No broadcaster invests more in their Christmas schedule than the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and I know viewers will rightly expect us to have not only the best programmes on over the festive period, but also a brilliant choice of new shows.
And the thing is, despite headlines criticising the number of repeats on TV this year – across all channels and not just the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ β€“ I feel confident that when you take a more realistic look at our line-up, you’ll realise that we have actually done everything possible given our financial restraints, to spend licence fee money in the very best way for viewers.
Unashamedly we focus the majority of our resource on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One and in particular its primetime schedule -the time of day when more people are watching TV than any other. Sit in front of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One each evening for the week between December 20th and December 27th and every programme between 6.30pm and 10.30pm is brand new apart from Toy Story 3, a classic episode of The Royle Family, and an episode of Mrs Brown’s Boys. A grand total of just over 3hrs.
On Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two we have a different strategy – it’s the home for exciting new shows such as the two part Top Gear Patagonia Special, the return of The Wrong Mans with James Corden and Matthew Baynton, Carols from Kings, and world class Natural History programming such as Snow Wolf Family and Me - but I’m not going to apologise for showing classics such as Blackadder’s Christmas Carol and The Two Ronnies: Christmas Show and the fantastic drama, Marvellous. Would it be better that we lock these incredibly popular shows in a vault? That programmes enjoyed by millions are never to be seen again for fear of critics bemoaning repeats? The irony is we get more requests for repeats from our viewers, than complaints about those shown and that’s testament to the quality and popularity of many of the titles we choose to show again over the Christmas period.
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ does make – and has made – some of the very best television in the world. I think Christmas is a time to enjoy both the new and the old, across every genre from drama to entertainment, religion, factual, comedy and childrens. I really do believe we have something for everyone.
Danny Cohen is Director, TV
This blog post first appeared on the website on Thursday 4 December 2014.