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New Doctor Who a Hit: No USA Broadcast

A

AlanB

The revival of the British sci-fi series Doctor Who in England has been a roaring sucess. The series, featuring a roaming Time Lord called "The Doctor" and his companion Rose Tyler, has consistantly won it's time slot in England and the series itself, spaning over 30 years, has fans all over the world (including millions in the USA).

In the USA, Doctor Who was mostly shown by PBS stations, and was a great money maker. While the new series has been sold to stations in Canada, New Zealand, and even South Korea, no US network has bought the rights to the series: not even Sci-Fi Channel or BBC America.


Does anyone have any ideas on why a quality science-fiction program with a bigger built-in auidence than Star Trek: Enterprise has not found a US network willing to transmit the program?
 
> Does anyone have any ideas on why a quality science-fiction
> program with a bigger built-in auidence than Star Trek:
> Enterprise has not found a US network willing to transmit
> the program?
>
Maybe because the rates are too high for the US?
 
> Maybe because the rates are too high for the US?

I don't think its the rates. But one has to wonder why a remake that has done well overseas has yet to find a US home? Better yet why would BBC America pass on this show? Inquiring "Doctor Who" fans would like to know.
 
> > Maybe because the rates are too high for the US?
>
> I don't think its the rates. But one has to wonder why a
> remake that has done well overseas has yet to find a US
> home? Better yet why would BBC America pass on this show?
> Inquiring "Doctor Who" fans would like to know.
>

From what I've read on 'Doctor Who-related sites, potential buyers like NBC Universal(Sci Fi Channel and USA Network) were underwhelmed when they previewed the first episode...and, yes, the BBC's high rayes had a lot to do with it, too.
As for why BBC America would pass on the show: As I understand it, BBC America is not actually owned by the BBC, but simply shows programs licensed from the BBC (as well as a limited amount from other British channels). Most of these programs tend to have much lower costs than 'Doctor Who'. The Beeb had high hopes that a major American network or cable channel would pick up the show, and it wanted to ensure that it would get a larger audience than it would get on BBC America, with its limited distribution.
In hindsight, it looks like they should have swallowed their pride, and realized
that 'Who' has been and always will be a 'niche' program in the States, as opposed to a 'phenomenon' like 'Star Trek' or 'X-Files'.
They would have been better off getting the show on BBC America, where at least it would be shown somewhere...or, failing that, they should have stuck with PBS stations. Running the new episodes, possibly in tandem with the 'classic' series, might have rekindled interest in 'Doctor Who'.
Instead, the Beeb will probably just write it off as a failure due to American TV's 'changing tastes'. There is a (small) audience for 'Who' in America; the BBC chose to ignore it.
 
> As for why BBC America would pass on the show: As I
> understand it, BBC America is not actually owned by the BBC,
> but simply shows programs licensed from the BBC (as well as
> a limited amount from other British channels).

Discovery Networks is an investor, and distributes BBC America, but the BBC owns the station (as they do BBC Canada, BBC World, etc.)

> The Beeb had high hopes that a major American network or
> cable channel would pick up the show, and it wanted to
> ensure that it would get a larger audience than it would get
> on BBC America, with its limited distribution.

It is true that the potential audience for the series would be smaller on BBC America, but at least the series would be broadcast.


FULL DISCLOSURE: The reason I am harping for BBCA to pick up the series is that the BBC has announced that the DVD set of the new season will not be released in North America (USA or Canada) until after it is broadcast in the USA. The CBC is currently running the series on a two week delay.
 
> > As for why BBC America would pass on the show: As I
> > understand it, BBC America is not actually owned by the
> BBC,
> > but simply shows programs licensed from the BBC (as well
> as
> > a limited amount from other British channels).
>
> Discovery Networks is an investor, and distributes BBC
> America, but the BBC owns the station (as they do BBC
> Canada, BBC World, etc.)
>
> > The Beeb had high hopes that a major American network or
> > cable channel would pick up the show, and it wanted to
> > ensure that it would get a larger audience than it would
> get
> > on BBC America, with its limited distribution.
>
> It is true that the potential audience for the series would
> be smaller on BBC America, but at least the series would be
> broadcast.
>
>
> FULL DISCLOSURE: The reason I am harping for BBCA to pick up
> the series is that the BBC has announced that the DVD set of
> the new season will not be released in North America (USA or
> Canada) until after it is broadcast in the USA. The CBC is
> currently running the series on a two week delay.
>
Discovery is the majority owner of BBC America, BBC owns a minority interest...foreign companies are not allowed to have majority control of US electronic media outlets.
 
> The revival of the British sci-fi series Doctor Who in
> England has been a roaring sucess. The series, featuring a
> roaming Time Lord called "The Doctor" and his companion Rose
> Tyler, has consistantly won it's time slot in England and
> the series itself, spaning over 30 years, has fans all over
> the world (including millions in the USA).
>
> In the USA, Doctor Who was mostly shown by PBS stations, and
> was a great money maker. While the new series has been sold
> to stations in Canada, New Zealand, and even South Korea, no
> US network has bought the rights to the series: not even
> Sci-Fi Channel or BBC America.
>
>
> Does anyone have any ideas on why a quality science-fiction
> program with a bigger built-in auidence than Star Trek:
> Enterprise has not found a US network willing to transmit
> the program?
>

The PBS stations were all licensed under an individual basis, and they might not have the cash to do the same this time around with the amount of production costs put into the series this time.

