BBC3 could be making a comeback as a TV channel thanks to the success of some of its recent shows.
The channel – which went digital only in 2016 – has met the test of attracting younger viewers.
One of its biggest successes since lockdown was Normal People.
Read more: BBC bosses ‘desperate to make a second series of Normal People’
Bosses reportedly saved £30 million when the channel went digital.
But demand for its shows during lockdown means the TV channel could be back soon.
Normal People alone was viewed at least 38 million times.
The show was adapted from Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name.
It tells the story of two Irish teenagers who fall in love despite coming from different backgrounds.
Now, bosses expect to double the amount they spend on commissions for the next year, according to Metro.
Meanwhile, the Beeb is having to cut corners in some areas.
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, budgets are being slashed across the board.
The cuts will come to about £125 million – but it will allow the corporation to invest in other areas.
Investing in success
A source told the Metro: “Clearly no organisation from the smallest shop to the largest multinational won’t be changed by this pandemic.
“It will have financial implications for the BBC, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make choices. BBC Three has become the home to some of our biggest shows.”
However the source added that despite cuts, investment is justified when it come to successful shows.
BBC3 was the original home of shows including Killing Eve, Fleabag and Gavin and Stacey.
The source added:
“We need to back that success, so within an environment where we are making difficult cuts, this is one of a limited number of areas, where we will seek to invest.
“Who wouldn’t want more Fleabags, Killing Eves, This Country or Normal People?”
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