petite anglaise

As a Brit abroad, I see BBC Prime as something of a misnomer lifeline. I keep in touch with my “British side” by watching Eastenders religiously four times a week (although I never did so when living in the UK), and happily it is broadcast only three days later than at home. But that is the only good thing I can bring myself to say on this subject.

Extract from the official website:

BBC Prime brings great British entertainment into your home 24 hours a day.

International viewers can watch a diverse mix of the very best from the BBC – from award-winning comedy and drama to ground-breaking documentaries and BBC Learning, plus music, lifestyle and children’s programmes, not forgetting the wealth of celebrity interviews.

Today’s schedule features a wealth of great British entertainment: Bargain Hunt, Changing Rooms, Big Strong Girls and S Club Seven in Hollywood. All shown twice , once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Mildly irritating when you have taken a sick day and planned to spend it horizontal in front of the TV.

Programmes other than Eastenders appear to be caught in a time warp. The Office finally made it to France in May 2004. The big celeb interview on Parkinson tonight is with Emma Thompson, talking about her role in Love Actually. A little past its sell by date I fear.

And then there are the re-runs of re-runs of re-runs, apparently a frequent source of expat discontent, to which the website has the following (defensive) response:

We present a balance of contemporary and classic programmes, something our audience appreciates and as a commercially-funded channel we must respond to. Some of our highest rating programmes have been the classic series such as ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em’ and these “old” programmes remain very popular.

This explains why Last of the Summer Wine is being aired every evening. Twice.

One programme on today’s schedule does sound rather intriguing, so much so that I may even tune in at 6.45 am tomorrow:

Salut Serge – Children`s language series featuring Serge le Singe, an animated cheeky monkey who can only speak French and his sidekick Pascale, a know-it-all prim-and-proper parrot who can only speak English. For 5 to 10 year-olds.

Watch this space.