BBC4 - bad news or good?

[Serial_Apologist]

At least whoever programmes archived programmes on various channels such as Yesterdays are still around to recognise what was once good in broadcasting, though I find increasingly turning to such channels for anything worthwhile most depressing.

[Bryn]

At least whoever programmes archived programmes on various channels such as Yesterdays are still around to recognise what was once good in broadcasting, though I find increasingly turning to such channels for anything worthwhile most depressing.

Quite.

[LMcD]

Good news for anybody who's fed up with repeats of TOTP on Friday nights - on the 9th of April BBC4 is showing Live Women's International Football.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Maybe it was that or "The Good Old Days"......

[DracoM]

But...........'....ing' Montalbano is back!!!

[Keraulophone]

Montalbano is back!!!

Agreed not the finest telly detective, but at least he eats well, and who wouldn’t want a sea view like that from his terrazzo?

[jayne lee wilson]

Good news for anybody who's fed up with repeats of TOTP on Friday nights - on the 9th of April BBC4 is showing Live Women's International Football.

Yes, and there's this as well (forthcoming on 1&2)....

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sport/football/womens-super-league-football-bbc/

[LMcD]

I remember watching Roads to Freedom; I suspect it was when it was repeated in the late 70s. Wonderful series. The BBC’s silence on this is particularly inexplicable given they allowed the NFT to show the whole series in a one-off event in 2012

I watched it when it was first broadcast, but didn't know it had been repeated (1977). Anything with a cast that includes the wonderful Michael Bryant has a head start in my view. Daniel Massey was also very impressive. Director James Cellan Jones is the father of the BBC's IT guru Rory, by the way.

[Katzelmacher]

I remember watching Roads to Freedom; I suspect it was when it was repeated in the late 70s. Wonderful series. The BBC’s silence on this is particularly inexplicable given they allowed the NFT to show the whole series in a one-off event in 2012

I don’t think the BBC has any authority over the BFI unless the BFI wants to commercially issue programmes of a BBC origin. Once film is deposited there, it can be programmed at the NFT or those with deep pockets can attend a ‘personal screening’.

I’ve heard a rumour recently that one reason for the reluctance to issue it, or even discuss it, is the ‘deeply problematic’ portrayal of the homosexual character played by Daniel Massey. I’m inclined to think this is bull, but the Beeb will use any old excuse for not doing something it doens’t want to do.

[Bryn]

I don’t think the BBC has any authority over the BFI unless the BFI wants to commercially issue programmes of a BBC origin. Once film is deposited there, it can be programmed at the NFT or those with deep pockets can attend a ‘personal screening’.

I’ve heard a rumour recently that one reason for the reluctance to issue it, or even discuss it, is the ‘deeply problematic’ portrayal of the homosexual character played by Daniel Massey. I’m inclined to think this is bull, but the Beeb will use any old excuse for not doing something it doens’t want to do.

Pseudo-wokeism is all too prevalent these days, even/especially in some sections of academia. The proposed republication of Scratch Music, (ed, Cardew 1972) by Goldsmiths Press has been frustrated due to it. A reference in one illustration, to "Chalky the white-faced golliwog", was among those taken exception to. Another, of a face with a prominent nose (one of a series of caricatures with distorted noses by the late Lou Gare of AMM) was quite falsely interpreted as antisemitic.

[Serial_Apologist]

Excellent article in next week's Radio Times by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, headed BBC self-harm could be fatal: The corporation is shooting itself in the foot by killing BBC4.

She tellingly says, after listing a number of fine programmes, mainly recent documentaries, "Maybe the powers that be have had enough of experts - or perhaps they only want those they've already got.

"[...] Now the focus will be on 'unique, high-impact content, commissioning fewer but bigger titles of higher quality that can reach more audiences' over on BBC2. 'Fewer' means less risk and less range, 'bigger' means flashier and more populist. We're told the spend on arts and music on BBC2 will double over the next two years. Note what is omitted: history, science, specialist factual. Of all places, Reith's true heir may now be found on Channel 5's director of programmes Ben Frow ...'

[eighthobstruction]

Excellent article in next week's Radio Times by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, headed BBC self-harm could be fatal: The corporation is shooting itself in the foot by killing BBC4.

She tellingly says, after listing a number of fine programmes, mainly recent documentaries, "Maybe the powers that be have had enough of experts - or perhaps they only want those they've already got.

"[...] Now the focus will be on 'unique, high-impact content, commissioning fewer but bigger titles of higher quality that can reach more audiences' over on BBC2. 'Fewer' means less risk and less range, 'bigger' means flashier and more populist. We're told the spend on arts and music on BBC2 will double over the next two years. Note what is omitted: history, science, specialist factual. Of all places, Reith's true heir may now be found on Channel 5's director of programmes Ben Frow ...'

....I wish I had made more effort to save BBC4....but seemed from the start about showing cuts - economies etc....started under Halls watch I think....cannot imagine many many good programmes types that appeared will now get commissioned on BBC2....BBC4 was a failure from the point of view that they did not have enough output and had to continually 'fill' with dross....must have been very demoralising for staff to have to 'fill' with TotP's

[LHC]

Interesting article in today’s Guardian about the BBC’s failure of imagination with regards to classical music on TV.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/may/14/bbc-showing-negativity-verging-on-hostility-to-classical-documentaries

The predictably complacent response from the BBC (a BBC spokeswoman said: “BBC is home to an unrivalled range of classical music on TV...”) is both depressing and laughable.

[Serial_Apologist]

Interesting article in today’s Guardian about the BBC’s failure of imagination with regards to classical music on TV.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/may/14/bbc-showing-negativity-verging-on-hostility-to-classical-documentaries

The predictably complacent response from the BBC (a BBC spokeswoman said: “BBC is home to an unrivalled range of classical music on TV...”) is both depressing and laughable.

"A counterweight to all the cookery programmes" - no statement is more tellingly timely than this - Tony Palmer's call for more music programmes from BBC television.

[DracoM]

So long as we get our weekly fix of Scandi Noir on Sats.
............and NOT, rpt not, Montalpuko