To be hurt and annoyed at being dropped by the BBC?

Twice BBC asked to interview my DH in our home and we tidied and cleaned for two days each time. They cancelled last minute both times. The third time they wanted to interview him I said they could do it anywhere but in our house for they were not welcome.

As far as I remember they then did one interview outdoors on telly and one in their studio for radio.

He didn't get paid, though.

The OP wasn't asked to write a script. She did it herself so she would have something prepared to say on the day. They recorded her saying it then later had another woman repeat the OP's words for the camera and it is that recording they put out for viewing.

the producer should ask questions that allow the required answers to be given. Only presenters recite scripts.

That's awful! I think you should write an email or letter to the producer pointing out that they stole your script. The least they should have done was to ask your permission first and pay you for the use of it.

NRFT so apologies if this has been said.

@Ladyof2025 I’m afraid you probably did yourself no favours rehearsing so much. Generally we (I’m a tv producer) we don’t want anyone to sound like they’re reading an autocue or script - and the only people who can sound natural reading preprepared lines are presenters.

You were picked to be an expert contributor, not a presenter. This means they wanted you to answer the producer’s questions in a natural way - and the more you rehearse, the less natural it sounds.

I would never share questions ahead of filming for this reason - although obviously would give topics and likely areas.

I think it’s less likely (although not impossible) that you were replaced because of your age or looks or that you were used for your expertise when they had no intention of using the segment they filmed with you.

If they wanted your expertise, they would have conducted research calls - not sent an expensive film crew. It will have cost a lot to reshoot that section, so it won’t have been done on a whim or for aesthetic reasons.

The BBC usually embrace experts of all ages and types. Other channels are much worse for only letting ‘pretty’ people on screen.

That said, you have not been treated properly by the production team. Using your script is lazy and unacceptable - was it word for word? If, as I suspect, it was you being over-rehearsed that was the issue, that is on the producer. They should have been clear with you about not doing that, and also worked with you on the day to make you come across more naturally. That’s their job.

If it wasn’t working - not everyone’s communication style works on screen - they should have had the conversation with you about why you were being dropped - as uncomfortable as it would have been. It’s not like you weren’t going to find out, and to be so uncaring about the time and expertise you had shared is unprofessional.

You have every right to be upset and I would make it clear how they have made you feel.

I’m sorry you were treated like this and please don’t allow unprofessional and rude people to make you feel lesser. You are clearly very knowledgeable and extremely kind to offer to share your expertise.

This. Cutting, par for the course; subbing???? Outrageous.

Dropped for time, content, not being strong enough etc - sure.

Having your ‘script’ (that I’ve never known anyone be asked to write - we would brief you and interview you but not ask you to write a script) given to someone else verbatim? Nope.

The BBC are ghastly. All smiles and incredibly slick when they want something from you, and an immediate cold shoulder once you have served your purpose.

A few years ago they requested to borrow a rare item I had listed on my website, to be incorporated in a documentary. The implication was that they were doing me a favour and that any recompense would be a credit in the end titles. I was somewhat wise to them having had an acquaintance who had been poorly treated by them in the past so I asked for a fee of £250 for my time (a weekday morning) and a cab each way (within London; they had suggested sending a courier but I didn't trust an unknown person with a fragile antique) as I would be carrying the item myself and waiting while they filmed. They agreed and everything went smoothly. Getting paid was another matter. They went quiet, polite e-mails unanswered and the previously effusive woman I had been dealing with suddenly out of the office. Finally managed to get through to her on the phone by pretending to be someone else. Despite her slickness I could tell she was uncomfortable. Told her that I would be pursuing the matter legally if the cheque wasn't rapidly received. It arrived swiftly, albeit three months late. When I eventually saw the programme one of the experts (a well-known academic, who was awful) handled the item so roughly that had I been present (I was in the next room and couldn't see the filming) I would have intervened. Fortunate that no damage occurred. (They did credit me). I wouldn't ever deal with them again. So sorry you have had this horrible experience, OP. They are fakes, liars and snakes.

I've been one of the people that's been dropped for time/edit! By the BBC. Admittedly in news not docs, so priorities change all the time, but I can well believe it

When I said three times I didn't mean hundreds. Film five/use three talking heads would seem very regular to me

formal complaint for discrimination needed

Oh no you’re smelly cat

I would invoice the BBC production team for the script of yours they used, and copy in to the Director General.

That's awful, isn't it?

I have seen recordings to camera in TV with x2 ‘experts’ or more, all inexperienced at first, person one, informed, articulate but nervous & goes first is copied by person 2 who edits their best bits & shamelessly & more confidently condenses. Person one doesn’t make edit. That’s show business. Being nervous doesn’t make good TV at all & you need balls of steel for front of camera stuff. Presenters often ruthless yet professional.

There’s often only room for one.

Get yourself on Twitter ASAP and make a tweet tagging the BBC, the producers and hashtag the name of the program. It might be picked up by others and circulated and you're less likely to get a bullshitty response that way.

The BBC is a disgrace and I resent paying my licence fee. I never watch any of their programmes, much is my distain for them. The only reason I do continue to pay for a licence is out of fear of having some jobsworth knocking at my door.

very true words

I can well believe the stolen script, in conjunction with a production team who has had their arm twisted to feature so and so's daughter, here's a nice perk if you can just... that concides with some spare time to refilm it.

It happens, I have known similar things happen, and some very nefarious and nepotistic hiring practices, sometimes in the most mundane of places/subjects.

@Ladyof2025 If you can prove its your copy, word for word, then absolutely write to them and invoice them for it (id push the boat out a bit more and invoice for my time too personally).

If they nicked it and as I say, it doesn't surprise me, they assume that Joe Public will never realise its even a theft, theres a bloody good chance they will pay up so you can't take legal action.

I’ve worked in telly for 30 years. Docs, factual, magazine shows. I’ve booked and produced 100’s of experts. Never heard of anything like this before, plus the BBC (when either commissioning or producing in house) have extremely strict Producers Guidelines that tie in to OFCOM. This would fall very much foul of those.

Nah.

@CatrionaBalfour I don't believe the whole "nicked the script I wrote" bit. The other person who made the cut probably said something extremely similar because it's an obvious point for an expert in the subject to make, and probably delivered it in a more relaxed and engaging way.

I have been a "history expert" on a BBC1 programme. I got a briefing document detailing what they hoped to get out of the piece and the rough sort of question outline, but I was told to let the conversation flow naturally and NOT to prepare a spiel to rattle off. This was not the sort of thing they were looking for.

I am also over 50, size 14 and not young and glamourous. I was not paid although I was offered travel expenses. I had an initial interview with a producer on Zoom, if at that point she'd thought I was too weird or too old/unglam, she could have said no thanks.

I am quite surprised at this because my brother works in the industry, and most programmes are not produced by the BBC - they are made by or commissioned from production companies, none of whom would be stating that they are the BBC. But if this is true you appear to have evidence of what you claim, so I would suggest going to the Daily Mail with it. Not that I ever read the Daily Mail, but they do like stories that slam the BBC. I'm sure that with evidence they'd love to run it.

What is the programme? They’ll be no way of identifying you as you’re not in it, but would like to watch it.

Right, so the posters above who say it would never happen because of the expense are completely wrong?

Yes YABU.

For almost anything like this they interview double the number of people they can feature and shoot three times more footage than needed. It's all in the edit

Two tips:

A) you should asked for a disturbance fee that would have been payable whatever happened in the cutting room

B) if you rehearsed it that's likely the problem - however hard you try to make something scripted sound off the cuff, it rarely does. You would have been better speaking more loosely