The BBC has revealed how it plans to mark the centenary of World War I.

Programming and events will span four years, across television, radio and online, from 2014-2018, echoing the time frame of the war itself.

David Cameron said he wanted to see a "commemoration that, like the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, says something about who we are as a people".

Paxman told the Radio Times that centenary events should "have almost nothing in common" with the Jubilee.

David Cameron said he wanted to see a "commemoration that, like the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, says something about who we are as a people".

Mark it, respect it, remember it: yes. Turn it into an excuse for flag waving and street parties: absolutely not.

I can see people celebrating the end of WW2 as it marked the end of a major evil.
WW1 on the other hand was a complete waste of time that many people just aren't interested in.

He said he wanted it to have a thing in common with the Jubilee, not to be identical to it. He specified the thing he wanted them to hold in common, which was not flags or street parties.

I know you hate the man, but you shouldn't allow your disdain to lead you into blatant misrepresentation. His desire is vacuous enough that you can show contempt for the idea itself without any need to lie about what it is.

"A number of distinguished fellow citizens, like the poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and the thoughtful musician Brian Eno, are worried that the events will turn into a celebration of war. Only a moron would 'celebrate' the war," he [Jeremy Paxman] added.

He added: "We shouldn't 'celebrate' the outbreak of the First World War. But not to recognise that it was one of the most consequential events in our history would just be perverse."

True but it set up the all the key drivers that culminated in WW2. It was the onerous payments that destabilised Germany that allowed the far right to rise to power. In some ways the same onerous payments imposed on the Greeks has also allowed the far right there to gain popularity. It seems we have learned nothing.

Just to add - I didn’t put words into his mouth.

I'm from the Somme and WW1 has always been around me day to day.
I think the ceremonies will be good. It's important to remember so that you don't have 250,000 names war memorials anymore.

Where did you get the bit about street parties from?

The phrase “Diamond Jubilee Celebrations”. I did not say that David Cameron wanted street parties. What I said was “Mark it, respect it, remember it: yes. Turn it into an excuse for flag waving and street parties: absolutely not.” This was not intended to put words into Cameron’s mouth. Did I do that? I think not. It was my opinion, which reflects those from Paxman and others who are urging caution and a more sombre approach.