I don't know if it's where it started in the UK, but I recall watching it on Sky1 10 years ago.

In fact linky-linky to a Digital Spy thread from 2002!!!!

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=39850

Hurrah - looks like CBBC is finally leaving BBC1, which has positive implications for the channel's viewing share and its supremacy over ITV1.

Some interesting proposals here:

- BBC1 3% budget cut overall, but 4% more for drama and comedy (3% cut ok I suppose, and focus on drama and comedy is good)

- less "low impact" entertainment on BBC1 (is there much entertainment on BBC1 that does make an impact...)

- BBC2 daytime to consist of repeats of prime time shows (what's the point of that - only the retired, students and unemployeds are going to see them?)

- BBC2 HD to replace BBC HD - good for BBC2's reported ratings and avoids the need for us to do the maths, but where does that leave BBC3 and BBC4 output - will HD shows be shown only in SD, or will all future BBC3/4 specific commissions be in SD only?

- BBC3 and BBC4 to be dedicated "feeder" channels for 1 and 2 - and quite right too

- BBC sports right budget to be cut by 15% - that surely means any new contracts up for tender before 2017 are likely to constrain the Beeb's ability to bid for them. That must mean less sport on the BBC, and therefore, potentially for the nation at large

- reduction in red button services - a blow, because these are generally excellent and really add value

- expensive services, for which there remains little justification, and which could be subsumed elsewhere such as 1Extra, Asian Network, 6Music all survive and thus are obviously seen as priorities to top class sports output or quality TV output - absolute madness

I do think its disappointing that the Beeb will remain a bloated, inefficient organisation, duplicating resource here there and everywhere, cutting key services people like and want the BBC to be responsible for, whilst maintaining little-watched or listened too services, and spending vast sums moving staff and programmes lock stock and barrel to the north for no obvious particular reason.

Dont Scare The hare - although that made an impact in its own way.

Most of the non-Strictly Saturday night "entertainment" is just waiting room music before its time for the middle aged of the middle shires to turn in.

And to get an early night ahead of a hectic day of jam-making, Downton, and green letter writing to the Daily Mail about all the ad breaks....

well in a way i do find myself agreeing with you that the BBC could cut a lot without impacting on-screen at all. But as with all public bodies, they like holding the gun to the bunnys head to make a statement about how awful it is not having an endless stream of cash to wallow in.

Have you a link for this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15165926

Doesn't the second point answer the first?

ie I suspect all significant BBC3 and BBC4 programming is going to get repeated on BBC1 / BBC2 where it will then be automatically available in HD.

In the as yet still thankfully uncut TV world the Press office for the week 22-28 October BBC 1 has the Carribean detective Drama Death in Paradise starting doesn't say which day but if anything sounds like a Sunday 9pm show its that. BBC4 is branching out with it foreign drama's with The Slap an Australian 8 part Drama. not much else new that week and the way things are going there will never be anything new again soon.

I'm incredibly unclear on how exactly they intend to achieve this.


I think it depends what prime time shows they're repeating. It does however seem somewhat pointless to schedule repeats like this in the age of the iPlayer.


Presumably original BBC3 & 4 content will be repeated in some form on BBC1 or 2? I can certainly see BBC3's drama output getting late night repeats on BBC1.


That's a large cut.


That they're refusing to cut any services is both a good and a bad thing. Certainly there are BBC services that I wouldn't object to losing but I'm sure many others would. Its a difficult thing to balance.

As tough choices go, I don't think it's difficult to say: "Which to keep - The Asian Network & 1Extra or a full season of F1?"

Sure, a small number of ethnic minorities might be quite attached to their niche digital radio stations that nobody else is interested in listening to, even though they have a number of dedicated commercial stations catering for their exclusive interests in many urban localities, and their output could if necessary be subsumed within Radio 1 and BBC local radio anyway.

But to put their interests above F1's 6m+ committed viewers of a blue-chip sporting series? Just shows what a divorced-from-reality, lefty-liberal, PC-obsessed bunch of fools most BBC management are....

Good night for ITV. Poor night for Channel 5.

You're just annoyed because you love F1, but it WILL be shown on another channel. If they get rid of something like 6Music, nobody else will pick this up leaving lots of music lovers and new artists with no service at all.

There's nothing on 6Music that isn't already done - or could be done better - by Radios 1 and 2. How is it so unique?

And that's before we consider music available by the internet and from commercial offerings.

Indeed, if 6Music (a station nobody had heard of until The Guardian mobilised in the face of its rumoured axeing) was such a valued institution, then wouldn't some commercial operation buy it?

