The sequence here is in chronological order if anyone is interested:
I WROTE:
Dear Sir,
Last night the BBC dumped the brilliant and hugely expensive Shakespeare drama series second part to show the Wimbledon finals. Well actually that's not what they did since they are happy to switch channels to maintain their Wimbledon coverage and could easily have switched it to BBC1. No what they did was keep Wimbledon running on BBC2 and let Casualty continue as usual on BBC1. That is an insult to their viewers and their licence fee payers who funded this drama series.
It was bad enough that they ruined the Jubilee River Pageant with a dumbed down and incompetent commentary but this is possibly worse. After all Wimbledon happens every year and often runs late. Have they no planners?
Be very afraid people - the man who sank the pageant with dumbed down and inept commentary has been given the job of controlling BBC entirely. Enjoy the Shakespeare when it finally screens - on his record it could be the last!
THEY REPLIED:
Dear Mr WoodsI BLASTED:
Thanks for contacting us.
We apologise that you were frustrated by the late changes to our TV schedules last night and for any confusion regarding the scheduling of ‘The Hollow Crown’.
We’re sending this reply to everyone who contacted us to explain what happened and to let you know how to watch ‘The Hollow Crown’ if you missed it.
As a result of rain and long matches earlier in the day, the men's and women's doubles finals played into the late evening. The men's doubles final also featured the first British male to win a Wimbledon men's doubles title in 76 years.
The BBC has a contractual commitment to show these matches on terrestrial television so the decision was taken to delay ‘The Hollow Crown’ by one hour on BBC Two and to switch the coverage to BBC One at 10pm.
As a result of the changes, a repeat of ‘The Hollow Crown’ has been scheduled for this evening on BBC4 at 9pm and the programme is also now available to watch on BBC iPlayer for the next 3 weeks.
We’d like to assure you that we've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is an internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily and is available for viewing by all our staff. This includes all programme makers and presenters, along with our senior management. It ensures that your points, along with all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.
Thanks again for contacting us.
Kind Regards
Dear Whomsoever,
The issue in the end was the failure to provide clear information and that was bad management. Your commentator at Wimbledon stated that The Hollow Crown would NOT NOW be shown this evening.
No one argues against the importance of the tennis match (although you have to accept the difference in audience for either item). What was appalling was that, knowing for many decades when the finals of Wimbledon would be you had not noted that, with the arrival of the roof, there was a potential collision with a scheduled item (albeit a soap) that could be moved but needed forethought. So someone decided that you could RISK your showpiece drama series on BBC2 on that particular Saturday night without any preparation. Are you mad? This was a car crash waiting to happen and it did. And it was an insult to actors, directors, writers and all those involved as well as us the viewing fee payers.
And then, instead of making sure your plan B was well known to all you let some muppet of a sports commentator run your channel for you. Barmy or what?
I am sorry people but this is of a one with choosing under prepared and under experienced people to commentate on and reduce the jubilee pageant. Where was a Dimbley (what a nice co-incidence that one did the coronation or did you miss that too?).
Frankly the disaster of Saturday night should tell you all you need to know about what has gone wrong with BBC management in the last decade or so. You need to ensure that the people who run the BBC understand the special position that is all you have to defend the BBC against the grab a shilling and run brigade. As a 55 years fan (exposure, not age) I have watched a decade of incompetence and mis-comprehension start a process that will wreck the BBC and deliver it into the hands of the Philistines who have even now wrecked and are wrecking our economy - the accountants, bean counters and lick spittle pooliticians. You have the chance to be better - take it.
Richard Woods
OH YES AND....
On 08/07/2012 12:10, bbc_complaints_website@bbc.co.uk wrote:
DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BBC Complaints
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