As of 3:35am tomorrow morning (16 February), BBC Three will no longer be available as a linear TV channel and instead will become an online-only broadcaster. However, despite being with BBC Three since 2006, Fox’s Family Guy will not be joining it and will move to rival network channel ITV 2.
Digital controller of BBC Three Damian Kavanagh has explained the real reason behind why they couldn’t keep one of their most popular programmes – simply because it was unaffordable. Speaking to Digital Spy, Kavanagh admitted “it’s a great show and it’s got a hell of a lot of attitude about it” but “when money is in short supply – I find it quite hard to justify the money we’re spending on it”.
He continued, revealing BBC Three would rather invest in creating innovative and fresh ideas using unknown British talent instead of letting Family Guy use their entire budget: “Going forward, I want to support young British talent and I want to invest in that. If I was going to keep Family Guy, it would have swallowed up a lot of our budget”.
When summing up his interview, Kavanagh remained optimistic about BBC Three’s future and hopes to reflect on the risky and daring attitude Family Guy creates: “We work with brilliant comedians, we work with brilliant talent, we work with brilliant comedy producers. I keep saying to them, let’s try to replicate some of that attitude that Family Guy has through the new comedy that we do”. Catch BBC Three’s final broadcast tonight.
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