CHANNEL 4

 

Channel 4’s Purpose and Vision

Our Purpose To create change through entertainment

We aim to create change in the wider world through all of our activities: from TV, to streaming, social media and film – and our day-to-day roles at Channel 4. It’s the impact that Channel 4 has on society, on viewers, on British culture, on the creative industries and on the wider economy. It’s why Channel 4 is – and will continue to be – different. 

Channel 4 was initially a groundbreaking channel. Invested in new comedy with the Comic Strips Presents, in Brookside they had a soap with real integrity, a serialised drama that explored issues that others dared nor to.

Their documentary output was terrific with the likes of Dispatches and cutting edge tackling global and social issues with remarkable clarity. They catered for football with James Richardson’s Gazetta, in which he languidly sipped an espresso on an Italian palazzo whilst bringing us the latest news on Serie A and it's superstars. Nicky Horne bought us the glamour and choreographed violence of the NFL. 

Jonathon Ross did for Channel 4 what Alex Cox did for the BBC with Videodrome and alerted us to the wonderful world of cult cinema. John Waters, Russ Meyer, David Lynch and more were introduced, interviewed and embraced by Ross.

Their Music shows like the Tube were live and exciting. They introduced British audiences to American talent like Bill Hicks.

Youth TV was also on the menu with Network 7, The Word and the Girlie Show which were all irreverent and had a great sense of chaos. There was also some interesting late night content, much of it live and dangerous. 

Channel 4's Comedy output is extraordinary with the long running Peep Show, the genius levels of Brass Eye and Nathan Barley, the bizarre Jam. Sacha Baron Cohen and Ricky Gervais burst forth to global stardom from the 11 O'Clock Show and Phoenix Nights introduced many to Peter Kay. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, Sean Lock and Harry Hill also got exposure from the channel as did Jo Brand and Mark Thomas.

Given that comedy is the most subjective of all the arts I can say that The IT Crowd, Father Ted and the Inbetweeners left me cold, while acknowledging they were huge hits but the channel took chances where comedy was concerned.

They even gave the viewer a voice with Right To Reply, where we saw many a producer taken to task and having to face the music.

Then they discovered that reality TV cost less and gave better opportunities for advertising and went all in on it. There is an overload of reality TV in general on most channels and their 'home' shows are consistent and are good comfort watches but Channel 4 can often dip into ITV2 territory when it comes to relationship TV.

Channel 4 arrived at the right time and challenged the established TV stations. Was it always going to be groundbreaking? no, that's not a realistic expectation, but the best of Channel 4 was some of the best of British Television content.