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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bbc_2021.png]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:"This is London calling."[[note]]Now Salford. Mostly.[[/note]] ]]
3
4->''"Nation shall speak peace unto Nation"''
5-->--Official Motto
6
7->''"To Inform. To Educate. To Entertain".''
8-->--Lord Reith's vision from the Charter
9
10''[[https://youtu.be/Shk2LjEf3jg "This is The BBC."]]''
11
12[[http://www.bbc.co.uk/ The BBC]]'s full name is the British Broadcasting Corporation, [[FunWithAcronyms not]] "Blurring, Buzzing Confusion," or "Best British Cheekbones," or "[[BitingTheHandHumor Burmese Borough Council]]" or "[[Creator/AdamAndJoe Big British Castle]]" or "[[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Boring Brown Chocolate]]" or indeed "[[StrawmanNewsMedia Bastards Broadcasting Communism]]" or even "[[http://web.archive.org/web/20090720095811/http://teeveepedia.teevee.net/index.php/BBC Blimey, Bollocks, an' Cor!]]". Or indeed, [[BlackIsBiggerInBed any other phrase abbreviated to BBC]]. Until 1955, when Creator/{{ITV}} was established, it broadcast the only TV channel in the United Kingdom. It is the world's largest broadcasting corporation, reaching 274 million households in 200 countries, compared to their closest rival, CNN, with 200 million. The BBC Television Service, now BBC One, is one of the oldest television channels in the world, having been established in 1936.
13
14Founded in 1922 as a privately owned radio network, it was "acquired" and made into a state network in 1927. It was relatively poorly funded until 1946, when the television licence was introduced. The income generated gave the BBC the power to truly innovate and effectively shape modern television in all countries, not just the United Kingdom.
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16In 1964, BBC 2 (later BBC Two) was launched to cover less mainstream programming. More recently, the network has added several digital channels to its line up, including BBC Three, BBC Four, and other more specialized channels, such as Creator/{{CBBC}}. BBC Radio, meanwhile, offers five national channels as well as several regional and online-only channels. The BBC also broadcasts radio and TV channels outside the UK, such as the World Service and BBC Prime.
17
18The BBC Television Service is very different from most other British networks in that it is publicly funded by the UK Television Licence; if you watch live broadcast TV in the United Kingdom, on TV or a live internet stream, then you must fund the BBC (to the tune of about £140 per year or, as the BBC likes to put it, 39p a day), a system widely used across Europe with most countries having a similar TV licence to fund their national broadcaster. Most non-British individuals (especially Americans) tend to misinterpret the Television License as being the equivalent of a driver's license or a gun license, when in actuality it's best described as "the government is your cable company," an idea that also sounds dystopian to a lot of Americans used to private broadcasting and the more decentralised nature of Creator/{{PBS}} and Creator/{{NPR}}. The better analogy is less a driver's license and more vehicle registration as it's essentially a tax you pay to the government each year for owning a TV. The upshot is that the BBC's programming is advertisement-free (bar trailers between programmes), at least on its domestic channels, and thus they can take more risks, although it's been a matter of media, public, and government debate as to whether they're actually doing this. It's also supposed to be free of bias in areas like news reporting (like every other public broadcaster in the UK - no [[Series/TheOReillyFactor Bill O'Reillys]] or [[Series/CountdownWithKeithOlbermann Keith Olbermanns]] here, no siree[[note]]the BBC has sacked or suspended, and at the very least talks severely to, presenters who let their political views show freely. Radio/SarahKennedy, for instance, or [[Series/BluePeter Zoe Salmon]] are famous reprimandees[[/note]]), although practically every opposition party has accused it of supporting the current government and at least one government has accused it of the opposite. It takes this very seriously, and extends it to international affairs - it famously declared during the UsefulNotes/FalklandsWar that "the widow in Portsmouth is no different from the widow of Buenos Aires." Finally, it's meant to be responsible with the money it receives - although it had to fork out £50,000 of licence money on a fine after a phone-in scandal. They've recently been criticised for paying out-going exectives much more than what was stated in their contract. Which paled in comparison with the £90 ''million'' that it later blew on an unworkable digital video archiving system.
19
20The BBC's news service is essentially second to none in the UK and for much of the wider world, it provides a global TV and radio service in the form of the World Service, which some governments have jammed at times and was the real-life VoiceOfTheResistance in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and behind the Iron Curtain during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. The BBC continues in this role today in countries where media is censored by the government. Its political and current affairs programming has a reputation for the highly adversarial style of some prominent presenters; it's not unheard of for Series/{{Newsnight}} or The Today Programme to draw viewer/listener complaints for being ''too hard'' on the politicians they're interviewing.
