To not pay my TV license?

[Spaghettibol]

Just wondering if anyone else here is part of the TV licence resistance. I’ve never paid for one and I don’t watch live tv, but don’t want them having my details

So many people who say they only watch what’s on Netflix!

Don’t you ever watch the news, current affairs, documentaries or other factual stuff? What do you all do when you’ve got bored of crappy dramas about serial killers?

I get why people might not watch TV at all. But I don’t understand someone saying “I won’t spend £150 each year for hundreds of channels covering every imaginable sort of output, but I will spend £100 on a single service that’s basically all drama.”

So many people who say they only watch what’s on Netflix!

Don’t you ever watch the news, current affairs, documentaries or other factual stuff? What do you all do when you’ve got bored of crappy dramas about serial killers?

I get why people might not watch TV at all. But I don’t understand someone saying “I won’t spend £150 each year for hundreds of channels covering every imaginable sort of output, but I will spend £100 on a single service that’s basically all drama.”
I only watch Netflix and Amazon. I don't watch many dramas though, mostly comedy. Never watched any about serial killers.

I follow breaking news online and, when I feel like watching a particular segment, I watch it on the News channel's YouTube page.

I usually prefer reading about factual stuff than watching it.

I follow breaking news online

For UK news that’s basically only possible to do for free because of the BBC. What you’re reading - assuming it’s not the BBC - is likely to have come from the BBC or one of the handful of other news agencies. All newspapers will be behind paywalls in a few years.

As for Twitter, Facebook etc I genuinely think people are very foolish if they rely on news and comment that comes from unresearched, unedited and uncontrolled sources.

For UK news that’s basically only possible to do for free because of the BBC. What you’re reading - assuming it’s not the BBC - is likely to have come from the BBC or one of the handful of other news agencies. All newspapers will be behind paywalls in a few years.
Could well be true, I don't dislike the BBC and I use the news website (as well as others) every day.

But that doesn't mean that I watch live television.

What about Sky News?

Sure, I understand. I’m just baffled by people who do watch TV but only one kind of programme, and who aren’t interested in new stuff (Netflix originals are a tiny part of its library.)

I guess some people only like narrow specific genres to watch on a screen. I like a wide variety, not just films and drama. I also like watching live events like the Olympic Games, Tour de Yorkshire, Royal weddings (so shoot me ), wildlife documentaries, comedy cookery shows, The Bake Off, comedy, local news items etc etc.

What about Sky News?

Sky News has always been run at a massive loss. It’s been there because it suited Murdoch to offer a decent news channel as part of his broader pay tv service.

Now that Murdoch’s sold Sky its future is v uncertain.

Lonicera

Me too. I think that’s the norm.

Sure, I understand. I’m just baffled by people who do watch TV but only one kind of programme, and who aren’t interested in new stuff (Netflix originals are a tiny part of its library.)
I probably watch tv for a couple of hours every evening to unwind, and on lazy rainy weekends.

My preference is comedy, or comedy-dramas. I also often watch some regular dramas and cookery shows. Less often I watch reality tv or documentaries.

I did used to watch live tv and iPlayer but gradually less and less so as most of my favourite shows were either Netflix originals or were available on-demand on Netflix or Amazon but not via Freeview.

I think 12% of shows added to Netflix last year were originals, which isn't an insignificant amount.

There’s lots more on streaming services (including Netflix) than just drama.

I find it so odd that people defending the tv license get so over invested in other people’s media habits. People will make different choices than you; choosing not to watch live tv/bbc iplayer does not mean people have narrower tastes or whatever. It just means they’ve made different choices.

There’s lots more on streaming services (including Netflix) than just drama.

It’s mostly drama, with some limited stand up and even more limited documentary.

I couldn’t care less what people watch. I just care that they don’t go unchallenged when they argue that we should dismantle the best broadcaster we have.

