"BBC ordered to improve its comedy shows"

[Ignatius_S]

Regulators have told the BBC to improve its TV comedy output after the genre was found to be 'an area of particular weakness'.

Ofcom has set a quota for the number of hours of comedy that must be aired on BBC One and BBC Two – and address viewers' concerns that its comedy output was too traditional and risk-averse.
http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2017/10/13/38141/bbc_ordered_to_improve_its_comedy_shows

A story putting this into more context is: http://tbivision.com/news/2017/10/ofcom-imposes-wide-range-quotas-bbc/805722/

[biggytitbo]

BBC One and Two together air at least 115 hours of religious programming, including some in peak time.

What does that mean exactly?

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

What does that mean exactly?

Oh it means that BBC1 and 2 broadcast 115 hours' worth of programmes related to religion in the given time period.  Some of these programmes aired at 'peak time' or 'prime time' which is generally determined to be 17.30 to 23.00 in the UK.

[JoeyBananaduck]

I'm not surprised! I barely watch any of the main 5 channels now but last time I did I was shocked to see that over the BBC, with the exception of Mock The Week (I think) there wasn't a single new comedy show on Friday night. Last thing I genuinely loved on BBC2 was House Of Fools, and go figure, they shitcanned it.

[Rocket Surgery]

What does that mean exactly?

It means Malala Yousafzai pegged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in an opium den in Guam.

Run, doggy! Fetch!

[Neville Chamberlain]

Oh it means that BBC1 and 2 broadcast 115 hours' worth of programmes related to religion in the given time period.  Some of these programmes aired at 'peak time' or 'prime time' which is generally determined to be 17.30 to 23.00 in the UK.

What does that mean exactly?

[Bazooka]

Yeah House of Fools got cancelled and the rest is history.

[Virgo76]

A bit strange that Ofcom is criticising the BBC for being too risk averse. Doubtless if they did anything edgy or dangerous, they'd be down on them like a ton of bricks.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I was very fond of Pls Like (though I know that was BBC3) and still enjoy Would I Lie To You, but yeah, bar that the beeb's output is pretty awful.

[Norton Canes]

Looks like Detectorists is back just in time.

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

What does that mean exactly?

One of my younger brethren asked me who do you think will be top of division one this season, Manchester or Leeds?

Ah, sayeth I wisely, the Lord God is top of division one every season of our world.

[Ignatius_S]

A bit strange that Ofcom is criticising the BBC for being too risk averse. Doubtless if they did anything edgy or dangerous, they'd be down on them like a ton of bricks.

Not really. As per the second link I posted, Ofcom is now the BBC's first external regulator so it makes sense for it to say what direction of travel that the Beeb is expected to move in. There has been a lot of audience research that has suggested what the Chortle article suggests.

Also, as per previous discussions, broadcasters risk-aversive, which doesn't fit comedy well. For example, something I've posted beforeL https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/17/tracey-ullman-uk-comeback-tv-comedy-schedules-bbc

This article – https://mediatel.co.uk/newsline/2016/08/31/broadcasters-in-the-crosshairs/ - touches upon the Beeb's "landmark sitcom season" and that's something relevant to this discussion.

Essentially, we had far more resources given over to remaking, rebooting or recreating classic sitcoms. In one instance, a 'lost' episode of Steptoe and Son was supposedly recreated before the Beeb clarified (as pointed out here) that the original episode is in existence, albeit in black and white.

There are approximately five pilots for new shows – two of which (Motherland and the Johnny Vegas one) are going to make it to a full series.

Shane Allen has been the Beeb's comedy controller for about five years now, yet still sounds unsure about what to do: http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2017/04/10/36100/revealed%3A_what_the_bbcs_comedy_chief_wants_to_make Personally, I like the idea of more Comedy Playhouse, but in the last three years, it's managed to only have three episodes per year and when Mountain Goats is one of two series to be commissioned, you know you're in trouble. 

[shh]

A story putting this into more context is: http://tbivision.com/news/2017/10/ofcom-imposes-wide-range-quotas-bbc/805722/

Ethnic quotas? Jesus, talk about mission creep - since when was imposing positive discrimination in their remit? I thought Ofcom was a toothless competition regulator.

Ofcom is ultimately accountable to parliament. Does anyone else feel ever so slightly less than overjoyed at the idea that the BBC's comedic output is answerable to parliament? Who's for the Sitcom Select Committee's executive report into the 'Odd Couple' trope, chaired by Andrea Leadsom?

[Zetetic]

Here's the actual Ofcom release:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/original-uk-programmes-bbc

'Quotas' for the hiring targets is extremely misleading. Discrimination with respect to protected characteristics, positive or otherwise, is illegal in the UK outside of some extremely narrow special cases (religion and ethnicity in the PSNI is the only one that I'm aware of).

[Scrapey Fish]

I was very fond of Pls Like (though I know that was BBC3) and still enjoy Would I Lie To You, but yeah, bar that the beeb's output is pretty awful.

People Just Do Nothing and Murder in Successville both excellent, original shows. Both on BBC3 though

[Phil_A]

People Just Do Nothing and Murder in Successville both excellent, original shows. Both on BBC3 though

I'd add to that, This Country, Brian Pern: A Life In Rock and Going Forward.

[NoSleep]

Will Ofcom do anything about the BBC's political bias?

[itsfredtitmus]

Looks like Detectorists is back just in time.

And This Country!

[itsfredtitmus]

Maybe this will resurrect Graham Duff

[JoeyBananaduck]

At least it's a bit of wish fulfilment.

Bit like getting called into the Head's office.

"Beeb, do you know why you've been sent to see me"
*shuffles feet* "...my textbooks sir"
"Yes, your textbooks. What did you draw on them?"
"Nobs, sir."
"And why shouldn't you draw nobs on your textbooks?"
"Because it's immature, sir?"
"No, not because it's immature. Because it's massively derivative and these are just pale, lukewarm imitations of the far more hilarious nobs your father used to draw when he was a student here"

etc.