BBC to be “digital-first”.The corporation has confirmed that the two channels will stop airing in no less than three years’ time, with content continuing to be produced for its streaming service BBC iPlayer.As part of the shake-up, the BBC’s news channels will be merged into one, while Radio 4 Extra will move off the airwaves and exclusively to BBC Sounds.The BBC said the changes are aimed at “creating a modern, digital-led and streamlined organisation that drives the most value from the licence fee and delivers more for audiences”.The changes will lead to cuts of £200million per year, with job losses of up to 1,000 expected over the next few years.“This is our moment to build a digital-first BBC. Something genuinely new, a Reithian organisation for the digital age, a positive force for the UK and the world,” said director-general Tim Davie.“Independent, impartial, constantly innovating and serving all.
BBC Commits To “High Impact” Comedy With $12M Budget Increase; Jack Whitehall’s ‘Bad Education’ To Return Alongside ‘Detectorists’ Feature & ‘Jerk’, ‘The Cleaner’, ‘Guilt’ Recommissions
11.05.2022 - 19:23 / deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has committed big to comedy by adding £10M ($12BN) to the genre’s budget over the next two years, as Director Jon Petrie talks up U.S. co-pros and unveils a new season of Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education, a Detectorists feature and recommissions of The Cleaner, Jerk and Guilt.
The extra cash is intended for “high-impact material that represents the whole of the UK” and will help with “rising costs,” according to Petrie, who described it as a “sizeable increase.”
“I feel very lucky that we have it,” he added, as he chatted to Deadline before heading up to Newcastle for the BBC’s inaugural Comedy Festival, an event that has been keeping him busy since he replaced Shane Allen around six months ago. The likes of Romesh Ranganathan and Charlie Brooker are taking part in the Festival.
The money comes as the BBC prepares to unveil the way in which it will make £1.5BN ($1.85BN) of government-enforced savings over the next five years and Director General Tim Davie recently said this will be done through commissioning less shows, rather than cutting whole services.
A portion of the funding will be put towards co-produced comedy and Petrie said the BBC is seeking more hits in the shape of Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws (co-produced with Amazon), Rose Matafeo’s Starstruck (co-produced with HBO) and Daisy Haggard’s Back to Life (co-produced with Showtime).
“We’re having a lot of success with these shows at the moment and [U.S. networks and streamers] are great to collaborate with,” he added. “We’re talking to some exciting names. They know the brand is really strong here and we’ve set the bar high.”
‘Bad Education’ & More
During a speech introducing the Comedy Festival, Petrie will unveil a 10th anniversary special and
‘The Big Breakfast’ to return with Mo Gilligan and AJ Odudu
Channel 4 has announced The Big Breakfast will return this summer with hosts Mo Gilligan and AJ Odudu.After the show was revived for a one-off special as part of Channel 4’s Black To Front day in September last year, the show has been commissioned for four episodes which will air in August.The Big Breakfast originally aired from 1992 to 2002, when it was hosted by the likes of Chris Evans, Richard Bacon, Gaby Roslin, Johnny Vaughn and Denise Van Outen.Vivienne Molokwu, Channel 4 senior commissioning editor, said: “I genuinely believe that the Black To Front Project unearthed one of the best presenting double acts that telly has seen in sometime in bringing Mo and AJ together for The Big Breakfast so it’s absolutely no surprise that we’re reuniting them for more early morning madness and making them a regular staple of our summer schedule.”Gilligan has presented The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan on Channel 4 since 2019. He also co-hosts The Big Narstie Show and has served as a judge on The Masked Singer UK since 2020.Earlier this year, the comedian replaced Jack Whitehall as host of the BRIT Awards, alongside Maya Jama and Clara Amfo.
BBC Four and CBBC to end as audiences ‘watch streaming shows instead’
Popular BBC TV channels, BBC Four and CBBC are set to end, as audiences "watch streaming shows instead." Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie, announced the news today after more and more audiences are turning to streaming services to watch their programmes. He also revealed that there is set to be a cut of around 1,000 jobs, as BBC embarks on a £500million budget cut for the taxpayer-funded corporation, which looks to move towards a "digital-first BBC." As he spoke to BBC staff, Tim said: "This is our moment to build a digital-first BBC. Something genuinely new, a Reithian organisation for the digital age, a positive force for the UK and the world.
BBC announces big change with BBC Four and CBBC channels to close
The BBC has announced it will be bringing some major changes after revealing BBC Four and CBBC will no longer be TV channels.
UK Government Kicks Off BBC Mid-Term Charter Review With Focus On Working Class Representation
The UK government has officially launched the mid-term Charter Review into the BBC, with a focus on whether the corporation is representing people from working class backgrounds.
