Daily Record

BBC repeats scandal

Chief claims viewers love old shows over Christmas

- BY TOM BRYANT

A BBC boss has sparked fury by claiming that viewers “love repeats”. Kate Phillips was defending the Beeb after it emerged more than half of programmes on BBC1 and BBC2 over the festive period have been aired before. She said: “We do show repeats but we find that people love a bit of repeats because actually Christmas is all about tradition and family traditions, and when you go back home you do a lot of things the same way.” The controller of entertainm­ent commission­ing added that with some classic moments “you want to see it again and again”.

The network’s repeats are up nine per cent from last year’s 50 per cent. On BBC2, 73 per cent of the Christmas schedule has been seen before.

In all, 301 shows have been shown before, including The Vicar of Dibley, Porridge, Dad’s Army, Morecambe and Wise and My Week With Marilyn. John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “No one minds a rerun of a classic film or an episode of Fools and Horses but when there is so little original content at this time of year, licence fee payers might be feeling a bit short-changed.”

The BBC defended their scheduling, saying: “More than 90 per cent of BBC1’s peak time schedule is new this year.

They added: “Viewers love a few old favourites at Christmas as well.”

 ??  ?? OLDIES Marilyn and Morecambe & Wise
OLDIES Marilyn and Morecambe & Wise

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom