48-573: Detectorists is a British comedy television series first broadcast on BBC Four in October 2014. It is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook , who also stars alongside Toby Jones . The series is set in the fictional small town of Danebury in north Essex . The plot revolves around the lives, loves and metal-detecting ambitions of Andy and Lance, members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club. The main filming location for
96-478: A 7% share of multichannel audiences between 21:00 and 22:05, based on overnight returns. The official audience figures for the broadcast, including time-shifting, were later published as 1,625,000. Another notable production was a live re-make of the 1953 science-fiction serial The Quatermass Experiment , adapted from the original scripts into a single, two-hour version (though on the night it underran considerably, lasting less than 1 hour 40 minutes), broadcast on
144-421: A chance for regional programmes to get a national airing with Cy Chadwick's Walking with... productions and Gareth Edwards's Great Welsh Adventure (from BBC Wales) getting a repeat here and then again late night. In addition to these programmes, many hour long regional documentaries such as BBC Scotland's Rigs of Nigg , about the 1970s North Sea oil drilling platform construction industry based around
192-468: A documentary about conceptual artist Michael Landy and his installation Break Down . BBC Four was also notable for first showing Larry David 's Seinfeld follow-up, Curb Your Enthusiasm , Armando Iannucci 's cutting political satire , The Thick of It , The Chaser's War on Everything , Flight of the Conchords , Mad Men and Danish thriller The Killing . The channel broadcasts
240-453: A historical timeline sequence, backed by the song "Magpie" by The Unthanks . Reviewing the opening episode for The Guardian , Sam Wollaston said: "Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones shine in the third and final series of this beautifully written and performed slice of life." A 75-minute Christmas special was announced in May 2022. The episode aired on BBC Two on 26 December 2022. Trouble stalks
288-414: A late schedule for BBC Two, before it received its own channel, along with BBC Three . BBC Four was launched before BBC Three as a result of the government delaying approval for the latter. The channel replaced BBC Knowledge , an educational and cultural channel that had undergone many changes throughout its lifetime; in its final format it carried a schedule of documentaries and art programming, essentially
336-515: A linear channel had not been successful: the aforementioned cuts to original programming had reduced its budget by half in comparison to 2017, and the channel's reach in February 2023 was 15.8 million—which was 50% higher than BBC Three in the same month. The channel direction is determined by the channel's remit, set by royal charter and the corporation's governing body (the BBC Board ), and by
384-586: A mixture of art and science documentaries , vintage drama (including many rare black-and-white programmes), and non-English-language productions such as films from the Artificial Eye catalogue, the French thriller Spiral and the Swedish detective series Wallander . BBC Four further supports foreign-language films with its annual World Cinema Award which has been running since 2004. From
432-625: A result, BBC Four broadcasts from 19:00 to around 04:00 each night, with an hour's down-time and promotions for CBeebies before the start of that channel's schedule. On 12 May 2011, BBC Four was added to the Sky EPG in the Republic of Ireland on channel 230. It later moved to EPG 211 to free up space for new channels. It later moved to channel 143 on 1 May 2018 to sit beside the Northern Irish versions of BBC One and BBC Two there, and
480-578: A simulcast of Beyond 100 Days Monday–Thursday and an edition of World News Today on Fridays which was produced by BBC World News . As of autumn 2020, BBC Four no longer broadcasts a news bulletin. It screens a number of documentaries such as The Century of the Self and The Trials of Henry Kissinger . The channel is also home to many political travel shows such as Holidays in the Axis of Evil which features investigative journalism. Drama has given
528-455: A sort of optical illusion; for example, a swimming pool where a person on an inflatable ring appears in the bottom-left corner, though ripples don't enter the remaining quarters. Although the image appears as one at the start of the ident, by the end it is clearly four separate images. These were the longest-running idents ever used by the BBC - they lasted until the channel's rebrand in 2021, however,
SECTION 10
#1732780566519576-406: A test of the new BBC Four schedule. It was rebranded as part of BBC Four, aligning it with the existing BBC One and Two brands. Planning for the new channel, along with the new BBC Three , had been in progress since October 2000; however, the incumbent government delayed approving the new BBC digital plans. The BBC Four plans were approved earlier, and as a result launched before BBC Three. BBC Four
624-462: A three-minute sequence showing an Anglo-Saxon priest carrying a holy book and an aestel (a pointer stick similar to that associated with the Alfred Jewel ) in a sack and fleeing mounted spearmen. He buries the sack near a standing stone. Time lapse then shows the wooden handle of the aestel decaying, leaving only the jewelled section. The shot pans upwards to reveal Andy and Lance walking across
