Welcome to /r/BBC!

Anyone else fed up with the the incessant use/promotion of iPlayer before and after programmes ? Never-ending plugs for stuff you watch or don’t, as the case may be….we all know it exists, and what it allows us to do, it’s a great facility but the too frequent reminders are wearing!

Anyone that has applied in previous years, or that is going in for it this year. How did you get on with the online assessment part? Is there any particular strengths or weaknesses that are better to get than others? And when should you expect hear back?

What the hell is going on? I see so many typos on the BBC, makes me wonder if it’s deliberate (to highlight that) they lost their proofreading teams years ago according to a colleague that used to work there.

Seems a pretty glaring mistake to make on such a simple headline.

https://imgur.com/a/ccIu1yj

Very enjoyable crime/detective show, I'm wondering whether Ludwig will be translated to French.

Alright, get ready because the BBC has announced a brand-new drama called Babies, and it sounds like one of those shows that's going to stay with you long after the credits roll. Written and directed by Stefan Golaszewski, the genius behind Mum and Marriage, this six-part series promises a raw and emotional look at love, loss, and everything in between.

Here's the setup: Babies follows Lisa and Stephen, played by the ridiculously talented Siobhán Cullen (Obituary) and Paapa Essiedu (Black Mirror). The couple is grappling with the heartbreak of pregnancy loss, all while trying to find hope and strength in their relationship. Life doesn't stop just because you're grieving, and this series dives right into how they manage to keep going, love each other, and hold onto a flicker of humor through it all.

More at https://www.jonn.co.uk/2024/11/bbcs-babies-heartwarming-new-drama.html

I'm very sad about the BBC having removed their "Market Data Feed" as it was a great easy-to-read high level "state of the market" webpage I used to check each morning. It had stocks, FX & commodities. I can't find a similar simple but easy to look at webpage that doesn't require a log in (and have checked Bloomberg, FT, Yahoo Finance etc). Anyone have a recommendation for the best way to exactly replicate the full set of data. Marketwatch seems the best but you have to click through several mini tabs to get the full set instead of a single-everything-at-once page.

I also wonder how much money the BBC really saves taking this away. Probably 1 or 2 jobs at most (if that)? Maybe the BBC had to pay some licence fees as well, but they only showed the degraded delayed info so can't imagine they'd be too high. Although who knows.

Sad day anyway. the enshittification of the BBC continues full steam. We need a new and better funding model to preserve this precious institution, please Labour!! :)

Hi all, I applied to a job on the BBC Careers website a few weeks ago. I think I have a real shot at my application being successful, but it's been a few weeks now and I want to email whoever handles applications to ask how the process is coming along, if they have a timeframe for when I can expect to hear back from them, if there's any other documents that I can provide to help my case, etc. But I can't find any way to contact the relevant party. Does anyone know if there's any way of knowing who handles the applications for a certain role so I could get in contact with them? Thanks.

Hi everyone,

I’m a 28F from Brazil who has been living in the UK for the past 5 years. When I was 20 I got in Film Studies in a university back in Brazil, which was a dream of mine. However, at the same time I also got the once in a lifetime opportunity to go move to Europe, which I took and honestly don’t regret it. However, now having been away from home for almost 7 years and having focused most of my career in childcare, I want to at least try, to make something of a career in media (it’s never too late right?). I don’t qualify for a student loan yet, as I only have pre-settled status, so going back to uni, at least in the next couple of years, is off the cards. I also ideally need to earn a salary to be able to sustain myself, I don’t have any family in the UK or anyone to help me financially. So, I’ve been scouring the internet for apprenticeships.

I found the BBC apprenticeship in London, which sounds perfect to be honest. I will apply for it regardless and I know it’s super competitive. I do want to be realistic though, are both my age and the fact I’m not a native English speaker, factors that would reduce my chances of succeeding?

Appreciate the feedback, any tips or recommendations (:

The festive season is just around the corner, and what better way to spend it than solving a sun-soaked murder mystery? Death in Paradise is back with its highly anticipated Christmas special, and this year, there's a lot to get excited about. A brand-new Detective Inspector is stepping onto the sands of Saint Marie, a star-studded guest cast is set to bring the drama, and the case at the heart of it all might be one of the most baffling yet.

https://www.jonn.co.uk/2024/11/santa-claus-sun-and-sleuthing-whats-in.html

Get ready for a dose of murder, mystery, and Irish intrigue as Crá, the latest crime drama, hits BBC iPlayer and BBC One Northern Ireland on Sunday, November 17. This six-part series, filmed in the haunting landscapes of County Donegal, dives into a dark tale of secrets, family ties, and the unsettling power of modern media.The story kicks off in a remote village where a shocking discovery rocks the community—a body, buried in the bog, is unearthed by Garda Barry Roche (Alex Murphy).

