Network Affairs: BBC America

I love British television. In theory, thus, I should love BBC America. After all, that sounds like the channel for everything in British television, right? And surely, one would think, they would want to present a wide variety of the most excellent British programs available. Well, take a minute to look at the prime-time schedule, then we'll regroup.


Notice any problems? Like, oh, I don't know, Star Trek: The Next Generation being on every weeknight at 8? Despite that it's, you know, not actually a British program. And the pickings start to look pretty slim when you strip away the multiple episodes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Top Gear—this week is fairly non-representative in that I recall Top Gear being on nearly every night of late. Consequently I, who would be delighted to watch British television almost any evening, only watch BBC America when Doctor Who, one of the few highlights of their schedule, is on.

I think it's truly a waste of a network with a lot of potential. As a fan of British tv, I started thinking about how BBC America could change to become the kind of channel I, and presumably other Anglophiles, would be excited to watch.

Show Only British Programs

You would think this would be kind of a gimme, but, as Star Trek: The Next Generation proves, it's sadly not. Even those episodes of Kitchen Nightmares included in the schedule are often from the American version of the show. Clearly the rationale is that both programs feature Brits—Sir Patrick Stewart and Gordon Ramsay, respectively. But hey, if that's the case, why not show House? Or Lie to Me? Or Gossip Girl? Or nearly any American program on the air right now, as so many British actors are featured on American television. It's a ratings ploy, pure and simple, as there are surely more fans of science fiction and reality television than there are of seemingly more obscure British programs.

Many networks drift quite far from their original programming—hence MTV no longer being music-oriented, or A&E showing more true crime programs than anything related to arts and entertainment. I understand that. But I'm also confident that a savvy set of executives could sell a strong set of high-quality programs. Maybe that's naive, but I also think there are few networks filling the demand for that sort of programming. Step up to the plate, BBC America. British programs only. Period (or, if you prefer, full stop).

Capitalize On Your Actors

One of the neatest things about the British acting community, I think, is how small it really is. Start to watch a few shows or movies, and you can't help but see familiar faces pop up. The more you watch, the more actors you know, the more familiar faces pop up. Makes sense, right? Now, assume that people who watch a particular program like the actors on it. Not necessarily true, of course, but I think it would hold true that most viewers have to like someone in the cast to keep watching. This is the kind of situation that BBC America regularly fails to take advantage of.

For example, last year David Tennant finished up his arc on Doctor Who, one of the most successful programs on the network. One of his last specials co-starred the actor David Morrissey ("The Next Doctor"). Tennant and Morrissey also costarred in the British miniseries Blackpool, which is not currently available on American DVD. Imagine if BBC America had scheduled an airing (or multiple airings) of Blackpool around the time "The Next Doctor" aired. Don't you think some people might have been curious? And what if you also promoted the miniseries State of Play, starring Morrissey and John Simm, who costarred in Tennant's last two Doctor Who episodes. BBC America has aired these programs before, I imagine, but what a time to capitalize on a heightened awareness of these actors by Doctor Who fans. They could have moved on to promoting Life On Mars, starring Simm and Philip Glenister. Glenister is also in Demons, which is already on the network's schedule. It's like 6 degrees of British actors. If I can do it, surely they could give it a spin.

Bring In The Panel Shows

Ever heard of QI (Quite Interesting)? It's a panel show hosted by Stephen Fry, featuring a rotating cast of British comedians. Each week, the show has a theme (Gothic, for example, or Geometry—each season is organized by letter; season 7, the most recently aired, was G) and Fry asks questions of his guests in the hopes of getting correct responses - or at least interesting ones. It's very clever, and very, very funny—and you won't find it anywhere on American TV. The same goes for panel shows like Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You, You Have Been Watching, and, one of my personal favorites, the annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year. They're highly entertaining, and I honestly am not sure why they have not yet found a home on BBC America.

QI is the easy pick of the bunch, as Stephen Fry has the biggest name recognition in the US, especially among fans of British TV. But my 6 degrees of British actors idea applies to comedians on panel shows as well. Watch a few programs, and the familiar faces will pop up again: David Mitchell, Bill Bailey, Phil Jupitus, Charlie Brooker, Sean Locke, Jimmy Carr, Rich Hall, Alan Davies, Rob Brydon—I can pretty much guarantee that one or more of these fellows will be on any panel show you watch. And you can also tie them into your comedy and drama programming! Mitchell has Peep Show and That Mitchell and Webb Look (both have been on BBCAmerica); Bailey is on Black Books; Davies has Jonathan Creek; Brydon, Gavin & Stacey. The best part is, most people are not so devoted (read: nerdy) as I am, and this will all be new programming for them, even though there's years of material. It solves what I imagine is a common problem in programming British television, which is that many shows have only 6 episodes per season, and even the longer runs are only 12 or 13. Well, plug 7 seasons of QI somewhere in the schedule. Surely you could take off one night of Star Trek per week for that. Heck, show them at midnight. Just show them, because right now we Americans are missing out on a lot of fun.

Air New Programs As Quickly As Possible

Obviously I have no idea of the logistics of running a network, and the expense of showing x number of programs over y amount of time. Licensing of new programs—however that works—is probably expensive. But one thing I think BBC America is doing well is showing certain programs—notably Doctor Who and The Graham Norton Show—relatively soon after they air in Britain. This week's Doctor Who finale aired less than a month ago on the BBC, for example. This could be done much more widely.

When BBC America was airing season 2 of Ashes to Ashes in May, Brits were finishing up season 3. All that results in is the most avid fans looking for other avenues to viewing British shows. Stay timely, and a good portion of people will wait to be able to watch full episodes on their televisions rather than ten minute clips on YouTube. But they'll watch on YouTube if that's what's available. Plus, looking on the BBC Dramas homepage, I see there is a new adaptation of Sherlock Holmes starting Sunday, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, co-created by Doctor Who showrunner Stephen Moffat. Can we have that, please? Soon-ish?

All I'm asking for is a reason to keep tuning in to BBC America once Doctor Who finishes up. I want to watch this network—I just want it to be worth my while.