21
22That's not to say they haven't occasionally slipped. They were accused of misinforming people during the Iraq War, and more recently during the Scottish Independence Referendum, they were accused of being biased in favour of preserving the Union, to the point that there were thousands of protesters outside BBC Scotland in Glasgow. Former BBC Director-General Mark Thompson has acknowledged that the BBC has a "liberal bias" and was previously guilty of a "massive bias to the Left" (after years of complaints from conservatives) and he suggested that the Corporation should recruit more conservatives to correct this. Its coverage of Brexit has also come under scrutiny. The think tank News Watch found that during the 2016 EU referendum and its aftermath the BBC's coverage displayed [[http://news-watch.co.uk/bbc-brexit-collection-strong-bias-against-leaving-the-eu/ "a strong bias against leaving the EU"]], giving substantially more airtime to Remain supporters and pro-Remain arguments, while Remain supporters accused it of having a pro-Leave bias. [[note]]In the run-up to the European elections in 2019, it was commented upon that Nigel Farage was given a lot more airtime than his position as a Leave spokesman realistically called for (which had already been happening for years, with Farage being given a ridiculously high number of Question Time showings despite his Party only ever winning one seat in 2015), whilst Remain spokesperson Heidi Allen was seen as such a threat to unbiased reporting that an episode of ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou'' in which she appeared as a panellist was censored and taken off-air. In the 2019 General Election, political editor Laura Kuennsberg was called out twice for "errors of judgement", one of which involved an actual breach of election law. Both her errors of judgement massively favoured the Conservative Party. Ironically despite this the Conservative Goverment has begun threatening to defund the BBC and scrap the license fee, meaning if the BBC showed favour to them in the hopes they would be grateful they were mistaken.[[/note]]
23
24Note that not only is advertising on the BBC simply not done, ProductPlacement is actually a violation of the Ofcom Code (although it will now be allowed on other networks), and people have complained when brand names are visible on screen. For example, an episode of ''Series/{{Spooks}}'' was pulled and [[ProductDisplacement digitally edited]] after it was pointed out on a preview that some computers in the background had the Apple logo visible. Creator/DavidTennant's Converse All-Stars in ''Series/DoctorWho'' had the logo painted over. For many years they even refused to broadcast any songs which mentioned brand names (the most famous example being the forced removal of a reference to Coca-Cola from "Lola" by Music/TheKinks to get BBC airplay). This may seem overly touchy, but the BBC's lack of advertising has earned it some level of immunity to corporate influence - for example, when ''Series/{{Top Gear|UK}}'' (in the 90s, before it became an international phenomenon with hundreds of millions of weekly viewers) condemned a particular car from an Italian car company, their CEO allegedly demanded that they "pull all the advertising from Top Gear's network" in order to influence them into a retraction.
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26At least 25% of the BBC's output (excluding news) must be made by outside independent production companies, with another 25% split between indie and in house production. Many well known "BBC" programmes are actually made by indies such as ''Series/{{Spooks}}'', ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'', ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'', ''Series/LifeOnMars2006'', ''Series/{{QI}}'', ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou'', and ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross''. This requirement was introduced to help the UK indie industry. These are genuine independent production companies who retain ownership of the rights for repeats, syndication, DVD and overseas sales etc, unlike the US (and Creator/Channel4) where production company names in the show's credits are effectively vanity names and do not alter the fact that the show is made by the studio who own all the rights.
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28Criticisms of BBC programmes will often call them "a waste of the licence fee". Praise will often include the phrase "worth the licence fee alone" ([[Creator/CraigCharles Craig]] [[Series/RedDwarf Charles]]' 6 Music ''Funk and Soul Show'' uses this as a catchphrase). Having just mentioned ''Top Gear'', anyone saying either of that about TG is missing the point as the show is now self-supporting via TheMerch and sales of international rights. UsefulNotes/RupertMurdoch-owned papers often attack it, for reasons that [[BlatantLies are totally not related to its status as a serious contender with his own]] Creator/{{Sky}} network.[[note]]Since 2018, Sky now operates under the control of Comcast.[[/note]]
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30More seriously, in 2012 the BBC came under fire with the horrific revelations of the crimes of mainstay Creator/JimmySavile (longtime presenter of ''Series/TopOfThePops'', ''Clunk Click'', and ''Jim'll Fix It''), who died the previous year. Savile used his celebrity status as both a presenter and charity advocate to sexually abuse possibly hundreds of people, mostly children and teens, over the decades, and questions of how much BBC brass knew of his conduct behind-the-scenes and what they covered up were raised. Despite these batterings it maintains a reasonable level of public trust among media organisations (at 44%, the highest in Britain, [[http://www.newstatesman.com/broadcast/2012/11/bbc-still-most-trusted-media-organisation in fact]], although this figure represented a 37% fall from a similar poll in 2003), and is a source of pride to many Britons.
31
32It should be said that not everyone is particularly fond of the license fee. An e-petition on the UK Government website calling for the licence fee to be scrapped was signed by 125,000 people, enough to trigger a parliamentary debate on the issue. 200,000 people signed a petition on the 38 Degrees petition site in favour of axing the license fee. Critics of the licence fee argue that, in an age of literally thousands of free to air TV channels, not to mention numerous subscription channels, they should not be obliged, under threat of fines and imprisonment,[[note]]The penalty for non-payment of the licence fee is a £1000 fine. Failure to pay the fine can result in a prison sentence.[[/note]] to pay for a service they do not necessarily want or even watch, especially as the BBC's major sport coverage has dwindled to almost nothing, while it has failed to produce a drama series to rival those of HBO or Netflix for many years. This, however, was promptly dwarfed by a petition in favour of keeping the license and the government's hands off the BBC, which is at 380,000 people and rising. This is considerably larger than the population of Cardiff and approximately equivalent to the population of New Orleans or Bristol. It's safe to say that this issue raises strong feelings.
33
34Notable BBC programmes are many indeed. A modern BBC programme can be pretty easily identified these days. During TheTeaser or TitleSequence, the BBC logo will appear on the screen while other things are going on. (The BBC actually lays down very strict rules on when and where the logo appears, as well as its size and duration on screen. This is due to the BBC logo's appearance in {{Title Sequence}}s being a way for engineers to tell if a programme is being broadcast in the correct AspectRatio - if the usually perfectly square logo is squashed or stretched, it's in the wrong aspect ratio.)
35
36Genre-wise, the BBC's particular specialities are:
37* CostumeDrama - a ''lot'' of it. It's widely exported.
