Drama to be eradicated from Radio 3

[eighthobstruction]

........yes, there was little chance of me reading Euripides without R3£

[Ianbrowne]

Why does "Gatsby in Harlem" have to be the example of R3 drama? And, quelle surprise, a certain Dr Who actor gets a mention.
Why stick at a 90min slot? I enjoyed listening to the 2 hour "White Devil" this morning.

Odious little toad Cost. Drama. Audience up! Waffle. Proms. Waffle. Drama. Not Classic FM. Waffle. Modernism. Waffle.

He has no idea of what R3 used to be like.

Glad you enjoyed the White Devil. Perhaps it's a personal opinion, but I think it is Webster's masterpiece and it knocks the socks of other Jacobean drama. The great thing about Radio 3 was that it gave me the chance to explore their other Jacobean dramas - The Spanish Tragedy, The Changeling, Women Beware Women, Duchess of Malfi and 'Tis Pity. And beyond that I started to read about Christopher Marlowe and read a little about the historical period. I guess the idea that great drama leads you onto other things is alien to the current BBC conception of what drama is. Sometimes you find a real turkey, It's a mad world my masters, for example, but that true of everything in life - some good things and some rubbish things.

That is what I regret with this idiotic decision by the Director General - that new worlds of experience through radio drama will not open up to me again.

[AuntDaisy]

They can always come and visit me - I have over 1000 cassettes, many examples of programmes I recorded off R3 back in the good old days!

And the BBC Archives hold even more - but it doesn't mean that his nibs (or others) access them or even look in old copies the Radio Times.

[Serial_Apologist]

Nor, I imagine, does the D-G. In fact how many are left at R3 who do remember? Yes, drama and live music (as in live live music) are expensive, hence out with the lunchtime concerts too. What's left are the cheap presenter-led snippets sequences which at least have the merit of being absolutely not at all like Classic FM ...

They can always come and visit me - I have over 1000 cassettes, many examples of programmes I recorded off R3 back in the good old days!

[AuntDaisy]

Nor, I imagine, does the D-G. In fact how many are left at R3 who do remember? Yes, drama and live music (as in live live music) are expensive, hence out with the lunchtime concerts too. What's left are the cheap presenter-led snippets sequences which at least have the merit of being absolutely not at all like Classic FM ...

[french frank]

He has no idea of what R3 used to be like.

Nor, I imagine, does the D-G. In fact how many are left at R3 who do remember? Yes, drama and live music (as in live live music) are expensive, hence out with the lunchtime concerts too. What's left are the cheap presenter-led snippets sequences which at least have the merit of being absolutely not at all like Classic FM ...

[Ein Heldenleben]

A fair summary.

How about trimming upper management costs?

Good idea but it would make very little difference budget wise. I think there has to be more of a reappraisal of what the BBC is for particularly when it duplicates so much output available on commercial TV . I would lose a large swathe of lifestyle output on BBC Two and Three and move it upmarket.

[AuntDaisy]

Perhaps SJ's job title should be changed to Head of Less is More. He could then attend meetings in W1A chaired by Hugh Bonneviile.

[LMcD]

A fair summary.

How about trimming upper management costs?

Perhaps SJ's job title should be changed to Head of Less is More. He could then attend meetings in W1A chaired by Hugh Bonneviile.

[AuntDaisy]

Sam J. explained the most expensive R3outputs are Live Music, including the Proms, and Drama. With the successive cuts, the choice was cut back live music, including the Proms, or Drama. And the choice was cuts to drama because the offering of music was more in service of the remit of R3 as a music station. (This may be welcome in view of the concern R3 will become a ragbag of that which other stations don't require........) He also opined that the lengthening of Private Passions was an increase in speech radio on R3 (without saying it was a cheap way of filling another 30 minutes.....

The interviewer was in some degree more combative and Sam J not quite as dismissive as station controllers, other BBC head honchos (cf Victoria Wood's Head of Chairs sketch) often come over. But, as ever, the decision has been made, an explanation has been given and in a sense he has an unanswerable case if the money is running out and a choice had to be made.

A fair summary.

How about trimming upper management costs?

[Cockney Sparrow]

Sam J. explained the most expensive R3outputs are Live Music, including the Proms, and Drama. With the successive cuts, the choice was cut back live music, including the Proms, or Drama. And the choice was cuts to drama because the offering of music was more in service of the remit of R3 as a music station. (This may be welcome in view of the concern R3 will become a ragbag of that which other stations don't require........) He also opined that the lengthening of Private Passions was an increase in speech radio on R3 (without saying it was a cheap way of filling another 30 minutes.....

The interviewer was in some degree more combative and Sam J not quite as dismissive as station controllers, other BBC head honchos (cf Victoria Wood's Head of Chairs sketch) often come over. But, as ever, the decision has been made, an explanation has been given and in a sense he has an unanswerable case if the money is running out and a choice had to be made.

Signed

[AuntDaisy]

Sam Jackson will be avoiding answering questions on R4’s Feedback this afternoon:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0028bp9

Why does "Gatsby in Harlem" have to be the example of R3 drama? And, quelle surprise, a certain Dr Who actor gets a mention.
Why stick at a 90min slot? I enjoyed listening to the 2 hour "White Devil" this morning.

Odious little toad Cost. Drama. Audience up! Waffle. Proms. Waffle. Drama. Not Classic FM. Waffle. Modernism. Waffle.

He has no idea of what R3 used to be like.

[french frank]

Sam Jackson will be avoiding answering questions on R4’s Feedback this afternoon:

Must hear this before writing letter. Will he say (again) "Most people listen to Radio 3 for the music" - hence speech/drama gets dropped? Well, if there's a lot more music than speech/drama It's likely that people listen more to the music. As they do on CFM where there is only music ... I read that Channel 5 is reintroducing a weekly drama slot (gap in the market?) though it doesn't seem as if much is likely to be classic theatre - more of the contemporary 'plays for today' variety.

[Belgrove]

Sam Jackson will be avoiding answering questions on R4’s Feedback this afternoon:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0028bp9