BBC far too fond of itself
SIR David Attenborough is a lovely man, a brilliant broadcaster whose films have entertained and educated viewers aged six to 60 and beyond. The phrase “national treasure” is used too often but he really is one.
He is held in such esteem that it may well be actually against the law to criticise him. And I wouldn’t dream of doing so.
But the endless 90th birthday tributes on the BBC were too much of a good thing – though it must be said that Sir David is one of the few people who can receive such fulsome adulation with grace. I’m happy to see footage from his wonderful documentaries but did we really need (in Kirsty Young’s programme) all those sound bites from the usual rollcall of fawning luvvies all anxious to tell us that they love him the most?
It’s not that I mind this dear man being feted. But must the BBC be forever patting itself on the back? This week it will be David Attenborough, next week something else. It’s overkill.
Take Doctor Who. The 50th anniversary jamboree was wildly overblown. Yes Doctor Who has an important place in popular culture and many people love it. But the BBC went overboard with self-adulation. It was the same with the Helen-and-Rob domestic abuse story in The Archers. The actors were interviewed on Newsnight for goodness sake. Talk about barking up your own fundament.
The BBC is obsessed with promotion and branding, forever exhorting us to visit its websites and shamelessly milking its popularity. There was that satire about itself, W1A, mocking the Beeb’s Leftie pretensions. It was mildly funny but another opportunity to say: “Look we even laugh at ourselves. Aren’t we unbelievably wonderful?”
The BBC didn’t used to be so insecure. It was the national broadcaster, knew how important it was and didn’t need to go on about it. Each week 96 per cent of the population interacts with the BBC in some way. Even in the age of Netflix it is still a key element of our national life and reaches out to the entire world. Did you see the first part of the Shakespeare series The Hollow Crown? Exactly what the BBC does best.
Yet instead of reflecting the mature, confident broadcaster that it is, the corporation’s cheerleaders prefer to act like mutinous teenagers. At the Bafta awards Peter Kosminsky (who directed the wonderful Wolf Hall) claimed the wolf was at the door for quality TV because the Tories are trying to “eviscerate” the BBC. His over-excited comparison with state oppression in North Korea seemed faintly mad frankly – especially in the light of this week’s White Paper on the future of the BBC which has proved utterly uncontroversial and has been welcomed by the BBC’s Director General Tony Hall.
The BBC is a marvel, a daily miracle. But it is ridiculously pleased with itself. We all love Sir David Attenborough but isn’t that for us to say, not them?
MOST laughable quote of the week? “Kensington truly has become a hellhole.” Queen’s Brian May complains about the trend for lavish basement extensions.