DISQUS

Agima · 2 years ago

wow!!!!!! thats a crazy amount of money??? I am from the uk thats right, bbc have not shown the first series yet,
Think its due in june or july, i have managed to see all 23 episodes and i am a huge fan of the show, dont know what to do with meself now :(

Matt · 2 years ago

£400,000 an episode???

I guess we know where our license fee goes now...

I like Heroes, alot. but £400,000 is just a crazy unreal price to pay for each episode of season two...

But that's a typical BBC attitude, leap before you look, they did the same with that horrible Invasion series back in the 90's and left us with constant repeats for a long time after it flopped.

Renoir · 2 years ago

for the first time i'm actually happy with where my tv licence money is going. now, no more bloody holby city!

Saif · 2 years ago

Yea, they aint even started showin heroes yet

cool i luv heroes

Woodgie8 · 2 years ago

I agree, ive paid my licence fee for years and this is the first time they have bought something worth watching.

Bones · 2 years ago

I'm a curious American. What's a license fee, UKers? What are the for, how much are they? Isn't the BBC free broadcast television?

DaveB · 2 years ago

Over here in blighty evrybody who has a television has to own a TV Licence. Historically it was a licence to own radio receiving equipment, but these days it is instead used to fund the BBC.

The BBC needs funding as it does not advertise so can not raise any revenue from advertising companies, which is great because tv without commercials is fantastic.

The problem is that people pay about £10 a month for their licence then slate the BBC when it spends it unwisely but they gladly spend £30 to £50 per month to satellite/digital tv, who also get money from advertising and who buy some awful tv programmes which they repeat constantly and they accept this gladly.

Very odd!!

My lesson on UK tv to you US cousins is over.

I hope I helped!!

HEROES RULES!! (

Bones · 2 years ago

Very interesting. We, too, have broadcast TV without commercials. We just record the program on a DVR and fast forward. I think Heroes (and sports) is the only show all season (and I watch a ton of TV) that I actually watched as it aired live. Commercials suck, but that's how great this show is.

I wonder why the BBC doesn't just have commercials. They would make way more money than selling a license for 10 pounds a month, I would think. Does the 10 pounds get you any other channels, or just the one? That would be a rip-off. I pay 10 bucks a month for HBO but only because I get a half dozen HBO channels.

DaveB · 2 years ago

It pays for about 8 tv channels and about 12 radio stations as well as the BBC World Service.

I think the reason it has never gone commercial is because it is also partly government funded. In the wrong hands state influenced television can be a dangerous thing but in the right hands (the case with the UK I believe as the BBC is often very critical of the government)) it ensures that certain programmes continue to be produced such as educational, informative, historical etc.

There are a lot of programmes that many channels won't produce because they're not profitable or they don't fit in to the independent owners agenda but the BBC try to ensure many of these programmes are still produced to try and maintain some sort of balance. They don't always get it right though, but who does.

You don't get much "sensationalist" tv from the bbc. It tries to keep away from the violence and pornography that dominate todays TV. The BBC's loss as far as I'm concerened ;-)

But it does invest in new talent for comedy, music, etc which independent tv doesn't because they won't take the financial risk.

banther · 2 years ago

I am actually pretty proud to have an establishment such as the BBC. I think they set and maintain a professional broadcasting standard for all other channels to compete with and aspire to (within uk at least).
I do like commercial free programming - I'd actually go insane if I had to listen to commercial radio all day (even though r1's programming can get a bit repetitive if forced to listen to for long periods!).
£400k does seem a lot per episode, but that's what happens to the price when lots of broadcasters bid for the rights, as it is an awsome show!
For instance the Simpsons episodes were something like 100k each when they were on bbc2 in 2002 and I think C4 may now pay up to 700k per episode and they're only 25mins or so!

Heroes - can't wait!

Bones · 2 years ago

That's not bad then if you get that many channels. I was under the impression it was one over the air channel and the 2s, 3s, etc were on cable or sat. Very interesting.

jane · 2 years ago

I am a Chinese. I've also watched Heroes (Season 1). I really love the TV series. They are worth seeing. I am looking forward to the release of the Second Season worldwide.
I am crazy about the fantastic performance of the "heroes" and the amazing imagination of the writer.

Jeremiah · 2 years ago

Heroes Season 1 And Season 2...On BBC...Boy Cant Wait..Even Tho I Have Watched All Ov Season 1..But Season 2 Will Be A Shocker 2 All..

Chalky · 2 years ago

Just watched season 1 finale on sci-fi uk, brilliant.
The BBC are just about to start showing Season 1 so that means at 1 episode a week we wont get season 2 until Jan 08 at the earliest. Aaaaaaaargh!
Cant wait that long. Help!!!!!!!!!
NBC please make your on-line episodes availalable to us over here.

paul.blitz · 2 years ago

I felt rather let down by tyhe season 1 finale... I was expecting something much better and more unexpected. Mind you, that last scene, with Hiro, promises something amusing!

I hope the BBC are willing to repeat the second series several times a week (like sci-fi did with series 1)... it's been a lifesaver as I often can't watch on a regular night.

Re the BBC and advertising: it has been considered on many occasions, but it is generally felt that there is insufficient adverting money available in the market to do so... if they did, ITV & commercial radio could collapse.