38* RadioDrama - The Beeb is almost as famous for its radio adaptations, comedies and dramas as it is for its TV dramas. In the past they have aired such ground breaking material as ''Radio/TheGoonShow'' (which inspired almost every British comedy since and was even referenced in ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1''), adapted many novels, such as the whole of Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' series, and produced such long running and loved shows as ''Radio/JustAMinute'', ''Radio/ImSorryIHaventAClue'', and, of course, the most popular show of all, ''Radio/TheArchers'', an extremely accurate and topical depiction of -- of all things -- farming... Seriously, it's been going since ''1950'' and it's the most popular show on Radio 4. ''Radio/TheGoonShow'' once did a spoof of it and ''the spoof version is still completely accurate''. People who join on as young actors on that show have been known to leave by ''dying of old age in real life''. At the height of its popularity ''60% of the country tuned in every week''. It currently has over 17,000 episodes and is considered the longest running soap opera (and second longest running radio show, after ''Desert Island Discs'') ever made - and that's on a channel full of contenders for that title.
39* SpeculativeFiction, most notably ''Series/DoctorWho''. Although the BBC made hardly any in-house SF or fantasy between the cancellation of the original ''Series/DoctorWho'' in 1989 and its revival in 2005, according to rumour because of [[SciFiGhetto executive hostility to the genre]]. The only significant SFFH show made in that time was ''Series/RedDwarf'', which may have survived because of MisaimedFandom on the part of the executives who thought it was laughing '''at''' the genre and its fans. After the successful revival of ''Doctor Who'', however, they unbent somewhat, launching ''Doctor Who'' spinoffs ''{{Series/Torchwood}}'' and ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'', as well as ''{{Series/Merlin|2008}}'', an adaptation of the King Arthur legend from the point of view of a teenage Merlin with largely the same demographic as ''Doctor Who'' (it tended to run just after ''Who''), all of which achieved reasonable success.
40** Some American SpeculativeFiction imports including ''Franchise/StarTrek'' (apart from ''[[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]]''), ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''Series/{{Heroes}}''.
41** One of the BBC's indirect contributions to the world of SpeculativeFiction deserves mention too. In 1997 the Radio 4 arts reporters took quite a shine to this [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone new children's fantasy novel]] and played some part in popularising it.
42* Comedy (often risk-taking, ground-breaking and highly influential, like ''Creator/MontyPython''). This includes the genesis of the PanelShow genre.
43* Natural History series, often narrated by Creator/DavidAttenborough. These tend to have very high production values, pioneer new forms of filming, and be generally very well regarded - Attenborough's status as a national treasure helps in this regard.
44* Travel documentaries, usually with Creator/MichaelPalin (although his more recent work [[ChannelHop has aired on Channel 5]]; that said, this includes his 2018 trip to North Korea, a country which would never have allowed a BBC film crew in).
45
46Because of its lack of need to chase advertising, and therefore ratings, the BBC is not under the same pressure ([[UsefulNotes/RupertMurdoch News Corp]] headlines aside) to gain 'instant hits' with high viewing figures. A number of TV shows that would not have had a second series commissioned on ITV (or in the US been pulled mid season) have gone on to become hits - ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' and ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' are prime examples. ''Series/MenBehavingBadly'' actually started on ITV, was dumped after series one, then picked up and nurtured into a genre defining hit on the Beeb.
47
48At the end of 2007, the BBC introduced the free iPlayer service, allowing UK-only users to download some of the previous seven days' programming online and some entire seasons. (Most BBC radio programmes and stations can be listened to by users outside the UK via the BBC's website or smartphone apps like [=TuneIn=].) This may change in the future, as the BBC wants to open up the iPlayer to non-British audiences, for a fee.
49
50The BBC's television stations are:
51
52* '''BBC One''' -- the world's oldest regular scheduled TV channel (1936–39 [[note]]suspended during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII due to fears that enemy bombers might use television signals to home in on Central London[[/note]] and 1946–present). It is broken down into a number of regions for broadcasting purposes, with each region having some specific local shows (e.g., local news) and the production of national shows being spread across the United Kingdom.[[note]]A bit similar to [[UsefulNotes/GermanTVStations Das Erste]] in Germany, though unlike that channel, the regional BBC channels are ultimately under the central control of the national BBC rather than being independent broadcasters.[[/note]] These are all available on satellite or cable and include the 14 regions of England (BBC One East, East Midlands, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, London, Yorkshire, Yorks & Lincs, West, West Midlands, North West, North East & Cumbria, South, South East, South West), BBC One UsefulNotes/TheChannelIslands, BBC One UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland, BBC One UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} and BBC One UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}.
53* '''BBC Two''' has fewer regions (BBC Two Network; BBC Two Wales; and BBC Two Northern Ireland [[note]]Scotland was also a separate region until 2019 when its facilities were transferred to the new BBC Scotland channel[[/note]]). BBC Two is generally seen as the "Special Interest" channel, showing things that have a loyal following, but won't get the big ratings (e.g. snooker, "serious" documentaries, American comedies, the Chelsea Flower Show and, in Scotland, Gaelic programmes). A programme that proves popular with the "mainstream" audience may be "promoted" to BBC One (this has happened to ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou'' and ''Series/{{QI}}'', amongst others.)
54* '''BBC Three''' (aka '''BBC [[XtremeKoolLetterz II!]]''') - A channel dedicated to comedy, teen dramas, the occasional film and repeats. Started off showcasing some new stuff like ''Nighty Night'' and ''Series/LittleBritain'', in addition to stuff like ''Series/TwoPintsOfLagerAndAPacketOfCrisps'', [[NetworkDecay but dove head first into the 16-24 demographic]] with shows like ''Series/TheWrongDoor'', ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'' and various pilots for comedies, effectively getting revamped as a platform for this age group's creative works - possibly a more youthful SpiritualSuccessor to Creator/ChannelFour's ''Comedy Lab'' as well as potential rival to T4. These have [[Series/SpooksCode9 not all been successful]]. BBC Three was also available on broadcast television until its [[NetworkDeath closure]] on 15 February 2016 due to budget cuts and increased interest in internet-exclusive programming, giving CBBC two extra broadcasting hours. However, the channel was revived at the start of 2022, which reverted CBBC back to its original hours, with the pre-watershed hours focusing on content for ages 13+.
