Channel 4 celebrated its thirtieth birthday last year. Though throughout its history it has struggled to match the ratings of the two networks that came before it the BBC and ITV it has succeeded at establishing itself as an excellent alternative that has never feared to be different, offering a wealth of interesting programming across a number of genres and channels. The following article seeks to look at why the channel has succeeded and what continues to allow it to flourish and stand out above its rivals in the dynamic and competitive industry that is television. It also looks at where the channel has struggled in comparison to its counterparts.
5. Its Willingness To Take Risks And Tackle Taboo Subjects
Unspeakably sick The sickest TV show ever If this is considered acceptable material then we are tearing down all the boundaries of decency on television Those are just a handful of headlines and statements from public figures that could be found within the British press after the airing of a Brass Eye special satirising the subject of pedophilia in 2001. The episode was the seventh in a series of satires on the subject of media sensationalism, hysteria and hypocrisy, and the fact that public figures and journalists were quick to condemn the programmes content without having even seen it lent significant credence to the message that it was trying to get across. Humourous or not, it pushed boundaries in a way that few series had done before and Channel 4 stood by its decision to air the programme, which wouldve been quickly and quietly dropped by other channels that are generally afraid to court controversy. The channel has developed a reputation for breaking down walls by bringing other taboo subjects into the public eye throughout its history it aired the first public autopsy for 170 years in 2002, whilst soap opera Brookside was the first show on British television to have an openly gay character, depict serious drug addiction and feature a pre-watershed lesbian scene. It has also taken significant gambles on less controversial but nevertheless risky programmes, such as Big Brother, the Orwellian reality show that quickly grew stale but became a global phenomenon.