Argumental on BBC Two

[Mr-Stabby]

UKTV have sold one of Daves only original commissions to BBC Two.

How long do we reckon before another perhaps more well known Dave commission makes it to BBC Two? If at all?

Topic

[Ben Paddon]

Argumental had a couple of series before the BBC snapped it up, didn’t they? Even if the BBC wanted Red Dwarf – and the record shows that they do not – we’d still have to wait two or three years before such a deal occurred, and that’s assuming we get one series a year for the next two or three years.

[Carlito]

I’m still convinced BTE will find its way onto BBC2 eventually.

[JamesTC]

The BBC are not interested in the audience Red Dwarf will attract.

[Carlito]

I think maybe the BBC have since become interested in the audience Red Dwarf did attract.

[JamesTC]

They’d rather be interested in something for 5 times the budget for the same audience.

[Andrew]

‘The BBC’ isn’t one entity thinking a single way. Holding the entire organisation to the opinions of certain execs several years ago probably isn’t wise. Not saying that things have changed, but when talking about ‘what the BBC thinks’ based on ‘the record’, a little complexity should be introduced to the discussion – different people within an organisation will think different ways, jobs change and so do opinions.

[Carlito]

If the Beeb didn’t want to take the financial risk of commissioning new RD, but were willing to co-fund a new series along with its sister company Worldwide through UKTV, maybe there could be some arrangement where a new RD series was shown on both Dave and BBC2, maybe Dave having the exclusive ‘first-look’ and BBC repeating it later in the week. Less risk for BBC, less cost for UKTV, larger audience for RD. Everybody’s happy.

I think my company owns a stake in UKTV. Well, I say MY company, I just work there… but Virgin Media has somehow acquired some element of UKTV over the years with all the mergers… think maybe Telewest had a stake in them, then absorbed NTL (although really it was NTL buying Telewest but they woulda lost UKTV if they did it that way round) then absorbing Virgin Mobile.. yeah, without bothering to look it up I’m fairly certain. So I can say “if it wasn’t for my company, there would be no new Red dwarf”. Hah!

Kinda…

[Ben Paddon]

Flextech, who I believe operate a number of UKTV channels, were owned (or part-owned) by NTL Group Ltd., so when NTL and Telewest merged, ate Virgin Mobile and became Virgin Media Flextech shifted hands, obviously.

I was part of the excess flab that got cut when the NTL/Telewest/VirMob merger happened. I worked in the Luton callcentre, which was shut down in late 2006. If you ever had an overdue NTL bill between October 2004 and December 2006 chances are you spoke to me at some point or another.

[ori-STUDFARM]

And that was when I worked in the colliery down t’pit.

[Kris ‘Drivaaar’ Carter]

Call centres? Working in’t colliery down t’pit?

LUXURY.

[ori-STUDFARM]

Oh yeah! Nothing but the best here!

[Author]

Replies