Day of Stupid

[Bandit]

Have you tried american public television? In comparison, the BBC is....actually, I can't think of a good metaphor to explain how much better it is than american public television.

I think the phrase you are looking for is "Better than 99.9% of the pap that gets broadcast over the air or on cable here in North America."?

HTH

B

[MadMike]

You still get regular harrassing letters because they won't believe anyone really doesn't have a television.

I believe Raps got a few of those, despite the fact that he doesn't own a set.

[Nyoibo]

It' probably doesn't help that their inspectors get comissions for people they catch.

Being in Australia the idea of paying for TV seems just wrong.

[Ironclad Alibi]

The BBC is pants, despite all the money that goes into funding it. The irony. XD

So that's what the Nunavutians are always ordering from Gravekeeper.

[Lace Neil Singer]

XD

I got two threatening letters from the TV liciencing people; despite the fact that I'd already paid online. In the end, I sent them a letter with the print out showing that I'd paid, and after that, not a peep.

[crazylegs]

A colour TV Licence costs £139.50. A black and white TV Licence costs £47.00.

From the tv licencing webpage

Interesting subnote, if you have a VCR/DVD that can record from the aerial you need a colour licence even if your tv is Black and White...

I believe Raps got a few of those, despite the fact that he doesn't own a set.

I used to put my threatening letters in a big pile slap under my licence so when I eventually did get my visit (never happened) I could wave them all in an elaborate fan type arrangement. As you can probably now tell I don't get out all that much!

[Mark Healey]

Have you tried american public television? In comparison, the BBC is....actually, I can't think of a good metaphor to explain how much better it is than american public television.

I think a lot of that is the True Art is Foreign trope. Most people forget the one where some Irish guy is really a super hero and let's not forget Are You Being Served.

I think we mostly see the good stuff like Python and Blackadder.

[Victoria J]

I think a lot of that is the True Art is Foreign trope. Most people forget the one where some Irish guy is really a super hero and let's not forget Are You Being Served.

I think we mostly see the good stuff like Python and Blackadder.

Yup. I think that's a big part of it. The BBC makes some good programs - but a lot of rubbish. You're likely to see only a tiny percent.

Meanwhile we get only the best, or at least glossiest, USA television and we're impressed.

By the way that dire thing was called My Hero. And that Irish guy was also in Father Ted which I personally loved. (But most things are just funnier with priests. Horror/War film parodies set in lingerie departments definitely are).

Though there are also real differences with US and UK television. We tend to be amazed because you have such long series - which allows for so much more space for story arcs etc. But out short series may have one or two writers instead of teams of them. So something like Blackadder was written by a couple of people with a distinctive sense of humour, not what amounts to a comedy board room. Comedies will be much slower but maybe more consistent (for good and sadly more often bad), and drama programs again lack the time scale you have but are likely to be much more controlled by one person.

But the BBC plays it's part in funding things like The Blue Planet and other stunning wildlife documentary work. They're a fairly substantial news source. But there's soaps (I doubt Eastenders works abroad) and quizzes and "entertainment" - which may be no worse than that produced by the other channels but is inexplicably funded by way of the government and a license that means that we all have to pay over £100 a year just to use a television.

Victoria J

[MadMike]

It' probably doesn't help that their inspectors get comissions for people they catch.

There's a simple solution to that one -- dock their commision for every person they falsely accuse.

[Anakah]

That is the weirdest thing I have ever heard of! Getting a license for a tv... It sucks you haveta pay for the damn thing, pay for the service, and get a license for it?

[RayvenQ]

Well there's 4 other channels you get free (If you didn't have to pay for a licence)

I hate that we have to pay it as long as we own and use a TV, can't I just get something attached to block the damned channel.

No wonder it's a lot though, just look at friggin Top Gear, how much of the money that goes to the BBC from Licences go to spending on flash cars that we only see once.

[Victoria J]

No wonder it's a lot though, just look at friggin Top Gear, how much of the money that goes to the BBC from Licences go to spending on flash cars that we only see once.

I'm pretty sure they don't generally buy the cars.

Manufacturers lend cars for review, and otherwise they'd hire them.

I guess they buy the one's they destroy though

It's bad enough the thought that they pay Clarkson with the money.

Victoria J

[cinema guy]

For 17 years I despised the BBC. Then they brought it back. (see my sig)

The TV licence used to fund the BBC is anachronistic. It dates back to the time when there was only the BBC. It is an unusual form of direct taxation - in that only the people who can get the service actually pay for it, so it is probably fairer than simply being paid for from general government spending.

In today's multi-channel, multi-format, pay-TV world the licence fee is definitely outdated. But at least there are channels without adverts.

Oh, and the thing people from outside the UK think is really crazy - you can go to prison for owning a TV and failing to pay the licence.

[lineswine]

Well, how else could they afford to pay the likes of that utter tosspot Jonathan Ross 5 million pounds a year, if not via the licence fe?

[crazylegs]

Right,

I'm saying this now, I'm saying it once, and once only.

The TV licence issue has been talked about to the fullest extent that it can do civily. ANY further discussion whatsoever will result in the following two things

1) Immediate closure of the thread
2) An infraction for the poster who chooses to igonore this post.

The choice, as they say, is yours.