What are the most left-wing BBC programs of the past 10 years or so?

[Funcrusher]

BBC Panorama's program 'investigating' how 'prevalent' antisemitism was in the Labour Party during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership wasn't very left wing.

[superthunderstingcar]

I am noticing that no one is referencing any documentaries (apart from the David Attenborough documentaries); is there nothing at all over the past 10 plus years that might qualify for discussion?

David Harewood on Blackface was a recent documentary (July this year) that examined the history of... well, blackface (hence the name), with clips from both old Hollywood movies as well as the BBC's own archive - The Black & White Minstrel Show featured prominently.

In one section David Harewood and historian David Olusoga went through internal BBC memos from the 1960s to show that the B&W Minstrel Show was getting complaints from at least as early as 1962, but which the management arrogantly and patronisingly dismissed out of hand. At one point even claiming that the letters in the Daily fucking Mail in support of the programme reflected the true opinion of the public!

I don't know how "left-wing" you'd call this, but compare it to the erasing of black and other minority history ("whitewashing" of history, if you like) that the "right-wing" seem to always be calling for, in both the UK and USA, and this would seem to me to be at least on the right correct side.

[gilbertharding]

David Harewood on Blackface was a recent documentary (July this year) that examined the history of... well, blackface (hence the name), with clips from both old Hollywood movies as well as the BBC's own archive - The Black & White Minstrel Show featured prominently.

In one section David Harewood and historian David Olusoga went through internal BBC memos from the 1960s to show that the B&W Minstrel Show was getting complaints from at least as early as 1962, but which the management arrogantly and patronisingly dismissed out of hand. At one point even claiming that the letters in the Daily fucking Mail in support of the programme reflected the true opinion of the public!

I don't know how "left-wing" you'd call this, but compare it to the erasing of black and other minority history ("whitewashing" of history, if you like) that the "right-wing" seem to always be calling for, in both the UK and USA, and this would seem to me to be at least on the right correct side.

Lots of David Olusoga's programmes (I'm thinking of his several series about A House Through Time) inevitably touch on the issues of slavery and/or poverty in a matter-of-fact way which I'm sure right wing people would find objectionable in some way they couldn't define (if that's a low enough bar to qualify as 'left wing' these days).

[Senior Baiano]

I suspect most right wing people would be able to define their objections after a few jars in the nineteenth hole

[gilbertharding]

I suspect most right wing people would be able to define their objections after a few jars in the nineteenth hole

Well, quite.

[Toki]

Paul Whitehouse fronted that two part documentary about how tories are shitting in our rivers while laughing and patting each other on the back. It showed plenty of activists being rightfully furious with the privatisation of water, but because it's the BBC they have to read out bullshit statements from the water companies denying any responsibility. To be fair, Whitehouse's tone of voice while reading these out is barely concealing his anger. Having said that, I haven't finished the second part. Maybe it ends with the announcement that actually Thatcherism is a success and not a short-sighted, cruel, exploitative yeah yeah you know where I'm going with this.

It seemed left-of-centre, anyway.

[Norton Canes]

In many respects most BBC programming is universally liberal, if not exactly left-wing. Casting and commissioning is diverse across gender, race and disability. Climate changed is referenced on all news and factual programmes. Terms like 'ally' are now being included to reflect current attitudes to cultural power imbalances.

Like I say, perhaps not the product of a radical leftist agenda, but certainly a product of a left-wing mindset.

[gilbertharding]

In many respects most BBC programming is universally liberal, if not exactly left-wing. Casting and commissioning is diverse across gender, race and disability. Climate changed is referenced on all news and factual programmes. Terms like 'ally' are now being included to reflect current attitudes to cultural power imbalances.

Like I say, perhaps not the product of a radical leftist agenda, but certainly a product of a left-wing mindset.

Well, yes, but until recently even actual Conservative members of parliament knew that it was bad to be racist, sexist and homophobic (so you had to at least pretend not to be).

It is true though - having Alex Scott present the football does wind up taxi drivers, so who can say if it's bad.

[jamiefairlie]

The lack of anything remotely resembling any form of economic critique or discussion is very telling. The forces of the establishment have very successful in corralling left wing to being about anything other than core economics because  questioning of that is what they fear the most.

[tribalfusion]

The lack of anything remotely resembling any form of economic critique or discussion is very telling. The forces of the establishment have very successful in corralling left wing to being about anything other than core economics because  questioning of that is what they fear the most.

Definitely. It's the most glaring area and the one which is the most heavily policed in a variety of ways, even in academia as well.

You can have 'radical' ideas in anthropology departments or comparative literature, but the closer you get to an economics department...
 

