BBC Three Is Important and This Is Why We Need to Save It

Images via BBC

BBC Three really doesn’t get enough respect for the documentaries they put out. Reggie Yates has made a series of brilliant, powerful films about racism and homophobia in Russia and South Africa, but because they are presented by a guy best known for hosting pop shows, they’ve gone relatively unnoticed. The channel has made great docs on everything from gay footballers to religious fundamentalism to domestic violence. Ok, they are not all great, but they are made by and intended for young people, actually engaging with them about serious topics, and that’s something not many places bother to even try and do.

(Let’s just not mention Danny Dyer: I Believe in UFOs, ok?)

While BBC Three is probably more known for its comedy, the channel has also been home to some really high quality drama. For some reason, a lot of it has been sci-fi or fantasy based. The brilliant In The Flesh used zombies as a metaphor for a subtle examination of racism and homophobia, and The Fades and Being Human also gained a cult following. And in recent years it has started to make a series of powerful, important one-off films based on real incidents—both 2012’s My Murder and 2014’s Murdered By My Boyfriend were with highly critically acclaimed. We need more of those.

Women’s football hit the UK mainstream like never before this summer. Part of that was because there was an England team to cheer for that were actually decent, but it was also because BBC Three made the games available for everyone to watch on Freeview. Sure, Sky will show you La Liga and Germany and whatever, but it’s important for a public service broadcaster to be showing British sporting success that wouldn’t be on anywhere else.

This is something that BBC Three could actually improve on—but they’ve showed a lot of potential for it. Ok, so they got Family Guy and American Dad re-runs on lockdown. But they’ve started bringing in other foreign talent. They’ve co-funded Australian comedian Chris Lilley’s shows after the success of Summer Heights High, and brought over Andy Samberg to star in Cuckoo. There was also Orphan Black, a Canadian-BBC America co-production. Seeking out the hidden gems from other countries' TV output and actually making them available in the UK, so that they don’t get pirated, is a public service in and of itself, and it’d be great to see the BBC do it more.

This might be the most important one. Despite all the good stuff BBC Three has done over the years, I know what you’re thinking: they’ve still broadcast a hell of a lot of crap. And you’re right, they have. Lee Nelson. Horne & Corden. Coming Of Age. There’s loads of crap. But it’s about trying to grow new talent, and giving people a space to fail. Not everyone is going to be the next Mighty Boosh or People Just Do Nothing. Most people will be mediocre to average. But geniuses don’t come fully formed—you have to let people work up to that, and BBC Three is an environment to do that. Sky might have the deep pockets, but they spend it on already established stars. They aren’t going to risk money on a low-budget series for some kids with potential, when they can just give someone off Mock The Week a chatshow. BBC Three however routinely make one-off online comedy pilots called Comedy Feeds, and while many of them were terrible, it was giving newcomers a chance. Even now, with shrinking budgets, it really feels like we’re missing the comedy and dramas that speak to today’s youth.

Be honest, you secretly watch it all the time. I mean, I don't. It's rubbish. But I know you love it.