BBC: Difference between revisions
→top: replaced: [[Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone → [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (novel)|
m (update links) |
(→top: replaced: [[Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone → [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (novel)|) |
||
| (12 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{creator}}
[[File:
{{quote|''"Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation"''|Official Motto}}
{{quote|''"To Inform. To Educate. To Entertain".''|Lord Reith's vision from the Charter}}
{{quote|
The BBC's full name is the British Broadcasting Corporation, not "Blurring, Buzzing Confusion" or "[[Biting the Hand Humor|Burmese Borough Council]]" or "Big British Castle" or "[[Bigger Is Better in Bed|Big Black Cocks]]" or "[[Homestar Runner|Boring Brown Chocolate]]" or "Brow Beating Communists" or indeed "[[Strawman News Media|Bastards Broadcasting Communism]]". Until 1955, when [[ITV]] was established, it broadcast the only TV channel in the United Kingdom. It is the world's largest broadcasting corporation, reaching 274 million households in 200 countries, compared to their closest rival, [[CNN]], with 200 million. The BBC Television Service, now BBC One, is the oldest television channel in the world.
Founded in 1922 as a privately owned radio network, it was "acquired" and made into a state network in 1927. It was relatively poorly funded until 1946, when the television licence was introduced. The income generated gave the BBC the power to truly innovate and effectively shape modern television in all countries, not just the United Kingdom.
Line 27:
* [[Speculative Fiction]], most notably ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Although the BBC made hardly any in-house SF or fantasy between the cancellation of the original ''[[Doctor Who]]'' in 1989 and its revival in 2005, according to rumour because of executive hostility to the genre. The only significant SFFH show made in that time was ''[[Red Dwarf]]'', which may have survived because of [[Misaimed Fandom]] on the part of the executives who thought it was laughing '''at''' the genre and its fans.
** Some American [[Speculative Fiction]] imports including ''[[Star Trek]]'' (apart from ''[[Enterprise]]''), ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]''.
** One of the BBC's indirect contributions to the world of [[Speculative Fiction]] deserves mention too. In 1997 the Radio 4 arts reporters took quite a shine to this [[Harry Potter and
* Comedy (often risk-taking, ground-breaking and highly influential, like ''[[Monty Python]]''). This includes the entire [[Panel Show]] genre.
* Natural History series, often narrated by [[David Attenborough]].
Line 42:
In addition, there are several digital-only stations:
* BBC Three - Comedy, the occasional film and repeats. Started off showcasing some new stuff like ''Nighty Night'' and ''[[Little Britain]]'', in addition to stuff like ''[[Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps]]'', [[Network Decay|but dove head first into the 16-24 demographic]] with shows like ''[[The Wrong Door]]'', ''[[Being Human (UK)]]'' and various pilots for comedies, effectively getting revamped as a platform for this age group's creative works - possibly a more youthful [[Spiritual Successor]] to [[Channel 4]]'s ''Comedy Lab'' as well as potential rival to T4. These have [[Spooks: Code 9|not all been successful]].
* BBC Four - Pretty much the visual equivalent of Radios 3 and 4, with widespread critical acclaim. Documentaries, classical music orientated programmes and television films and plays in the vein of ''Play for Today''. In [[The New Tens]], known for importing cop shows and other drama series from mainland European countries, not previously a UK tradition, including ''[[Engrenages]]'' from France, the original Swedish TV version of ''[[Wallander]]'', ''[[Forbrydelsen]]'' and ''[[Borgen]]'' from Denmark, and ''Il commissario Montalbano'' from Italy.
* [[CBBC]] - A kids' channel. Showing mostly British stuff with the occasional Australian drama or American cartoon. Broadcasts educational programming (a BBC charter requirement) during school hours.
Line 57:
The BBC (or, more accurately, BBC Worldwide) also part-owns a number of commercial channels, mainly the UKTV Network, responsible for channels such as Dave, Home and Blighty, as well as a print arm which handles the bulk of the magazines which license its properties (''[[Top Gear]]'' being one example) and listings magazine [[Radio Times]].
There's also [[BBC America]] ([[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|a cable network in the United States]]), which is the BBC in name only, being a privately run channel (although half-owned by BBC Worldwide, the other half being owned by [[Discovery Channel|Discovery Communications]]) that shows programmes from a variety of makers, including the real BBC's rivals ITV, Channel 4 and E4, most notably ''[[The Inbetweeners]]'' and ''[[Peep Show]]''. The name in America basically just means "British!". The channel does run some of the BBC's most popular programs, such as ''[[Top Gear]]'', ''[[Torchwood]]'' and, of course ''[[Doctor Who]]'' - all among of American extended cable's highest rated and critically acclaimed shows. It acquired the first-run rights to ''[[Doctor Who]]'' (which they initially only had repeat rights to), gaining them in a deal with their original American rights holders, Sci Fi Channel, later called [[
[[Mitch Benn]] wants you all to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q2iZuU5WM&feature=player_embedded be proud of it]. And why not?
Line 63:
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Networks]]
[[Category:
[[Category:Creator]]
[[Category:Pages with working Wikipedia tabs]]
[[Category:TLA]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:BBC, The}}
| |||