BBC Two is a mixed-genre channel appealing to a broad adult audience with programmes of depth and substance. It carries the greatest amount and range of knowledge-building programming of any BBC television channel, complemented by distinctive comedy, drama and arts programming.
BBC Two will continue to commission high-quality multi-genre programmes that broaden and challenge viewers' horizons. The key challenge for the year ahead is to maintain the channel's range and quality of programming, especially in factual and comedy, while maximising reach across a broad audience.
Within this, key priorities for the coming year include:
Priority |
Rationale |
Sustain reach by increasing the volume of factual and fiction programming with appeal to under 45 year olds. |
As one of the BBC's key mainstream services, BBC Two has an important role in maintaining broad reach across different audience groups. |
Focus on innovation in comedy by developing new sitcoms, comedy formats and sketch shows with mainstream potential. |
BBC Two has an important role to play in developing comedy output and nurturing comedy talent that has potential to transfer to BBC One. |
Promoting education and learning
BBC Two is the BBC's main knowledge-building television channel. We have two aims: to broaden our audience's horizons, and to serve their passions. We do this by creating impact with our landmark and event output and by offering a range of programming in every major subject area. We harness interactive services to extend impact.
This year we will continue our commitment to natural history and science with our Natural World and Horizon strands. Springwatch and Autumnwatch will both return to further explore animal habitats across the UK. Landmark programming will include Earth: the Biography in science and Ganges: Tiger River in natural history.
We are always looking to innovate and will try new approaches to traditional subject matter with programming such as The Restaurant and Arrange Me a Marriage. Heston Blumenthal and other key expert presenters will return, representing BBC Two's continued leadership in food programming.
This year BBC Two will:- Broadcast 500 new hours of factual programmes.
- Share a commitment with BBC One to offer at least 500 hours of children's programming each year.
Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence
BBC Two has a commitment to arts programming and the coverage of a broad range of music. We will illuminate the lives of musicians and performers with The Seven Ages of Rock. Other arts programming will include major new documentaries on Rudolf Nureyev and Andrea Bocelli.
A range of new comedy, distinctive drama and British film will complement the factual core of our schedule. We will launch a number of UK comedies, including the sitcom Roman's Empire, The Life and Times of Vivian Vyle starring Jennifer Saunders, and The Peter Serafinowicz Show.
BBC Two will offer our largest ever festival of home-grown film with a British film season - an extensive showcase of UK movie and talent with films to satisfy a wide range of tastes. Factual and documentary programming will accompany the season.
In the year ahead we will:- Broadcast at least 200 hours of arts and music programming, including topical arts and culture in The Culture Show and a stripped event that will allow the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition to extend its reach outside of London.
Sustaining citizenship and civil society
BBC Two provides regular in-depth, accurate and independent news analysis and current affairs that explore a wide range of perspectives and issues. On weekday evenings Newsnight will continue to offer news analysis and reaction to the big stories of the day.
Environmental issues continue to matter to our viewers, and we will tackle some aspects of this massive subject area through It's Not Easy Being Green, which will examine the practical realities of environmentalism. In addition, a trilogy of films from reporter Tim Samuels will explore social issues by staging memorable public events.
This year we will:- Broadcast at least 100 hours of news.
- Broadcast at least 240 hours of current affairs.
Representing the UK's nations, regions and communities
BBC Two reflects and represents the diversity of its audience, exposing its viewers to the breadth of opinion, thought and belief in the UK.
Much of our output comes out of communities or is made with their collaboration. In the year ahead, Comedy Map of Britain and Coast will both, in their own ways, foreground various UK communities. And the landmark series Great British Journeys will see Nick Crane take 10 journeys through the wilds of Great Britain on foot, on horseback and even by coracle. We will also develop programming that will focus on areas of interest to younger teenage audiences.
We offer coverage of some of the UK's biggest sporting events, including tennis, snooker, bowls and darts, that bring communities of interest together.
For 2007/2008 BBC Two will:- Broadcast 430 hours of sport.
- Broadcast at least 20 hours of religious programmes (as part of 112 hours across both BBC One and BBC Two).
Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK
BBC Two follows a broad international agenda in its current affairs and ensures that factual, music and arts output reflects international themes. This year we are planning a major season to mark the anniversary of Partition and the independence of India and Pakistan. Highlights will include major documentary series on both contemporary India and Pakistan, alongside programmes which examine different historical themes.
An anthropological season will include Woman of the Tribe and a new series of Tribe with explorer Bruce Parry.
Emerging communications
BBC Two regularly enhances the impact of programming by linking it to interactive content, allowing individual viewers to explore their own interests to a depth that suits them.
For example, Seven Ages of Rock will include a deep video offer with exclusive artist extras, grouped around an interactive timeline, and will invite users to share their personal recollections inspired by key events in the programmes with the music as the backdrop to their lives. Springwatch and Autumnwatch will continue to enrich mass-appeal audience programming through surveys, live webcams, message boards and bespoke video content exclusive to the website.
Reach: BBC Two should contribute towards the maintenance of combined BBC weekly reach for all BBC services at over 90% by aiming to maintain its own weekly reach.
Quality: Audience approval of BBC Two and perceptions of it as high quality and innovative. Also, the proportion of originated programmes across all hours (including repeats).
Impact: Audience perceptions of BBC Two as engaging and challenging.
Value for money: BBC Two's cost per viewer hour.
The following targets are agreed with Ofcom each calendar year:
- To ensure that a minimum of 25% of qualifying hours are provided by independent producers.
- 70% of hours, and 80% of hours in peak, to be originations (first shows and repeats).
- To provide, across BBC One and BBC Two combined, a minimum of 365 hours of network current affairs programming, of which at least 105 hours are in peak time.
- A minimum of 6,580 hours of regional programming across the range of genres, including regional news programmes for BBC One.
- At least 95% of regional programmes to be made in the relevant area [BBC One and BBC Two commitment].
- 1,030 hours of regional programmes in peak time, plus a further 355 hours at times adjacent to peak time (i.e. the hour either side of peak time) excluding news on BBC One [BBC One and BBC Two commitment].
- To spend at least 30% of relevant programme production budgets, representing 25% hours of productions by volume, outside the M25.