The BBC has announced its autumn hi-def schedule, a line-up the broadcaster's Head of HD, Danielle Nagler, thinks is more in keeping with the 'BBC HD promise'.
On the BBC internet blog, Nagler candidly explains: "When I started as Head of BBC HD a year ago, I was concerned at what I perceived as the gap between the BBC HD promise - the best content from the BBC - and the reality. I also felt that the channel broadcast was limited and unpredictable.
"Those concerns haven't entirely gone away - and as contributors to this blog you frequently remind me of them too. But looking at the autumn schedule I do feel that we are moving in the right direction and I would hope that you agree."
HD line-up
The autumn schedule is certainly a mixed bag of BBC content, comprising children's shows, prime-time drama and some Sunday tea-time favourites.
The pick of the bunch has to be Strictly Come Dancing – one of the channels flagships shows. For the second time, the sequin and sparkle friendly show will be filmed in HD.
Other HD content for the channel includes the Antiques Roadshow (so you can get a clearer view of people's disappointed faces when they are told their grockle is worth nada), Hole in The Wall, Waterloo Road and The Thick Of It.
The BBC is also expanding the HD Doctor Who universe, with The Sarah Jane Chronicles, and it is making sure the scares are plain to see in the channel's new horror series Harper's Island.
Other shows include:
- Electric Proms
- Lost Land of the Volcano
- Land Girls
- Crash
- The Art of Russia
- Home Time
- Beautiful People
- Lunch Monkeys
- How Not to Live Your Life
- Shaun the Sheep
- Gigglebiz (Little Britain-style show for under sixes apparently)
As for the lack of Top Gear in HD, Nagler doesn't give anything away about when we will se the show in hi-def but does say: "Please don't feel your thoughts/pleas/paeans of praise for Top Gear have disappeared into the ether, or into my recycling bin. I really value your contributions to our thinking, and hope to be able to update you very soon.
Via BBC blog
This story has been updated.
Your comments (9) Click to add a new comment
lovlid
September 9th 2009
9. I was so close to checking though :)
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mbb
September 9th 2009
8. Obviously, they don't film on Betamax. They film on Digibeta. Only an idiot would say they film on Betamax. D'oh.
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mbb
September 9th 2009
7. The beeb films pretty much everything on Betamax, so the only real barrier to them showing something in HD is the editing process
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lovlid
September 9th 2009
6. @ All.
How many of these programs are truly hi def, and how many are simply upscaled?
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marcchacksfield
September 8th 2009
5. @ceatlan @feebob - thanks for the heads-up, the story has been updated
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watcherzero
September 8th 2009
4. Well when it started only the Costume drama were in HD. Now you could probably say theirs enough for a main channel version about 50% but still a huge amount of content would only be upmixed.
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feebob
September 8th 2009
3. antiques roadshow also already on HD.
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jmace86
September 8th 2009
2. Why is there not simply a BBC One HD, BBC Two HD, BBC Three HD, etc.?
Why only one HD channel?!
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ceatlan
September 8th 2009
1. The last series of Strictly Come Dancing was also in HD, so its not a first this year.
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