Things take an intense turn when Garda Conall Ó Súilleabháin (Dónall Ó Héalai) realizes that the body belongs to his mother, Sabine, who disappeared fifteen years ago. Ordered off the case because of the personal connection, Conall finds himself drawn back in with the help of Ciara-Kate (Hannah Brady), an up-and-coming true-crime podcaster intent on exposing the secrets lurking in the village.

https://www.jonn.co.uk/2024/11/cra-bbcs-dark-new-irish-crime-drama.html

Does anyone know whether The Unbeliveable Truth is doing a new series? I’ve done some searching but can’t find confirmation. I’d love to attend a taping!

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping I can get some key advice on the application for the above position. The vast majority of the application form is the standard personal details, qualifications, work history etc. They have stated there is no requirement to upload a CV / Cover letter.

What I suspect what may make or break the application is the 2000-character box at the very end: “Please briefly tell us why you would like to be a Broadcast Engineering apprentice at the BBC?”

On the webpage for the apprenticeship, I think I’ve spotted the kind of things they are looking for.

The web link is here: https://careers.bbc.co.uk/job/Belfast-Broadcast-&-Media-Systems-Engineer-Degree-Apprenticeship-Level-6-Belfast-BT2-8HQ/805374502/?from=email&refid=15430260602&utm_source=J2WEmail&source=2&eid=125602-202401281201-23336900802&locale=en_GB

I suspect I need to detail two crucial things under the “ARE YOU THE RIGHT CANDIDATE?” header;

Understanding of BBC values and examples of the “Great Broadcast Engineering apprentices are those who can demonstrate they:”

·        Are fascinated by how things work

·        Love solving technical problems

·        Have a passion for media technology

·        Can manage multiple deadlines and demands on your time  

·        Have a calm and focused approach to changing circumstances  

·        Are an enthusiastic self-starter, flexible and adaptable to out-of-hours working

Thing is, I have a lot of examples to draw on and even though I can keep it succinct, I just can’t provide a decent example of every single skill and value (there are a lot of them!) in 2000 characters.

Are there BBC staffers here or possibly previous successful apprentices who could provide guidance? I previously applied for a Tech/Ops role through CINE. It was a 3-stage, 4-month process and I was beaten by a single point at the interview so I’m sure I have what it takes!

Many Thanks,

Mister Tigger

Watching episode 6 (Manitoulin Island to Québec City) and it became clear to me just how scripted the whole thing is. I grew up in Toronto / Greater Toronto Area and moved to Québec City 3 years ago

The biggest tell, the fact that Kevin & Claudia and Tricia & Cathie were forced to spend a second night in Montréal. I know a big theme of the show is "Europeans being shocked that North America has poor transport links" and yes this is a major problem, especially in Western Canada. But while the Québec City to Windsor Corridor (i.e. Southern Ontario & Southern Québec; i.e. where 50% of Canada lives) could do way better; there are more than sufficient and affordable transit links. It is super easy to travel between Montréal and Québec City. You can check for yourself here: https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Montreal/Quebec#trips

If you want to travel by Train, Via Rail has, on Saturdays, 5 trains from Montréal to Québec. In fact almost all of these trains originate in Ottawa; Zaineb and Mobeen took the last train out of Ottawa that day, which as of current schedules leaves Ottawa at 16:05, reaches Montréal at 18:04, leaves Montréal at 18:25 and arrives at Québec City at 21:48. There was absolutely no need for Kevin & Claudia and Tricia & Cathie to stay the whole night, the train was empty as we saw, they could have gotten tickets on that train.

Say they had to keep working past 18:00; well then they can take a bus. Orléans Express has busses departing at 19:00, 20:00 and even 22:00.

Also, Montréal to Québec you can Easily rideshare via Kangaride: https://www.kangaride.com/rideshares/montreal-to-quebec/qc. Most students / people on a tight budget I know going between the two cities use that.

So yeah, them all ending up on the same bus, just all killing a second day in Montréal; and Monique and Ladi spending a whole day there (cause they decided to just camp in Tobermory for some strange reason); made me realize how scripted the whole thing is. And how fake it is. Not much of a race if one time can travel through Montréal while the other two are forced to spend a night.

