There will be fewer repeats this Christmas during BBC1 primetime, despite the corporation having to make £1.6bn savings.
In peak time over the festive period, more than 90% of programmes on the BBC’s main channel will be new shows such as the natural history series Great Barrier Reef and the drama And Then There Were None, according to Mark Linsey, the corporation’s acting director of television.
Linsey acknowledged that the issue of repeats at Christmas was a “recurring topic of debate”, with the BBC having often come in for criticism in the past. However, he pre-empted the annual debate by saying: “We are still finalising our schedules but I can promise you that in BBC1, peak time more than 90% of programmes will be brand new.”
In a speech in London to journalists at the BBC’s annual screening of seasonal highlights, Linsey said: “I think this is an impressive commitment, not least given the BBC is facing unprecedented financial pressure and is in the process of saving £1.6bn. These cuts will make the challenge even more difficult in future, but we will always try to offer our best shows in Christmas peak time. It’s important to reiterate that no one invests as much in original programming over Christmas as the BBC.
“But many people appreciate – or even expect – a chance to watch old favourites again. Five million tuned in to a repeat of Mrs Brown’s Boys last year and we shouldn’t forget that online video streaming services that are growing so rapidly right now mainly offer programmes from the archive.
“So we should make no apology for giving viewers another chance to watch some classic BBC programmes and modern family favourites again, as long as they are used carefully and offered alongside a distinctive mix of new programmes, like we have this Christmas.”
He added, with a hint of humour: “I’m sure we all agree that no one minds seeing some things again, given that the same headlines about Christmas repeats on TV appear in the press every year.”
Linsey did not say how fewer repeats there would be as schedules were still being finalised but, according to sources, the amount of repeats during peak time on BBC1 over the Christmas period will have reduced from about 10% last year to just over 7%.
With the BBC facing questions from some quarters, including the culture secretary John Whittingdale, about whether it should air some entertainment shows when its charter is renewed at the end of next year, Linsey said “some of the claims made against us during charter are, like the Christmas board game, balderdash”.
He continued: “They are sometimes motivated by commercial imperatives, rather than the interest of viewers. They sometimes deliberately overlook that our mission has always been to entertain, as well as inform and educate.”
Linsey, who is also controller of entertainment commissioning, added: “Our channels are hugely distinctive and that is an all-year-round commitment – not just for Christmas.”
