How healthy are Ö÷²¥´óÐã One, Two and Four?
Post categories: bbc daytime,Ìýbbc four,Ìýbbc one,Ìýbbc two
| 14:00 UK time, Monday, 5 July 2010
Today the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's governing body the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust has published its report on three of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's television channels, Ö÷²¥´óÐã One, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four.
These reports are essentially health checks done every five years to ensure that the channels are delivering the kind of programmes that audiences expect of them.
The way it works is quite simple.
We submit a report on each channel to the Trust, analysing its performance, the range of programming provided and an outline of its achievements and strategy for the future.
The Trust examines these reports, canvasses the views of licence fee payers and then publishes its findings. You can read the reports we submitted for each channel - part one is here: (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust Review Exec Submission 1 [pdf]) and part two is here: (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Trust Review Exec Submission 2 [pdf]). There's a summary of the report at the beginning of each one.
Also you can read the Trust's conclusions on their website.
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I've had a chance to read these reports in full and I'm pleased to see that the Trust has recognised all the good work that the channels have been doing to deliver great programmes to you on all channels. On Ö÷²¥´óÐã One, dramas like Five Daughters and Luther have been truly distinctive offerings this year.
Both have had a passionate reaction from the audience as seen on the posts on this blog by Five Daughters executive producer, Susan Hogg and Luther scriptwriter, Neil Cross.
Elsewhere on the channel we've had programmes like The Day The Immigrants Left, Bang Goes The Theory and Modern Masters that are offering viewers the kind of unique peak viewing that you just wouldn't see anywhere else.
This is what the Trust want to see even more of but I'm pleased they can see how much we are already doing here.
On Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four the Opera season, Gareth Malone Goes To Glyndebourne and Wonders of The Solar System have proved to be hits with audiences and critics alike.
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More recently I've been watching the Fatherhood season on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four which is the kind of distinctive programming that only Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four would offer and that the Trust is challenging us to provide more of in order to increase the 'reputational dividend' for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã still further.
Richard Klein, controller of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four, has written on this blog about the Fatherhood season, as has Andrew Martin, presenter of Disappearing Dad.
Another area where the Trust has asked some searching questions is our daytime output.
We've made great headway in introducing more current and consumer affairs into the daytime schedules with programmes such as Rip Off Britain, Crimewatch Roadshow and The Estate We're In (which won a and the second series of which is airing today) alongside new dramas Land Girls and Missing.
There is even more that we plan to do here; new Missing Live, a week of programmes around Remembrance Sunday, a new series of Jimmy McGovern's Moving On and a 1960s season of programmes including drama The Indian Doctor with - just the sort of quality programmes that sets us apart from all other channels in daytime.
So overall I am pleased to see that the Trust has endorsed our determination to bring audiences programmes that surprise and delight in a truly distinctive way.
There is plenty more to do and you will see this coming over the next year or so with new dramas such as Outcasts and Sherlock and factual programmes such as Frozen Planet, the Battle of Britain season and a major new literature series, Faulks On Fiction.
But in the meantime I encourage you to have a read of both reports and let us know what you think.
Jana Bennett is the director of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Vision
Comment number 1.
At 5th Jul 2010, Nick P wrote:Whilst its great news to see Ö÷²¥´óÐã One, Two and Four doing well I hate to think what the Trust thought of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Three!
In my opinion its not value for money at all. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã would be better suited ditching it and creating a dedicated Ö÷²¥´óÐã Sports channel. The few gems on Three could easily be relocated to the other channels.
This way regular programming can remain uninterrupted during major sporting events (such as the recent football and tennis). Not enough sport? Well either run it limited times (like Three and Four now) and also show things such as Question of Sport, etc.
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Comment number 2.
At 16th Jul 2010, Moira_Cardiff wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 3.
At 19th Jul 2010, stevepsandy wrote:Thank goodness for Ö÷²¥´óÐã 4! As well as commissioning new stuff (eg the recent Fatherhood series) it allows us to catch up on all those wonderful documentaries that first aired elsewher on the Beeb (Ö÷²¥´óÐã2 mostly), during the '80s and '90s, when I was very busy earning a crust and trying to lead a good family life. Now, the birds have flown the nest and we have more leisure time to do this catching up (I must admit however, to judicious use of the PVR, as even with this new found leisure, there are still many calls on our time).
For us, Ö÷²¥´óÐã4 is the new Ö÷²¥´óÐã2, which although still producing eminently watchable TV, has in many ways 'dumbed down' over the last 20 years. Long may it continue.
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Comment number 4.
At 19th Jul 2010, stevepsandy wrote:So, someone thinks Ö÷²¥´óÐã3 is not vfm - well to a very large extent I agree. Repeats of Dr Who aside, (plus other worthy stuff no doubt), there doesn't seem to be much to say in its' support. Much of the 'alternative' comedy that appears on Ö÷²¥´óÐã3 is much in the same vein as what seems to be churned out on R4 at 6.30pm each night in the week. Most of it is, in my view bith unfunny and pointless - some of the quiz and game shows excepted. It would be interesting to know the viewing/listening figures for this type of output. I suppose that for those who dislike the narrow appeal of R3, there is the broad church of Classic FM, which has no pretentions about being 'high-brow' and has the listening figures to match, what is there in place of Ö÷²¥´óÐã3?
To me, the proliferation of R6, R7, R1 Extra and so on, is symptomatic of the Beeb trying to be all things to all men (women and children, the 'youf' of today etc). Given these straitened times, there must be some fat to trim here?
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