55* '''BBC Four''' - Pretty much the visual equivalent of Radios 3 and 4 and the American Creator/{{PBS}}, with widespread critical acclaim. Documentaries, classical music orientated programmes and television films and plays in the vein of ''Series/PlayForToday''. Fridays are devoted to music documentaries and performances, featuring everything from classical to heavy metal. In TheNewTens, known for importing cop shows and other drama series from mainland European countries, not previously a UK tradition, including ''Series/{{Engrenages}}'' from France, ''Series/{{Salamander}}'' from Belgium, the original Swedish TV version of ''Series/{{Wallander}}'', ''Series/{{Forbrydelsen}}'' and ''Series/{{Borgen}}'' from Denmark, ''Series/Trapped2015'' from Iceland, and ''Il commissario Montalbano'' from Italy. Also ''[[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Condensation]]''. Some of these shows are even supported by the BBC as part of cross-European collaboration. The channel bandwidth is shared with that of Creator/CBeebies, with the former taking over about 5 minutes after the latter signs off and the former signing off shortly before the latter begins broadcasting for the day.
56* '''Creator/{{CBBC}}''' - A kids' channel. Showing mostly British stuff with the occasional Australian drama or American cartoon.
57* '''Creator/CBeebies''' - In addition to CBBC, as well as traditional morning and afternoon slots, ''and'' extended Saturday and Sunday blocks, ''and'' morning blocks extended from about 7 until 10 in the summer, the BBC also has this channel. Targets 0-6 demographics. Has its own morning and afternoon slots prior to CBBC. Again, mostly British made content. Those living in the United States were able to see a number of its shows until 2020 in some markets if they receive On Demand service from their cable provider. The channel bandwidth is shared with that of BBC Four, with the latter taking over about 5 minutes after the former signs off and the latter signing off shortly before the former begins brodcasting for the day.
58* '''BBC News''': ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - A BBC News channel. [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks Airs 24 hours a day]]. Formerly BBC News 24.
59* '''BBC Parliament''': Covers the debates of the UK's Parliament, including Select Committees (like the US standing committees), devolved assemblies and the House of Lords. The channel also airs programming on public affairs and political topics (usually to fill gaps in the schedule), and special themed lineups of archive programming to commemorate the anniversaries of major political events (such as elections and referendums, the inaugurations of prime ministers, etc.) Similar to the American C-SPAN, to the point that the two channels have also syndicated some programming between them.
60* '''BBC Scotland''' - Featuring programmes about or made in Scotland. Intended for a Scottish audience (and broadcast on Freeview there) but also available on satellite and cable in the rest of the UK.
61* '''BBC Alba''': The BBC's Scottish Gaelic-language channel.
62** Although responsibility for Welsh-language programming has passed on to the independent [=S4C=] (Sianel Pedwar Cymru), the BBC still makes programmes for the Welsh-language network, most notably long-running soap opera ''Series/PobolYCwm''.
63* '''BBC Nordic''' (and by extension, its streaming counterpart, '''BBC Nordic +'''): The BBC's channel aimed at viewers from Scandinavian territories, hosting a mix of programs from ''BBC Brit'' and ''BBC Earth''.
64* In addition, during the London 2012 Olympics the BBC operated a whopping ''twenty-four'' live Olympic sports channels, although they weren't all showing live events simultaneously. Part of the cost of these channels was borne by the International Olympic Committee.
65
66The BBC also runs other channels and services as purely commercial ventures, formerly under a subsidiary known as BBC Worldwide. Unlike the BBC's public services, they are not allowed to receive funding from the license fee (and hence, are commercially-supported). In 2018, the unit was shut down, and these were roles were assumed by BBC Studios -- a new commercial subsidiary that has assumed the production duties for a number of the BBC's top programmes. A number of its ventures are international television networks, including:
67* '''BBC Lifestyle''': Mostly British home makeover shows and cooking shows. Also took over BBC Knowledge's reality TV programming when BBC Knowledge shut down and was spun off into BBC Earth. Converted to HD in 2016.
68* '''BBC News (International)''': A subscription-supported 24-hour global news channel covering all aspects from International news to Finance, funded through subscription via pay TV networks. It is unavailable in the UK due to license fee considerations, aside from a half-hour daily simulcast on BBC Four. Compare CNN International and NHK World. Launched in 1995 alongside BBC Prime- they were both different services with the same name (BBC World Service TV), the entertainment net broadcasting to Europe while the news-and-info net broadcast to Asia. Converted to HD in 2016. In contrast to its domestic channels, the international feed does run advertisements. Some of its programmes, such as BBC News bulletins and the U.S.-focused ''Beyond 100 Days'' are carried on Creator/{{PBS}} stations in America. Formerly named BBC World News, in 2023 it merged with the domestic BBC News channel and adopted its branding as part of a streamlining of operations, with both channels now mostly running on the same schedule except for opt-outs in the event of UK-specific programmes or breaking news.
69* '''Creator/CBeebies (International)''': A completely different feed from the one transmitted within the UK- this feed of the channel transmits 24 hours and is subscription-funded, and airs several shows whose license are otherwise held by different networks in the UK (for example, ''WesternAnimation/{{Humf}}'')[[note]]They did, however, put up a vicious fight for the rights to WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends when they found out that the last rights holder's broadcasting rights for the franchise in Asia was about to expire, and thus as of 2021 holds the broadcast rights to Thomas in Asia as well[[/note]]. Conversely they do not carry some of the shows that the UK feed of [=CBeebies=] carry due to international licensing agreements relegating said shows to other networks (for example, in Asia, Postman Pat aired in syndication, later on Boomerang and then The Dreamworks Channel). Converted to HD in 2016.
