One topic that frustrates and fascinates me in equal measure is when the show makes efforts to become increasingly globally inclusive (such as the current world tour) whilst at the same time entertaining the notion of creating ‘Exclusive’ content for specific markets.

Does no-one else find it hypocritical, or at the very least inconsistent, that the BBC/BBC Worldwide spends half the time talking about how great simulcasting is and how it’s wonderful that fans all over the world can watch the same thing at the same time, while at the same time creating exclusive content for BBC America? It used to be the case that BBC America didn’t get episodes on the same day as us and now they do and that’s great, but aren’t they basically doing to us what we used to do to them by making us wait for their documentaries to become available (usually on DVD)?

And earlier today when the announcement of ‘Doctor Who Extra’ was reported on doctorwhotv.co.uk, people in the comments section started almost instantly arguing about whether it would be available internationally and whether it should available internationally. The old well-trodden argument being that the UK license-fee-payers should get all the stuff and to hell with everyone else. That’s not an argument I personally subscribe to, but I don’t think the fact we get a lot of stuff should exclude us from content that other countries are getting either. So whilst we shouldn’t have to wait for ‘The Ultimate Companion’ to reach the UK, America should probably get to see a version of normally UK-exclusive programmes such as the Doctor Who Proms (did they get shown in America? I can’t remember). And then there’s poor old New Zealand, who in this day and age still have to wait two weeks to see Peter Capaldi’s first episode. And many European countries have spoken anecdotaly to doctorwhotv.co.uk about how little Doctor Who content there is in their countries.

Basically what I’m saying is that ideally, EVERYONE should have access to EVERYTHING or at least the highest approximation that we can achieve. It’s very easy to claim to be a global phenomenon just because the show is very successful in the North American market, but there are always improvements to be made. Content should be as spread as evenly as possible. As it is, the prevalence of ‘exclusivity’ over ‘inclusively’ (such as the infamous 50th Anniversary trailer row) is very often driving a wedge between certain sections of fans, whereas in cases where the emphasis is on being inclusive, such as The Day Of The Doctor simulcast, there is a much more positive effect on fandom IMO.

Well, it's only fair that the channel which commissions the content should get first dibs. If our own BBC Three is cutting costs and cancelling extra DW content while BBC America is actively commissioning extra DW content, then it's obvious which channel should be given priority.

No, not really. I disagree. If a channel is producing the programme itself, it has every right to show its own self-funded programming to its own audiences first.

There is also the issue of licensing. If BBC America are making the documentaries, then they are having to licence the clips fom a different BBC to show them. If the licence states that they are not allowed to then broadcast internationally, what can they do? They don't own the clips they are using, they have specific terms in play to be able to use them.

If all the BBC was one department, then yes - we should be getting everything they produce in every territory at the same time. But that simply isn't how it works.

One thing about the European countries bit - they complain to a British website about how little programming they get in their countries... How does that help them in any way? It is their own native programmers that need to be addressed with those issues. We cannot be using Licence Fee money to create programming for other countries - it's just not viable.

I think you both have misunderstood me.

I totally agree that BBC America should have first-run rights on their own documentaries! All I was advocating was a shorter gap between first broadcast and the rest of the world seeing them, just as they have with the gap between the UK and US episode broadcasts. That's fair enough isn't it?

For example, the UK broadcast of The Doctor's Revisited was in October. Would have been nice to have got them a little earlier than that, no?

Well, the onus is upon a UK channel to actually acquire the content from BBC Worldwide.

Bear in mind that the BBC chose not to buy The Doctors Revisited at all. So it ended up on the subscription channel Watch, which is part-owned by BBC Worldwide.

BBC Three has been the traditional home of BTS material. But if that channel no longer commissions it and doesn't even buy BBC America's commissions, there's not a lot else we can do except wait for a commercial release/broadcast.