Today is the first day that Doctor Who is absent from NetFlix and Hulu, and fans are just insanely mad. I can understand. The BBC said that they have plans for a 'NetFlix' like service in the near future and I am sure that Doctor Who is one of their big hopes to get subscribers, much like CBS is hoping for the new Star Trek.
NOW in doing this I do not understand one thing, they have BBC America, which shows the New Who almost every day, but we find less and less BBC programs on that channel, a waste to even call it BBC. Star Trek: the Next Generation is a fine show, but it ain't the Beeb. They do not need a pay service to show their library of programs, they have a source to do that now on cable and satellite.
So if they do a 'NetFlix' service will they make their vast library of programs available to a hungry US market that loves British TV? Will we have programs that we hear of but have never seen, or seen very little of? Programs like Blake's 7, Moonbase 3, Steptoe and Son, Z-Cars and Man About the House are just the start of a list that could be available to us Yanks so that we can understand what the fuss about these shows are about. Will it make available surviving episodes of series that disappeared because of the 'Great BBC Purge', shows like A for Andromeda and Sherlock Holmes?
Yes, yes, I do understand that the Beeb is under attack and is in fear of having most of its funding cut from the government, so a pay service is a nice way to garner income. I would think that in some ways BBC America would help in that area, but cable is a nasty market. So if they do go forward with this plan (and yes, this does excite me) they must make available content that would make it worthwhile and accessible to most streaming devices like AppleTV, Ruku and game consoles plus have it at an affordable price.
So lets see what you have Beeb, it will be very interesting to see what the future has in store for us. Please do not disappoint.
Eirik Farwanderer
1 February, 2016 Anno Domini
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