70* '''BBC Earth''': A bid by the BBC to focus on it's own documentary programming, this channel was launched Asia in October 2, 2015. It has replaced BBC Knowledge in most markets. Broadcasts in HD.
71* '''BBC Brit''': A bid to split up BBC Entertainment into something more manageable. This channel primarily carries factual and entertainment programming that have been dubbed "too British" or "not popular enough" to be on BBC First, or even programs that otherwise airs on competing channels like E4 in the UK (like, say, ''Series/BadRobots''). In Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the channel is launched as a traditional pay TV channel and (along with BBC First) replaced BBC Entertainment. However, in Asia, the channel's availability is limited to content in the BBC Player (the BBC's Asian rebranded version of [=iPlayer=]), [[NoExportForYou which itself is only available in Singapore and Malaysia]].
72* '''BBC First''': Top billing shows like ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' and ''Series/DoctorWho'' will go to this channel, the other half of the BBC Entertainment split. The channel replaced BBC Entertainment in markets where BBC Entertainment was available. In Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the channel is launched as a traditional pay TV channel. However, in Asia, the channel is launched as a Video-on-Demand service that is only available through select Pay TV providers. The BBC pledges to make content available on the channel within 48 hours of airing in the UK, although in practice content can take up to ''three weeks'' to appear due to various factors.
73* '''BBC America''': A privately-run cable channel in the United States that's half-owned by BBC Studios, half-owned by [[Creator/{{AMC}} AMC Networks]] (and before them, Discovery Communications). This network shows programmes from a variety of makers, including shows from rivals Creator/{{ITV}} and Creator/ChannelFour (''Series/TheInbetweeners'', ''Series/PeepShow'' and ''{{Series/Skins}}'' are some of the most notable shows shown on the network). The channel does run some of the BBC's most popular programs, such as ''Series/{{Top Gear|UK}}'', ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' and, of course ''Series/DoctorWho'' - all among of American extended cable's highest rated and critically acclaimed shows. [[note]]It acquired the first-run rights to ''Doctor Who'' (which they initially only had repeat rights to), gaining them in a deal with their original American rights holders, Creator/{{Syfy}}. Unsurprisingly, ''Doctor Who'' is now BBC America's highest rated show.[[/note]] BBC America also shows American-made science fiction programmes (such as ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', ''Series/TheXFiles'' and the 2003-2009 ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}''), and produced original dramatic programming starting in 2012 with ''Copper''. 2013's ''Series/OrphanBlack'', a Canadian co-production, proved to be an unexpected breakout hit for the network; enough so that it was soon broadcast in the UK on BBC Three.
74* '''BBC Canada''': Serves Canada through joint partnerships with Canadian broadcasters (with the required smatterings of Canadian content).
75* '''BBC Kids''': Basically an amalgamation of CBBC and [=CBeebies=], with a tinge of Canadian content as required by the Canadian broadcast regulatory bodies. Until 2011, both it and BBC Canada were sibling channels.
76
77BBC Worldwide used to transmit the following channels, but have since replaced them or shut them down:
78* '''BBC Entertainment''': Known widely as the home of ''Series/DoctorWho'' to those who get this channel instead. It airs mostly drama and comedy content, including ''Series/YesMinister'', ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' and ''Series/AlloAllo''. They also previously aired ''Series/RedDwarf'' before the corporation lost the rights to the show to Dave in the UK. Their main competitor is ITV Granada, the only feed of ITV that is available worldwide on select Pay TV providers. Their predecessor was BBC Prime, which launched in 1995. The name was phased out starting in 2007. Currently being replaced by BBC Brit and BBC First. BBC Worldwide had ceased broadcast of the channel as of late April 2017.
79* '''BBC Knowledge''': The BBC's take on The Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel. Commonly known as the home of ''Series/{{Top Gear|UK}}'', they also air several Canadian and British reality TV shows like the Canadian version of ''Series/UndercoverBoss'', as well as plenty of their own documentaries. Available in HD in certain markets. Also the name of the UK digital channel that [[NetworkDeath preceded]] BBC Four from 1998-2002. Has been replaced by BBC Earth in most countries, perhaps due to ''Series/{{Top Gear|UK}}'' stopping production from Jeremy Clarkson being refused a contract renewal[[note]]this is technically like getting fired, but not quite. Details: Not getting your contract renewed is worse off as you don't get compensation pay. Getting fired or laid off requires the employer to pay you compensation as dictated by the local labor laws.[[/note]], which in turn caused fellow presenters James May & Richard Hammond, as well as producer Andy Wilman to ''refuse to renew their contracts'' with the BBC.
80* '''BBC Japan''': Similar to BBC Canada, it served Japan through a distributor partnership with JMC. Primarily broadcast classic shows like ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' and ''Series/FawltyTowers'' with Japanese subtitles and localized versions of shows like ''Series/TheWeakestLink''. The channel ceased broadcast in 2006 due to financial issues with JMC.
81
82The BBC still has many {{radio}} stations as well. There are five national terrestrial stations.
83* '''BBC Radio 1:''' The youth station, playing primarily chart music (which doesn't simply mean pop music as in the United States, but encompasses various other genres including hip-hop, indie rock and blues) during the day, and more obscure genres get airplay in the evening and into the night. Live performances in the Radio 1 booth are often considered a rite of passage for popular musicians, to the point where many will, with the Beeb's permission, release these "BBC sessions", especially with famed DJ Creator/JohnPeel (dubbed "Peel Sessions"), as official entries in their discographies.
84* '''BBC Radio 2:''' Another music station, but aims for an older demographic.
