Forum menu
I don’t understand why the beeb doesn’t stream its content globally.
There’s seven billion people, aching to speak eastenders.
We could have near as damnit content in the uk.
Just let the rest of the tribe pick up the bill.
Instead, the beeb mires itself down by tendering it’s content to various countries.
State Aid rules, although I suspect that is on the list for ripping up soon.
I don’t understand why the beeb doesn’t stream its content globally.
Because they can sell it instead.
Define better [and] Better than now? How would you compare? [and] it’s extremely hard to quantify.
And this is exactly my point which you were grumping about, yes. It is hard to quantify. But if you can't do so or at least try to then it becomes a brexit-level argument; "why it was better?" can be readily answered with "it wasn't."
When it used to be incredibly well funded and prestigious and was one of the only shows (ha) in town making anything like quality programming it was definitely better compared to everything else available at the time
That's because "everything else available at the time" was ITV, or prior to that "nothing at all".
What has the BBC done historically that they aren't doing as well today? They were likely kings of light entertainment, but there's little demand for the next Two Ronnies. Sitcoms? One of the Beeb's most popular exports is - or at least, was last time I looked - Fawlty Towers; it's hard to believe now, but that was just 12 episodes long. Today's demand is for reality fluff like GBBO and Strictly and whilst they're probably not to the tastes of people seeking "quality programming" they are incredibly popular. Drama? We're still doing that, the BBC is a world leader at shorter-form series, Sherlock was massive. Family shows, Doctor Who is probably the BBC's single most lucrative export. Documentaries, Attenborough as discussed, Panorama I think it was I caught randomly the other day and was excellent.
It's easy to rose-tint but there was a lot of shit on TV back when we had three channels, let alone three hundred. My grandparents used to bemoan that it was a waste of time because there was nothing on back when I was a kid. Are we mourning the loss of relevant "quality programming" like It Ain't Half Hot Mum or Till Death Us Do Part?
What did the BBC excel at in earlier years that there is still demand for today but it's no longer doing? About the only thing I can think of is news reporting. Oh, and sport, which I don't overly care about but is easy to understand, all the big events have been bought up by companies with more money.
(apologies if some of that wasn't the BBC, it was off the top of my head as I couldn't be bothered to google every example.)
I don’t understand why the beeb doesn’t stream its content globally.
See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Worldwide
I suspect the rational is UK License fee payers paid for the content, so the BBC should try and make as much money as it can licensing that content abroad to help keep the license fee down etc.
If it just streamed it worldwide for free it would have less money and therefore produce less content.
Instead, the beeb mires itself down by tendering it’s content to various countries.
It what way does it mire itself down? No different to any other TV production company (there are 100s, you sell your wares to the highest bidder).
Oh, this is handy. Google filters this stuff, you can generate lists by decade.
https://www.google.com/search?q=1970s+bbc+sitcoms
I've fairly arbitrarily picked the 1970s because those are my earliest memories of TV as a kid. If your halcyon "at the time" was some other time period then you're going to have to specify that.
They are the best at doing everything fairly well.
...and some things better than anyone else - looking at you Radio 3.
As usual I agree with George
george says you shouldn't fly because of the environment... 😀
Sherlock was massive
The French dubbed version was ace, I had a WTF moment when I watched an episode in English, happily the remote control allowed switching back to French.
What has the BBC done historically that they aren’t doing as well today? They were likely kings of light entertainment, but there’s little demand for the next Two Ronnies. Sitcoms? One of the Beeb’s most popular exports is – or at least, was last time I looked – Fawlty Towers
Not really sure what point you're trying to make re Fawtlty Towers but if you take the example of comedy, look at lists of the best comedy shows of all time - a great many of them were made by the BBC but how many of them were made recently? Isn't recency bias meant to be a thing?
I'm aware that it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that 'everything was better in my day' but it's surely just a different type of faulty thinking to assume that because this bias is a thing therefore nothing was better in the past than it is now.
What did the BBC excel at in earlier years that there is still demand for today but it’s no longer doing?
Factual documentaries. For example, Horizon used to be very technical and in-depth detail, it's now made for the lowest common denominator of intelligence and is more about nice camerawork and speaking to people at a primary school level of intelligence than in-depth science
This is an article about an interview by a Sky journalist today. The interview itself is on YouTube somewhere. But my point is that since Eddie Mair destroyed Johnson a few years ago, no BBC journalist been this wiling to put the boot in.
Not really sure what point you’re trying to make re Fawtlty Towers
Sorry, I could have been clearer here perhaps. It's held perhaps as typical of the BBC's output of that era, but there were two series of six episodes each. In isolation that's not typical, it's an outlier.
look at lists of the best comedy shows of all time – a great many of them were made by the BBC but how many of them were made recently?
How recently?
https://www.google.com/search?q=bbc+sitcoms+2000s
https://www.google.com/search?q=bbc+sitcoms+2010s
There's a few classics there.
Isn’t recency bias meant to be a thing?
If comparing like with like perhaps? I guess it's going to be less of a thing if the fact is that people are turning over from comedies in favour of talent shows and people in glass coffins filled with scorpions. Tastes change, nostalgia is a thing also, Del Boy falling through the bar routinely tops "funniest TV moments" roundup shows but if it were made last year would that still be the case? I honestly don't know.