BBC Bosses “Open Minded” About Future Of Licence Fee, Will Be Closely Involved With Landmark Funding Review
BBC bosses have for the first time indicated they may be open to a change in the corporation’s funding model after 2027.
Tyler Dean Flores, Imani Lewis, Raúl Castillo & More To Star In American High’s Hulu Comedy ‘Miguel Wants To Fight’ From Director Oz Rodriguez
EXCLUSIVE: Tyler Dean Flores (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Imani Lewis (First Kill), Christian Vunipola (Queenpins), Suraj Partha (Modern Family) and Raúl Castillo (Cha Cha Real Smooth) will star in Miguel Wants to Fight, a coming-of-age comedy that American High is producing for Hulu, which has entered production.
‘Reacher’: Maria Sten To Return For Season 2 As Star Alan Ritchson Says Series Will Cover ‘Bad Luck And Trouble’ Book
Amazon Prime Video’s Reacher will see a familiar face as Maria Sten returns for the action series’ second season.
Sky Recommissions ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ On Four-Strong Entertainment Slate; Two Rivers Options ‘Chums’; Disney+ Hotstar Euro Trio; Tomorrow Studios Big Light – Global Briefs
Sky Recommissions ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ On Four-Strong Entertainment Slate
Watch the wild first trailer for Tom Delonge’s sci-fi action-comedy ‘Monsters Of California’
Tom DeLonge is set to release his directorial debut, Monsters Of California, later this year – and while he’s yet to lock down a release date, he today shared the first glimpse of its sci-fi insanity with an official trailer.Per the film’s synopsis, Monsters Of California follows the mind-bending exploits of Dallas Edwards, who, flanked by an ensemble of similarly dorky, sex- and drug-loving teenagers, “attempt[s] to unearth answers to a series of mysterious, paranormal events happening around Southern California”. “As they peel back the layers on this onion of the unexplainable,” the logline continues, “they unravel the extraordinary secrets held within the deepest levels of the Government.”Check the trailer out below:Big-ticket names appearing in Monsters Of California include the Tony-nominated Richard Kind (Curb Your Enthusiasm), the Emmy-nominated Arianne Zucker (Days Of Our Lives), Sports Illustrated model Camille Kostek, Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) and Gabrielle Haugh (Jeepers Creepers 3). It’ll also star a handful of Hollywood newcomers such as Jack Samson, Jared Scott and Jack Lancaster.The film comes via DeLonge’s own multimedia empire, To The Stars, which the ex-Blink-182 and current Angels & Airwaves leader founded as a record label in 2015.
‘Bad Education’ set to return for 10th anniversary special and spin-off
Bad Education will return to TV screens a decade after the show first aired, with a full spin-off series featuring a new cast to follow.Created and co-written by Jack Whitehall, who also starred in the show as Alfie Wickers, the acclaimed BBC Three sitcom followed the adventures of “the worst teacher ever to grace the British education system” and an accompanying group of unruly students.Bad Education ran for three series between 2012 and 2014, before returning for a movie in 2019.
'Big Lebowski' Actor Jack Kehler Passes Away at 75, Cause of Death Revealed
Jack Kehler, an actor best known for his role as Dude’s landlord in the cult classic film The Big Lebowski, has died at the age of 75.
Kim Cattrall Gets Candid About Her ‘Sex And The City’ Departure, Responds To Sarah Jessica Parker’s Attitude Towards A Potential Return
Kim Cattrall covers Variety for the magazine’s “Power of Women New York” issue. Inside, she addresses originally turning down the role of Samantha in “Sex And The City”, her fate on “And Just Like That…”, her reaction to Sarah Jessica Parker dismissing Cattrall’s potential comeback, and more.
Trevor Noah jokes about Will Smith slap at White House Dinner
Will Smith‘s Oscars slap while presenting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.During the Academy Awards back in March, Smith walked onto the stage and struck Chris Rock following a joke about the appearance of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.After returning to his seat, Smith proceeded to yell at Rock: “Keep my wife’s name out your fucking mouth”. Various comedians and presenters have since made jokes and commented about the slap, and now Noah has followed suit.At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday (April 30), The Daily Show host said to the audience: “It is risky making jokes these days. I mean, we all saw what happened at the Oscars.“I’ve actually been a little worried about tonight.
NHL Fever: Celebrity hockey fans cheering on their favourite teams through the years
RELATED: Happy 60th Birthday, Wayne Gretzky! Looking back at the legendary career and life of 'the Great One'Although Canada's climate is ideal for learning to carve ice, hockey fever transcends the Great White North. Celebrities across the globe don memorabilia, wave towels and holler "goal!" at a fever pitch.