How unique is the BBC?

[verindae]

Incidentally I'd happily pay my license fee just for Top Gear, It's awesome, I was just curious as to what anyone else would care to say on it

Top Gear is a prime example of what the BBC can do when it finds a format that works. Sadly I do not see the showing going on for many more years. I can't see how they can up the ante from what they've already done.

Perhaps they could take a leaf out of the twlight espisodes of David Tennant's run as 'The Doctor'; one-off episodes spread out through the year. Perhaps more of thier trademark epic voyages on a budget, they're always the best episodes.

Yeah nothing lasts forever, but at least we'll have the memories... and the DVD's... and Dave

 

[Hateren47]

AFAIK all countries have some sort of TV licence and probably a channel sponsored like BBC. But without Sir David Attenborough I'm afraid they aren't very good. Danish Broadcasting (DR) is terrible compared to BBC.

 

[Ava Elzbieta]

I remember a story about Jeremy Clarkson when he was asked to make a version of 'Top Gear' in America for a cable network I cannot remember the name of. He was driving thisgod-awful dodge around a track and telling the camera exactly what he though of it. The network refused to air the episode, saying Dodge would pull thier advertising from thier channels if they did. Chrysler did not advertise on this channel, so he volunteered to test a car from Chrysler, which he also, (predictably,) hated. They refused to air that part too, saying if they did Chrysler would never advertise on thier channel, (or at least not for the forseeable future.)

Why, yes, that is how it works over here. I couldn't imagine it described with more accuracy or more succinctly either: thank you very much for sharing Clarkson's insght.

I wouldn't want to watch a channel that cared about it's sponosers more than journalistic integrity.

Living in the land of the Rupert Murdoch News Broadcasting and Newspaper Network, it seems journalistic integrity is harder for me to find than Bigfoot making a dodo egg omelette.

Incidentally I'd happily pay my license fee just for Top Gear, It's awesome, I was just curious as to what anyone else would care to say on it

As would I, dear friend, as would I. Sponsoring things like Jeremy Clarkson driving through the BBC offices or building a rocketship out of a Reliant Robin would make my wallet proud. I would, however, very much like a viewer's companion for overseas viewers who may not be familiar with the lingo or car brands.

 

[jasoncyrus]

There was some banter on another topic, (avaliable here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.227261-BBC-Unveils-Third-Doctor-Who-Game) about why people outside the UK are having to pay for the new Doctor Who games. The answer, of course, is because The British pay the license fee so these games could be made.

This got me thinking, how many other country's have a government supported central broadcasting company like the BBC? (I'm not talking propaganda, I'm talking proper television.) And for those of you in countries who do not have a BBC-like company, does the idea of one appeal to you?

I'd rather stick with sky since aside from maybe 5 programs all it airs is idiotic rubbish like east enders etc.