diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/bbc.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/bbc.py
index 002c39c39..d41271ee5 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/bbc.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/bbc.py
@@ -350,16 +350,33 @@ class BBCCoUkIE(InfoExtractor):
 
     def _download_media_selector(self, programme_id):
         last_exception = None
+        formats = []
+        subtitles = None
+        # as some mediaselectors may be parseable but have
+        # no formats (eg captions only), try all possible
+        # mediaselectors
         for mediaselector_url in self._MEDIASELECTOR_URLS:
             try:
-                return self._download_media_selector_url(
+                formatsAndSubtitles = self._download_media_selector_url(
                     mediaselector_url % programme_id, programme_id)
+                # formats (a list) should always be set, but just in case
+                if formatsAndSubtitles[0]:
+                    formats += formatsAndSubtitles[0]
+                # subtitles subtitles (a dict {(lang,sttl)})
+                if formatsAndSubtitles[1]:
+                    if subtitles:
+                        # prioritise the first sttl for each lang
+                        formatsAndSubtitles[1].update(subtitles)
+                    subtitles = formatsAndSubtitles[1]
             except BBCCoUkIE.MediaSelectionError as e:
                 if e.id in ('notukerror', 'geolocation', 'selectionunavailable'):
                     last_exception = e
                     continue
                 self._raise_extractor_error(e)
-        self._raise_extractor_error(last_exception)
+        # ignore a trapped exception if formats were found
+        if last_exception and not formats:
+            self._raise_extractor_error(last_exception)
+        return formats, subtitles
 
     def _download_media_selector_url(self, url, programme_id=None):
         media_selection = self._download_xml(