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Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn
BBC One has offered to clear its schedule for an 8pm debate on 9 December between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. Photograph: various
BBC One has offered to clear its schedule for an 8pm debate on 9 December between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. Photograph: various

BBC One offers to clear Sunday night schedule for Brexit debate

This article is more than 5 years old

David Attenborough’s Dynasties likely to be moved if Labour agrees to BBC debate

Viewers tuning in to see the final episode of David Attenborough’s Dynasties programme next Sunday night could be in for a surprise, with the programme likely to be moved for a special Brexit debate featuring Theresa May.

Rather than showing the documentary, BBC One has offered to clear its schedule for a special 8pm debate on 9 December between the prime minister and Jeremy Corbyn on the terms of Britain’s departure from the European Union.

Downing Street has already signed up to the plan but Labour insists negotiations are continuing and it still prefers a rival bid from ITV to hold a debate in the same time slot with a more straightforward format.

Corbyn said on ITV’s This Morning that he had yet to formally accept any debate but an early Sunday night programme made sense as it would enable people to watch other programmes later in the evening.

“One should always have respect for the viewers,” he said, adding that he was keen to watch the final of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! “It is important because parliament will have to vote on the 11 December on the agreement that prime minister has reached.”

Labour has previously said Corbyn would be happy to take part in a debate that kept the format as a head-to-head debate and excluded third parties, such as those proposing a second referendum.

Theresa May’s initial decision to challenge Corbyn to a live TV debate on the terms of her Brexit deal prompted a series of bids from broadcasters keen to host it, including the BBC, ITV and Sky News.

The BBC had originally proposed a head-to-head debate at 9pm on Thursday night, which would have been followed by BBC News at Ten and then a special edition of Question Time featuring the views of smaller political parties and supporters of a second referendum, a plan that Downing Street backed.

However, Labour’s decision to publicly support a rival ITV bid to host a head-to-head primetime Sunday night debate shortly before the finale of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! resulted in a rethink, as BBC executives battled to land the rights to the high-profile programme.

The ITV proposal is for a straight head-to-head debate format with a single moderator and no audience questions.

“We want there to be a debate with the largest and most diverse possible audience,” said a source with knowledge of Labour’s position.

By contrast, the BBC has offered to include a panel of leading individuals from both sides of the Brexit debate who would be able to put questions to both May and Corbyn, ensuring a focus on the Brexit deal. Smaller political parties, proponents of a second referendum, and supporters of a hard Brexit have already threatened legal action against broadcasters to ensure their voices are heard.

There are no details on who would host a BBC debate, which would take place in Birmingham, although the outgoing Question Time host, David Dimbleby, is likely to be among those considered.

Theresa May’s head of communications, Robbie Gibb, who is negotiating the debate format with the broadcaster, was until last year the BBC’s head of live political coverage. He failed to convince the prime minister to take part in live television debates during the 2017 general election.

Holding the debate on a Sunday night puts the programme in the middle of one of the busiest television nights of the year, with episodes of Strictly Come Dancing, Countryfile and the series finale of Doctor Who.

If the BBC debate goes ahead as proposed it is unclear what will happen to Attenborough’s show and when it will be screened. Theresa May would be selling her Brexit deal to the nation in place of an episode of Dynasties in which a “tigress must protect her cubs while battling rivals who want to steal her lands and overthrow her”.

BBC One could have to change its plans to show a one-off 90-minute Jimmy McGovern drama, Care, at 9pm, which stars Sheridan Smith as a mother struggling to juggle childcare with looking after her ill mother.

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