85* '''BBC Radio 3:''' Plays classical, jazz, and "world" music as well as arts programming, the occasional drama, and live Anglican church services.
86* '''BBC Radio 4:''' The spoken word station, which broadcasts a mix of news, documentaries, drama, comedy and current affairs, similar to the American Creator/{{NPR}}.
87* '''BBC Radio 5 Live''': A news/talk radio station, with an emphasis on sports, often featuring live commentary on UK sports events. Replaced the old Radio 5 that operated from 1990 to 1994; it was basically a "castoff" station full of stuff the other stations either didn't want or have time for, including the sports. The idea also came from when Radio 4's FM frequencies were briefly repurposed into a rolling news service for the duration of the [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar first Gulf War]]; they had planned to simply use Radio 4's frequencies again to setup a permanent rolling news station, only for Radio 4 listeners to protest.
88
89Prior to 1967, when Radio 1-4 were introduced, the BBC had three stations: '''Home Service''' (most talk radio content, which became Radio 4), the '''Light Programme''' (entertainment, became Radio 2), and the '''Third Programme''' (classical music and highbrow culture, became Radio 3).
90
91Furthermore, the BBC has regional stations across the United Kingdom and several more specialist digital radio stations, most notably the indie rock-leaning 6 Music (which in 2010 was saved from certain death via cutbacks with the work of fans, musical acts and the BBC Trust), and BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC [Radio] 7) which specialises in spoken-word comedy, science-fiction, mystery and drama. The BBC also used to transmit a ''BBC World Service'' radio station over several frequencies on Short Wave, these feeds were eventually stopped and the station became an Internet Radio station due to said cutbacks and the prominence of the Internet.
92
93Commonly nicknamed "The Beeb" or "Auntie", the latter down to general perceptions of it being paternalistic, stodgy and hand-wringing like a maiden aunt; it's [[FanNickname still affectionate]], though. [[UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} Down Under]], Creator/TheABC has the same 'Auntie' nickname, with the same connotations.
94
95The BBC (or, more accurately, its commercial arm BBC Worldwide) also part-owns a number of commercial channels, mainly the [=UKTV=] Network, responsible for channels such as Dave, Home and Blighty, as well as a print arm which handles the bulk of the magazines which license its properties (''Series/{{Top Gear|UK}}'' being one example) and listings magazine Magazine/RadioTimes. As of 2015, the BBC also has [[http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34289852 plans to establish an Internet-based subscription service]] (rather like Creator/{{Netflix}}), with its first target market being the US, where users would (for a fee) be able to stream BBC programs not already on streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu) available in the US. This would eventually be released in 2017 under the name '''[=BritBox=]''', a joint venture between the BBC and ITV that includes content from both channels. A version of [=BritBox=] for the UK was released in November 2019. In 2016, BBC would also launch ''BBC Player'', a thinly rebranded version of [=iPlayer=] with different content, in Singapore in partnership with local cable provider Starhub. They would extend the coverage over to Malaysia the next year in partnership with local IPTV provider ''[=UniFi=]''.
96
97Music/MitchBenn wants you all to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q2iZuU5WM be proud of it]]. And why not?
98----
99!!Works on the BBC
100
101[[foldercontrol]]
102
103[[folder:BBC One]]
104[[index]]
105* ''Series/OneHundredGreatestBritons''
106* ''Series/{{Nineninenine}}''
107* ''Series/TheABCMurders''
108* ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie''
109* ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous''
110* ''Series/AllAboutMe''
111* ''Series/AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall1978''
112* ''Series/AllGasAndGaiters''
113* ''Series/AlloAllo''
114* ''Series/AndThenThereWereNone2015''
115* ''Series/Annika2021''
116* ''Series/AntiquesRoadTrip'' (since 2013; previously on BBC Two 2010–2012)
117* ''Series/AreYouBeingServed''
118* ''Series/AroundTheWorldIn80Days2021''
119* ''Series/{{Atlantis}}''
120* ''Series/{{Baptiste}}''
121* ''Series/BargainHunt''
122* ''Series/{{Bergerac}}''
123* ''Series/BeyondParadise2023''
124* ''Series/BigBreak1991''
125* ''Series/BigTop''
126* ''Series/BirdsOfAFeather'' (1989-1998)
127* ''Series/BlackNarcissus''
128* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}''
129* ''Series/BlakesSeven''
130* ''Series/Bloodlands2021''
131* ''Series/BlueLights''
132* ''Series/BodyguardUK2018''
133* ''Series/TheBorrowers''
134* ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire''
135* ''Series/BrushStrokes''
136* ''Series/CallTheMidwife''
137* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPugwash''
138* ''Series/TheCapture''
139* ''Series/CarShare''
140* ''Series/TheCasualVacancy''
141* ''Series/{{Casualty}}''
142* ''Series/{{Chalk}}''
143* ''Series/Chef1993''
144* ''Film/ChildrensPartyAtThePalace''
145* ''Series/{{Chockablock}}''
146* ''Series/TheCleanerUK''
147* ''Series/TheCoroner''
148* ''Film/{{Culloden}}''
149* ''Series/TheCultureVultures''
150* ''Series/DadsArmy''
151* ''Series/TheDayOfTheTriffids1981''
152* ''Series/TheDayOfTheTriffids2009''
153* ''Series/DearJohn''
154* ''Series/DeathInParadise''
155** ''Series/BeyondParadise2023''
156* ''Series/{{Dickensian}}''
157* ''Series/DoctorWho''
158* ''Series/{{Doctors}}''
159* ''Series/Dracula2020''
160* ''Series/DublinMurders''
161* ''Series/EastEnders''
162* ''Series/EurovisionSongContest'': 1960, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1998.
