Posted on 09/18/2015 10:31:59 AM PDT by the scotsman
'The BBC is planning to launch a subscription-based video streaming service in the United States.
BBC director general Tony Hall said he wanted to "try out businesses that go direct to the public" to boost the income of BBC Worldwide.
The new service, which could launch in 2016, will not affect agreements with other services such as Amazon and Hulu.
One expert told BBC News the service would probably appeal to a "niche" audience.
Lord Hall said the new service would showcase the "best of British" television to audiences in the US.
"We're launching a new over-the-top video service in America offering BBC fans programmes they wouldn't otherwise get - showcasing British actors, our programme-makers - and celebrating our culture," he said in a speech on Thursday.'
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
How true is that.
The Best would have to be “Benny Hill”
Kinda, but for example I like Dr Who, and it is now laden with all sorts of gay storylines. I was actually surprised they picked a white male actor to replace Matt Smith. So I see a liberal bias infuses everything there.
Much appreciated! Just shows what the average American knows about BBC.
Do you agree that the gruff Inspector Morse tilted right and was not politically correct? Those were the days when British TV could put on such a show! These days the idiots would demand that Idris Elba get one of the lead roles.
As comedy, not even close, and I liked Benny Hill. But there are classic British comedy shows and sitcoms far superior to Hill. In fact his best and cleverest shows were his early BBC ones, not the later famous shows for ITV.
As far as drama goes, Britain has produced some of the greatest ever. And not all costume dramas or Downton Abbey type shows. Britain has produced some of the grittiest, darkest, groundbreaking shows. And did interracial love three years before Kirk and Uhuru and gay drama 20+ years before Soap played it for laughs. Even as US TV drama hits its greatest heights, we can till produce dramas to match the best of the US, Canada and Europe.
Documentaries: both ITV and BBC are second to none (later with CH4), ITV gave us The World at War and the seminal World in Action, the BBC its groundbreaking and never-equalled nature series with David Attenborough.
Music, film, sport, all superbly done by BBC, ITV and CH4 and Sky Sports.
Yes, very much so.
Actually Morse has currently a superb prequel called Endeavour, and the Lewis spinoff.
Oh, and I am a big fan of Mr Elba. Superb actor. If you get the chance to watch him in the BBC series Luther, do so. He’s terrific and so is the series.
I wont deny UK TV produces rubbish like anywhere else. Those three channels show some excellent stuff, but all have their share of dross and reality TV.
How do you view?. Online?. Or do you live in the UK or Ireland/Europe?.
I thought The World At War, was Thames Television, same as Benny Hill.
I agree, although it was at its worst when Russell T Davies was helming it. To be fair, this liberal bias infects a few fiction programmes but not many.
Actually, UK TV usually ends programmes at the right time, although it does get it wrong sometimes. I prefer our TV to yours because most US TV goes on too long, even the best ones.
I’m for subscription channels. Mainly because it takes advertisers out of the decision making, especially on content.
But like Netflix this will compete with all the free pirated content on the internet. I don’t see that working much longer without a change in copyright laws or enforcement.
I don’t follow it that closely, but do you think Jeremy Clarkson getting booted from Top Gear was part political, or was it his behavior?
Various ways from the US. I could tell you....
I’ve quit watching BBCA since they took down Top Gear. Now it’s just the well-known British sitcom Star Trek, the Next Generation nearly 24/7.
fixt
No, I have no clue what BBCA is up to, either.
The alleged assault of a producer on Top Gear was the final straw. However, just announced today was that Jeremy clarkson will make his return to the BBC next month to host an epi of Have I Got News for You!
Thanks. I will look into the series you mention but John Thaw was what made it for me. I see in Wikipedia he was a socialist and passed at age 60
The prequel is set in 1965-late 60s and follows Morse as a young detective in his mid to late 20s. A young actor called Shaun Evans plays him, John Thaw’s real life actress daughter Abigail is a regular. Evans and the cast are superb, as is the series.
Thaw was old fashioned Labour, he came from a Manchester working class family. Liked old Labour, with its mix of genuine socialism and socially conservative families, patriotism. Disliked hardleftism and New Labour a la Tony Blair. And yes he sadly passed away in 2002 aged 60, years of smoking caught up with him.
Ironically he died on the same day or weekend as one of my very fav British actors: Barry Foster, who was a major TV and film star in the UK in the 70’s. His death was barely mentioned due to the death of Thaw. They were good mates and I am sure Thaw would have been horrified.
Non-British know Thaw as Morse, but he became a famous actor and iconic in the UK long before Morse, as Det Jack Regan in the iconic 70’s police action drama ‘The Sweeney’.
Which was groundbreaking and controversial in its use of violence. Imagine the gritty violence of Get Carter or The Long Good Friday on the small screen, and you get the idea of The Sweeney. Car chases and smashed up bodies galore.
Yes, it was.
Benny Hill was however on the BBC from 1955-69, then he switched to Thames. BBC tv and radio, his radio shows were equally clever. Hill was the first in the UK, like Kovacs in the US, to parody TV and brilliantly use the then technology.
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