Yowch--this is harsh. . .

This BBC/BBC America miniseries, filmed in Toronto, was broadcast on 2 November 2006 on BBC1 in the UK, and in the US in February 2007.

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Hilary the Touched
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Yowch--this is harsh. . .

Post by Hilary the Touched » Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:10 pm

The BBC is failing to provide enough new and exciting programmes, a major survey of its viewers has found.

Licence fee payers believe the broadcaster lacks innovation and is instead concentrating too much on providing reality shows and formats which have been tried before.

The sobering verdict is the key finding of an audience survey of 4500 people - the most comprehensive ever undertaken by the BBC.

The results were published yesterday with the BBC's annual report and the BBC Trust, which took over from the old board of governors, responding by saying that the corporation should take more creative risks.

In a statement, the trust said: "A key message from our work with the public is that audiences want the BBC to be more innovative. They value fresh and new ideas, and feel that the BBC could be doing more to deliver them. This a challenge for the BBC that we will pursue vigorously in the year to come.

"While public approval of the BBC remains stable, audiences have also told us that fresh and new programme ideas must be a high priority and more effort is needed."

The trust suggested the "chase for ratings" may have impacted on creativity. "BBC television has done well to continue to appeal to very large numbers of viewers the question is whether or not this strong competitive response overall has been achieved at the cost of creative and cultural ambition," it said.

Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the trust, said innovation was the one area where there was a "noteworthy gap" between audience taste and delivery, but he also admitted the BBC was likely to "start making less" and show more repeats. The BBC Trust said audience fragmentation across the growing number of channels increased the value of repeats.

. . . The trust and the executive board were critical of BBC Three for using "punchy" programme titles which may have put viewers off. Recent examples could include Booze Bird, a serious exploration of alcohol-fuelled female violence, and Sex - With Mum And Dad, in which families discussed sexual issues.

. . . The good, the bad
HITS How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and The Apprentice: Talent shows which have spawned numerous imitators. Life On Mars (1) and Doctor Who (2): genre-bending hits with a wide audience. Ruby in the Smoke starred Billy Piper and received warm reviews. Trawlermen: The documentary series was praised in the annual report. Stephen Fry's The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: An intimate and much-praised look at the condition from one of Britain's most-recognisable celebrities.

MISSES
Castaway (3)did not capture the imagination of the audience in the same way as on its first run. This Life: The revisiting of the cult TV show did not add to its lustre. The State Within: Drama starring Jason Isaacs lost two million viewers from first episode to second. The Innocence Project was panned and pulled from schedules half way through its run. Eastenders: Even Mark Thompson, head of the BBC, admits the old soap warhorse is less exciting than it used to be.

(http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/di ... 99.0.0.php
Yeah.
A reality show (I saw an epi--think American Idol with no blokes) with Graham Norton and Andrew Lloyd Webber in which they attempt to cast a role in ALW's new musical version of the calcified classic.
THAT was a hit.

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Post by Foodie » Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:26 pm

It's sad when people want things that are dumbed down for the masses. The State Within was difficult to follow, so instead of paying attention and trying to follow it, most people just quit. It's a sorry state of the world that this is what we choose for ourselves. It's like when people started complaining about the last POTC movie being too confusing. I wanted to scream at them to turn of American Idol and read a book! (I hope this is not too insulting, but really now!)

-Foodie (ooh, it's too bad we don't have an emoticon of a little head banging itself against a wall, cuz that's what stuff like this makes me want to do!!)

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Post by Hilary the Touched » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:29 am

Foodie, may I present :bang ??
(If you click on 'View more Emoticons' underneath the ones that show, a whole range will be revealed!)

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Post by Foodie » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:39 am

Oh, that's perfect! Thanks!!

-Foodie :bang

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Post by Helen8 » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:47 am

That, indeed, is harsh. Hope this doesn't hurt his chances for more miniseries.

Speaking of reality shows:

How many talent shows do we really need?

How many island-castaway/secluded-house shows do we really need, and now with a pirate bent?

How many million-dollar payoff game shows do we really need?

How many boy/girl chooses mate from a bevvy of candidates do we really need?

How many extreme-challenge/eat-the-grossest-foods shows do we really need?

How many chef-abuse shows do we really need?

How many family-member exchange programs do we really need?

And television Bingo??????????????? :shock:

Have I left out any genre? No wonder we're becoming less tolerant of each other. Week after week, people lie to, cheat, and steal from other contestants to get ahead in the game. Those are behaviors that should be glorified?

