OFF MESSAGE
C
hristmas has come early at BBC Worldwide. Or it did for those hacks fortunate enough to attend the press launch of BBC Store, the corporation’s long-anticipated, download-to-own service. The journos were each given a generous £25 voucher towards their first purchases at BBC Store. Such is the array of goodies available from more than 7,000 hours of BBC shows, spanning more than five decades, that Off Message is spoilt for choice. Series one of the brilliant New Labour satire, The Thick of It, is a steal at £3.99, cheaper than a bottle of craft beer. This is just the start. New content is apparently being added daily. Worldwide predicts that, within a year, some 10,000 hours will be on sale. With luck, these additions will provide more archive fun for sports and current-affairs fans – neither of whom are particularly well served at the moment. ■ Super brain meets super creatives… Backstage at the RTS/IET Joint Public Lecture, given by the breathtakingly brilliant Demis Hassabis, were Humans co-writers Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent plus the show’s Executive Producer, Derek Wax. Were they discussing storylines for the second season of Humans with
38
Hassabis? Or maybe gaining private insights into all things AI? Perhaps Anita/Mia, played by Gemma Chan, will reveal an aptitude for the intensely cerebral Chinese game of Go – unsurprisingly, a pastime enjoyed by Hassabis. The DeepMind founder revealed that he is a fan of Humans. This would have pleased Channel 4 CEO David Abraham, who attended the sold-out lecture. ■ It was, of course, a good night for Channel 4 at this year’s Grierson Awards, held earlier this month at London’s Mermaid Theatre. Grayson Perry – looking more outrageously flamboyant than ever – was voted Documentary Presenter of the Year for his stunning Who Are You?, an RTS winner back in March. BBC Three, soon to be online only, pocketed two awards. Its imaginative drama-documentary, Our World War: The First Day, deservedly clinched the Best Historical Documentary prize. At least the channel is going out with a bang, not a whimper. Let’s hope that, in its new incarnation, BBC Three keeps innovating and isn’t reduced to a digital also-ran. ■ Some of you might think the last thing the world needs is yet another inquiry examining public service broadcasting. Not Lord Puttnam, who announced last month that he is chairing a panel looking at the nature, purpose and
role of public service television in the digital era. Goldsmiths, University of London, is behind the initiative. Its backers include the usual suspects, such as The Guardian – and, intriguingly, Vice, whose news coverage continues to give the established players a lot to think about. The views of Vice’s founder, Shane Smith, on the BBC and Channel 4 would be very interesting to hear. ■ Talking of news, it is far too early to assess the significance of ITV’s rebooted News at Ten, anchored by the hugely engaging Tom Bradby. For a start, news junkies must wait to see what impact Robert Peston makes as ITV News’s new Political Editor when he finally arrives. But the so-called “Battle of the Bongs” has led already to a less than gracious Huw Edwards taking to social media to claim that the BBC’s ratings remain comfortably ahead of ITV’s. Surely, Bradby is right to encourage audiences to take a look at the relaunched News at Ten, which is trying to do something that is clearly new and different. As he wrote in The Sunday Times, “I would urge you to give us a try. I hope you will find us more thoughtful and a lot more engaging than our rivals.” This latest skirmish in the news wars between the BBC and ITV has a very long way to go before either side can claim victory. Off Message hopes that John Whittingdale is paying full attention.
November 2015 www.rts.org.uk Television