The BBC - what's left to cut? - Printable Version
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RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - tellyblues - 21-12-2023
Regarding comedy being affected by cuts, it's the case that comics nowadays choose not to tie themselves down to doing sitcoms like they would have years ago and do panel shows, quizzes etc instead, so figures will be affected by that. If we're talking about total spend on comedy then that can also be affected by the level of the talent involved so Brendan O'Carroll for example may not get paid as much or relative to what whatstheirface got back then, which is fair enough really.
I don't think a basic BBC if it were to happen should consist of just news and arts programming. There would be entertainment but it would be mainly repeats. There has to be incentive for people to pay for the extra content available elsewhere.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - DTV - 21-12-2023
(21-12-2023, 02:53 PM)tellyblues Wrote: Regarding comedy being affected by cuts, it's the case that comics nowadays choose not to tie themselves down to doing sitcoms like they would have years ago and do panel shows, quizzes etc instead, so figures will be affected by that.I think it's the other way round really. Broadcasters have fallen back on panel shows as the base of their comedy output because they're cheap and reliable - the format might change, but the fact it'll be with tried-and-tested comedians from the panel show circuit means you're basically going to get a guaranteed level of laughs regardless. Any investment there will probably work and you'll be able to both use it as a repeats workhorse and sell it on to Dave.
Sitcoms, on the other hand, are more expensive to start with, so are more likely to be reduced in a time of cuts. New sitcoms also carry a greater level of risk than a new panel show - it's harder to know if it'll work and, if it doesn't, then it isn't reuseable or resellable. Hence, the number of returning and new sitcoms has fallen over the cuts era. Sketch shows even more expensive and less reliable - hence why they're virtually extinct. I think it's more choices being made by broadcasters than choices made by comics, but there's a knock-on effect where there are fewer comedy writers around now because of the fewer opportunities.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - Kim Wexler’s Ponytail - 21-12-2023
(21-12-2023, 02:53 PM)tellyblues Wrote: I don't think a basic BBC if it were to happen should consist of just news and arts programming. There would be entertainment but it would be mainly repeats. There has to be incentive for people to pay for the extra content available elsewhere.
Or incentive to pirate it. I suspect in a venn diagram of people who insist the BBC should be a subscription service and people who do not pay for sky but still get it, via dodgy fire sticks, the overlap is huge.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - Brekkie - 21-12-2023
(21-12-2023, 02:53 PM)tellyblues Wrote: Regarding comedy being affected by cuts, it's the case that comics nowadays choose not to tie themselves down to doing sitcoms like they would have years ago and do panel shows, quizzes etc instead, so figures will be affected by that.
I think most of the regulars who turn up on panel shows have done a sitcom in recent years. They're more authored and less mainstream than they used to be, and not front and centre on BBC1 or ITV, but they've evolved rather than died.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - tellyblues - 21-12-2023
I'm not saying every comic won't do a sitcom but there are far more options available for someone to make a living in showbiz nowadays. That there are sitcoms where people essentially play themselves isn't just down to cuts but primarily because people want to sell themselves and perhaps also they aren't talented enough to play a character. There are also "sitcoms" which are actually comedy-drama or drama with funny moments (e.g. Fleabag, Avoidance) so I wonder if some of these have been filed under drama, which would affect the figures somewhat. Even if they are down as comedy, they aren't filmed as cheaply as traditional sitcoms are so that can also explain why fewer do get made.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - interestednovice - 21-12-2023
Interesting point about the blurring of genres.
Buffering on ITV 2 is another example; it could be regarded as simply a drama, possibly just as a comedy; a “dramady” or basically an autobiographical sitcom.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - bbctvtechop - 23-12-2023
To go back to the original question in the thread title... The BBC have nothing left to reduce costs on, really. We're now in the territory of closing whole services and/or programmes.
On the future of the license fee, I'm increasingly of the opinion that the BBC needs to reduce down to ONLY genuine PSB programmes and those which the commercial sector won't go anywhere near. A reduced fee (maybe 50% of now) would fund these services* via either a broadband levy or council tax, and the rest** would be sold off to the commercial sector.
*End up with something like (TV) BBC News, CBeebies, BBC Public (mix of current BBC1, BBC2 and BBC4), BBC Experimental (mix of current BBC2 and BBC4), and BBC Parliament; and (radio) Local Radio, Radio Speech (ex R4), Radio News and Sport (ex R5L), World Service, Radio Music (mix of current R1 specialist and R6), and national radio eg Radio Scotland and Nan Ghadheil.
** Sell off R1, R2, R3, BBC1, BBC3, and anything else the commercial sector currently competes with, to the commercial sector.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - Toby brown - 23-12-2023
(23-12-2023, 04:28 PM)bbctvtechop Wrote: To go back to the original question in the thread title... The BBC have nothing left to reduce costs on, really. We're now in the territory of closing whole services and/or programmes.
On the future of the license fee, I'm increasingly of the opinion that the BBC needs to reduce down to ONLY genuine PSB programmes and those which the commercial sector won't go anywhere near. A reduced fee (maybe 50% of now) would fund these services* via either a broadband levy or council tax, and the rest** would be sold off to the commercial sector.
*End up with something like (TV) BBC News, CBeebies, BBC Public (mix of current BBC1, BBC2 and BBC4), BBC Experimental (mix of current BBC2 and BBC4), and BBC Parliament; and (radio) Local Radio, Radio Speech (ex R4), Radio News and Sport (ex R5L), World Service, Radio Music (mix of current R1 specialist and R6), and national radio eg Radio Scotland and Nan Ghadheil.
** Sell off R1, R2, R3, BBC1, BBC3, and anything else the commercial sector currently competes with, to the commercial sector.
You only want to keep the services that you use. A lot of the stations you suggested selling of are some of the most important services the BBC has
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - Scrotnig - 23-12-2023
(23-12-2023, 04:51 PM)Toby brown Wrote: You only want to keep the services that you use. A lot of the stations you suggested selling of are some of the most important services the BBC has
This is a very common issue. Whenever it comes up in “real life”, as a defender of the BBC I always struggle to get this point across.
There are lots of BBC services I don’t personally use, but I would be vehemently opposed to them closing. They are of great value to many.
The BBC needs reform but it also needs properly funding and that should not be a dirty phrase.
RE: The BBC - what's left to cut? - interestednovice - 23-12-2023
I do fear that an approach like that would alienate younger (under 50 really!) viewers hugely, as most would not be interested in the remaining services at all.
That’s a huge problem when the BBC must serve everybody enough that they feel they get some value out of it.
I understand the desire to protect services that the commercial sector simply won’t do though, and agree they should continue to be funded.
The whole thing is a difficult conundrum!