672-464: Is produced. The show is presented by broadcaster Charlie Brooker . The show was very successful and spawned several spin-offs such as Newswipe with Charlie Brooker , Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe and Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe . The channel is also curator and leader of the BBC Archive project whose aim is that the BBC's television archive is re-broadcast as much as appropriate so that
720-419: Is required by its licence to air at least 100 hours of new arts and music programmes, 110 hours of new factual programmes, and to premiere twenty foreign films each year. The channel broadcasts daily from 7:00 pm to 4:00 am, timesharing with CBeebies (which starts at 6:00 am). BBC Four launched on 2 March 2002 at 7:00 pm GMT , having been delayed from the original planned 2001 launch. BBC Four began as
768-404: Is to reflect a range of UK and international arts, music and culture. It should provide an ambitious range of innovative, high quality programming that is intellectually and culturally enriching, taking an expert and in-depth approach to a wide range of subjects. The first evening's BBC Four programmes were simulcast on BBC Two , with the first programme being The Man Who Destroyed Everything ,
816-471: The Cromarty Firth , also received their national debut on the channel. On 9 April 2021, BBC Four was suspended due to the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , in order to preserve bandwidth for the broadcast of news coverage and tribute programming on BBC One and Two. This was done for the same reasons after the death of Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022. The following is a list of
864-755: The Edinburgh International Television Festival , BBC Four won the Non-Terrestrial Channel of the Year award in 2004, 2006 and 2012. In 2012 Dirk Gently became the first continuing drama series produced for the channel. During the period when BBC Three was not broadcasting as a linear TV channel, BBC Four was occasionally used to show live sports coverage. The channel aired games from the UEFA Euro 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup football tournaments when
912-525: The Luxembourg Broadcasting Regulator – ALIA. The channel's initial series of idents were generated dynamically reflecting the frequencies of the continuity announcers' voice or of backing music and were designed by Lambie-Nairn . As a result, no two idents were ever the same. The first continuity announcer was Zeb Soanes . When the channel first started airing, it used the slogan "Everybody Needs A Place To Think", but
960-716: The round-tower church at Aldham was used as a recurring location. One location in Essex was used in Detectorists : the scenes involving Lance's girlfriend Toni's houseboat, 'Elsie', were filmed at Paper Mill Lock , Little Baddow . Locations were sourced by Creative England . Upon deciding to finish the show at the end of series 3, Crook commented "… it took a while to realise that I did want to do six more episodes to finish. I don't want to make any sort of big, dramatic announcement that 'never again', but I can't see myself going back to it." Despite ruling out further episodes at
1008-437: The "biggest ratings BBC4 has ever had for a comedy" as evidence that " Detectorists has clearly struck the sort of gold that Lance and Andy spend hours sweeping the fields for". Rupert Hawksley, writing for The Daily Telegraph , was particularly impressed with Crook's "first-rate writing" and remarked in his review that series one "has all the markings of a classic sitcom". Ellen E. Jones of The Independent said that while
SECTION 20
#17327805665191056-466: The 200s being used for +1 channels. On 17 August 2018, BBC Four announced BBC 4.1, a special two nights of programming which would revolve around artificial intelligence (AI) selecting the programmes broadcast on the channel, based on "what BBC Four audiences might like, based on the channel's previous schedules and programme attributes." It would then "[rank] programmes it thought were most relevant [to what BBC Four viewers would like]." The programming
1104-462: The Archive can be enjoyed again and not isolated. Some output from BBC Four (documentaries rather than foreign films) was for a time repeated on BBC Two in a 'BBC Four on Two' branded area, although this was often in a late night broadcast slot after Newsnight and has since been discontinued. According to BARB the comedy panel game QI has the highest ratings of any show on BBC Four. At
1152-632: The BBC as the Controller of BBC Two and BBC Four. As a result of the reorganisation, the post of BBC Two and Four control had closed after her departure later that year. On 16 July 2013, the BBC announced that a high-definition (HD) simulcast of BBC Four would be launched by early 2014. The channel launched on 10 December 2013 at 18:58 GMT, and rolled out nationwide up to June 2014 (as did BBC News HD , CBBC HD and CBeebies HD ). The channel shares its stream with CBeebies HD , as they both air at different times. In June 2022, BBC Four HD moved from
