The Bond miracle for me is that they were so successful despite the rubbish plots (often the same plot, recycled), and thus despite the producers. But perhaps they really were the magic. Guess we'll find out!

If licence fee money is used to pay Trump, then that’ll be it for the licence fee.

The programme was made by October Films.

It was a giant balls up. But it happened at October Films, and then just want checked by the BBC. So, it likely really was an error.

Interesting.

I really think it is. Still mystified as to why Davie gave it up though.

We might also wonder why the BBC entrusts episodes of its leading current affairs strand to outside producers. But that takes us back to Conservative govmt demands, under the guise of market liberalisation, that they shift spending to independents. The slow death of the BBC was planned long ago…
3/3

…the original sin - the ‘bias’ - did not originate in the BBC. Which makes it even weirder that some on the BBC Board decided to use it as a stick to beat the BBC management with, and trigger this existential crisis. They could have blamed the production company, sacked an editor, and moved on.
2/3

Yes, though alas arts has gone, and you get more history now on Channel 5.

Nah.

ha! Those were the days...

Tips for the next DG:

1 - Don't stake your future on impartiality. Perfect impartiality is impossible. Focus on accuracy and accountability. Let journalists and producers do their job. If they get it badly wrong, sack them.

2 - Reverse the deliberate, prolonged cut to arts programming.

🙏😘

Thank you for listening, and thank you for getting the book! B

👋

We are full of wind turbines here in Southern Scotland, which is totally fine by me. Solar is a whole different issue, because it means eradicating farmland and industrialising landscape to a far greater extent. And that's before you factor in the need to rely more on gas to make it effective, etc.

Yup. And it won't be the last.

I fear you are right dear Chris. V few people here to object to it...

You have hit the nail on the head. The land is cheap and there are very few people to object.