Comfydown Cottage

Address withheld

Carryduff

 Belfast

BBC Complaints

PO Box 1922

Glasgow

G2 3WT

3/8/2006        

Dear BBC,

I’m writing about a problem that I have concerning ’doorbell sounds’ on your television programmes. My wife and I (I’m her husband) are forever getting out of our seats to answer the door only to return dejectedly to our armchairs.  The dog even gets excited as he thinks Mrs Postlethwaite is calling again with a juicy dog bone (her husband is our local butcher).

Would it be possible to make your doorbell sounds less doorbelly.  You could use a sound that everyone knows represents a doorbell but doesn’t actually sound like one.  In American television programmes the telephone numbers all start with 555 even though there is no such number but everyone knows that it represents a telephone number.  Perhaps an announcement before each programme ‘if you hear the bleating of a sheep during the following programme then this represents a doorbell’.  This could be done until people get used to it (The sheep noise is only a suggestion).  This would help us relax in front of the TV, safe in the knowledge that we wouldn’t have to get out of our seats for the rest of the evening (unless Rambo needs out for a pee).

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

BBC REPLY