163* ''Series/ForeignAffairs1966''
164* ''Series/FridayNightWithJonathanRoss''
165* ''Series/FriendsAndNeighbours1954''
166* ''Series/TheFrostReport''
167* ''Series/GavinAndStacey''
168* ''Series/TheGame2014''
169* ''Series/GentlemanJack''
170* ''[[Recap/ScreenOneS4E9Ghostwatch Ghostwatch]]'' (1992)
171* ''Series/GhostsUK''
172* ''Series/GiriHaji''
173* ''Series/Gladiators2024''
174* ''Series/TheGoodLife''
175* ''Series/HancocksHalfHour''
176* ''Series/TheHangingGale''
177* ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou'' (since 2000; previously on BBC Two 1990-2000)
178* ''Series/HereWeGo''
179* ''Series/HiDeHi''
180* ''Series/HisDarkMaterials''
181* ''Series/HoldTheSunset''
182* ''Series/HotelBabylon''
183* ''Series/IfYouSeeGodTellHim''
184* ''Series/IMayDestroyYou''
185* ''Series/{{Informer}}''
186* ''Series/InsideMan''
187* ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum''
188* ''Series/ItsAwfullyBadForYourEyesDarling''
189* ''Series/JamAndJerusalem''
190* ''Series/{{Jigsaw|1979}}''
191* ''Series/JonathanCreek''
192* ''Series/JustGoodFriends''
193* ''Series/KeepingUpAppearances''
194* ''Series/KillingEve''
195* ''Series/TheKumarsAtNo42''
196* ''Series/LetThemEatCake''
197* ''Series/LittleBritain''
198* ''Series/MadAboutAlice''
199* ''Series/MagpieMurders'' [[note]]migrating from [=BritBox=][[/note]]
200* ''Series/MenBehavingBadly''
201* ''Series/TheMissing2014''
202* ''Series/MissMarple1984''
203* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''
204* ''Series/TheMoonStallion''
205* ''Series/MoonbaseThree''
206* ''WesternAnimation/MrBenn''
207* ''Series/TheMusketeers''
208* ''Series/MyFamily''
209* ''Series/NextOfKin''
210* ''Series/TheNightManager''
211* ''Series/NotGoingOut''
212* ''Series/NoughtsAndCrosses''
213* ''Series/OhDoctorBeeching''
214* ''Series/OneFootInTheGrave''
215* ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses''
216* ''Series/OrdealByInnocence''
217* ''Series/TheOutlaws''
218* ''Series/QueenOfOz''
219* ''Series/ThePact''
220* ''Series/ThePaleHorse''
221* ''WesternAnimation/PCPinkerton''
222* ''Theatre/PeterPanGoesWrong''
223** ''Film/AChristmasCarolGoesWrong''
224** ''Series/TheGoesWrongShow''
225* ''Series/PlayForToday''
226* ''Series/ThePlayOnOne''
227* ''Series/{{Pointless}}''
228* ''Series/{{Porridge}}''
229* ''Series/PrideAndPrejudice1995''
230* ''Series/APrinceAmongMen''
231* ''Series/RockAndChips''
232* ''Series/{{Room101}}''
233* ''Series/RoomAtTheBottom1967''
234* ''Series/TheRoyleFamily''
235* ''Series/ScreenOne''
236* ''Series/ShakespeareAndHathawayPrivateInvestigators''
237* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''
238* ''Film/SherlockHolmesAndTheCaseOfTheSilkStocking''
239* ''Series/Sherwood2022''
240* ''Series/{{Shoestring}}''
241* ''Series/SomeMothersDoAveEm''
242* ''Series/{{Sorry}}''
243* ''Series/{{Spender}}''
244* ''Series/{{Spooks}}'' (Original channel before moving to BBC Three)
245* ''Series/{{SSGB}}''
246* ''Series/SurvivorUK''
247* ''Series/{{Staged}}''
248* ''Series/SteptoeAndSon''
249* ''WesternAnimation/StoppitAndTidyup''
250* ''Series/{{Tenko}}''
251* ''Series/ThatWasTheWeekThatWas''
252* ''Series/TheThinBlueLine''
253* ''Series/ThisIsGoingToHurt''
254* ''Series/ThisTimeWithAlanPartridge''
255* ''Series/TillDeathUsDoPart''
256* ''Series/Time2021''
257* ''Film/ToWalkInvisible''
258* ''Series/TopOfThePops''
259* ''Series/TheTraitorsUK''
260* ''Literature/TheTripods''
261* ''Series/TwoUpTwoDown''
262* ''Literature/AVeryEnglishScandal''
263* ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley''
264* ''Series/TheVictim''
265* ''Series/VisionOn''
266* ''Series/WaitingForGod''
267* ''Series/WakingTheDead''
268* ''Series/WarAndPeace2016''
269* ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown2018''
270* ''Series/Wolf2023'' (''Jack Caffery'' adaptation)
271* ''Series/TheWhiteQueen''
272* ''Series/{{Wizbit}}''
273* ''Series/WouldILieToYou''
274* ''Series/TheWrightWay''
275* ''Series/YearsAndYears''
276* ''Series/YouRangMLord''
277[[/index]]
278[[/folder]]
279
280[[folder:BBC Two]]
281[[index]]
282* ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous''
283* ''Series/AlmasNotNormal''
284* ''Series/BBCHistoricalFarmSeries''
285* ''Series/BirdsOnTheWing''
286* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}''
287* ''Series/TheBlackAndWhiteMinstrelShow''
288* ''Series/BlackEarthRising'' (co-production with Creator/{{Netflix}}, which streams it outside the UK)''
