BBC re-heats its festive offerings: The Christmas shows repeated within hours

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BBC re-heats its festive offerings: The Christmas shows repeated within hours

December 29th, 2011

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Strictly Come Dancing and The Gruffalo’s Child aired on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day
ITV follows suit as Christmas Day special of Downton Abbey will be screened again on New Year’s Day

By
Paul Revoir

Last updated at 11:05 PM on 28th December 2011

For most of us, the only recycling this Christmas involved large piles of wrapping paper.

But the BBC took things to a whole new level by re-using many of its biggest Christmas shows days – and in some cases, hours – after they first aired.

Viewers were shocked to see shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and The Gruffalo’s Child, which aired on Christmas Day, reappear on BBC1 on Boxing Day.

Repeat: The Gruffalo's Child, pictured, was aired on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Repeat: The Gruffalo’s Child, pictured, was aired on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Why we're seeing double

The festive episode of Doctor Who was not far behind as viewers were hit with it for a second time, just two days after it premiered on December 25.

The Christmas Eve episode of Winter Wipeout was on again on Boxing Day and another hotly anticipated Christmas Day show, Absolutely Fabulous, will be screened tonight.

Even one of the biggest films was being given a second outing – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, which aired on BBC1 on Christmas Eve, is on BBC3 tomorrow night.

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ITV gave shows such as Michael Buble: Home For Christmas and The Jonathan Ross Show more than one showing, and the Christmas Day special of Downton Abbey will be screened again on New Year’s Day.

But viewers singled out the BBC for recycling so much of their new output over the festive period.

As well as its big Christmas Day shows, the corporation also aired cookery shows The Hairy Bikers’ Christmas Party, Rick Stein’s Spanish Christmas and Lorraine’s Last Minute Christmas only 15 hours after their first slot.

Viewers have also complained that this year’s festive line-up was one of the worst in recent memory.

'Do you want to watch what we watched last Tuesday or last Wednesday?'

Shows such as the return of Absolutely Fabulous did not live up to many people’s expectations and the new Sir David Jason comedy was another disappointment.

As well, the Downton Abbey special on Christmas Day did not get the huge ratings many were expecting.

One viewer wrote on the BBC’s message board: ‘What’s with all the repeats? On Boxing Day you repeated Strictly from Christmas Day, Winter Wipeout from Christmas Eve, not to mention the numerous repeats of the Morecambe and Wise Specials.

‘There is no need to repeat programmes now as most people have access to a digital recorder… can’t you spend the licence fee on some new programmes instead.’

A BBC spokesman said: ‘We never repeat prime-time shows in the same slot.

‘This Christmas has seen brand new shows in drama, factual, entertainment and religion.

‘Over 91 per cent of programming on peak-time on BBC1 is brand new and has never been shown before.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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Television this christmas was the poorest ever. The days of gathering round as a family to watch a show are long gone. What a shame.

– goodgirl, hull, uk, 29/12/2011 05:48

Writings on the wall for the biased broadcasting corporation. No more repeats or license fees and no doubt thousands of its lefty ‘journalists’ will be looking for a job. Looking forward to private enterprise taking over.

– nick, sydney australia, 29/12/2011 05:48

Oh, the irony of the Mail complaining about repeats! Mail 3rd December 2008 : “The Christmas TV line-up: Expect a deja view of repeats, old films and classic re-runs”. Mail, 4th December 2009: “The BBC’s two main channels will air around 270 hours of re-runs across two weeks.”. Mail, 9th December 2010: “A Christmas season of repeats for the TV film fan”.
What I want to know if whether PR got paid for each piece or whether he just gets a repeat fee for each rehash of the original.

– TonyB, Melbourne, Australia, 29/12/2011 05:24

First the Royal Bodyguard was rubbish and now all these repeats. I’m going to go on twitter be prepared to report what I say DM.

– Random person, On Twitter now on DM, 29/12/2011 04:51

I wonder what I pay my TV licence for, perhaps I am due a refund because of all the repeats?

– Andy, Brighton, 29/12/2011 04:49

I might be naive , but I thought all these +1 channels were for repeating programmes for i.e. night worker or those not in during the normal viewing hours?One hour later is not exactly catering for this is it?As for Xmas , where was the ”Great Escape” this year?” Matilda” 7 times so far on various channels ?Funny, no real religious films so far? I wonder why?

– RON THE GRUMP, PETERBOROUGH, 29/12/2011 04:48

No TV for us on Christmas day and we didn’t miss it!

– Proletarian, as are we all, Formerly Great Britain, now Yuk, 29/12/2011 04:42

I see the Unionistas are out in force on the DM again; red arrowing, and shilling comments — you guys are so obvious.

It is actually acceptable to criticise the BBC, it’s a very, very expensive public sector organisation, with provable lack of ROI in comparison to most other TV channels from around the world. Not to mention the appalling quality, and lack of production values, in nearly everything they do. If the DM didn’t criticise them, who would? The Guardian? No. If the BBC was any good, it wouldn’t get criticised. If it was pay to view, it would be broke.

Don’t you want a good service at a fair price? No, of course you don’t, because you are public sector employees yourselves, and have a vested interested in keeping the BBC bloated and ineffective. The BBC is your Pravda, and your only hope of getting your message out. The DM is exercising free speech. Being socialists, of course you want that silenced. Free speech scares you, we know.

– dave, Dystopia, UK, 29/12/2011 04:29

Typical of anything the money makers get their hands on something. I would like to see something put in place that means they can’t do this again. But what are the chances. Didn’t ruin my Christmas though.

– Mr P, Manchester, 29/12/2011 04:22

if you think that’s bad then try watching the international BBC Entertainment Channel. Not only do they recyle about 3 times in every 24 hours but they then repeat en masse on Saturday and Sunday. Last night we had to bear a programme about the Royal Wedding which began …….”in April 2011 Prince W will marry Kate”. The Christmas highlights included programmes that are so old that if shown in the UK they would surely provoke inner city riots. Fro goodness sake they are programmes that i grew up watching as a child, and I’m almost ready to retire. The BBC should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, they have debased their entire international reputation, are seen amongst the expatriate community as being mealy mouthed and cheeseparing not to mention mind numbingly boring. As with so many other aspects of once great Britain we are a laughing stock at the quality of programming which the BBC inflicts on viewers, thank goodness there are choices at the flick of a switch.

– john, Bahrain, 29/12/2011 03:41

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