With a roster of programs — other shows include "Offbeat Spaces" and the self-explanatory "I Live With My Mom" — shown in three-to-five-minute episodes, most of which focus on young urbanites, Spaces aims to be a hipper HGTV.
Ms. Briccetti said she hoped to animate the space with an expanded roster of programs, including the coming discussion on the psalms by the poet Norman Fischer and the performer Meredith Monk; series on Latino and Polish poetry; and John Felstiner's seminars, "Can Poetry Save the Earth?" "The bricks and mortar are beautiful," Ms. Briccetti said.
But with the BBC's huge roster of programming, there are plenty of more leftfield options.
HBO is positioning itself to meet the challenge from Showtime — and other cable rivals like AMC and FX — with a coming roster of programming that includes the most prominent group of shows HBO has ever assembled in one year.
The deal comes at a time when HBO has been expanding its roster of programming in order to better compete with streaming service rivals like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.
Kyoto Seika University has been expanding its Faculty of Manga and recently added a Ph.D. in manga to its roster of degree programs.
To get even closer to the water, consider booking a trip with Global Vision International (01727 250250; www.gvi.co.uk), whose roster of volunteering programs includes a Mexican project where travellers can learn how to dive and carry out research on Caribbean coral reefs.
The show, "James Franco Presents," is part of Ovation's plan to expand its roster of original programming this year.
Netflix, of course, has their rapidly expanding roster of original programming, Hulu is doing the same, and Amazon Prime is pulling up the rear, happy to win Emmys and offer people free delivery on their diaper shipments.
Adding to a roster of original programming that includes "The Borgias," "Shameless," "Weeds" and "The Big C," Showtime said on Thursday it had picked up the first seasons of two new series: "House of Lies," a comedy starring Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, and "Homeland," a drama starring Claire Danes, Damien Lewis and Mandy Patinkin.
No, the people at Ovation are optimistic, even though two other better-known, better-financed arts outlets — Bravo and A&E — ditched their roster of cultural programming years ago in favor of reality shows about hirsute bounty hunters and New Jersey housewives.
