What is it that makes BBC drama so much better than ITV?

[Pimmsypimms]

So, just settled in to the autumn tv drama schedule. I'm watching A Confession on ITV and The Capture on BBC. I'm enjoying them both, but The Capture, imo, is far superior and it got me thinking, why are BBC dramas so much better than ITV?
Generally speaking, this is fairly consistent.
I bet you could show me 2 different dramas, one from ITV and one from BBC, not tell me which is which and I would be able to differentiate between bbc and itv. Why is that though? as you great actors in both, yet an itv ending, is usually a bit meh, where as most of the time with a bbc drama, I'm left with a really wow ending. I just don't understand why, generally, an itv drama is meh and a bbc drama is wow. Or is it just me that thinks that? 😳

I haven’t seen either of those but I remember reading something about how much BBC drama is actually made by itv and bought in. The Bodyguard was one I think.

Not really relevant but Unforgotten was an ITV one and it was incredibly compelling and well made.

But they would be made by a production company, not by the BBC or ITV. The network commissions the drama on the basis of the script and the cast.

I agree with you re the quality of the BBC, though.

One thing I found out lately was that BBC1 doesn't have subtitles (foreign language) and neither does ITV. Channel 4 used to, but I'm not sure whether it does now. That's why programmes like The Bridge and The Killing had to be shown on BBC2 or BBC3.

@AnneLovesGilbert ooh yes, Unforgotten was good, itv do have a few good ones, but nowhere near as many as the bbc. They just seem to have this winning formula for drama!

It really depends on what you like. I think the BBC does "naice" period drama from a world that never was with pretty frocks extremely well (Jane Austen prettified for modern audiences; Downton Abbey), as well as science fiction or borderline science fiction (Dr Who; Years & Years) but they used to have a habit of cutting sf series in particular after a couple of seasons.

I think ITV have some excellent crime dramas (Vera, for instance) and a few slightly grittier period/crime dramas - Endeavour; Grantchester; Victoria; Mr Selfridge; and while the Durrells is very amusing it's a combination of drama and comedy.

Though these days I often end up pretty confused as to who's produced what, since I mainly just wait for them on Netflix....partly as the TV reception where I live is truly, truly shocking.

I definitely think their detective dramas are grittier and less by the numbers than itv.

I love Endeavour. Accidentally came across it and was hooked after the first episode, and it takes a lot for me to be fascinated for that long!

No Advert Breaks so don't have to pander to needs of advertisers

Downton Abbey is peculiarly seen as prestige despite being really very silly and a bit of a glorified soap.

I agree with 100Percent in that there are no adverts to distract you and kill the mood. You can't really be fully absorbed in a drama if it is interrupted every few minutes by adverts for stain remover or toothpaste or bank accounts or aftershave, can you?

Also the BBC has a huge amount of clout when it comes to sourcing joint financing in the form of international co-productions, it's a recognisable brand abroad so American networks in particular will partner with them on expensive productions.(The Night Manager for instance, it was millions more than the BBC could ever have afforded on its own). ITV does the same but the BBC is a bigger name for the international market.

Hmm I sort of see what you mean, but that is certainly not always the case. Unforgotten, mentioned by a pp, and of course Broadchurch, were ITV dramas and they were brilliant.

And there have been some duds on the BBC, can't remember their names now, as I just stopped watching. Things like Line of Duty are brilliant of course, but I felt The Bodyguard was a bit of a let down in the end. Oh just remembered 'One of Us' a murder mystery set in rural Scotland from 2016 with Julie Graham and Ade Edmonson, that was particularly crap.

I suppose ITV does produce more crap dramas than the BBC on average though.

And I would rather have adverts so I can go to the loo, fetch a drink etc. You can always record the show and then play back and fast forward the ads.

To a degree I agree with you - and in the past it was even more pronounced - but the following were all ITV

Brideshead
The Jewel in the Crown
Foyle's War
Endeavour

Four of the best things I've ever seen.