Cut-backs in BBC programming budgets have been reflected all year in their consistently poor showing in BARB’s weekly top thirty programme rankings. The latest available rankings (w/e 9th May) tell the typical story with only two episodes of Eastenders making the top ten and a strong drama line up from ITV dominating with the likes of “Taggart” and “Harnessing Peacocks” gaining audiences of around 12m. Key 2 for weekly top thirty rankings.
Yesterday Alan Yentob, controller of BBC1,admitted that the BBC did not have enough popular drama programmes in stock to compete effectively with ITV.
Yentob announced to the Broadcasting Press Guild in London that although recent efforts like Eldorado had “disappointed”, the BBC “has a serious commitment to engage the popular audience”. To this end he revealed that new series were planned. Among them a journalistic drama starring Michael Elphick called”Harry”, a detective show called “Pie In The Sky”and a three-part dramatisation of Ben Elton’s “Stark”.
The latest monthly viewing figures for April show the following shares:
