Hugo Rifkind wrote this week about J Savile. Apparently, many years ago when Savile wrote his memoirs, he himself mentioned an incident with a teenage girl without any shame. I've never read the memoirs and, frankly, I had no idea about the whole thing. I quote from his memoirs of 1974 regarding a young girl who had run away from a remand home; he said to the police officer "Ah, if she comes in I'll bring her back tomorrow but I'll keep her all night as my reward." It turns out he did just that.

BBC means Blydi Big Cover Up - see Jimmy Savillestory here http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-bbcs-lack-of-action-over-jimmy-savile-abuse-accusations-amounts-to-a-coverup-8196247.html

You can take a tour of the BBC, both here in London and in Salford, Manchester.

www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tours/televisioncentre.shtml

No, I'm afraid not. I only saw a few minutes of the episode this week. Good cast though.

Yes Gaynor there are good progammes on the commercial channels no doubt about it.

One I've just finished watching on ITV1 was 'Mrs Biggs'. An oustanding drama series of the hightest quality. I hope that Sheridan Smith gets a BAFTA for her incredible and moving performance. I've recorded them all and no doubt will be watching it all again very soon. It is released on DVD 15.10.2012. I can't recommend it highly enough. Did you watch it?

Does the BBC have a "backlot?"

I think the "backlot" of Universal Studios in Los Angeles is a grand place to visit. You cannot walk down a single street without recognizing a scene from this movie or that. Turn one corner and you're in 19th century New York City, around the next and you're in 1950's suburbia. Look! There's Beaver's house and over there! It's 1313 Mockingbird Lane--home of Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) and the rest of the Munsters. Reach out and touch the brick, stone and mortar and you'll discover it's all made of foam rubber. Your eyes cannot believe what your sense of touch is relaying to you.

I can tell that many of the sets used by the BBC are "on location." But I have also wondered whether the BBC has, somewhere, its own version of the "backlot."

Chwarae teg, Christopher, there are some good things on other channels occasionally! They may not be to your taste but Poirot, Lewis (and its predecessor Morsealong with the new drama Endeavour) are quality productions. Sadly Poirot and Lewis are coming to an end but they'll never stop showing them on ITV3! The better things on channel 5 for example tend to come from the US. I suppose people could now do without a TV set and watch things online if they don't want BBC but I doubt there are many people who avoid BBC at all times. Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice.

As Christopher says, we only need one licence per household. You could have 50 TVs in your house if you wanted. When you purchase a TV here in the old country, the supplier will look up your address on a database to check that you have a licence; if you don't have one, a letter will soon arrive from the licensing authority reminding you that it's necessary.

BBC television is excellent and produces some of the best drama, history, and documentary programmes in the world. The Story of Wales that is currently showing is an example. It's all the other stations that show rubblish.

Only one licence per household.

Darling Buds of May!

Hide the "'still" and the colour TV Ma! 'Dem revenoors from Inland Revenue be knocking at the door!

All jokes aside, thanks for the great information everyone.

Jack, I know you're not kidding about the license thing.

However, I've always felt that the common-held belief that the BBC has secret vans which can triangulate on unlicensed tellies to be dubious.

Ahhh. Great to know!

My remote has a red button but when I push it the power goes off. I thought perhaps they were saying, "If you want to learn more about Wales turn the stupid telly off and read a book!"

Jack, I've heard about those notorious BBC guys in their white vans stealthily patrolling the neighborhoods sniffing the "airways" for unlicensed television sets.

Harold, you might like to look at a BBC blog about Red Button (it's a sort of interactive service provided particularly for sports). www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2012/10/red_button_changes.html

I've been watching the Story of Wales on BBC. What does it mean at the end of each broadcast when they say "...if you want to learn more about Wales press the red button?"

I hope POTUS is not watching.