If there was one thing the BBC could always be relied on to provide, it was serious, sombre coverage of national events and the Queen. Yet, apparently, no more.

Yesterday, here in the UK, there was a national two minutes’ silence to mark the first anniversary of the London bombings. This is the kind of thing the BBC would normally be excellent at. We’d have got a serious sounding announcer over a clock, telling us that we now joined BBC News, where upon we’d be greeted by a senior, authoratative news presenter in a suit, behind a desk. We’d wait for the chimes of Big Ben, be silent for two minutes whilst watching pictures of the Queen and of the country at large doing the same, and then life would continue. It would be a respectful, appropriate silence.

Yet, yesterday, the plan was to introduce the silence programme over two male dancers doing acrobatics, and then cross to a presenter best known for light-entertainment shows standing in a tent. That’s bad enough, but it’s not even what we got, as the following video shows:

I’m all for making news accessible and open, but in times gone by the BBC would have just got this right. There would have been no room for cock-ups crashing into the programme, or interruptions with Cash in the Attack. This kind of thing used to be what the BBC excelled at, and just got right. Why no more?

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Comment left on YouTube…
That announcer sounded like he needed a shit. Terrible.

» This comment was received at 06:02 on 21 July 06

That announcer sounded like he needed a shit. Terrible.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 06:02 on 21 July 06

Comment left on YouTube…
How the BBC didn’t get flamed. Perhaps people didn’t watch anything on tv due to every channel on 7/7

» This comment was received at 14:52 on 21 August 06

How the BBC didn’t get flamed. Perhaps people didn’t watch anything on tv due to every channel on 7/7
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 14:52 on 21 August 06

Comment left on YouTube…
Hahaha, love it!! Classic comedy.

» This comment was received at 04:44 on 18 September 06

Hahaha, love it!! Classic comedy.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 04:44 on 18 September 06

Comment left on YouTube…
yeh i call fake.

» This comment was received at 16:50 on 26 September 06

yeh i call fake.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 16:50 on 26 September 06

Comment left on YouTube…
It wasn’t a fake mate that really did end up on the list of BBC One cockups lol

» This comment was received at 11:42 on 18 October 06

It wasn’t a fake mate that really did end up on the list of BBC One cockups lol
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 11:42 on 18 October 06

Comment left on YouTube…
LMAO!

The Project

» This comment was received at 06:40 on 12 December 06

LMAO!

The Project
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 06:40 on 12 December 06

Comment left on YouTube…
i bloody love cash in the attic

» This comment was received at 16:53 on 27 January 07

i bloody love cash in the attic
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 16:53 on 27 January 07

Lol its funny but i feel guilty for laughing coz it is kind of disrespectful
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 12:07 on 22 February 07

Comment left on YouTube…
Lol its funny but i feel guilty for laughing coz it is kind of disrespectful

» This comment was received at 12:07 on 22 February 07

lmfao
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 18:39 on 07 April 07

Comment left on YouTube…
lmfao

» This comment was received at 18:39 on 07 April 07

BBC lol. These things happen I suppose, technical problems; somehow it just feels disrispecful.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 10:05 on 10 April 07

Comment left on YouTube…
BBC lol. These things happen I suppose, technical problems; somehow it just feels disrispecful.

» This comment was received at 10:05 on 10 April 07

God I hate that lorne spicer. Talk about an inflated ego.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 14:48 on 03 June 07

Comment left on YouTube…
God I hate that lorne spicer. Talk about an inflated ego.

» This comment was received at 14:48 on 03 June 07

I love BBC cock-ups, they’re so funny.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 15:42 on 18 July 07

Comment left on YouTube…
I love BBC cock-ups, they’re so funny.

» This comment was received at 15:42 on 18 July 07

Oh dear lol
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 16:52 on 12 August 07

Comment left on YouTube…
Oh dear lol

» This comment was received at 16:52 on 12 August 07

Bloody hell, cash in the attic’s become a dit dar, hasn’t it.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 09:17 on 13 October 07

Comment left on YouTube…
Bloody hell, cash in the attic’s become a dit dar, hasn’t it.

» This comment was received at 09:17 on 13 October 07

bbc cunts.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 05:07 on 18 October 07

Comment left on YouTube…
bbc cunts.

» This comment was received at 05:07 on 18 October 07

and were forced to pay for this by license fee
or we go to jail

see you in jail, mate
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 20:04 on 18 October 07

Comment left on YouTube…
and were forced to pay for this by license fee
or we go to jail

see you in jail, mate

» This comment was received at 20:04 on 18 October 07

see “toptop90″ comment
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 20:07 on 18 October 07

Comment left on YouTube…
see “toptop90″ comment

» This comment was received at 20:07 on 18 October 07

pmsl!!
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 14:46 on 07 November 07

Comment left on YouTube…
pmsl!!

» This comment was received at 14:46 on 07 November 07

No! Not cash in the attic, I’ve been ill with the flu’ recently, and I had to endure that programme – it was hell, pure hell I’m telling you. I think I had nightmares about Lorraine Spice (the presenter).
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 13:11 on 12 December 07

Comment left on YouTube…
No! Not cash in the attic, I’ve been ill with the flu’ recently, and I had to endure that programme – it was hell, pure hell I’m telling you. I think I had nightmares about Lorraine Spice (the presenter).

» This comment was received at 13:11 on 12 December 07

What springs to my mind is what was said in those parts we missed? What was we not supposed to hear? hmmmm dodgy BBC.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 05:03 on 22 December 07

Comment left on YouTube…
What springs to my mind is what was said in those parts we missed? What was we not supposed to hear? hmmmm dodgy BBC.

» This comment was received at 05:03 on 22 December 07

oo
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 14:44 on 16 January 08

Comment left on YouTube…
oo

» This comment was received at 14:44 on 16 January 08

Lol Welcome to cash in the attick
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 17:16 on 09 August 08

u can tell this is not real bbc indents last around 00:35
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 19:15 on 12 August 08

BBC are bastards, they lie constantly … and ask yourself… your tv license goes to who? what channel? These scumbag zionists!
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 09:40 on 24 August 08

If you were watching on news 24 you could hear them. they were [Titles] “We are live, 1 year on at Tavistock Square where a bomb exploded and killed 13 people” and during the Cash in the attick it was basicly the same formula [Location][Died][Injured]
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 23:23 on 12 January 09

There is a lot wrong with the licence fee but no one is forcing you to watch television.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 21:26 on 18 February 09

That doesn’t mean they can’t freeze before reaching the end of the tape because of a continuity cock-up.
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 21:28 on 18 February 09

If the BBC sends you a patronizing letter, threatning you about your tv license, phone them and tell them that Sky, or some other companie has been working on your roof for a neighbour, and ever since then you have had no signal!
They will run a mile and never bother you again this is what I did!
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 01:39 on 29 April 09

Wow , that wars really worth uploading wasn’t it!

It makes me wonder if some people have something called a LIFE!
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 18:19 on 08 June 10

Whooops
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 16:45 on 27 June 10

Lol wut?!
» Comment via Youtube

» This comment was received at 18:10 on 06 September 10

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