'Threaten' was the wrong word to use in the post I made. But the BBC can 'advise' or 'persuade' people to do certain projects which they may not 100pct be committed to do due to how powerful they are, if you get what I mean. The BBC can 'advise' Miranda that 'if you host Gen Game, we will try our best to get your new sitcom youre writing in the future into development' etc. 'If you don't host the Gen Game, well... it might just be a little more difficult getting that new show you're writing into development'.

It happens all the time. Dom Joly got two series of a crap prank show from Itv for doing a stint on Im a Celebrity. I have it on good authority that before he signed for IAC, Itv said to him that if he did a decent stint on it, that they'd give him his own show. And there's been many times on the BBC where tv personalities have done shows in order to give them a better chance of having some other projects of theirs make the air.

Yeah the BBC are really going to 'threaten' Miranda. With a baseball bat perhaps? I actually applaud Miranda, she doesn't need to be forced into anything. Total overreaction from you Samuel.

And if Miranda is reading this thread I'm sure she'll be having a right laugh.

How do you know that they would "advise" or "persuade" ? If she turns it down I an sure there are plenty of other names who would do just as good a job.

I've just checked. Miranda has 1.6 million followers so quite a lot of people would have seen her tweet.

The second tweet you refer to (her last to date from August 18th) says "it's one of a few private brainstorms" which suggests that's she mulling over several possible projects, none of which, including the Gen Game, have been finalised.

So I think Charlotte has jumped the gun. As someone observed in the "Generation Game back on BBC1 in 2015" thread, the whole escapade is like an episode of W1A. I wonder if Charlotte has a folding bike.

You obviously live in some kind of fantasy world Samuel, have you ever been in a TV studio in your life ? You are making wild statements without any evidence to support them.

Sometimes Samuel gets a bit carried away. I like Samuel. He actually does offer some great info and some worthy posts. But now and again, he goes off with the pixies into fantasy land. I'm sure the BBC would fully respect any decision any of their talent would make. They're not running a prison or a dictatorship. What did they do to David Walliams and Matt Lucas after they commissioned a second series of Come Fly With Me but the duo decided to not do it? Did they have them shot? No. Did they appear on BBCtv again? Yes. Several times. Infact, so angry were the BBC that they allowed David Walliams to develop his children's stories into three Christmas specials, allowed him to write and star in two series' of Big School aswell as other projects. As for Matt, well, besides working on his latest BBC comedy and two series' of his awards show, he's been totally shunned by them hasn't he!

I just think there is a clear lack of loyalty in television these days. Not like the 70s and 80s when generally, besides a few big moves here and there, people were loyal to an organisation that had given them their big break in the past and big shows for them. It's a shame. We now end up with top talent like Ruth Jones on digital tv to audiences of 0.3million because they take the money instead of aiming for big audience figures. I can seriously envisage, based on what Miranda has done with that tweet, that she will find herself on Sky in about 5 years time to similarly poor audiences. These people think theyre bigger than they actually are, end up going to inferior tv channels, taking the money but end up ruining their mainstream careers.

Miranda thinks she's bigger than she is [no pun intended], but one day she will realise that she was a flash in the pan - Im sorry but has anyone actually seen her sitcom? I have, she's a one trick pony with a lazy gimmick of falling over all the time and talking to the camera with a weird face to try and get laughs. I just couldnt get into it. Beats me why 9million people watch it.

And they even invited Jonathan Ross back to Radio 2 for a few days although I think personally that was a mistake.Not to mention Adrian Chiles doing a stint on 5Live as his ITV career draws to a conclusion.

That's why Del Boy was beaten up in that episode of Only Fools and Horses - the BBC had heard rumours that he had spoken to ITV.


What's Harry Hill doing these days, again?

I'm sorry have I just stepped into some alternative universe where Samuel thinks the BBC should be 'threatening' and 'forceful' to their staff!?

There being a fan of a channel and then there is pushing it too far. To compare anyone in this thread to Samuel is frankly laughable. Nobody on this thread is that extreme.

I literally cannot believe what I've just read.

I disagree Samuel. I think Miranda is one of the least pretentious personalities on TV. As far as I know, Ruth Jones and Miranda Hart are not on exclusive contracts with any broadcaster. Infact, Miranda Hart does have links with C4 too. Did you know that her BBCtv series is actually released via Channel Four DVD? She will make comedies and work for any broadcaster that commissions her scripts or employs her. Is sarah Millican disloyal because she has a BBC2 show when she also has projects on C4 too?

Please... I've already clarified myself, I did not mean 'threatening'. I meant the 'art of persuasion'. Two different things .

1.5 million without putting into consideration time shifts , DVD sales etc. Sky is hardly a third rate channel it now boasts some if the most critically acclaimed talent in the UK for example Jane Horrocks, Pauline Collins, Robert Lindsay, Ricky Gervais etc

Harry Hill is now working for the BBC. Only a coupe of days ago you were over the moon about this. A assume everybody has to only be loyal to the BBC?

You really have gone off to pixie land tonight. As for what happened in the 70's, I don't think there were too many alternatives to the BBC and ITV.

Robert Lindsay's show Spy got axed because the second series was getting less than 0.2million viewers! He went from My Family which was generally getting 5m+ for years to a show which was getting a tiny audience. I bet he regrets leaving the BBC and that he wakes up these days and wishes he hadnt quit My Family - he could still be doing My Family to audiences of 4m right now with a solid paycheque. Now he's struggling to find a job after taking short-term money from Sky and failing with audiences of 0.1m. It doesnt matter these big names are going to Sky, theyre hardly achieving big audiences [not even 0.5m+], so theyre ultimately failing.

And yet you still wrote it!

Isn't that comment taken straight from The Godfather?

You described threatening behaviour verging on blackmail but by titling it as persuasion think you can get away with it?

Negotiation does not involve blackmail. The BBC due to their sheer size are in a much stronger position than Miranda when negotiating over certain projects. It does not necessarily mean theyre blackmailing her.

Both docs on BBC and ITV were excellent tonight. Operation Wild was great.

Secrets From the Asylum felt like a BBC4 factual series. Quality factual, but pulls in smaller audiences. I expect nothing more than 2.5m.

No-one is bigger than the network Samuel. Let me tell you a little story about a man called Hughie Green who was a leading light on ITV from its inception in 1955. He hosted numerous high rating shows including Opportunity Knocks on which Simon Cowell's various talent shows are based. Mr Green was an obnoxious fellow to say the least and had become rather tiresome. One night in the bar at Thames in Teddington he got drunk and called a producer by an extremely rude name which I would not be allowed to repeat here. A very senior Thames executive happened to witness the confrontation. Despite hosting one of Thames' top shows Green was sacked the following day and never worked in British television again. When the BBC briefly revived Opp Knocks (as it was known) they paid Green to stay away from the studios.

Considering how Secrets From the Clink did I think 2m would be a 'good' result for it!

Shame about Spy on Sky1. That was a gem. Alongside Moone Boy.

Yeah, no chance of the Asylum program rating over 2million. Almost as niche as it gets. And the lead-in will be dire too.