As far as other networks (SciFi) that was answered already elsewhere in this thread, so I'll refrain from repetition.

About the only thing you can do is import the DVD, as the first one is out already, of course you'll need a DVD player capable of plaing region 2 discs.

The other thing is, how many British programs have really made it big in the states on commercial TV? I think only a handful, and I don't think the major networks are seeing imported tv as something they'd want to add to a primetime schedule, unlike in Canada, where Doctor Who is not the only BBC property airing currently.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by DJKraze on 06/06/05 06:09 PM.</FONT></P>
 
There's another problem.

Since the BBC is noncommercial, chances are, episodes of the newest "Doctor Who" series (and all half-hour BBC television programs) probably run about 28 minutes.

If the show were to be sold to any broadcast or cable network that shows commercials, a few minutes from each episode would have to be cut to make room for commercials.

That's probably why previous "Doctor Who" series, and BBC-produced sitcoms generally air in the 'States on PBS stations.

If the BBC is serious about making a sale of the new "Doctor Who" in the U.S.A., then episodes should run no longer than 25 minutes (including credits). That would open the way for a sale to a commercial broadcast or cable network without having to cut out parts of each episode to fir-in the commercials.

One other possibility: I'm not sure how many episodes are being made this season, but if it's not too many episodes (a lot of BBC and ITV entertainment shows only produce six to eight episodes a season; a few do up to thirteen, and few do more than that), I could see PBS stations acquiring the new "Who" to run as a marathon during pledge weeks.
 
> There's another problem.
>
> Since the BBC is noncommercial, chances are, episodes of the
> newest "Doctor Who" series (and all half-hour BBC television
> programs) probably run about 28 minutes.
>
> If the show were to be sold to any broadcast or cable
> network that shows commercials, a few minutes from each
> episode would have to be cut to make room for commercials.

Perhaps you haven't noticed that BBC America runs half-hour BBC programs in 40-minute slots.

Example:
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.bbcamerica.com//schedule/PrintableEpisodeByProgram.jsp?program_name=Monty+Python%27s+Flying+Circus>http://www.bbcamerica.com//schedule/PrintableEpisodeByProgram.jsp?program_name=Monty+Python%27s+Flying+Circus</a>
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> If the BBC is serious about making a sale of the new "Doctor
> Who" in the U.S.A., then episodes should run no longer than
> 25 minutes (including credits). That would open the way for
> a sale to a commercial broadcast or cable network without
> having to cut out parts of each episode to fir-in the
> commercials.

Anticipating that, the BBC made this season of Doctor Who 13-45 minute episodes, encompasing 7 stand alone stories and 3 two-parters.
 
> Discovery Networks is an investor, and distributes BBC
> America, but the BBC owns the station (as they do BBC
> Canada, BBC World, etc.)

As mentioned before, the BBC is part owner of BBC Americam with Discovery owning the rest.

As for BBC Canada, Aliance Atlantis is majority owner of that channel, to comply with Canadian ownership laws.
 
> foreign companies are not allowed to
> have majority control of US electronic media outlets.
>
I think that restriction only applies to broadcast TV and radio -- until 2000, CBC and Power Broadcasting (now part of Corus) owned Newsworld International and Trio, before selling both off to USA. Also, Rogers and Shaw (leading cable companies in Canada) both owned US cable systems until a couple of years back, when the systems were sold off to American companies.
 
> > foreign companies are not allowed to
> > have majority control of US electronic media outlets.
> >
> I think that restriction only applies to broadcast TV and
> radio -- until 2000, CBC and Power Broadcasting (now part of
> Corus) owned Newsworld International and Trio, before
> selling both off to USA. Also, Rogers and Shaw (leading
> cable companies in Canada) both owned US cable systems until
> a couple of years back, when the systems were sold off to
> American companies.

Don't forget CHUM Television (Canada), which owned 50% interest in MuchMusic USA (Rainbow Media/Cablevision owned the other 50%) before selling their 50% to Rainbow Media in 2000.
 
> > There's another problem.
> >
> > Since the BBC is noncommercial, chances are, episodes of
> the
> > newest "Doctor Who" series (and all half-hour BBC
> television
> > programs) probably run about 28 minutes.
> >

Doctor Who (the 2005 series) is not a 28 minute program. It actually runs around 40-45 minutes. This would allow a broadcaster to fit in 15 minutes of commercials at suitable points in the program. However when watching the program I don't see where the natural breaks for commercials would be.

I can tell you though that from watching it (the recording gets "shipped" to me shortly after it is viewed) that this is a very very very good show, but the show may still be too British for an American audience.

Therefore suitable for BBC America.

Mark.
 
Re: BBC Worldwide owns BBC America (Was about Dr. Who)

> From the BBC's own website:
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/channels/bbcamerica.shtml
>
> "It is wholly owned by BBC Worldwide Ltd, one of the BBC’s
> commercial subsidiaries, and distributed by Discovery
> Networks."
>
> Mark.
>
Then why is a large chunk of BBCa programming non-BBC? (Channel 4, Thames, ITC)
 
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