The BBC premium drama channel BBC First will no longer be carried by Foxtel and Binge from 1 August. In case you’re wondering, Beyond Paradise episode 6, season 1 will be the last program screened if the plug is pulled at midnight today.
The BBC First channel is just three days short of celebrating its first decade after launching on Foxtel back on 3 August 2014.
It wasn’t also carried on Binge back then because there was no such thing.
Streaming was in its infancy globally, with Stan and Netflix launching in Australia in 2015.
For people who loved the best of British drama, BBC First became a go-to destination. I remember referring to it soon after launch as the best channel on Foxtel… and there was a lot to choose from.
The BBC First brand will retreat completely in Australia; it was once also available on the Fetch platform. But as Mediaweek recently reported, viewers in New Zealand have something to look forward to. Sky and BBC Studios announced earlier this year an expanded multi-year deal will give Sky audiences access to the best British content on BBC First across Sky, Neon, and free-to-air channel Sky Open.
See also: Four BBC channels to leave Foxtel and Binge
BBC First going out with Beyond Paradise
Here come the streamers
The streaming platforms soon realised the power of premium drama and over the past decade, they have become the places to go to.
If you listen to the TV Gold podcast, hosted by Andrew Mercado and myself, you will rarely hear reviews of drama on commercial FTA TV. That’s because the space has been taken over by streaming platforms. Kantar estimated early in 20245 that close to 8m people in Australia now subscribe to at least one streaming platform.
(Just quietly, that’s close to the potential audience too for a FTA network commissioning a quality drama. But that’s a story for another day.)
Stan has managed to snag subscribers who love British content with its regular feed of premium dramas. It has also successfully blended the best of British into some of its local commissions. Series like Ten Pound Poms and the first series of The Tourist.
BritBox has plenty of other competition too. Through savvy curation, programmers at Stan, plus Netflix and SBS On-Demand have impressive collections of British drama.
Building a bigger BritBox
With the BBC recently taking control of streaming platform BritBox International, that will now become the Australian home for many of the biggest new shows.
BritBox will also be taking over some of the long-running BBC faves including Death in Paradise, Call The Midwife, and Silent Witness.
BritBox already has a brilliant collection of the best of British. If there is somewhere it needs to improve to convince viewers to part with their $10 a month, it is new releases.
BritBox seems to have that in hand though and its first big new arrival will be the Jenna Coleman crime thriller The Jetty which arrives in the first week of September.
Jenna Coleman in The Jetty coming to BritBox
Who is looking after the home of British drama?
Your monthly drama investment will be in the hands of these three capable television executives.
Head of content and editorial, BritBox and branded services ANZ, Sarah Kenny, is expanding her role to add programming and acquisition responsibilities for BBC Studios’ local channels to her existing BritBox responsibilities. Kenny will have dual reporting to Moira Hogan, EVP BritBox International and general manager Australia, and Fiona Lang, general manager, BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand.
Kenny said: “These shows [Death in Paradise, Call The Midwife and Silent Witness] have a huge resonance with Australian audiences and, together with other exciting new and exclusive titles like The Jetty, will drive further growth for BritBox. We are also acquiring more of the most recent seasons of these titles as we build up our collections.”
Hogan commented: “As a specialty streaming service aiming to super-serve fans of quality British TV, we are thrilled to add this trio of much-loved BBC shows to our stable of premiere new releases.”
Lang added: “I’m delighted that Sarah will be combining editorial responsibilities for our channel portfolio with her existing BritBox role, allowing BBC Studios to take a holistic approach to content across these services. Death in Paradise, Call The Midwife and Silent Witness regularly topped the ratings for BBC First during their time on the channel and their move to BritBox, together with the premiere of The Jetty, is an important step in the evolution of our business as we pursue a truly integrated content strategy following BBC Studios acquisition of 100% of BritBox International earlier this year.”
Local commissions
Audiences don’t need to see Australian content on a channel branded BritBox. At the minimum a paying customer probably wants at least one major new release a month. That helps ease the pain as each monthly debit hits the credit card.
BBC First did have a memorable first Australian commission that was announced during its first year on air – Banished. The series was written by Jimmy McGovern and starred David Wenham as Governor Arthur Phillip.
BBC First Australian commission, Banished with David Wenham
The series was co-produced by independent production companies RSJ Films (Accused, The Street) and See-Saw Films (Top Of The Lake, The King’s Speech, Shame) and was filmed in and around Sydney in Australia and Manchester in the UK with Manly Dam as the setting for the main convict camp.
The series premiered on BBC2 in the UK, and there was some disappointment when plans for a second season were abandoned. There was even an online petition to save the series.
RIP BBC First… you will be missed. Special thanks to all who toiled on the channel.