UKTV: quality or quantity?

OK so its now well over a year since the UKTV network axed UK Horizons and replaced it with Documentary + People as well as introducing a top of the range new look. But do you feel that UKTV is just trying to have more digital channels than other broadcasters and need to concentrate on the quality of their programming? I feel that UKTV Gold seriously needs revising however I have grown to like Documentary and People...hated Style Gardens and Bright Ideas, don't feel they have an overall purpose.

However, UKTV Drama goes 24/7 from a week this coming Monday...perhaps programming will improve their. However, it currently broadcasts from 1pm daily and I'm still not thoroughly impressed. OK, throw in a few comedies but please UKTV highlight the word 'drama' here...so what kind of programmes will you have to show?

Mmmm, tricky one!

what do you think: UKTV is it a case of quality or quantity with this network?

Well I seriously think UK Gold needs to relook at their output and define what exactly constitutes as "gold", back in 1994, when UK Gold was run by BBC and Thames Television, I thought the output was just right, with a lot of classic BBC and ITV(mostly Thames of course) sitcoms being aired primetime, I really think since Flextech appeared on the scene, UK Gold has since lost it's way and just show too many recent programmes these days.

What I don't understand is why UKTV Drama shows comedy?

Also, regarding UKTV Gold. Why do they always run certain series of programmes such as Are You Being Served? Why can't they show the whole run? The BBC have a huge back catalogue of comedy, why do we get the same shows?

And why the channel shows films is beyond me.

I contacted them recently to ask why they were showing random episodes of "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" rather than in series order. They told me that it was because they didn't have the rights to all the episodes any more. Since 1997, the series has been played in full 14 times on the channel. They are now coming to the end of their licence and are trying to do the best with what stock they have rather than not show series because they don't have all the episodes.

I really do think they need to look at what they show. UKTV Gold is a right mess. When they were part owned by Thames, there was a fantastic mix of comedy/drama. They showed material that hadn't been seen for years. Now it's just "dinnerladies", "Vicar of Dibley", "Ab Fab" etc on a loop. They claim in one of the videos on their website that they have access to the entire BBC archive. In that case- use it! If the channel is called UKTV Gold, couldn't they licence some programmes from Granada who own LWT, Yorshire or FremantleMedia who own the Thames archive? Does it have to be restriced to just BBC material?

I also think they've created too many nice channels and are now struggling to find material to fill all these broadcasting hours. They seriously need to look at the state of their network.

Their purpose seems fairly obvious to me - Styyle Gardens' is to show gardening programmes and Bright Ideas' is there to provide an outlet for the networks original programming, especially for Freeview viewers

As for the Gold thing..... Gold has never meant Old. the only way it does is if you take the G off

For me Gold represents programmes from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and very early 90's, I think they should be some of rule that programmes that are not 5 years old should not make it on this channel.

NO!SMTV HAS TO BE REPEATED OR PUT ON TO DVD!

You go girl.

Umm.. right... and your point about how SMTV relateds to the UKTV brand of channels is?

BTW - There has been two SMTV videos out in the past (1 Best Of, 1 Best of Chums)

Well it finished 1 year and 5 months ago and not 5 years ago.

I wasn't talking about SMTV though.

So you think that UKTV Gold would ever consider repeating SMTV live? Get Real! It would be a nightmare to sort out the rights to broadcast the embedded programming (such as Pokemon), so all you would have is the links between the programmes - hardly compelling viewing. Plus having guests on promoting shows or singles etc would be out of date and meaningless