Cutting the BBC.

I love the BBC, and I'm a self-confessed Doctor Who obsessive. So when I first heard that they were axeing Doctor Who Confidential, and then I read about the other multitude of cuts, I was mightily disappointed.


Unlike many people, I have absolutely no problem with paying a licence fee if it means no adverts and better television. It was one of my first considerations on moving into my student house and set up very quickly so that I could watch Doctor Who live. Television is much classier and more quality-based on the BBC; I rarely watch an ITV programme because I don't enjoy television when it's all chopped up into pieces as I have an attention span longer than seven or eight minutes, and also their drama - whilst some of it is tolerable (Downton Abbey) - is generally-speaking pretty poor, and drama is what I enjoy best.


The BBC already provides a lot of variety, and it is this for which I am sad now that the cuts have had to be implemented. The pledges are that drama will be safe, and perhaps even receive more investment, but there are other areas of television in which I will be upset to see a drop. For example, removing some of the original content on BBC Two and subjecting it and us to more repeats is not great television: to take one programme, Top Gear is already repeated to death when there is no current series to be broadcast, and along with Dave helping the Beeb out, it looks as though if anyone goes any part of their life without Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on their screens for an hour, they will be a very, very slim minority.

It is also a mighty shame that BBC Four will be sharing themes and content ideas with BBC Two. BBC Four was a wonderful channel for slightly higher cultural or intellectual content, veering away from every other mainstream channel out there. Any reduction in its budget will be a sore loss.

And then I come to BBC Three. Now whilst I spend far more time watching BBC One, I do enjoy Three as well, particularly for the aforementioned Doctor Who Confidential. It also has the highly-acclaimed Being Human and I'm looking forward to the new sitcom Tom and Jenny. Whilst I appreciate that the controller wants to put more money into new drama for BBC Three, Confidential could easily be adapted to become a shorter programme (of fifteen, twenty or thirty minutes rather than its current forty-five) or even just specials, and it would not cost so much, and certainly not as much as it takes to make an entire new drama programme. A lot of the footage used will be happening anyway as they make Doctor Who! Confidential has been an entertaining (particularly with actors fooling around on set) and enlightening (I learnt more about television production by watching than by any other way) programme that has survived six series. With some adjustments, it could run a lot longer and for less money. If they are going to cut anything, I really wish they would cut Young, Dumb and Living Off Mum... As someone of a similar age to those people, I found the series amusing for a one-off and purely infuriating ever since. I know how to look after myself and no one rewarded me with a round-the-world trip (and neither should they)!.


So whilst I'm glad the whole channel is not folding, I really think the cuts could well be damaging, and that is a real pity. 


To join in with the Confidential campaign please sign this petition here: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savedwc; like this page on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/SaveDoctorWhoConfidential and follow @SaveDWC on Twitter.


For any complaints or comments to the BBC there is BBC Points of View.