1200-631: The BBC stopped using this several months after the launch. However the BBC Four logo and above slogan can be found, engraved on benches along the South Bank in London, between the London Eye and Waterloo Bridge . On 10 September 2005, the channel began showing new idents comprising a central BBC Four logo surrounded by four quadrants which show different stages of the same footage thus making for
1248-422: The BBC submitted its annual general plan for 2020–21, which included a proposal for BBC Two to supplant BBC Four as its main outlet for specialist programmes. Under the plan, BBC Four would cease originating new programmes, and become a service showcasing the BBC's "rich archive". The plan also included the possibility of the BBC expanding BBC Four into a global brand, to "[take] our strengths in specialist factual to
1296-613: The COM7 multiplex on Freeview to Multiplex B due to the closure of COM7 for spectrum reallocation; this move allows the service to reach nearly the entirety of the UK. Prior to launch, the majority of BBC Four's HD output was broadcast on the BBC HD channel, before its closure on 26 March 2013. In 2017, BBC Four HD, along with CBBC HD and CBeebies HD, launched in Ireland. BBC Four's primary role
1344-408: The Danebury Metal Detecting Club when the local council propose demolition of their base, the local scout hut. The club missed out on a large finder’s fee (for the gold found at the end of the previous series), which instead went to "Simon and Garfunkel", and need to find a way to raise funds to save the hall. Detectorists was announced by the BBC on 31 January 2014. The producer was Adam Tandy and
1392-462: The Pops and Neil Brand 's documentaries) on a Friday night, with drama imports on a Saturday (but not always foreign-language productions like Italian crime drama Inspector Montalbano ) and usually an hour of 'archive' programmes (such as those by Bob Ross and Fred Dibnah ) starting off the weekday schedule at 7pm. As well as programmes from the 1980s and 1990s, this early evening slot gives
1440-510: The air of seeming to be small and immense at once, to be about hardly anything and almost everything. It is full of space and packed with life." When the programme returned for a second series, the response was again positive. On the completion of the third and final series, Radio Times website reviewer Mark Braxton wrote "The series finale... is one of the most satisfying conclusions ever. Series one and two both ended in clever and memorable ways: bittersweet and punch-the-air respectively. But
1488-732: The channel controller. In October 2013, following the departure of Richard Klein from the controllership, the management of the channel changed, with the role of Controller of BBC Four scrapped: from this point the Controller of BBC Two would have ultimate oversight of BBC Four as part of their role, absorbing some of the former duties of the Controller of BBC Four, but a new 'Channel Editor' post, reporting up to this controller, would be created to take day-to-day charge of Four. The controllers of BBC Four from 2002 to 2016 have been: Channel Editors of BBC Four have been: As of 2011 , BBC Four had an annual budget of £54.3 million. On 20 January 2016, Kim Shillinglaw announced that she had decided to leave
Detectorists - Misplaced Pages Continue
1536-447: The channel some of its most popular programmes, with The Alan Clark Diaries (2003) and Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (2006) being among the highest rated, with over 800,000 viewers. The highly acclaimed Hattie , broadcast in 2011, holds the record for BBC Four's best ever consolidated ratings, of 2m / 8%. Before that The Curse of Steptoe brought the channel its highest audience figures, estimated as 1.41 million viewers,
1584-535: The channel's launch in 2002 until the middle of 2020, BBC Four broadcast a global news bulletin on weeknights. Originally this was the BBC Four News presented initially by George Alagiah , which ran at 8pm. It was rebranded in January 2004 as The World , and was axed in May 2007, replaced the following week by World News Today , in a new 7pm timeslot. More recently BBC Four moved news programmes to 7pm with
1632-556: The end of series 3, Crook suggested in December 2020 that a fourth series was not out of the question, saying "I'm just starting the process of thinking 'yeah, we should get the old band back together'." When asked about the possibility of Detectorists returning for a fourth series after the 2022 Christmas special, Crook responded "I’m going to give the same answer I gave at the end of the third series; "probably not". I guess, dot dot dot, I mean, where can you go after this?". Overseas,
1680-405: The evening of Saturday 2 April 2005. Discounting BBC Four's previous live relays of theatrical William Shakespeare productions, this was the first live made-for-television drama to be broadcast by the BBC for twenty years. Another notable programme broadcast on BBC Four is Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe which contains reviews of current shows, as well as stories and commentary on how television
1728-429: The field in the present day, detecting as they go. Having had no success, they decide to look up the hill. The jewel is shown again, still buried, at the beginning of subsequent episodes. In March 2017, the BBC released a statement confirming the filming of a third and final series. The six-episode third series was filmed in the summer of 2017 and aired weekly on BBC Four from 8 November 2017. The first episode ends with