I watched the show cause I love the concept; as someone who loves ot read maps and take intercity trains and explore and all. But this is too fake to be enjoyable

Other thoughts:

• Kevin getting lost at Union Station is too real. Everyone has had that experience; heck even I when I went back to visit Toronto got temporarily lost at Union.
• On the otherhand; taking the GO to Guildwood to catch the Via is Hilarious but also not something you would logically do. If you really want to have them take the GO Train more, find an excuse for them to take the GO to Oshawa and then catch the Via; idk have them go sightseeing to the Scarborough Bluffs
• Related to that, wisht here was more a subplot of them navigating transit system within major cities. I'd love to see Claudia & Kevin taking the GO Train from Guelph to Toronto with all the commuters. And then GO Training to Burlington to bus to Niagara (and bus back after 30 mins kinda insane how tight it all was)
• Which leads me to ask, do they need to sightsee? Also I am doubtful how Kevin & Claudia had time to take the GO from Guelph to Toronto, take the ferry to the Island and back, GO Train over to Burlington; Bus to Niagara; do the whole thing again, and get an afternoon 15:17 train to Montréal. (Also there are trains at 17:02 & 18:02 so...). They could have easily hung out at Niagara a bit longer. Cause at that point they did no sightseeing
• Tricia and Cathie, the show showed scenes of them Navigating the Montréal Metro, and then showed them getting on the Orléans Express bus at Ottawa towards Montréal. So congrats; all the viewers will now think that Ottawa has a subway system.
• Earlier (and later) episodes also have plot holes. The Coach bus can take you to Prince Albert, you cannot go from there to the Provincial Park; that is 90 km more North (and as you know by now, has no transit). Likewise how did Zeinab and Mobeen get from Halifax to Liverpool?
• Tricia and Cathie same episode too The Canadian between Saskatoon and Melville. Wished they spoke a bit more about that train, as it is a big tourist draw in Canada (and almost as unreliable as the Churchill Train to get you on time anywhere)
• Are Kevin and Claudia not allowed to just stay up all night at Gare Centrale; a café; a university campus; wherever. Not too hard to stay up all night in a major city if you want to. The whole thing felt like a massive forced endeavour by the Producers
• Forcing Kevin & Claudia to go bacnkrupt and waste a night in Montréal; kind a clear what they are all about, and the story line they were going for (ha ha stupid folks who waste money on taxis go bankrupt)
• Hate the reality TV forced drama.

I could go on. Guess in two sentence it would be : "Amazing concept; poor execution"

Its called Animal Crime Scene from 2005, narrated by David Attenborough and its about 5 episodes long

It used to be complete on vimeo but recently it was removed completely and I have nowhere else to watch it, which is dire because I'mdoing a college assignment using it

Does anyone know where I can watch it again?

We watch the Graham Norton Show regularly and have noticed that the music section always falls flat, even the best artists sound terrible and we normally end up skipping through that section. It’s strange because even good live performers sound terrible when they perform on that show.

I live in Australia and I love the BBC worldservice. But there's just too much news. Every hour you get a solid chunk of information that is 99% not at all relevant or interesting to me. (Plus there's a ton of American Politics and I personally feel they sanewash Trump, that's another complaint though).

I know you can jump around online getting bits and pieces but I really just want a constant stream just sans news. Can anyone think of a way to do it? Is there for example an online option that streams a sequence of the shows you want to hear?

ADDED LATER: wow, I thought this would be lucky to get one response. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. :-)

Stacey Dooley is back with a brand new documentary that takes a deep dive into the rise of shoplifting across the UK. Stacey Dooley: Shoplifting has been commissioned by BBC Three and iPlayer, and it's set to explore the causes behind the surge in shoplifting, which has reached epidemic levels. With shoplifting now costing businesses a staggering £1.8 billion a year, Dooley is determined to uncover who's behind this increase and why it's become such a widespread issue.

https://www.jonn.co.uk/2024/11/stacey-dooley-tackles-uks-shoplifting.html

Did he retire? I can't find much online about him after 2020. "Clue" really misses him.

BBC Radio 4 has just dropped some brilliant news for comedy lovers: a bumper crop of new and returning series packed with top-tier talent and plenty of laughs. From political zingers to heartwarming tales, 2024 is set to be a cracking year for fans of radio chuckles.

http://www.jonn.co.uk/2024/11/new-laughter-on-airwaves-bbc-radio-4s.html

I recently downloaded BBC iplayer on my PlayStation and tried to watch the news this morning. I am in Banbury, Oxfordshire but am recieving London news. I have set my location to South, but it is still just giving me London news.

Advice would be much appreciated.

I’m an Italian born in the UK and lived 9 years in the UK in two separate tranches.

When abroad, my parents used to listen to BBC world service on shortwave.

Now that I live in Italy I discovered BBC sounds and since then I stopped listening to the local radio and broadcast via Bluetooth BBC programs anywhere I go.

What I appreciate is no ads good programming, news, radio, good uninterrupted music, which even my Italian wife loves.

So thank you for offering me such a service even if I’m not obliged to pay the license, which I would gladly pay.