What’s NOT on BBC HD next week

Getting a bit bored of typing Torchwood, A Little Later and repeats each week, so here’s something slightly different ;o)

Missing on MONDAY

Whilst BBC1 viewers are treated to arguably the BBC’s biggest documentary series of the year, Attenborough’s Life in Cold Blood, BBC HD’s audience revels in yet another repeat of Dimbleby’s How We Built Britain.

Where is it on WEDNESDAY

England v Switzerland. Capello’s first game. Beckham’s 100^th cap? The three lions showing those at Euro 2008 what they’re missing! On BBC1.

On BBC HD, a repeat of Great British Journeys. None of them going to Euro 2008, of course…

Thankless THURSDAY

To describe Ashes to Ashes, the sequel to Life on Mars as must-see drama is like calling Roman Abramovich “a bit flush”. This is THE drama of the season and essential viewing. On BBC1.

Meanwhile, over on BBC HD – Twenty Thousand Streets under the Sky. Showing for the 1,857^th time, another opportunity to yawn with Auntie.

Forgotten on FRIDAY

Natural World (BBC2) and New Tricks (BBC1) for those craving novelty and value from their license fee. But the real excitement’s over on BBC HD where it’s ALL REPEATS!

Need I add more? Strewth...

BBC looking at interactivity on BBC HD

Interesting link here on the challenges and possible solutions for the BBC in introducing interactivity on HD channels. Not sure how Sky Sports HD handles the interactivity - anyone know?

ITV HD "testing"?

According to this post over at Cable Forum, ITV HD is "testing" in the Dundee area. Interesting.

Incidentally, anyone else agree with me that this season of Torchwood is a big improvement from season one? Three episodes now and they've all been top drawer in my book. I was also pleasantly surprised by how watchable the Monty Don Around the World in 80 Gardens was - I tuned in at the insistence of Mrs Nialli (who has greener fingers than me) and found it a thoroughly pleasant way of spending my Sunday evening, infinitely better than the Larkside soap/sitcom and positively eye-popping in HD.

England v Switzerland in HD...probably!

I emailed the Radio Times about the absence of Life in Cold Blood and the England v Switzerland game, and they've just replied; they don't know about the former, but they say they've checked with the BBC and the latter will be shown on BBC HD. I've let them know that www.radiotimes.com is saying otherwise. More, no doubt, to follow....

update: well, my printed Radio Times confirms the match is being broadcast in HD. Mind you, it also says that Torchwood, which starts around the same time as the second half, is also in HD...

No surprise that the Life on Mars sequel, Ashes to Ashes, is NOT showing in HD.

So what's on Virgin Media Analogue

Given the recent poll's high showing for Virgin to turn off the analogue network, I thought the following interesting - it's the current channel line up for the analogue customers. Given that turning off a single analogue channel frees up sufficient capacity for a couple of HD ones or up to five SD slots, this to my eye is ripe for some prudent cuts...personally, I think Freeview is a more attractive channel selection than this

03 - SciFi
04 - BBC Parliament
06 - Modulated Computer output of network monitor
08 - Animal Planet
11 - Hallmark
12 - British Eurosport
13 - Cartoon network / TCM
14 - Sky Sports 1
15 - Sky Sports 3
16 - Discovery Realtime / Discovery
17 - Movies 24
20 - MTV
21 - Sky Sports 2
22 - Nickelodeon / Paramount
23 - QVC
24 - UKTV History
26 - Disney Channel
28 - Trouble / Adult Channel
31 - Living / Television X
33 - Living
36 - VH1
38 - UKTV Gold
39 - ITV2
40 - CNBC Europe / E4
41 - BBC1
42 - Five
43 - BBC News 24
44 - Virgin One
45 - BBC2
47 - ITV1
49 - Channel4
54 - UKTV Documentaries
56 - UKTV Style
58 - Price Drop TV / Challenge
74 - BBC Parliament

New This Week on BBC HD

Sunday

New to Sunday evenings, to wake us from our stupor after Lark Rise to Candleford, is the edge-of-your-seat Around the World in 80 Gardens. Hmmm. Monty Don apparently. Not my particular cuppa, but I'm not the only audience the BBC are after. Interesting that they're commiting the prime evening slot on BBC HD to this for the next ten weeks: that knocks on the head HD simulcasts of the Beeb's main weekly drama/documentary from BBC1. I see next week it's on 15 minutes earlier (followed by Judge John Deed) so it may be flexible.

Monday

Judge John Deed takes centre stage, followed by the first episode of Gavin & Stacey and episode 4 of the excellent US import Damages.