1776-430: The final round of matches in the group stages took place (when matches in each group kick-off simultaneously). It has also been used to broadcast England women's football matches, as well as some matches from the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup . It also temporarily extended its broadcast hours to show live action from the 2016 Summer Olympics . As of 2023, BBC Four schedules still feature music programming (such as Top of
1824-691: The launch of BBC Scotland on 24 February 2019, BBC Four has been on a higher Freeview EPG number in Scotland than elsewhere, moving to 82 to make room for BBC Scotland. Following eventual closures, it moved to channel 75 there, and later to channel 68, and eventually channel 55. On 4 November 2020, due to Ofcom proposals regarding certain PSB channels requiring greater prominence on each UK TV provider's channel listing, BBC Four moved to channel 24 in Scotland, while every channel from that number ( ITV4 ) to channel 54 ( 5Select ) moved up one place. In May 2020,
1872-597: The series premiered in Australia on 9 November 2015 on BBC First . In the United States, the series premiered on streaming subscription service Acorn TV in August 2015. Series one of Detectorists was met with positive reviews from a number of UK and US media outlets. David Renshaw, writing for The Guardian , had particular praise for the "delightful double-act" Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones. Renshaw points to
1920-408: The series three finale has a real poetry to it; Crook seems to be saying: 'Yes, that's where we'll leave it – I'm happy with that.'" In 2019, The Guardian ranked Detectorists at number 38 in their list of "The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century". The series received praise for its authentic portrayal of "a gentler side to maleness and male bonding", with Ben Dowell of The Times describing
1968-553: The series was Framlingham , a small market town in Suffolk . Detectorists won a BAFTA at the 2015 British Academy Television Awards for Television Scripted Comedy. In May 2019, it was voted 19th in a Radio Times list of Britain's 20 favourite sitcoms by a panel that included sitcom writers and actors. The series was filmed using a single-camera setup approach. The show had three series from 2014 to 2017, with Christmas specials airing in 2015 and 2022. Series 2 commences with
Detectorists - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-403: The series was a Channel X and Lola Entertainment co-production. Although the series is set in Essex, it was mainly filmed in neighbouring Suffolk , with Framlingham used as a major location. Other locations used in filming include Orford , where Orford Primary School was used as the outside of Becky's school, Great Glemham , where interior pub scenes were filmed, and Ipswich . In series 2,
2064-551: The show "requires some patience... it has turned out to be one of the best new sitcoms of the year". In the US media, The New York Times writer Mike Hale describes Detectorists as a "distinctive creation – not for everyone, but bound to be fiercely loved by those who fall into its rhythms". Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times "can't recommend it enough", saying: "Like the ordinary lives it magnifies, Detectorists has
2112-526: The show as being "steeped in a gentle kindness that I hadn't seen before". A book of essays about the series, Landscapes of Detectorists , was published by Uniformbooks in 2020. BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC . It was launched on 2 March 2002 and shows a wide variety of programmes including arts, documentaries, music, international film and drama, and current affairs. It
2160-582: The ten most watched broadcasts on BBC Four since launch, based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB . Number of viewers does not include repeats. BBC Four is widely available on cable , IPTV and digital satellite television in the Republic of Ireland , the Netherlands , Belgium , Switzerland and Liechtenstein . The channel is registered to broadcast within the European Union/EEA through
2208-409: The world stage." On 26 May 2022, the BBC announced plans to discontinue BBC Four as a broadcast channel within "the next few years", as part of plans to streamline and modify services to create a "digital-first" BBC. In March 2023, it was reported that the BBC was considering a reversal of the decision, citing its viewership and low cost of operation, and concerns that the relaunch of BBC Three as
2256-507: Was aired on the nights of 4 and 5 September 2018. This included a few special programmes about AI, such as "Made by Machine: When AI Met The Archive", which documented how the AI works, and "The Joy of AI", where "the emergence of machine learning" is discussed, as well as "why [AI] shouldn't spook us". On 19 February 2019, Virgin Media stopped providing BBC Four in standard definition. Due to
2304-578: Was different from the old BBC Knowledge: the channel would be more heavily promoted with more new and original programming and the channel would not be broadcast 24 hours a day. This was because on the Freeview digital terrestrial platform, BBC Four is broadcast in a statistically multiplexed stream in Multiplex B that timeshares with the CBeebies channel (which is on air from 06:00 until 19:00). As
#518481