BBC Talent wage cut Page 6

I suspect the classic dramas pretty much pay for themselves. In the interests of balance, there has been some decent original drama on lately, Occupation and, astonishingly, the news series of Torchwood, have been good uses of my licence fee. But there is far too much 'TV by committee', designed to fill a slot or reach out to a demographic, and not just drama – a lot of the documentary strands have been dumbed down to 'widen their appeal'. It is the lack of ambition that depresses; to often even when a project begins life with potential, by the time it hits the screen it has had all originality sucked out by risk averse management. It is time the Beeb rediscovered the old mantra about 'making the good popular and the popular good', and put the passion back into programme making.

Quote: Griff @ July 10 2009, 3:20 PM BST

It's all a bit disappointing because while I love theatre, film, books, radio, noo meeja and so on, I probably enjoy really good telly more than any of them.

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To me telly's the most democratic art form there is. So it's a shame when it just serves up shite. Or perhaps that's democracy?

Potter and Maureen Lipman's husband warned about it ages ago!

John Birt.

Well Mrs. T would have ruled out society, and blaming Mrs. T is like the police pinning an unsolved murder on a convenient serial killer, so I am going with Birt.

Re: The Austens

The Beeb continually make this crap over and over again because they can sell it worldwide. For some weird reason, people in South America, Canada and Outer Mongolia think this 'Eengleesh Coostoom Drama' is in some way entertaining.

The actors love it because they get to play dress up, the producers love it because they get loads of money, the Beeb loves it because they can claim it's educational / cultural and justify the expense under their remit.

I think it's a load of f**king shit myself, but my opinion doesn't count, as I'm only a licence payer.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ July 10 2009, 5:00 PM BST

Re: The Austens

The Beeb continually make this crap over and over again because they can sell it worldwide. For some weird reason, people in South America, Canada and Outer Mongolia think this 'Eengleesh Coostoom Drama' is in some way entertaining.

The actors love it because they get to play dress up, the producers love it because they get loads of money, the Beeb loves it because they can claim it's educational / cultural and justify the expense under their remit.

I think it's a load of f**king shit myself, but my opinion doesn't count, as I'm only a licence payer.

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It's not a load of shit. Do you include Dickens and the recent TV serialisations of his novels in this category?

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ July 10 2009, 5:05 PM BST

It's not a load of shit. Do you include Dickens and the recent TV serialisations of his novels in this category?

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If you're talking about Little Dorrit, then yes. They spent a fortune on it and nobody watched it.

The only Dickens people want to watch is the all singing, all dancing Oliver adaption, it's even on stage in the West End.

Yep, all a load of old shit.

I think the thing to do would be to accept the fact that everyone is intitled to an opinion and try not to instigate anything. Some people like stuff, some don't, and we move on.

Bite me .

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ July 10 2009, 2:53 PM BST

What Austen novel are they adapting now? Haven't they all been done very recently?

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Emma.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ July 10 2009, 6:32 PM BST

If you're talking about Little Dorrit, then yes. They spent a fortune on it and nobody watched it.

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I attempted to. I dearly wanted to see it to the end. But it was so f**king dull and hard to follow. Think I managed two or three episodes.

Didn't help that they seemed to be picking random mid-week slots to broadcast it in, rather than the standard Sunday-evening.

Quote: Aaron @ July 10 2009, 7:51 PM BST

Emma.

I attempted to. I dearly wanted to see it to the end. But it was so f**king dull and hard to follow. Think I managed two or three episodes.

Didn't help that they seemed to be picking random mid-week slots to broadcast it in, rather than the standard Sunday-evening.

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Emma? The Gywenth Paltrow film version and the ITV Kate Beckinsdale one weren't that long ago were they?

Wasn't the sort of idea behind the scheduling of Little Dorrit and Bleak House that they were like soaps? I certainly prefered them as family viewing compared to Eastenders, Corrie, etc. And I much prefer the Sunday evening novel adapatations to the Sunday evening drama drivel such as Heartbeat, Wild at Heart, etc.

No idea. I think I lost track of Bleak House too though, thinking back. Certainly didn't finish watching it. There just didn't seem to be any pattern to LD's broadcasts. They were varying times on Sunday, Thursday, Wednesday, Thursday, Wednesday... Sunday, etc. And no announcements as to the next episode date at the end of them. What's wrong with a more traditional weekly scheduling? Worked for Cranford, Lark Rise and so forth.

(Better than EastEnders etc, certainly - although that's not saying a lot. )

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ July 10 2009, 5:00 PM BST

I think it's a load of f**king shit myself, but my opinion doesn't count, as I'm only a licence payer.

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Do you actually pay a licence fee?

Yes, yes I do. Don't worry Marc P, even though I don't watch Doctors, I'm sure it's a worthwhile show and your fee is well justified.

There aren't many shows I get excited about and insist on watching week after week - though I must admit I am addicted to Chuck at the moment.

Not Dickens, so please abuse me at will for my low brow tastes.