The Forsyth Saga

‘GIL Scott-Heron was wrong – the revolution will be televised. And we will avidly watch it on the BBC.

‘A real bobby-dazzler!’

The Guardian has seen a report by new media regulator Ofcom and noticed that, in a survey of 6,000 households, whereas more than 90% thought arts and religious programmes were ‘of no importance to society’, only 30% thought the same of news programmes.

The result is that public service broadcasting is going to have to find an innovative way to get the people to watch shows with an artistic or religious bent ‘that is serous in intent but accessible in style’.

And since public service broadcasting means the BBC, that means more shows like Great Britons, Restoration and the Big Read. And if they can be presented by a trendy vicar, so much the better.

But that still may not be enough, and the Times says that the licence fee may be shared around a little, allowing a wide range of broadcasters to bid for the funds available.

The BBC needs to respond with vigour if it is to retain its unique position in broadcasting.

And to the people at the top that means an emergency call to Bruce Forsyth.

Brucie is to front the return of Come Dancing, now called Strictly Come Dancing, which replaces the amateur performers with Z-list celebrities.

So take your seats, pick up your fiddle and play along as Claire Sweeney does the Macarena with David Dickinson, and the BBC’s future goes up in smoke…’

Posted: 22nd, April 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink