old a long time ago),
Paparazzi (like anyone cares),
The Brothel (what Channel 5 were doing several years ago, only better),
African Nations Cup Football (erm..ok)
The Mighty Boosh (mighty pile of crap)
BBC Three now consists of
Doctor Who (any self-respecting fan will by now have got em all on DVD),
Not the piece of crap DVD's the Beeb are currently peddling. Where is the Dolby Digital 5.1 that the show was made in? I'll wait until the proper version is released.
