Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi: 'I absolutely love the BBC'

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/sep/09/doctor-who-peter-capaldi-bbc

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Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has come out in defence of the BBC, arguing that it is “vital” that it remains a large-scale public service broadcaster because commercial rivals are no substitute.

Capaldi, who returns in the latest series of Doctor Who on 19 September, admitted that the corporation “is not perfect” but said it contributed a lot to the UK.

“I absolutely love the BBC,” he said in an interview with The Big Issue. “It is not perfect, but it has given us so much more than it has taken. I think it is vital to have a public service broadcaster of this scale. The opportunities it brings to the country are immense.”

Earlier this week, director general Tony Hall gave outlined his first response as to how the BBC will deal with £700m in cuts following the licence fee agreement struck with the government which includes taking on the cost of free TV licences for the over-75s.

Capaldi said that if the BBC services are significantly cut back as a result it is wrong to think that rival TV broadcasters, or newer players such as Netflix and Amazon, will be adequate substitutes for the corporation.

“Do people think all these other television services are these great shakes, because they are simply not,” he said. “Nobody else does what the BBC does. And it is an ethos, a way of thinking, a way of conducting themselves and viewing the world that is not about profit. When did that become bad news? When did that become uncool?”

Capaldi’s comments echo those of Steven Moffat, the Doctor Who showrunner and Sherlock co-creator, who said in July that the BBC is a “beacon” and that if it is “limited or damaged” it might be impossible to reverse the impact.