BBC admits comedy failings

The BBC has admitted it desperately needs to find new comedy hits for its two main TV channels.

BBC One controller Peter Fincham has been acknowledging his channel has to make more comedy shows ever since he got the job last year.

But the corporation’s annual report, published yesterday, concedes that BBC Two is failing its comedy audience, too, despite the successes of Extras and The Catherine Tate Show.

The document admitted that ‘the amount of original drama and comedy had declined’ on BBC Two, and added: ‘To  counter this, further investment is  planned’.

As for BBC One, the report said: ‘Little Britain returned to BBC One for another successful series. However, although the channel has maintained its position among all its UK competitors  as the “channel best for comedy” in BBC  audience research, there is a pressing need  to deliver other new comedies that work  for mainstream audiences and meet  audience expectations.

‘The director general has made BBC One comedy a high priority for additional investment and a number of new pilots are in the pipeline.’

Despite its misgivings about the two flagship channels, the annual report did praise BBC Three for meeting its remit to generate new comedy – even if some of the programmes it chose to highlight have hardly delighted critics.

The governors  said: ‘BBC Three has continued to perform  strongly with home-grown comedy. Two  Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps,  Tittybangbang, pictured, Man Stroke Woman, Ideal and  a further series of the channel’s established  hit Little Britain are good examples of the  channel’s vigour in tackling this difficult and  risky genre.’

Finally, The Thick Of It was praised for widening BBC Four’s appeal, while staying true to the channel’s highbrow remit .

Published: 8 Jul 2006