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BBC - aargh !
britishtrident - 9/12/13 at 11:03 PM

Over the last few years BBC TV have produced some great drama not just Sherlock but quality stuff like Birdsong, Parades End, The Spies of Warsaw but they seem to deliberately sabotage it by poor scheduling. The Spies of Warsaw with David Tennant was fantastic but was broadcast stuck in the black hole that is BBC4 also stuck away in an even less explored black water the non-channel that is BBC3 was an imported SF drama Orphan Black.

The latest casualty is Ripper Street cancelled after just two series because they scheduled it head to head against reality show cr+p.

[Edited on 9/12/13 by britishtrident]

[Edited on 9/12/13 by britishtrident]

bi22le - 9/12/13 at 11:22 PM

Also frustrating that they are not in HD. I love watching hard hitting dramas in HD.

Bribgs on the atmosphere.

Scuzzle - 9/12/13 at 11:28 PM

I've got to the stage where I won't watch a new series until I know it runs it's full course to some kind of ending, nothing worse than getting into something and it gets canned halfway through.

tomprescott - 10/12/13 at 04:26 AM

Worse than being cancelled is running full course to an unsatisfying finish with no finale, like Sopranos.

Slimy38 - 10/12/13 at 08:24 AM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Over the last few years BBC TV have produced some great drama not just Sherlock but quality stuff like Birdsong, Parades End, The Spies of Warsaw but they seem to deliberately sabotage it by poor scheduling. The Spies of Warsaw with David Tennant was fantastic but was broadcast stuck in the black hole that is BBC4 also stuck away in an even less explored black water the non-channel that is BBC3 was an imported SF drama Orphan Black.



My wife is a big David Tennant fan, but was unable to watch Spies of Warsaw because of where it was so I had to buy it on DVD. And I had to download Orphan Black because I didn't even realise they'd broadcast it in the UK!

It does seem that they are pandering to the lowest common denominator, and those of us who enjoy having to think and concentrate (even a tiny bit) end up losing out.

britishtrident - 10/12/13 at 09:34 AM

For anybody who hasn't seen Orphan Black or The Spies of Warsaw I can really recommend them, both are available on DVD (suitable xmass presents ?)
The same goes for Birdsong a really cracking story well produced with terrific acting.


The Spies of Warsaw was part of a connected series of books but the BBC has made no move to film the other books.
Other dramas based series of books the BBC has lacked commitment to include the stylish Italian detective series Zen which on ran for three episodes and Phillip Pullman's Sally Lockhart Mysteries of which only two of the four books were filmed.

TheGiantTribble - 10/12/13 at 09:34 AM

It's been like it for years, take 'The Sky at Night' the BBC has received complaints since 1957 about the time it is shown.

Unfortunatly the Brit public seems more interested in watching someone with no talent (or at least that's got very limited talent) achieve their 15 minutes of fame, Or watching someone who is, or at least was famous struggling mentally and emotionally in the outback to eat skippy the bush kangaroos testicle.

It's a sad world we live in.

gremlin1234 - 10/12/13 at 11:04 AM

quote:
Originally posted by bi22le
Also frustrating that they are not in HD.

bbc3 and 4, news, cbeebies and cbbc
are now (from today!) available in HD too

nick205 - 10/12/13 at 11:44 AM

So is that end of Ripper Street then...?

One of the best (IMHO) dramas on TV for some time.

r1_pete - 10/12/13 at 11:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
So is that end of Ripper Street then...?

One of the best (IMHO) dramas on TV for some time.


Yes they've announced no more will be made.

britishtrident - 10/12/13 at 12:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TheGiantTribble
It's been like it for years, take 'The Sky at Night' the BBC has received complaints since 1957 about the time it is shown.

Unfortunatly the Brit public seems more interested in watching someone with no talent (or at least that's got very limited talent) achieve their 15 minutes of fame, Or watching someone who is, or at least was famous struggling mentally and emotionally in the outback to eat skippy the bush kangaroos testicle.

It's a sad world we live in.


Or the quiz shows that have so called celebrity editions where the contestants are Z listers nobody has heard of.


If you are ever unlucky enough to find yourself at home on a weekday afternoon you will encounter Doctors on BBC1 which has surely the worst scripts ever written the dialogue is rubbish and the plot lines don't work, I feel sorry for the actors some of whom can actually act.

britishtrident - 10/12/13 at 12:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
So is that end of Ripper Street then...?

One of the best (IMHO) dramas on TV for some time.


Yes they've announced no more will be made.


Next Monday is the last and looks like it is going to a great episode. Shame

BBC Radio4 drama is suffering much the same these days the afternoon plays on Radio4 are generally either pretty poor or weird or must have some kind of social message, Radio4 had a great occasional series based on the Falco detective books of Lindsey Davis which were set i Ancient Rome but they aren't making any more. Thankfully they are still making the McLevy series which is a bit like Ripper Street but with large helpings of wry Scottish humour.