Forum Topic

BBC

"BBC have launched a probe into British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em after one viewer complained about a homophobic slur.The programme first aired in February 1973 and ran until December 1978, and was a hit with audiences at the time". My wife hated it, I quite liked it. Of its time.However, the BBC in its infinite 'wisdom', decided on the basis of one complaint, that there should subsequently be an investigation from the internal watchdog.What is the world coming to? What next? 

Brian Coyle ● 2032d29 Comments

There are many old sitcoms that wouldn't make the cut for modern-day repeats. "Are You Being Served" and "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" are just two of them. I'm somewhat surprised that the BBC is currently re-running "Fawlty Towers" as I would have thought that would set a few WOKE  alarm bells ringing too.

Bruce Hammal ● 2032d

Well that's answered your question then hasn't it about it?Maybe you and Brian could write in and ask the BBC to show the Black White Minstrels again?

Basil Finnis ● 2032d

I'm not advocating that such programmes should be re-run, merely observing that the BBC is well-aware that some shows are no longer considered appropriate. You will quite often hear introductions warning viewers that programmes of a certain vintage contain language and attitudes that may cause offence. If there's a subject for debate it's to what extent we should preserve cultural artefacts that are no longer considered acceptable. Statues were a recent example of this, but there are for example, many highly-regarded novels that would never find a publisher now although  they reflect the attitudes of the day.This is all far too heavy for Easter.....

Bruce Hammal ● 2032d

He's just trolling for a reaction.

Keith Iddon ● 2032d

If you really want to see a shocking shocking film - Netflix ' a United Kingdom -

Helen Bamberger ● 2032d

I'm pointing out that the BBC is far from woke as some people like to make out. The only trolls round here are idiots like you.

Basil Finnis ● 2032d

The BBC is surely wasting its money probing old programmes - what on earth is the point?  If old programmes are considered "un-woke" - unacceptable or whatever, then don't re-run them!  What a palavar.  Can't say many of their new offerings are a fascinating watch but then I'm not one of their sought after "youffs".  Nevertheless I  paid my licence fee way back in the everlasting hope that the Beeb will finally wake up to the fact that after primary school age,  many youngsters don't have the time or inclination to watch TV - I certainly didn't in my 20ties and 30ties, it's older people who watch TV and are their main market.  I like Countryfile - David Attenborough - documentaries - good plays - classical music, ballet, opera.  Good serials, even Strictly come dancing.  I want to be entertained, yes educated too, University Challenge, made to laugh, Yes Prime Minister etc etc.  I live in hope.  Spend the cash on new programmes aimed at the people who actually want to watch TV don't waste it on picking over old bones that might offend.

Jennifer selig ● 2031d

The investigation involved a couple of senior BBC people watching the programme and then a short report. It’s already happened and the programme did not breach editorial standards. It is quite common these days for older programmes (especially comedy ) to state that the programme contains out of date language. I wish the BBC would put more energy into ensuring its current news output reported the lies and deceits the government gets away with.

Stewart Jones ● 2031d

The BBC has been hugely admired and trusted  all over the world for as long as I can remember.  In other words it is a primary source of Britain’s ‘soft power’.  You would think that a government that truly believes in ‘global Britain’ would be doing everything in its power to support and encourage this institution and yet we have the opposite, constant threats, which I find alarming.  As a state broadcaster that is supposed to be independent of government the Beeb has an incredibly difficult balancing act to maintain to avoid criticism of bias and yet it has forever been criticised from all sides of every argument which suggests to me that it is succeeding in this respect.I am fully supportive of any constructive criticism that seeks to improve the BBC but I find this constant sniping that we get from certain people, (unwitting?) tools of the government, social media and sections of the popular press that it is too ‘woke’, whatever that means, to be petty but also dangerous because if we lose the BBC this would be deeply damaging to Britain.For example, the nonsense about needing more ‘right wing’ comedians to provide balance.  We have a right wing government and comedians will always be subversive.  That’s their job.  State approved comedians will never be funny.  Once we get a left wing government there’ll be all the ‘right wing’ comics you could ever wish for.

Alastair Banton ● 2031d

I'm okay with any policy that saves me having to see Nish Kumar.

Colin Jordan ● 2031d

Even one that compelled you to watch Mrs Brown’s Boys?;-)

Alastair Banton ● 2031d

I've never watched an episode of Mrs. Brown's Boys, Alastair, but I still think I might find it preferable to NK.

Colin Jordan ● 2031d

In other words: I’m determined to stick to my view and will just ignore any evidence that might lead me to a different conclusion or even modify my opinion because what I think is what I think and I’d I ever thought that I could even countenance a different view , I would simply melt....