It’s mostly drama, with some limited stand up and even more limited documentary.
I think I've only watched one or two stand ups on there (don't think I made it to the end of either). I think you're just failing to acknowledge comedies that you aren't interested in.

If you mean sit-com type stuff, that’s a type of drama.

I'd say situation comedies are comedies.

"I couldn’t care less what people watch. I just care that they don’t go unchallenged when they argue that we should dismantle the best broadcaster we have."

I don't care what other people watch either, but I get irritated by people saying that all BBC output is rubbish because it clearly isn't. It just isn't to their taste, which is a completely different thing. And how do they know that absolutely everything the BBC produces is rubbish if they never watch any of it?

I also think that people who never watch BBC television are unaware of the wide variety that is available and just focus on some of the lower common denomination populist TV shows that everyone has heard of.

I'd say situation comedies are comedies.

Yes, but they are performed by actors in roles. I take your point, but I’m using ‘drama’ in a wide sense to mean ‘fiction’.

The BBC like wasting money on me. I bought a TV for my PS4 a few years ago and since then every 6 months or so I get a couple of letters saying I need to pay, then a red official scary one threatening all sorts. I opt out online everytime but 6 months later there it is again. I don't even use Netflix! Youtube is enough, and Twitch. My TV has never been attached to an aerial, I wouldn't even know where to begin with that.

Yes, but they are performed by actors in roles. I take your point, but I’m using ‘drama’ in a wide sense to mean ‘fiction’
But there's a heck of a lot of variety in fiction (hell, in terms of movies, that definition of drama probably covers more than 95% of stuff released each year, for example).

Earlier you said that Netflix dramas were all about serial killers. Whilst I appreciate you're exaggerating, I've watched loads of shows on Netflix and the closest I've watched to something that fits that bill is Orange is the New Black (there's probably a serial killer among the characters somewhere).

The BBC is an anachronism in this day and age. It could easily be switched to subscription only, with those wanting to watch having to subscribe and the BBC scramble the signal so it could only be received by subscribers. It's pretty outrageous that so many vulnerable people who genuinely don't watch are bullied into paying by TV licensing thugs when they often don't actually need a license. Perhaps if the BBC had to rely on supply and demand to fund their channel rather than be given taxpayer money carte blanche these champagne socialists would have to earn their million pound salaries.

Crudd

I love good drama, comedy, movies and all forms of storytelling.

My point isn’t that Netflix isn’t good for what it is (though I find it restricted even for drama, and especially for movies TBH) but that it has very, very little factual stuff.

Don’t you ever watch the news, current affairs, documentaries or other factual stuff? What do you all do when you’ve got bored of crappy dramas about serial killers?
I only use streaming sites and youtube, but Ive never watched dramas about serial killers, mainly lots of food programmes, sports documentaries, some reality TV, DIY shows and lately been watching some survivalist/wilderness type things.

I don't find Netflix at all restricted for drama/comedy; I just think people flick past titles assuming they won't like them.

From this list of Netflix originals (and only looking at the top ten), I've loved 6, found one just okay (Kimmy) and have 3 yet to watch. A lot of them I didn't give a chance for whatever reason initially (I probably skipped past my favorite, Bojack, 100 times) but have learned to read up and give things a chance.

uproxx.com/tv/best-netflix-original-series-to-watch-right-now-ranked/

They're definitely expanding their library of factual content, but I tend to listen to podcasts for factual stuff and watch mostly fiction on tv.

“Don’t you ever watch the news, current affairs, documentaries or other factual stuff?

Nope.

What do you all do when you’ve got bored of crappy dramas about serial killers?

I don’t really watch any serial killer dramas at the mo- crappy or otherwise.

I’d rather watch a film. We’ve got The Prestige or Les Mis lined up for tonight.

KissingInTheRain the TV licence is very similar to a paywall though.

And to the PP who asked if we only watch crime dramas- not everyone watches a lot of TV or even every night so there's plenty of stuff to watch that's different.