BBCAmerica - too american now?

[sojourner]

Anyone else upset about the recent lack of BBC/British shows on BBCA? Seems like they are showing too many American movies and old U.S. tv shows. (and only repeating about 8 episodes at that). I used to tune in to get my anglophile fix with all these quirky little shows, now it's just like watching Spike or FX. lame.

 

[KB24]

I've been for quite awhile now. In a word, yes, it is too American, they would rather show American made or supporting programming US audiences have already seen in a hopes for better ratings. This of course, is opposed to the channel's original intention, to highlight British programming new and of interest in America. It is simply selling out, and most all channels are doing it now.

TV Land no longer shows classic pre-80s television, Science Channel is showing science fiction, Planet Green has become the Zawi Hawass Egypt Channel. And you know what? This only makes me watch television and cable networks less. Maybe if they stuck to their damn niches, themes, and models, they would continue to maintain viewership. Just a radical notion, saying your going to show something and actually showing it keeps you in the good graces of your audience.

Hi!

 

[TemporalFlux]

The thing I've noticed is that BBC America seems to have a very limited selection. Everytine I turn over, it's Top Gear all day or The Tudors all day or Ramsay's Nervous Breakdowns all day. I'm actually glad to see the one off Next Gen or X-Files just because it's something breaking up the marathon of...whatever.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Considering most niche channels completely change their formats within a handful of years, I am pleasantly surprised BBC America actually shows any British Programs at all.

 

[marillion]

^^ I'm in agreement with all of the above... I really enjoyed the quaint, typically British programming, from the comedies to the reality programming. The movies they're showing in recent weeks have been fine, as they're all pretty good (except for Robin Hood PoT), but the X-Files and Star Trek? At least Patrick Stewart is British, but what about the X-Files makes it appropriate..

You might as well start showing wrestling on SyFy.. Oh.. Wait...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I agree with KB24, it's just part of an overall trend of cable shows not sticking with their original identity. SyFy is the most notorious offender, but just try to find actual history on the History Channel. And the National Geographic Channel has a lot more worth discovering than Discovery does. I wish there was a NatGeo style "backup" channel for history and sci fi as well.

As for British shows, can't everyone just Netflix them? I see no reason for any channel to waste timeslots on already-produced material.

Science Channel is showing science fiction

Is that the sci fi backup channel, then?

This only makes me watch television and cable networks less. Maybe if they stuck to their damn niches, themes, and models, they would continue to maintain viewership.

They're doing it to increase viewership. Skiffy tries out wresting and BBCAmerica tries out American reruns and sees their ratings go up. That counts a lot more than their brand identity (tho I think they're being pretty short-sighted there).

 

[Mr Light]

Why in the world are they airing Batman '89? Is anybody British in it?

Star Trek Next Generation? Battlestar Galactica? What's their reasoning, that one or two of the actors are British? Aren't they also airing the X-Files now?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

You may as well ask why skiffy is showing wrestling and cooking shows.

 

[Thena]

They're following the advertising money. When they discovered that the large audience for ST:TNG and DW would stick around and watch other sci-fi shows, they added X-Files. Sometimes it looks like they seem to be positioning BBC America as the channel for people who got fed up with SyFy. At least that's my take from a marketing perspective.

 

[Maab of the Ten Tribes]

I used to love BBCAmerica. I remember me and the wife would sit around on Friday nights and watch the comedy blocks they would show all night long. Thats how we discovered Coupling (which was brilliant). Sure we watched all of the re-runs of AbFab those nights but at least its a British show.

 

[Icemizer]

Could a possible problem be getting the rights to use proper British programming? I would prefer BBCA keep very British and eliminate almost all American product. I have several hundred other channels for that drivel.

 

[auntiehill]

I LOVE BBCA, but I, too, have a bit of a problem with seeing TNG and X-Files on there. I have also felt a bit annoyed by the shrinking selection of programs they offer. I watch DW, Top Gear, Being Human, etc, but they show very little else. It's the same programs repeated over and over (and over and over!). I miss the comedies and even the home and garden shows. They could at least try to put in a bit of variety.

 

[sojourner]

Could a possible problem be getting the rights to use proper British programming?.

I doubt this is the issue, considering they now show Dr. Who with almost no delay from the BBC broadcast of new episodes.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Just a radical notion, saying your going to show something and actually showing it keeps you in the good graces of your audience.

Except that niche channels' ratings and profits go up when they break out of the niche.

This is the only reason they do it.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Sometimes it looks like they seem to be positioning BBC America as the channel for people who got fed up with SyFy.

That would be great, but I'm not fed up with SyFy because of their lack of reruns. I don't want reruns from them or anyone else. I want Firefly and Farscape - shows of that caliber and type.

At least that's my take from a marketing perspective.

From a marketing perspective, they have no marketing perspective. They are going for the greatest ratings, and destroying their brand image in the process (that is, if they ever had a brand image; if not, they're losing the opportunity to create one). They're chasing immediate benefit at the expense of long-term strategy.

Or to put it differently, they're sales and not marketing driven. That gets you driven off a cliff. Just ask Detroit. What value does the BBCAmerica brand have, if it just means a bunch of random old crap?

 

[C.E. Evans]

If at the end of the day the goal is to get as many people as possible to watch their channel, they won't let the name of the channel get in the way, IMO...they'll rename it Billy Bob Carter's America if they have to.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

They'll call it BBCA and pretend it doesn't stand for anything.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

As others have noted, many of the channels are getting away from the niche programming stuff that used to actually make them different from all the others.

It's really sad to see. Some people are saying SyFy is the worst, but I think History Channel is the worst offender.

Exactly what do Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Shops and Larry the Cable Guy have to do with history? It's like anti-history!

Nick at Nite is awful. It seems to be non-stop George Lopez show reruns. TV Land still shows come older shows, but are moving more and more into bad new sit-coms. TLC is another terrible one. I remember when this channel used to be the Learning Channel. Now it's all reality shows.

Thank goodness for youtube and DVDs.

 

[KB24]

Changing your model of who you are is just cutting your nose to spite your face. Maybe adding popular American programming is literally helping BBCA at the moment, but the cable and streaming models are continuing to change, and if they did show Brit programming that wasn't available on netflix, they might do just as well. Hello, I have to wait 2 years at a time to see seasons of MI-5.

Yeah, History is pseudo history and paranormal stuff now and History International is like History Channel 2 showing all the reality crap. And the Military Channel has done more for Hitler than when Contact shot his speech out into Space for Vega to send back. Every channel I liked has changed. I'm down to The Hub, Hallmark, and GMC.

 

[T'Bonz]

As others have noted, many of the channels are getting away from the niche programming stuff that used to actually make them different from all the others.

It's really sad to see. Some people are saying SyFy is the worst, but I think History Channel is the worst offender.

Exactly what do Ice Road Truckers, Pawn Shops and Larry the Cable Guy have to do with history? It's like anti-history!

Absolutely. I used to enjoy the History Channel. Now it seems like all they air is trash.

I don't get BBC America (it's on the next tier with our cable system which is too expensive) but from what I've seen on their lineup, I'm not missing anything.

Too bad. I LIKE British shows, minus the ones where they're bringing antiques out of the attic to be appraised. British comedies are funny, I pay extra to get British news here and I love their documentaries. If they had more of those on, I might consider moving up to that next level of cable channels. (I'll spare the rant on our cable company. )