BBC redefines culture

The BBC is to launch a TV campaign promoting the new series of The Culture Show and its 101st episode, featuring personalities including Boris Johnson, Nigel Havers, Carl Barat and Adrian Chiles discussing cultural issues including EastEnders, sex, coffee, football and binge drinking. In the trail, promoting The Culture Show's switch from early Saturday evening on BBC2 to a new Tuesday 10pm slot for its new series, a range of celebrities and ordinary people give their responses to the question: "What is culture?".

The two minute post-watershed version of the clip features responses from a fisherman at Billingsgate fish market, comedian Adam Buxton, former Express editor Rosie Boycott, presenter Bruce Parry and one of the members of the Cuban Brothers comedy musical act. Chiles, presenter of The One Show and Match of the Day 2, argues that culture is "a bit boring…not as good as drinking beer or watching football".

"To me culture is what's happening in the street… and that's binge drinking," says Buxton, one half of comedy duo Adam & Joe.

Barat, a former member of the Libertines alongside Pete Doherty, and now frontman for Dirty Pretty Things, argues that culture is, perhaps, "the last great British export… it's pretty much all we've got left".

Actor Havers tackles the thorny issue of whether EastEnders can be considered as culture. "EastEnders I don't think is particularly," he confidently begins to assert. "Or, well, it might be actually. That might be some sort of culture."

The Culture Show trail ends with Johnson asking how "pretentious" a response the interviewer is looking for. "Culture is what distinguishes men, human beings, from animals," he says. "How about that. How pretentious do you want me to be?"

Other contributors to the "What is culture?" promo include Kenneth Branagh, Graydon Carter, Jimmy Carr, singer Duffy and the Duchess of York. BBC Radio 4's Today presenter John Humphrys says: "[Culture] can be almost everything except politics and I'm a bit uneasy about contemporary art." In total, 145 responses were filmed for The Culture Show promo, which has been made by ad agency Fallon. The TV campaign will be supported by radio and online promotions.

The Culture Show returns for a new series and its 101st episode on June 3, with items including a report from the set of Ricky Gervais' first feature film, The Side of the Truth. This series of The Culture Show will be filmed in alternate weeks in London and Glasgow. From now on, each series of The Culture Show will alternative with Later Live… with Jools Holland on Tuesday nights, with an extended Friday night repeat at 11.35pm.

You can watch the trailer for the return of BBC2's The Culture Show on June 3, featuring artists, musicians and celebrities including Boris Johnson, Rosie Boycott and Karl Pilkington, here.