Stewart Jones ● 2031d

Well the BBC are going to have a lot of 70/80's tv shows to go through. What next films!!! Absolute joke!!! Maybe the BBC should first concentrate on telling the news as it is happening in the country rather than ignoring and censoring everything going on.

chris poole ● 2031d

Stewart, if your somewhat OTT sarcasm is directed at me, I think you would do well to develop a sense of proportion. My responses to Alastair were light-hearted in nature and we were talking about a pair of lightweight television programmes, for God's sake. The 'evidence' on which my view  is based is that I have seen Kumar several times on TV and have a pretty good idea of the style and content of Mrs. Brown's Boys, therefore I feel entitled to have a view on them. By the way, I think you omitted an 'if' from your tirade, but that doesn't lead me to assume you can't string a sentence together.

Colin Jordan ● 2031d

These speeches by comedians over on YouTube are quite interesting on free speech and what is considered to be offensive in comedy and how ridiculous it has become with people being offended. Rowan Atkinson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiqDZlAZygU&ab_channel=DefendFreeSpeechRicky Gervais  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YulXp2Vy7lM&ab_channel=NetflixUK%26IrelandGeorge Carlin  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9n8Xp8DWf8&ab_channel=aaronpryor

chris poole ● 2031d

At last some good news ...https://newsthump.com/2021/03/12/mash-report-to-be-replaced-with-love-thy-neighbour-reboot-starring-michael-gove-in-blackface/

Alastair Banton ● 2031d

I was pleased to read here that I was not alone in being horrified at the amount of time given by the BBC to that smug, so called comic Nish Kumar when hosting The Mash Report. It was just a cascade of left wing propaganda, belittling everything resembling a right wing point of view. I watched the show in its entirety just the once, disbelieving the blatant onesideness of its content.

Denis I. Fox ● 2031d

Fair enough.  Probably a bit OTT. Mrs. B's is astonishingly lame,imo.

Stewart Jones ● 2031d

Aren’t you the great snowflake, Denis.  The Mash was a late night spoof news channel that made jokes about stuff in the news.  It was hardly a ‘cascade of left wing propaganda’ , just jokes about what ever is current.  As I tried to point out in an earlier post, when there is a right wing government in power you can hardly expect such programmes (including others such as HIGNFY and Mock the Week) to be uncritical.  And nobody, (I’m also looking at you Colin) was ever forced to watch it.No, it wasn’t particularly funny but a bit more so than Mock the Week in my humble opinion, which of course doesn’t matter any more than yours does.  As it happens, loads of people were sorry to see it’s departure and said so.Personally I was far more exercised by the inordinate amount of time and lack of challenge that was given to Nigel Farage on Question Time over the years, but I’m not about to get on my high horse about it.  It’s done.

Alastair Banton ● 2030d

If it is regarded as no longer acceptable to have white men black up their faces for a minstrel show, I wonder how long it will be before it becomes unacceptable for a man to dress up as a woman in search of laughs (ref Mrs B's) ?

Richard Greenhough ● 2030d

Correction.  Of course I meant ‘spoof news programme’ (not channel).

Alastair Banton ● 2030d

Mrs Brown's Boys is my pet hates I LOATHE IT however, many others find it very funny so I just don't watch it.  Takes all sorts.  I value the BBC and certainly do not want to see it go - it is a vital part of GT Britain imo.

Jennifer selig ● 2030d

Basil, I would certainly not class Keith as an idiot.

Brian Coyle ● 2030d

Be careful what you wish for Colin. I seriously suggest you don't watch it, or if you insist, try 3 seconds, but ignore 2 seconds of it - it doesn't matter which 2. As a viable alternative, I can recommend watching paint dry. Regarding NK, I agree entirely.

Brian Coyle ● 2030d

You may have been 'looking at' me, Alastair, in your remark about not being forced to watch NK, but I didn't make any comment about the political content of his programme, and indeed found some of it vaguely amusing. It's just Kumar's shouty, hectoring style I find irritating.

Colin Jordan ● 2030d

Sorry, Colin.  I never intended to imply anything about your politics, still less that you were in any way a snowflake. I should have left out the word ‘also’.  It was just that you posted these words ...‘any policy that saves me having to see Nish Kumar’and I was belatedly making the point that you didn’t HAVE to see NK, nor did you need such a policy, just an off switch.  And of course I realised your comment was humorous, hence my original reply to you in similar vein.

Alastair Banton ● 2030d

I've obviously been labouring under the delusion that you had a functioning brain, Basil, but apparently not. I suggest you try and get something done about it before it's too late.

Brian Coyle ● 2028d

I wonder what constitutes 'offence'? I saw a good John Cleese interview by Dick Cavett in which Cleese struggled to think of any subject that could be off limits... I understand his point. I recall one thing I heard years ago which I thought was pretty unkind and uncalled for but comedically it made sense, however tastelessly....

Simon Temple ● 2028d