[tribalfusion]

In many respects most BBC programming is universally liberal, if not exactly left-wing. Casting and commissioning is diverse across gender, race and disability. Climate changed is referenced on all news and factual programmes. Terms like 'ally' are now being included to reflect current attitudes to cultural power imbalances.

Like I say, perhaps not the product of a radical leftist agenda, but certainly a product of a left-wing mindset.

Definitely not radical leftist, and I wouldn't call it the product of a left-wing mindset either.

It sounds like you are referencing basic scientific consensus and fairly widely agreed upon liberal notions in modern western democracies as to representation and identity.

In other words, changing a bit the physical makeup of the ruling class and its managers perhaps, but not its dominance.

Multinational corporations can and do promote the very same language and goals quite often.

[Mr Vegetables]

The episode of Doctor Who where they have to buy their own oxygen is what comes to mind for me; that's from 2017 so comfortably within the last ten years. Doesn't that have Doctor Who explicitly saying capitalism is terrible?

[tribalfusion]

BBC Panorama's program 'investigating' how 'prevalent' antisemitism was in the Labour Party during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership wasn't very left wing.

Were there any voices repeatedly seen to be supportive of Corbyn anywhere on BBC programming?

[jamiefairlie]

The episode of Doctor Who where they have to buy their own oxygen is what comes to mind for me; that's from 2017 so comfortably within the last ten years. Doesn't that have Doctor Who explicitly saying capitalism is terrible?

Doesn't say what would be better or even an alternative.

[tribalfusion]

Doesn't say what would be better or even an alternative.

Well, I doubt Dr Who has heterodox economists working on their scripts ;)

While I'd prefer to see genuinely radical programming, comments and suggestions which point out what the current ideological boundaries and limits are, as meek as those may be, are still quite welcome.

[jamiefairlie]

Well, I doubt Dr Who has heterodox economists working on their scripts ;)

While I'd prefer to see genuinely radical programming, comments and suggestions which point out what the current ideological boundaries and limits are, as meek as those may be, are still quite welcome.

The problem with this kind of soft criticism is that without offering a realistic alternative it's paradoxically disempowering.

[tribalfusion]

The problem with this kind of soft criticism is that without offering a realistic alternative it's paradoxically disempowering.

While I certainly would enjoy it personally, it's hardly realistic to expect dramas to fully explore questions of political economy well beyond the scope of their format to flesh out. It would be very odd to treat anything which doesn't make a comprehensive attempt as indistinguishable from programming which makes none at all at best and actively works against such a worldview at worst.

Suggesting that programs shouldn't highlight issues which can lead to more extended discussion, historical struggles or hint at broader and more in depth analysis would be a very strange position for someone on the left to take. I hope that isn't your case.

[jamiefairlie]

While I certainly would enjoy it personally, it's hardly realistic to expect dramas to fully explore questions of political economy well beyond the scope of their format to flesh out. It would be very odd to treat anything which doesn't make a comprehensive attempt as indistinguishable from programming which makes none at all at best and actively works against such a worldview at worst.

Suggesting that programs shouldn't highlight issues which can lead to more extended discussion, historical struggles or hint at broader and more in depth analysis would be a very strange position for someone on the left to take. I hope that isn't your case.

Yea but they don't lead to extended discussions do they (not in the media anyway). It's just a form of mini tantrum, 'everything sucks!' And it's just left there with no follow up. That's why it's dispiriting and disempowering.

[Shaxberd]

As I see it, as an ostensibly impartial broadcaster, the BBC embodies the Overton Window. It knows that broadcasting anything outside of what is currently within the limits of the politically acceptable risks its funding. This applies to the right wing as well - although the likes of Andrew Neill and Nigel Farage are acceptable, I can't imagine the Beeb would give airtime to someone prepared to sincerely put forward a case for a return to feudalism or all-out free-market libertarianism (of the internet crank "no government at all, hard drugs and child porn should be legal" variety).

Was there a time when the BBC ever did broadcast anything genuinely critical of capitalism itself, or provide fair airtime to the left? I can think of a few lefty comedians who got radio shows but that's about it - I would say primarily it's a liberal organisation, open to social change but not to fundamentally reorganising society. Given it's state funded, I can't imagine it any other way. (Not that commercial funding is any more of an incentive, I hasten to add.)

[Endicott]

The lack of anything remotely resembling any form of economic critique or discussion is very telling. The forces of the establishment have very successful in corralling left wing to being about anything other than core economics because  questioning of that is what they fear the most.

Agree with this, and it's mostly across the board not just the BBC. It's annoying that I have to turn to youtube to find any decent economic criticism, or economics expressed from a left wing perspective.

[Endicott]

I've mentioned him before but Simon Reeve's travelogue shows, whether it's home or abroad he always finds a way to speak to the poorest in an area and highlight the structural problems keeping them in poverty. That might not be left wing per se, but then I can't think of anyone right wing who does anything similar.

