Saturday night’s not all right for BBC arts show

WHEN the BBC announced it was to put the arts front and centre of its programming, it hoped to make Saturday nights the new “cultural destination” for television viewers. But just one series in, its flagship culture show Front Row is to undergo a radical overhaul, as the corporation appears to admit defeat on its weekend plans.

The BBC has confirmed Front Row is to move to 11pm on a Friday, broadcasting live with Mary Beard as sole host. The time-slot hopes to capture audiences returning home from the theatre, concerts or book groups. Speaking at the launch of arts programming in 2016, Patrick Holland, controller of BBC2, said: “These Saturday nights are where we want to put culture, and it’s putting the culture first. It’s making Saturday nights a cultural destination.”