Scrap BBC Three and Four - bring back Choice and Knowledge?

I've been giving this some thought and finally am convinced that a debate should be strated on the subject.

Why?

Both channels seem to be repeating new material ad nausea.

Classic past programming is left in the Vaults - there seems to be no outlet for it now.

The outline for the channels is narrowing - If you don't like 'Little Britain' or 'Two pints ...' tough luck.

BBC Four is also concentrating on a peculiar mix

any other thoughts on this?

What did Choice and Knowledge offer that made them superior though?

I must confess I rarely tune into Three or Four ... except if (as you've said) Little Britain or (what's that thing I usually watch on Four called??) is on.

I'd blame Tessa Jowell for that. The government's strict remit for the BBC's digital channels only allows a small percentage of repeats from other channels.

Interestingly a government think-tank concluded recently that this policy is contributing to BBC Three and Four's struggle for viewers.

I'm not sure BBC Four has any limit on the number of repeats it can show, but BBC Three's proposal promised that 80 per cent of its output would be specially commissioned for the channel, which the government then held it to as one of the conditions of acceptance. This is the reason why the BBC Three schedule has so much repetition of the same few programmes; this is especially bad in the 7.30-9pm slot.

BBC Four I think should remain untouched. Some people seem to write it off as a boring arts channel, but I would call its output 'eclectic' rather than 'peculiar'. It has definitely improved in recent months, with the injection of comedy and satire into the schedule, plus there's music, documentaries that aren't dumbed down for the plebs, and best of all archive programming that you would never see anywhere else. I think the channel should be extended into daytime, on Freeview using the space currently wasted by 702.

BBC Three on the other hand seems to be riding single-handedly on the back of the success of Little Britain recently. I think after two years the channel needs a massive rethink, and preferably a new controller with some fresh ideas. I actually think BBC Choice at its best (around 2000) was a much better channel than BBC Three.

I miss the quirkiness of much of BBC Choice's original programming; too much of BBC Three's factual output now seems too similiar to what gets served up on the main channels; and dumping Liquid News was lunacy. They really need get the 80 per cent rule relaxed, and allow a few more BBC Choice-style 'catch-up' repeats, eg a Tuesday repeat of Dead Ringers, and add in few Choice-style cheapie programmes to fill out the schedules a bit and not give the impression that every day's schedule is exactly the same, which is how it appears at the moment!

I'm not sure that BBC Choice and Knowledge were really THAT much better, but perhaps slightly.

As for classic programming, I suppose it is quite difficult what with UKTV Gold showing a significant amount. However, i'm sure there is plenty more hidden away that people would like to see again...
I think that expanding the hours of BBC Three especially would open up opportunities for so much more. These channels only broadcast at prime-time and late night, which in itself kind of limits the types of programming.

I agree with the 'Little Britain'/'Two Pints...' thing, and would add 'Monkey Dust' to that list.. I've always been surprised that BBC Three doesn't 'interact' more with BBC One the way that ITV2 does with ITV1.
For example, i'm surprised they don't play repeats of the past week's Casualty or Holby City, and I think there is only one repeat showing of each episode of EastEnders.
Also, have the BBC ever considered weekend omnibus editions of Neighbours or Doctors? (although obviously these would not be shown as long as the start time remains at 7pm)

Personally, I would love to see some classic episodes of Kilroy...

This is one of my favourite topics. The BBC Digital Channels.

Oh, how I loved BBC Knowledge. It was such a great channel. It was, all the way through it's life Britain's only free-to-air documentary channel which was on all day. And that's why it was great. It's a real shame that our licence fee doesn't go very far anymore. We get to see OUR programmes only once and then we're expected to pay extra to see them endlessly repeated on uktv. A real shame.

Anyway, I've recently been wondering myself why BBC 3 and 4 start programmes at 1900. I concluded that it was because of Freeview. Freeview, as we all know, has limited bandwidth and the channel times were built with this limited capacity in mind (by no means fact, purely what I think).

I've always said the CBBC Channel is a complete waste of space. The quality of content is besides the point (although I do feel the programmes shown on CBBC are mainly rubbish). It's the fact it's audience are hardly at home to see it. CBeebies on the other hand is great. Great pres, great programmes.

So, here's how I think the BBC should sort things out.

Ditch CBBC. I know this will upset some people. However, I really don't think CBBC serves that much of a purpose (it's only good for weekend afternoons where there's no kids tv on any BBC Channels). Make BBC4 a 24hr station and turn it into a BBC Knowledge reincarnation. It could include Schools Programmes in the daytime if they wanted to. BBC Three should start as it does as 1900 but be allowed to broadcast more repeats from other BBC Channels. CBeebies should be kept completely untouched.

Problem Solved?

BBC3 = Little Britain, Monkey Dust
BBC4 = QI

Agree BBC3 and BBC4 schedules are currently poor - but BBC1 has had a poor schedule for a long time (since round about the time Lorraine Heggesey took over), while BBC2 has suffered under new management.

BBC3 do have some gems - almost all innovative programming on the BBC is found on BBC3. However, what the BBC lacks is a fast-repeat service. Of programmes on BBC1, only EastEnders is repeated on BBC3 - it would also be great to see a couple more hours of the best of BBC1 on the channel, giving those who miss them the chance to catch up and perhaps watch the rest of the series.

The same goes for BBC4 re: documentaries and current affairs on BBC1 and 2. However, one thing BBC4 should do is begin screening BBC Films regularly. They rarely get an airing - and BBC4 would be the perfect platform and they would bring viewer to the station who normally don't watch!


However, what I really feel is that BBC4 isn't neccessary. It's programming should be moved to BBC2, with CBBC taking up the daytime hours on BBC2. This would include schools programming and the afternoon BBC1 programming, with CBBC on air till 6pm. The Daily Politics and afternoon schedule would move to BBC1.

CBeebies would then share space with BBC3.

I think BBC3 is wasted in the sense. that yes they show Eastenders again just to prevent an adict hanging themsleves when they missed the BBC1 showing... But its annoying for me becuase i hate soaps and if I miss My Hero on a friday or '24 Carrott Gold' when that was on. Did they show those again on BBC3 no!!!!
I was also glued to alan titmiarshes 'natural history' for the 8 weeks the one week a football match was on. Did they show the episode on BBC4 for those of us who would rather that than the football
NO!!!! is there any point of having BBC3+4 THEN????

Slightly OT, but i feel the same about Parliament, and to some extent N24. Why not show PMQ's on Parl. while N24 continues with normal news?

PMQ's is already on BBC TWO, AND Parliament - so there is no need for it on N24.

You might be confusing BBC Three and Four with a video recorder.

A video recorder is always useful the day after when you nan says ''Oh did you see Jasper Carrott last nigh he was so funny"
Not unless your recorder has a time machine bulit in???