Grade orders review of BBC1 schedule
I'm glad that I'm not the only person in the world to feel that BBC One has become rather dull as of late, with the temptation to compete head on with ITV1 being too much at times. Don't get me wrong; BBC One is still more watchable than ITV1, but the notion of playing safe seems to overwhelm the channel at times when in reality it should be taking more risks.
Take tonight's peak time schedule for example; Bargain Hunt at 7pm is just about the cheapest primetime programme you can get away with showing - David Dickinson may be a cult figure but it really should be on BBC Two - and this is followed by 90 minutes of serial drama (EastEnders, Holby City). Even the new series 55 Degrees North at 9pm gives every indication of being just another "gritty regional cop drama"; viewers at this point have every reason to feel underwhelmed, regardless of how good it may actually turn out to be.
Competing head on with ITV1 may seem on paper to be the logical thing to do in order to attract (and hold) a certain category of viewer - ITV1's reasonably large viewing figures make this appear to be a viable option - but Lorraine Heggessey should bear in mind that not everyone thinks like an ITV1 viewer, and people often want to watch good quality programming during peak time that isn't particularly aimed at a certain demographic or interest group. The audience is (in general) not stupid.
It might be arguable that all this is yet another side effect of the BBC's overall digital strategy, since it was probably intended to make BBC One and Two marginally less attractive (or "more audience-specific") in order to persuade viewers into watching BBCs Three and Four instead, though the truth is probably halfway between this and the effect of budgetary constraints imposed by the introduction of the extra digital channels.
Whatever the reason, the UK's flagship channel needs to show more imagination (and quickly) that needs to extend beyond bringing back Doctor Who, since regardless of the fine points of the argument it could easily turn into a clearcut case of "innovate or get privatised".
