Despite the cuts, redundancies and John Whittingdale nipping at its heels, BBC One is celebrating its best onscreen performance in five years and best Q1 for a decade. Not afraid to tackle her channel’s sore points, under Charlotte Moore’s leadership long-running series have faced the chop; landmark TV events such as EastEnders Live Week have refreshed old formats, and trailblazing new dramas have led to a raft of awards wins. However, even with stand-out content such as Baby P: The Untold Story, many argue there’s room for more in factual. With much of its non-scripted programming feeling less fresh, and its biggest hit of the year – The Great British Bake-Off – poached from BBC Two, can the channel take creative risks whilst still appealing to the mainstream? And with charter renewal looming, can BBC One fly the flag for the Corporation without playing it safe? The pressure is on…
