My affection towards BBC America ebbs and flows dependent on what recycled tripe they have managed to throw up on the telly for expats and septics to gurn at. When they are on top form and running only slightly stale episodes of Little Britain or Dr. Who I'm quite pleased with them. When it is nothing but My Family marathons and pretend documentaries about the royals then I am less impressed.
As the channel has aged the programmers seem to have settled on more of the latter than the former, so I only keep it around for the news- 3 hours of honest-to-goodness, full-on BBC World sat feed in the morning, and half an hour of less useful bid'ness at 7 eastern.
Until last week, that is. The morning stuff is still there but the 7pm broadcast has been replaced by possibly the most fantastic news broadcast I have ever seen. The new BBC America news at 7 is an hour long, and combines the good old fashioned BBC reportage with great chunks of Newsnight style inquisition. Frankly, I love it and consider it worth the price of cable alone. It's like a nightly hour of The Economist.
Hymn of praise over. I'm sure it won't last and will end up being replaced by The Green, Green Grass- quite possibly the worst thing I have ever had the misfortune to be forced to sit through on a visit to the grandparents, ever.
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http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article3043731.ece
At least that kind of news debate is probably cheap to make, unlike the other top drawer offerings you've mentioned...imagine the money on script writers alone...
lets try that link again
I agree- I imagine it doesn't cost them much more to stick Matt Frei in a studio and route footage to his location (plus he also scores stuff for the rest of the network; his interview with Jimmy Carter last night that was quoted on the American networks this morning).
Bear in mind also that BBC America carries commercials which is why I think they expanded this flagship news program. All the ads on the news are for Qatar business center, Intercontinental Hotels, Royal Thai airlines, etc which makes a change for the off-label viagra knock offs and weight loss formulas that normally run on BBC America.
I was so thrilled to discover this broadcast. Long may it last.
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