ABSTRACT
To illustrate the scope of factual programming in the mid 20teens, I picked a single evening schedule at random. Between 6pm and midnight on Tuesday 18 August 2015, across the five terrestrial channels, factual programmes dealt with no fewer than 14 different topics:
History: Who Do You Think You Are? BBC1 Cookery: Hairy Bikers Bakeation BBC2; Great British Menu BBC2; Couples
Come Dine With Me Channel Four Housing/property: The House That £100k Built BBC2: How To Get a Council
House Channel Four Scrapyard: Scrappers, Back in the Yard BBC2 Countryside: The Dales ITV Gardening: Love Your Wild Garden ITV Schooling: Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School BBC2; School Swap,
The Class Divide ITV Parenting: Three Day Nanny Channel Four Disaster: Terror on Everest: Surviving the Nepal Earthquake Channel Four Sex/issues: Revenge Porn Channel Four Policing: Police Interceptors C5 Domestic animals: The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies C5 Poverty/benefits: Benefit Life: Jailbird Boys Going Straight C5; The Benefits
Estate C5 Medical: Joined at the Head: Twin Life C5
The following evening three more categories were added: the natural world (wild animals), ancient history and shopping. And there were more during the night and on the digital channels.
