I am a big fan of the BBC. Yes, it is hopelessly biased politically with the two years before the general election consisting of any story involving David Cameron instantly being the number one story of the day, but in general terms, the BBC raises the standard of TV programming and sets a benchmark by which we compare others. However, it is clear in the current climate that the BBC needs to cut its cloth according to the difficult economic times, and I have an idea where they can save a small fortune.
Trailers.
Take a look at these two recent trailers that have been aired on the BBC.
Each of them look like they have been created in order to enter the BAFTA Short Film prize at the BAFTA Television awards, but in each case, I can see no justification for the cost involved in creating these trailers.
This trailer for BBC weather, that's right, BBC weather, is a masterpiece in itself. Very stylised drawings, beautifully executed in every way, but it's clearly not been made on the cheap. Now if this was being used to promote a major new series, there might be some justification, but in order to make people watch a weather forecast ? Ridiculous.
There were others that I was not able to get on YouTube. Most notably the special effects laden trailer for the BBC Schools season, which features a boy in a spacesuit floating out of his house in to space to the sound of David Bowie. However, the biggest waste of time and money at the moment has to be the ludicrous trailer/advert for the BBC iplayer.
If you already know what the iPlayer is, this trailer will not make you use it. If you don't know what iPlayer is, then this advert does nothing to explain it. The trailer is self indulgent rubbish.
I don't object to trailers being made. The BBC trailer involving flying penguins made a couple of years ago was clever and provoked a good deal of discussion. But to make trailers that are this expensive in order to promote things that really do not need promotion is a waste of money.
4 comments:
Completely agree.
Also the 'idents' which seem to appear at a rate of several each week.
I half watched* the new ITV series "Downton Abbey" last night, a costume drama of the type which once was the BBC's speciality. If an independent channel which relies upon (currently quite poor) revenue from advertising can produce a programme of this quality whilst the BBC now claims that they are too expensive to make, something is surely wrong at the BBC.
* Half watched - Not my sort of programme really, but my wife watched whilst I read the blogs on my lap-top!
I totaly agree with you Nich. Also people do not want advertising on the BBC. but its adverts for itself are now longer than commercial breaks on ITV.
I do not think the BBC sets the standards any more. It should move to pay per view and you would soon see it change.
I agree with you nich they are waste off money they have announcers who can do this job.They should also cut the pay off there over paid stars.I also wish that all t.v stations would not make the screens small at the end off the programmes as i like to read them. It would be nice to have more local programmes on.
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