289* ''Series/{{Bottom}}''
290* ''Series/BoyMeetsGirl''
291* ''Series/BoysFromTheBlackstuff''
292* ''Series/TheCatherineTateShow''
293* ''Series/CharleysGrants''
294* ''Series/{{Clarence}}''
295* ''Series/Collateral2018'' (co-production with Creator/{{Netflix}}, which streams it outside the UK)
296* ''Series/CoogansRun''
297* ''Film/CountDracula1977''
298* ''Series/{{Coupling}}'' (moved to BBC Three for Series 4)
299* ''Series/TheCreatives''
300* ''Film/TheDayBritainStopped''
301* ''Series/TheDayToday''
302* ''Series/EarlyDoors''
303* ''Series/{{Extras}}''
304* ''Series/EdgeOfDarkness''
305* ''Series/TheFall2013''
306* ''Series/TheFastShow''
307* ''Series/FawltyTowers''
308* ''Series/FilthyRichAndCatflap''
309* ''Series/FistOfFun''
310* ''Series/FrankieBoylesNewWorldOrder''
311* ''Film/TheGamechangers''
312* ''Series/GameOn''
313* ''Series/GhostStoriesForChristmas''
314* ''Series/TheGnomesOfDulwich''
315* ''Series/TheHollowCrown''
316* ''Series/TheHour''
317* ''Series/ImAlanPartridge''
318* ''Series/InsideNo9''
319* ''Series/{{Intruders}}''
320* ''Film/KingLear2018''
321* ''Series/TheLastKingdom''
322* ''Series/TheLeagueOfGentlemen''
323* ''Series/LineOfDuty''
324* ''Series/{{Mandy}}''
325* ''Series/TheMaryWhitehouseExperience''
326* ''Series/{{Mastermind}}''
327* ''Series/{{Motherland}}''
328* ''Series/MockTheWeek''
329* ''Series/NeverMindTheBuzzcocks''
330* ''Series/NotTheNineOClockNews''
331* ''Series/TheOfficeUK''
332* ''Series/OnlyConnect''
333* ''Series/OutOfTheUnknown''
334* ''Film/PageEight''
335* ''Series/PortraitOfAMarriage''
336* ''Series/PoshNosh''
337* ''Series/PrivateSchulz''
338* ''Series/{{QI}}'' (2003-2008; 2011--; previously on BBC Four 2003-2008; on BBC One 2009-2011)
339* ''Series/RedDwarf''
340* ''Series/TheRobinsons''
341* ''Series/RogerAndValHaveJustGotIn''
342* ''Series/ScreenPlayBBC''
343* ''Series/ScreenTwo''
344* ''WesternAnimation/ShakespeareTheAnimatedTales''
345* ''Film/Smallpox2002''
346* ''Series/SummerOfRockets''
347* ''Series/TerryAndJune''
348* ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook''
349* ''Series/ThereSheGoes''
350* ''Series/TheyThinkItsAllOver''
351* ''Series/TheThickOfIt''
352* ''Series/TimeTrumpet''
353* ''Series/{{Top Gear|UK}}''
354* ''Series/{{Trigonometry}}''
355* ''Film/TurksAndCaicos''
356* ''Series/UniversityChallenge''
357* ''Series/WarAndPeace1972''
358* ''Series/YesMinister''
359* ''Series/TheYoungOnes''
360[[/index]]
361[[/folder]]
362
363[[folder:BBC Three]]
364[[index]]
365* ''Series/BeingHumanUK''
366* ''Series/{{Boarders}}''
367* ''Series/Bodies2004''
368* ''Series/{{Clone}}''
369* ''Series/{{Famalam}}''
370* ''Series/{{Fleabag}}''
371* ''Series/GavinAndStacey''
372* ''Series/GlowUp''
373* ''Series/InTheFlesh''
374* ''Series/ManLikeMobeen''
375* ''Series/NormalPeople''
376* ''Series/{{Pramface}}''
377* ''Series/RedRose''
378* ''Series/RuPaulsDragRaceUK''
379* ''Series/RuPaulsDragRaceUKVsTheWorld''
380* ''Series/TheSmokingRoom''
381* ''Series/SomeGirls''
382* ''Series/{{Spooks}}''
383* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''
384* ''Series/TheYoungOffenders'' (broadcast on Creator/{{RTE}} in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}} Republic of Ireland]]
385[[/index]]
386[[/folder]]
387
388[[folder:BBC Four]]
389[[index]]
390* ''Series/{{Borgen}}''
391* ''Series/TheBridge2011''
392* ''Series/{{Engrenages}}''
393* ''Series/{{Forbrydelsen}}''
394* ''Series/ParisPolice1900''
395* ''Series/{{Salamander}}''
396* ''Series/Trapped2015''
397* ''Series/TwentyTwelve''
398[[/index]]
399[[/folder]]
400
401[[folder:BBC Radio]]
402[[index]]
403* Creator/ZoeBall
404* Radio/ChrisEvans
405* ''Radio/TheFoundationTrilogy''
406* ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1978''
407* Radio/SarahKennedy
408* ''Radio/TheMenFromTheMinistry''
409* ''Radio/MyWord''
410* ''Radio/{{Pilgrim}}''
411* ''Theatre/UnderMilkWood''
412* Radio/TerryWogan
413[[/index]]
414[[/folder]]
415
416[[folder:BBC America]]
417[[index]]
418* ''Series/{{Copper}}'' (2012-2013)
419* ''Series/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency'' (2016-2017)
420* ''Series/KillingEve'' (2018-present)[[note]]Co-produced with BBC iPlayer; beginning with Season 2, new episodes also simulcast on Creator/{{AMC}}[[/note]]
421* ''Series/OrphanBlack'' (2013-2017)[[note]]Co-produced with Creator/SpaceChannel[[/note]]
422* ''Series/TheWatch2021''
423[[/index]]
424[[/folder]]

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