The Channel 4 documentary "Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port," now in its second year, offers a compelling blend of the ordinary and the extraordinary in its portrayal of daily operations at Britain's busiest port. The show captures moments of both low-key service, such as police officers assisting ferry passengers with a flat tire, and unexpected drama.
One notable incident involved a storm brewing at sea coinciding with a planned shutdown of the port's electrical systems for maintenance. This inadvertently disabled the radar, forcing the duty officer to navigate massive ferries using only pencil and paper under emergency lighting. The situation escalated when a distressed yacht signaled for help outside the harbor, creating a scenario described as having "all the ingredients of a disaster movie."
This dramatic event is juxtaposed with reflections on the historical context of television broadcasting in Britain. The documentary's review touches upon a past protest by Rodney Atkinson, brother of actor Rowan Atkinson, who advocated for switching to black-and-white television sets to protest perceived BBC bias. Atkinson suggested that by using the cheaper black-and-white license fee, viewers could reduce the income of what he deemed "the most important source of Left-wing propaganda in Britain today."
The article notes the continued existence of a cheaper license fee for black-and-white television sets, an archaic practice from the post-war era. In the previous year, 3,600 individuals purchased this lower-tier license. The BBC reportedly admitted in 2018 that it no longer verifies if these license holders are indeed using black-and-white sets.
The color television license generates approximately £3.8 billion annually for the BBC, representing about two-thirds of its total funding. A widespread shift to black-and-white viewing would result in a shortfall of approximately £2.5 billion for the broadcaster. The review points out that televisions manufactured before the introduction of color broadcasts could only receive BBC and ITV, excluding Channel 4.
"Dover 24/7" is praised for its continuation of a tradition of factual television that focuses on the lives of working people, reminiscent of the "Look At Life" cinema shorts from an era before color television was common. The program is described as "oddly absorbing" despite its often low-key subject matter.
