Do you really need to know anything about me? It's not as if we'll ever meet. It's pretty obvious ...
Do you really need to know anything about me? It's not as if we'll ever meet. It's pretty obvious what I like if you read my reviews, so what's the pint in me telling you here?
Member since:13.12.2000
Reviews:124
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The BBC is a corporation that consistently delivers quality programming across a range of channels, but an exception must prove the rule and that exception is definitely BBC Choice. Choice is not bad in an MTV or Channel Five sort of way. It is just that when compared to the other BBC Channels, it seems lowbrow.
Choice is set to become BBC Three in the not to distant future, but for the time-being it remains a ‘youth’ orientated channel that can’t capture it’s target audience. In fact, Channel Four’s new little bambino E4 has stolen the BBC’s thunder somewhat, despite the fact that Choice has been around for nigh on three years now. The reason for this is simple. Choice offers new programming on a channel that many people don’t even know exists, while E4 does this but adds the allure of the big American imports that people have actually heard of to entice the viewer. Add this to their superior marketing and it all equates to E4’s ratings success.
I could say that more’s the pity, because E4 is a pretty awful channel judging by the listings, but to be honest Choice isn’t really much better. Not only do we suffer the pain of Eastenders later in the evening, when you think you’ve thankfully not been to subjected to any of it’s bad acting or the annoying "Du-du-du-du-du-d-d-d", but they even show the truly abysmal Eastenders Revealed. One day when I was too lazy to reach over to get the controls I watched as a girl who looked like Robbie’s fat ugly little sister met Robbie’s sister. It was surreal in the extreme.
Choice also offers stand-up comedy from comedians who you’ve never heard of and who are about as cutting-edge as a butter knife and as funny as death. There is a dearth of panel discussion programmes too, none of which are informative, smart or entertaining. All of theses programmes, that were not near the standard to get onto either of the main channels only serve to undermine the rest of the channel’s output, which can be pretty good sometimes.
Matches that didn’t involve Man Utd in last years World Club Cup were shown on Choice with that guy Smith who now reads the sport news on the evening bulletin before Sportscene on a Friday night on BBC One (Excuse my vagueness). This was highly entertaining stuff. Another football show is the excellent 45 Minutes which bizarrely lasts half an hour and the even more bizarre football travel show Mark Owens’ Scooters or whatever it’s called.
The Weakest Link also gets an airing every night at 7:00 and if you’ve seen them before on BBC Two, you can impress your friends by getting all the answers right. I only wish they’d repeat more things that I always miss like Top Gear on Choice.
For those interested in ironic student nostalgia for 1980’s children’s TV, then Choice is the channel to watch from the morning through to 6pm. I am not that sort of person, so the channel may not exist during the day as I never turn to it. Keep CBBC for the children, methinks.
So that is BBC Choice for you. Certainly not for the more mature audience, maybe for the nostalgia seekers or those who don’t want to think while they watch TV. It is neither impressive nor completely awful. As far as BBC channels go, BBC Choice, you are the weakest link, hello BBC Three.
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Good op, even though I disagree with you and most of the other comments but then I only see the CBBC on choice part of this channel and have never watched it in the evenings apart from the rare episode of Eastenders, and now I am glad I haven't, thanks Amanda..
offy 01.04.2001 22:00
Good opinion. Sounds like one to avoid.
tommartin 08.03.2001 11:17
Great Op, the title almost made my blood curdle though, I had visions of that horrible Robinson woman (uurrgghh).
Advantages: Brilliant during the day for pre-school children and especially when the mothers of these children can have a rest! Disadvantages: The repeats drive me crazy but the kids love seeing the same thing over and over again.
princesssoapy 15.06.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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BBC Choice
Mar 4th, 2001
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