Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Is it going too far? http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1591955736 Message started by JohnW on Jun 12^th, 2020, 9:56am

Title: Is it going too far?
Post by JohnW on Jun 12^th, 2020, 9:56am

Just where is this all going to stop?

From something which started off in the "good ol' US of A" with the righteous backlash against the killing of George Floyd, and which it seems could end up potentially re-writing British (and/or International) History, it's now gotten to the stage where an episode of Fawlty Towers is being 'redacted' as being racist!! Are we really about to become as intolerant of any symbol as Daesh are?

Frankly, it seems to me that almost every comedy programme that I can remember over the past 50 years or so could be considered as offending someone in some way or other - be it an issue of colour, creed or sexual orientation. Certainly we will never again be able to see Johnny Speight's Alf Garnett lampooning British attitudes to race - or even the "Silly old Moo".

Are we regressing to the stage where even Mary Whitehouse would be proud to be associated with this 'revolution' in our daily lives?
Is it now a free-for-all that's been gently brewing whilst we've all been in lockdown?

Title: Re: Is it going too far?
Post by WG on Jun 12^th, 2020, 10:31am

It is indeed ridiculous-i just wonder if anyone from Diversity had the good manners to tell the writers of the series they were intending doing this.

Title: Re: Is it going too far?
Post by JohnW on Jun 13^th, 2020, 10:19pm

Well, by all accounts the BBC have now decided to re-instate the "offending" episode of Fawlty Towers (perhaps after John Cleese gave them a right rollicking!) but only after they've added some form of 'warning text' at the beginning of that episode.

It's getting to be more like Talking Pictures TV every day!