I recently looked at a copy of the TV Guide from 1959 and was surprised at how many interesting shows there were on then. Of course, there was a plethora of Westerns (good-vs-evil morality plays), variety shows (people with real talent), court room and hospital dramas, a smattering of game shows (with really difficult questions), and dozens of (actually funny) comedy shows. I guess the only reality show then was Queen for a Day, where women competed (via sad, personal tragedies) for an appliance or furniture.

Don't get me wrong, there are good shows on TV today, they're just few and far in-between.

Helen
[climbs down from soapbox]

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Post by Foodie » Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:54 am

And it seems that the really good ones are the first to be canceled! Well, some made it, but still...it's just so frustrating isn't it?! I try my best to avoid reality tv, with a few exceptions, but I just figure I can be doing something better with my time then watching that stuff.

-Foodie

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Post by Hilary the Touched » Wed Jul 04, 2007 6:14 pm

Helen, in defense of TV networks (:shock:), I feel obliged to point out that in 1959, there were, what, 3 channels? Broadcasting for maybe 10 hours a day? And they relied on ad revenue from people who were allowed to tell you which brand of cigarettes pulmonary surgeons enjoyed the most.

One reason "reality" shows are so popular is that they're freakin' cheap!!! People will humiliate themselves for free!
But yeah--even our game shows are, as you pointed out, opportunities to trash one another. I was watching Weakest Link at my gym, and it seemed to me that only about 40% of the program is actually answering the questions, and the rest of it was devoted to the host's denigration of contestants or their bad-mouthing one another when they were voted off. Just really mean-spirited stuff.

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Post by Gillian » Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:15 pm

It's really a sign of the times. People just don't want to think anymore. Maybe it's a pay-off for not being more socially conscious and asking the tough questions of themselves and the institutions in power. Instead they get to feel better about their own lives by watching others make complete assholes of themselves.

That's the only way I can explain the rise in popularity of reality TV. Personally I find the entire genre complete and absolute shite.

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Post by Helen8 » Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:16 pm

I feel obliged to point out that in 1959, there were, what, 3 channels?

True! Yeah, and people only watched on average like 2-3 hours per day back then unlike, oh, 6-7+ hours today? Cable stations only showed reruns of previously run network shows. The competition came from quality-written programs from HBO and Showtime, stuff that the networks used to write, sans expletives and nudity. So, instead of competing directly against them in kind, the networks chose the lowest common denominator. That's indefensible.

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Post by whisperwood » Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:02 pm

Gillian wrote:It's really a sign of the times. People just don't want to think anymore. Maybe it's a pay-off for not being more socially conscious and asking the tough questions of themselves and the institutions in power. Instead they get to feel better about their own lives by watching others make complete assholes of themselves.

That's the only way I can explain the rise in popularity of reality TV. Personally I find the entire genre complete and absolute shite.
HUZZAH!

I'm so glad to find that you guys feel like I do about Reality TV and 'stupid' television. I get really mad at stupid people. I for one enjoy learning, being challenged, made to think and discuss. I believe life is all about learning and that should be celebrated! I admit I enjoy the mindless humor now and then, but at least i don't make that my entire life.

In middle school, a friend yelled at me for using big words. "I never understand what you say!" Forgive me for being well read and thinking for myself. I can't even remember what I said. But I was in 8th grade/13 years old. It couldn't have been THAT intelligent. But I was reading adult level novels then.

The state of the world really depresses me. This is why I try to watch The History/Discovery/National Geographic channels. They have some reality shows of their own but at least I'm learning something. I used to watch Ice-Road Truckers and I still enjoy catching The Deadliest Catch when it's on.

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Post by grannybear » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:18 pm

Someplace I read (don't ask me where. I read a lot) that they were gettig a new head of BBC America and he was going to make it more like USA TV to get more viewers. If they do they will lose me. I watch because I can usually find intellegent shows. I'm so sick of shows aimed at teens. There are plenty of us in our older years and we deserve shows of interest to us. As for the advertisers-I also spend money and have more of it then the teens so don't pass me by.

....I HAVE SPOKEN....

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Post by Hilary the Touched » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:29 am

. . . dammit!

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Post by whisperwood » Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:33 pm

:rave <- hissy fit

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Post by marilaine » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:34 pm

:loco This is making me more depressed.
We need JI-TV! ~marilaine :cool:
Gotta go. Logout time.

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Post by wolfsaver » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:58 pm

JI-TV-hmm-now there's a thought......

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