BBC Annual Plan 21/22 published

[Roger Darthwell]

Given the big social media reaction about BBC Four, I have decided to write my thoughts on this situation. You may all be surprised, but I feel that the outrage is a bit unjustified for a few reasons and here there are:
Reason number 1: The channel is not even closing down, I would have understood the anger (and I would have probably been very angry myself) if the BBC decided to close BBC4 just as they did with BBC3 back in the day....sure there will be a lot more repeats, but at least they still have a TV channel to watch them, also the repeats of Top of The Pops always trend on Twitter
Reason number 2: The richness of the BBC's archive. The BBC's archive is one of the biggest archives that exist in the world! They can have countless arts programmes and documentaries that they can air from many different decades! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65rGDP2Eyt8
Like this for example! If one evening BBC Four airs nothing but old Tomorrow's World episodes form the 70s and 80s I would only be absolutely delighted!
Reason number 3: This news already got out 1 year ago, BBC Four being repositioned as an archive channel, was already mentioned on the annual plan of last year. This was because, if you remember there was a twitter campaign called #LoveBBCFour after rumours that the BBC was considering closing the channel, and they managed to save it! As I said having a repeats channel, is far better than having it closed, so I really don't understand this anger! I mean surely there will still be some new programmes there, like the Sky at Night for example.
Apologies for the long post, but I had to get this out of my chest

[gottago]

Why are people on twitter acting like bbc four is going to close completely. All that's happening is that the small amount of original programing bbc four does will go to bbc two

Strictly speaking though that's not what's going to happen. Yes the money used on BBC4 originals will go to BBC2 but they won't necessarily be the same shows you would get on BBC4. The plan suggests they'll be commissioning fewer but higher cost series on BBC2 which is in contrast the higher volume of lower cost shows you got on BBC4.

[XIII]

I can't imagine ancient episodes of Tomorrow's World will be broadcast, I suspect it'll be a mix of newer repeats and stuff like TOTP and classic comedy.

[Fireflash79]

I think we're already starting to see some changes to BBC Two and BBC Four.

Already we're seeing sitcom and drama repeats plus old films on BBC Four. Friday nights may stay the same perhaps with an increase in "... at the BBC" compilations and old music documentaries. What with Top of the Pops and The Joy of Painting already on now I daresay BBC Four won't look much different to what it does now.

On BBC Two recently there was a Muse concert, they're showing a Freddie Mercury documentary followed by a Queen concert this Saturday. Repeats of the Top of the Pops Story Of... have been in quite heavy rotation recently on BBC Two, I wonder if further down the line new editions of those will appear on BBC Two with the repeats continuing on BBC Four.

[sdaonline]

BBC4 has sadly been budget strangled for a long time now, if this means we can see the whole programmes instead of clips in a documentary I’ll be very pleased! Even old editions of 40 Minutes, Just Another Day and even Timeshift which haven’t been seen in decades would be welcome!

[Humphrey Hacker]

I have to say that the idea of BBC4 becoming a full retro channel appeals to me. I still think there is room for classic programmes beyond the likes of "Last Of The Summer Wine" and "Lovejoy" that are repeated ad infinitum on Drama and Yesterday and that the BBC has made some superb documentaries which stand the test of time.

[TheMightyTRex]

There is not really anything else like it - as long as they don't go down the route of only showing late late 80s onwards or.. late 90s onwards. Some of the stuff over the years were conversations in the office.

[Matrix]

There is not really anything else like it - as long as they don't go down the route of only showing late late 80s onwards or.. late 90s onwards. Some of the stuff over the years were conversations in the office.

It’s a difficult one. On the one hand, commissioning of programmes that BBC Four currently covers will continue. History, for example, has long been catered across One, Two, and Four so I suspect there will be a push to emphasise these strands.

That said, without BBC Four having this commissioning strength (and relying on others for its rewind and repeat focus) I can see some of the more distinctive BBC Four type strands getting lost.

[excel99]

It's perhaps worth remembering that BBC4 will still have some new content - arts performances - and some arts acquisitions, that will presumably be 'new to UK audiences'

[eggsontoast]

I assume it's a new studio Studioworks is planning to build rather than expanding Elstree. In terms of location, I think Birmingham or Leeds would be good.

It's quite well established that Studioworks are in the planning stages of new studios in Reading and Glasgow (yes - competing with BBC Scotland!)

[ChrisOnTees]

Given the big social media reaction about BBC Four, I have decided to write my thoughts on this situation. You may all be surprised, but I feel that the outrage is a bit unjustified for a few reasons and here there are:
Reason number 1: The channel is not even closing down, I would have understood the anger (and I would have probably been angred myself) if the BBC decided to close BBC4 just as they did with BBC3 back in the day....sure there will be a lot more repeats, but at least they still have a TV channel to watch them, also the repeats of Top of The Pops always trend on Twitter
Reason number 2: The richness of the BBC's archive. The BBC's archive is one of the biggest archives that exist in the world! They can have countless arts programmes and documentaries that they can air from many different decades! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65rGDP2Eyt8
Like this for example! If one evening BBC Four airs nothing but old Tomorrow's World episodes form the 70s and 80s I would only be absolutely delighted!
Reason number 3: This news already got out 1 year ago, BBC Four being repositioned as an archive channel, was already mentioned on the annual plan of last year. This was because, if you remember there was a twitter campaign called #LoveBBCFour after rumours that the BBC was considering closing the channel, and they managed to save it! As I said having a repeats channel, is far better than having it closed, so I really don't understand this anger! I mean surely there will still be some new programmes there, like the Sky at Night for example.
Apologies for the long post, but I had to get this out of my chest

I feel if BBC Four became more of a 4Seven type of channel it'd deal less damage, instead of becoming exclusively arts and culture archive.

I'll admit, I end up on 4Seven a lot these days if there is nothing else I like on.