EDIT: anyway, I mentioned 1Extra and Asian Network, not 6Music....

In that week Tuesday 9pm and Wednesday 9pm are free slots. Theoretically, they could also put it on Monday at 9pm although that would put it on against Doc Martin but Sunday of that week will be the last ever Spooks.

Actually, you're not quite correct. If F1 had gone back to ITV I think fans, including myself, would have accepted that. Okay, we'd have to put up with adverts again, but would it be better than it going to Sky? Oh yes, definitely.

It's the fact that to see every race you need to subscribe to Sky - that's what annoys the fans.

The BBC when negotiating the deal were thinking of their own self interests and not the public's interests.

Think Tuesday would be the most likely day as Junior Apprentice will take over WDYTYA, will be interesting if it can do better this time around.

I'm frankly surprised how few bunnies appear to have barrels to their heads. If the BBC wanted to make a scene like you suggest then they could have done so, so much more. They could have ditched BBC Four, or really wielded the axe on Local Radio. Frankly, you could make a decent case that the most controversial cut is the F1, which has already been made. Instead, there's just a lot of tinkering with each service - and, to be fair, a lot of back room cutting.


I know! Difficult to declare what has an 'impact' before its aired, isn't it. I suppose in practice it'll just mean less cheaper entertainment commissioned for shoulder peak slots (ie. Saturday teatime) with money channeled into big gambles like The Voice instead.


I dislike the way sport is targeted too - but then I am biased as I'm a big fan. Thompson clearly has far less love for it as a genre than Greg Dyke is, which is a shame because in terms of that whole "bringing the nation together" nonsense, nothing does it better.

Still, on the specific F1 issue - I think we can overstate the BBC's loss a little. They are still keeping 50% live (better than almost any other sport I can think of) with peak time highlights of the rest. Viewing figures will drop, for sure, but I'd wager they'll still be pretty damn healthy. They'll consider it a good deal considering they're saving almost as much per year as 6music, 1Xtra and Asian Network cost combined.

Plenty heard of it, that's where I've discovered most of my new music for years, as alot of alternative music listeners have also done. It's not all that commercially viable as alot of people are only into the likes of TXF when it comes to music. Sad but true.
The beauty of 6Music is that it introduces new artists, that it would be difficult to find on youtube etc. and that don't get a voice on commercial radio until they've had some success. Radio 1 and 2 are completely main stream.

BBC2's schedule tomorrow afternoon:

1.00 Diagnosis Murder (repeat)
1.45 To Buy Or Not To Buy (repeat)
2.15 Weakest Link (repeat)
3.00 Wanted Down Under (repeat)
3.45 Escape To The Country (repeat)

I'd love to know how much money they're going to save replacing BBC2's current daytime schedule with non-stop repeats.

What like Radio 3 [40m a year!] and most of peak time Radio 4 [100m a year]
The Asian network, 6 music and 1 extra combined don't even have 75% of budget of R3

It's ok to provide for Niche middle class white audiences
with the proms etc but its wrong to provide programming for minority audiences?

It says it all that you think that the BBC should be lining the pockets of Bernie Eccelstone instead of doing actual public service broadcasting.


I'm far from being a lefty, but I would prefer them to run it any day over a Little Englander.

£2.50 I'm guessing - any other bids?

You know this how, because the anoraks in the broadcasting forum and on twitter say so?

1) There are some people who work part-time, jobshare or unusual hours

2) Such repeats are cheaper than new programming

3) Just to correct any impression that you have, not all retired people are at State Pension Age

4) Some are hosewives/househusbands, others are working from home


All BBCV commissions will be in HD, but as 3/4 will act as feeders for 2/1, it is reasonable to assume that such programmes will be repeated on 1/2


It was stated by Mark Thompson on Five Live that the sharing of F1 rights has accounted for a large part of that 15% cut.


Are you ignoring the commitment to sharing news services, further job cuts, reductions in senior management, and a greater focus on new technologies to streamline things?

So BBC1 would look something like this if the changes happened tomorrow ?

6:00am Breakfast
9:15am Helicopter Heroes
10:00am Homes Under the Hammer
11:00am Dirty Tricks of the Tradesmen
11:45am Cash in the Attic
12:15pm Bargain Hunt
1:00pm BBC News at One
1:30pm BBC London News
1:45pm Doctors
2:15pm Celebrity MasterChef
3:00pm Wanted Down Under
3:45pm Escape to the Country
4:30pm Flog It!
5:15pm Antiques Road Trip