How much dross was there in OF&H that we've conveniently forgotten? I'm a big fan of Monty Python but going back through the full DVD box was an eye-opener, the signal-to-noise ratio was shockingly low. Christ, spend five minutes on the Internet around Doctor Who groups, "it's not as good as it used to be, something about Tom Baker or John Pertwee" - well, I've rewatched a lot of the old classic who and great swathes of it are absolutely terrible.
I’m aware that it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that ‘everything was better in my day’ but it’s surely just a different type of faulty thinking to assume that because this bias is a thing therefore nothing was better in the past than it is now.
Wholeheartedly agreed. It's a mistake to blindly assume either way.
Factual documentaries. For example, Horizon used to be very technical and in-depth detail, it’s now made for the lowest common denominator of intelligence and is more about nice camerawork and speaking to people at a primary school level of intelligence than in-depth science
So, they've made it more accessible to a much broader audience? (-:
@cougar & footflaps.
By ‘stream globally’, I was suggesting that the beeb establishes a global subscription service like Netflix or Disney.
The revenue accrued would at the least subsidise the uk subscribers.
BBC Licence fee. One per household
How many households in the UK - just over 28,000,000
Income to the bbc from those households = 4,396,000,000 and thats before we add in commercial licences. I'd be surprised if its not kicking the arse off £5 billion. Possibly even higher.
So how much of that 5 billion goes to the treasury in taxes ?.
Chances of the BBC licence fee being scrapped ?
ZERO.
By ‘stream globally’, I was suggesting that the beeb establishes a global subscription service like Netflix or Disney.
Oh, right. That makes sense.
Would people buy it, do you think? Or have they missed the boat a little?
I’d be surprised if its not kicking the arse off £5 billion. Possibly even higher.
It's not, but you're not a million miles off. Here:
So how much of that 5 billion goes to the treasury in taxes ?.
Chances of the BBC licence fee being scrapped ?
ZERO.
Income tax and national insurance to start with, and a lot will (should!) be higher rate payers.
…and some things better than anyone else – looking at you Radio 3.
And Radio 4. And 6 Music. And Cbeebies. And celebrities prancing about in ballgowns for nans to watch with their grandkids.
…and some things better than anyone else – looking at you Radio 3.
FWIW Spanish Radio Clásica is just as good, which is perhaps unsurprising as a lot of their live concerts are the same European broadcasts.
I find it heartening that the Tory party hate the Beeb for being left leaning, and similarly Owen Jones thinks it's chock full of right wingers. I think the Beeb does a reasonable job of threading a passage through choppy waters.
I think the Beeb does a reasonable job of threading a passage through choppy waters.
You may think that, but you'd be wrong, just as the Tory party are wrong on so many issues.
The television will not be revolutionised
Are they other channels on BBC that is worth watching other than BBC News and weather? Coz that's the only programme I watch on BBC. I think they should keep this programme and give the rest up for subscription. It will certainly be more expensive if subscription is put in place, coz that is how the world works nowadays. I think I have seen most of what needs to be seen in this world now so there is really nothing new to watch ...
Jeez, you guys still watching TV? The BBC is garbage but then so is most of popular culture. No lament for any potential demise here; I'm happy with music and books.
Oh wow cool edgy alternative guy has arrived
Music and books aren't part of popular culture?
Jeez, you guys still watching TV? The BBC is garbage but then so is most of popular culture. No lament for any potential demise here; I’m happy with music and books.
Looks like we got ourselves a reader. Username checks out.
If that's a Bill Hicks quote jambo you forgot the quotation marks!
Are they other channels on BBC that is worth watching other than BBC News and weather?
I'd have said their news has been weak for years (although to be fair I probably only watch it in Hotels / bars etc). Channel 4 seems to have taken their crown as most reliable news provider, I thought John Snow was excellent.
BBC4!
Their arts documentaries are outstanding, Andrew Graham Dixon, Waldemar Januzchek and the absolute don of television documentaries, the imperious Jonathan Meades. They are the absolute benchmark for documentaries.
Watching Sky Arts as I type, it's good it not a patch on the kind of output BBC4 has been responsible for, though their budgets has been severely restricted in recent years and there's a lot more repeats than there used to be.
Oh wow cool edgy alternative guy has arrived
LOL!
BBC4!
Essentially a repeats channel, they aren't commissioning new stuff for it
Random thread resurection, but we were actually visited by a TV license person this morning. Sadly, he / she didn't so much as knock on the door, just posted through a 'You've been visited' hand filled in form.
Have to say I'm a bit dissapointed they didn't even knock.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51881194996_78e6440b86.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51881194996_78e6440b86.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2n3yFL1 ]TV License visit[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
No way! haha! I thought they always were, and continued to be myth. Anyway, do you have a license?
Anyway, do you have a license?
No, but neither do we have a TV....
No, but neither do we have a TV….
And you don’t have a device you can stream on where you watch TV?
And you don’t have a device you can stream on where you watch TV?
Or radio.....?
My car needs a TV licence?
(Hint: you don't need a TV licence to listen to the radio)
I'm really surprised to find a link between anti BBC rhetoric/Social media baiting and 55 Tufton Street, London SW1.
You are JHJ and ICMFP
'To avoid another visit, please act within seven days.'
Do they check whether you've joined the local am dram society, or will reciting the Parrot sketch in the front room do?