[tribalfusion]

Yea but they don't lead to extended discussions do they (not in the media anyway). It's just a form of mini tantrum, 'everything sucks!' And it's just left there with no follow up. That's why it's dispiriting and disempowering.

It can be, if done in the way you suggested, but there's a wide range of options available.

Moreover, many times, for people, just seeing something which resonates with their own lives portrayed in struggles on the printed page or screen can do a lot for their own understanding of the issues they face and aid in developing their worldview.

[centristmelt]

Question Time

[tribalfusion]

Agree with this, and it's mostly across the board not just the BBC. It's annoying that I have to turn to youtube to find any decent economic criticism, or economics expressed from a left wing perspective.

There have been documentary series produced and aired elsewhere with explicit heterodox econ commitments. I don't know of anything from the BBC which is why I asked (I'm also not based in the area and am simply scouring the archives to see what has been done) but for example, there is this documentary series:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4896038/

or this one:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11122262/

[tribalfusion]

As I see it, as an ostensibly impartial broadcaster, the BBC embodies the Overton Window. It knows that broadcasting anything outside of what is currently within the limits of the politically acceptable risks its funding. This applies to the right wing as well - although the likes of Andrew Neill and Nigel Farage are acceptable, I can't imagine the Beeb would give airtime to someone prepared to sincerely put forward a case for a return to feudalism or all-out free-market libertarianism (of the internet crank "no government at all, hard drugs and child porn should be legal" variety).

Was there a time when the BBC ever did broadcast anything genuinely critical of capitalism itself, or provide fair airtime to the left? I can think of a few lefty comedians who got radio shows but that's about it - I would say primarily it's a liberal organisation, open to social change but not to fundamentally reorganising society. Given it's state funded, I can't imagine it any other way. (Not that commercial funding is any more of an incentive, I hasten to add.)

As I mentioned in my opening post, there have been some works here and there which were far more radical in terms of political economy and general socialist solidarity decades ago on the BBC.

The work Ken Loach and Mike Leigh did for television was extraordinary. Anyone who hasn't seen Loach's Days of Hope and is remotely interested in these questions should do so immediately.

There also were documentaries by John Berger and there is John Pilger's work from back in the day, among others.

Both men would likely be unable to get even a few minutes on the BBC today. I have yet to see anything approaching any of these things in recent times, and that's also why I put the question out in order there to see if I have missed anything.

[Wacky Homemade Badges]

The Sky At Bennite

[Wacky Homemade Badges]

Tankietubbies

[Wacky Homemade Badges]

David Hare wrote something a few years ago, didn't he. Everyone from across the political spectrum seemed to agree it was bollocks.

[superthunderstingcar]

Was there a time when the BBC ever did broadcast anything genuinely critical of capitalism itself, or provide fair airtime to the left? I can think of a few lefty comedians who got radio shows but that's about it - I would say primarily it's a liberal organisation, open to social change but not to fundamentally reorganising society. Given it's state funded, I can't imagine it any other way. (Not that commercial funding is any more of an incentive, I hasten to add.)

What counts as "fair airtime to the left" and how far back do we need to go? In the 1990s the BBC made Our Friends in the North, the last major left-leaning drama series of the, er, Major era. Further back than that there were loads more such dramas during the Thatcher-Major years, and didn't the Tories just hate the BBC for them. Funny that there haven't been the same kinds of things since the Tories got back in in 2010. Although even if there had been they could never have had the same kind of reach and impact on the public, due to the fractured modern TV landscape. Still... funny.

Now, if we go back to the Cold War, the '70s might as well have been a different world, never mind a different country. Not only were Trade Union leaders frequently seen on political discussion shows, on an equal footing with other politicians, but also the BBC broadcast Fall of Eagles, a drama about the end of the German, Austrian and Russian Empires in WW1, in which one of the five(ish) main parts was Lenin - played by Patrick "reached for the phone to call my lawyer" Stewart - who gets a freeze-frame and superimposed caption with his name and dates to end one of the episodes on, which sort of gives the impression that Lenin is the hero of the whole series.

And in the '60s the BBC was so progressive (by the general standards of the time) that Mary Whitehouse described the then-Director General as being "the devil incarnate."

Are the goalposts now set so that in order to be counted as left-wing a programme has to be "genuinely critical of capitalism itself"? Might that be setting the bar a touch too high?

Fuck it, post.

[beanheadmcginty]

That BBC4 lecture given by Jeremy Deller about rave culture called "Everybody in the Place" very deliberately allowed the audience to draw their own conclusions, but there was absolutely no doubt what those conclusions should be from the information presented.