Confident: BBC drama chief Polly Hill insists that the corporation can handle competition from online streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon

The BBC’s future as a leading provider of family entertainment is secure despite competition from online streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon, the corporation’s drama chief has said.

Polly Hill said BBC output still produces ‘watercooler moments’ providing the subject of discussion and debate.

Her comments came as she prepared to unveil new programmes including War and Peace, The Night Manager and Richard III.

‘I think competition is good for us all,’ she told the Daily Telegraph. ‘The rise of Netflix and Amazon raises all of our game.

'I feel very confident that what we do is unique to us, that writers and producers still want to bring shows to us because of the relationship they have with us and the risks we take. When you get it right, it really does bring a nation together.’

Miss Hill also said audiences would ‘hugely miss’ out on agenda-setting dramas if changes to the licence fee meant that spending on original programmes had to be cut.

She highlighted the BBC’s most recent successes such as Poldark, which had audiences of up to six million, and Doctor Foster, with almost eight million viewers.

Miss Hill's comments follow those made by BBC Director General Tony Hall in September in which he revealed that BBC iPlayer could become part pay-per-view like online rivals Netflix and Amazon.

He suggested that some content would remain free to licence fee payers but also new series made by the corporation or rivals, or classic BBC shows from the archive could be offered to viewers for a fee.

At the time Mr Hall said: 'At its heart would be a free offer, with BBC content funded from the licence fee. We would also aim to make it possible to buy and keep programmes, as we're doing with BBC Store.

'One possible route is to use iPlayer, which we will put at the service of the sector, using its brand, technology and reach. But there are other ideas too, all of which we want to discuss and agree with partners'.

Notable achievements: She highlighted the BBC’s most recent successes such as Poldark (pictured left), which had audiences of up to six million, and Doctor Foster (right), with almost eight million viewers

He also announced plans for longer series, some US shows can stretch to 22 episodes per season, and that the BBC will trial releasing all the episodes for a programme onto iPlayer in one go.

This will allow viewers to 'binge watch' several at once, following the model popularised by services such as Netflix which employ this technique, he said.

The BBC may also offer a streaming audio service rival to Apple Radio or Spotify, Mr Hall revealed.

His comments came 24 hours after it emerged that BBC Four could be axed as a way for the corporation to boost its drama budget to compete with online rivals such as Netflix and Amazon.