Tuesday

Repeats of Cranford, Hotel Babylon, Earth: the Power of the Planet, and Planet Earth

Wednesday

Among the usual repeats is Torchwood at 9pm. A repeat from the last series of Hustle is a welcome change from Jools Holland's mug in HD :o)

Thursday

As I've never, ever watched anything from Casualtyland, the arrival of Holby Blue to BBC HD I can't really comment on. Fairy Tales continues at 9pm - very, very bad drama that even ITV 1 would be ashamed of. Only on Sky One would it stand out as quality...

Friday

Comedy on Fridays continues with Jam & Jerusalem and the usual repeats

Saturday

Live sport returns to BBC HD with the first coverage of the Six Nations. England v Wales at 4.10pm kicks off an otherwise lacklustre Saturday's viewing, with France v Scotland following on Sunday afternoon.

New Attenborough series NOT showing on BBC HD

Attenborough's latest and last great documentary series, Life in Cold Blood, is NOT appearing on BBC HD. The series debuts on BBC1 on Monday, February 4th at 9pm but at that time BBC HD viewers are "treated" to a repeat of How We Built Britain.
I'm seriously disappointed, and I bet I'm not alone. Is this is a ratings ruse and the series is to later appear in HD once it's completed its first run? Was it shot in HD?? Either way, it undermines the BBC's commitment to show the best of its output in high definition. Planet Earth and Blue Planet were both in HD - to have such a monumental series in SD beggars belief.

postscript: it WAS shot in HD, too! "Shot in high definition and costing around £800,000 for each episode, Life in Cold Blood is the final chapter in Sir David's epic "Life" strand which began in 1979 with Life On Earth."

High Definition On Demand programming

Here's an update (Saturday, Jan 26 2008) on the HD programming available currently to ex-NTL customers.

BBC (Home - 6 - 2 - 1)
Ant Attack
The Blue Planet: Introduction
The Blue Planet: Frozen Seas
The Blue Planet: Coasts
The Blue Planet: Coral Seas
The Blue Planet: Frozen Seas
The Blue Planet: Open Oceans
The Blue Planet: Seasonal Seas
The Blue Planet: The Deep
The Blue Planet: Tidal Seas
Desert Lions
Diana - Last Days of a Princess
Great Natural Wonders of the World
Hannibal
Hotel Babylon Season Two episodes 2 - 8
The Innocence Project 1-8 except episode 4
Planet Earth: episodes 1-5
The Quatermass Experiment
Rick Stein and the Japanese Ambassador
Superstorm 1-3
Supervolcano 1-2
All saying "79 days left"

Filmflex HD (all £4 unless mentioned)
Alpha Dog
Black Christmas
The Breed
Face/Off
Gone in Sixty Seconds
The Messengers
Moliere
The Painted Veil
The Queen (£3.50)
The Village

TV Choice On Demand (Home - 5 - 9 - 1)
Criminal Minds Season One 1 - 22
Day Break 1-12 (missing the season finale, 13!)
Dog Fight 2 episodes
Engineering an Empire 3 episodes
Ghost Whisperer Season One 1 - 22 except 21
Mega Movers 3 episodes
Lost Season Two 1 - 24

Football on BBC HD - Update

A few folk have asked, so here's what I know...
The BBC have the rights this season to show live the England home games, a pick of games from each round of the FA Cup, and Euro 2008. All of the England games should be simulcast in HD however the first game under Capello has mysteriously been removed from the schedules. Bizarre. With the FA Cup, they plan to show the semis and the final (just like last year) and may show an earlier match in HD if they can schedule it. Euro 2008 was specifically mentioned by the Head of BBC Sport as being an HD showcase, but I guess with the lack of home sides that may slip down to just the bigger games being shown.
Next season, the FA Cup and home internationals move to ITV. They've also, of course, got the Champions League. ITV intends to launch its own HD channel by June (in time for Euro 2008) and it's most likely to be carried on VM as well as Sky and possibly FreeSat, especially given Michael Grade's current dispute with Sky and the current OFCOM inquiry; if ITV HD were to only be carried by Sky, OFCOM and Grade would have a fit.
Edit: Spoke too soon: ITV has announced this afternoon that they will not be covering the Final live of Euro 2008, suggesting the whole tournament's coverage is to be reduced (story here). What this means for ITV HD is anyone's guess...

Six Nations confirmed in HD

BBC HD will show a number of the Six Nations matches this year, starting with England v Wales on Saturday, February 2nd at 4.15pm, followed by a half hour "Six Nations Forum" programme at 6.30pm. On Sunday Feb 3rd they have the Scotland v France game on BBC HD at 3pm (again with the Forum following).

Sorry to say but I can't find the Superbowl showing on the BBC in HD - I think that's a Sky Sports exclusive, but if you enjoy loud, over-the-top American pyrotechnics you may take some comfort in the BBC showing Pearl Harbor in glorious HD the following Tuesday!