The good old BBC, British Broadcasting Company, has come a long way in England, since it's early, strait-laced viewing days, of the 1950's. There are now quite a few BBC channels, some of which are only available via a set top box, satellite dish, Freeview TV or cable. One of these channels is BBC Four. It is another available on Freeview and appeared a few years back and promised great things. In common with its sister channel BBC Three it only has programming from 7pm until 4am each day. The programmes shown after midnight are handy for people such as shift workers, in that, most mainstream channels only have those rubbish quizzes on after midnight, these days. So here is a brief sample of typical BBC Four listings, to give you an idea of what is on offer on BBC Four:-
When these programmes first aired none were repeats, which is something for any UK channel these days. However I find that the variety is good on the whole and at least there is only two programmes which are repeated in the same day's listings. BBC Four claims that it has an 'alternative and wonderful mixture of culture, arts, sciences, world cinema etc.' and, on the whole, I would agree with that. In many ways it seems to have taken over the role that BBC Two had in its early days. Sure, there is some dross at times but then that is true of all channels. BBC Four has seasons which concentrate on dance, or perhaps music, and generally these have something for a variety of viewers. The films tend to be more thoughtful ones, unusual and interesting. Yes, the sample above has the day’s film offering of 'The Thin Man', and so an old black and white film, but what a classic. Do not let the lack of colour put you off watching this film if you have not seen it before. Overall BBC Four is recommended if you enjoy something a little different. You will still have to select your choice carefully but this channel was a welcome addition to the BBC. It certainly fits in well with the traditional BBC 2 image in that it aims to be a little off-beat and different from mainstream viewing. Anything that provides an alternative cannot be all bad. If I have whetted your viewing appetite you will find BBC Four on:- BBC IPlayer also has recent showings available. Channel 9 on Freeview. Sky Digital channel 116. Telewest channel 107. NTL channel 127. As the good old Beeb tries to balance budgets BBC Three is going to the wall, which is a shame. Support BBC Four to ensure it continues on air and does not go the same way.
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