[News] Fawlty Towers episode removed from UKTV

[clapham_gull]

I presume this came from Twitter. I've just checked - it's readily available on Netflix and BritBox.

The whole series has gone from UKTV which looks to me like their licence has expired.

Ok edit. UKTV have made a statement.

Odd one then, cos it's still on BritBox.

 

[beorhthelm]

Who is actually asking for this stuff to be banned though?

Genuine question.

Are there legions of overly PC dicks shouting, writing emails etc to get Fawlty Towers removed from iPlayer?

Or is it just a few execs, running around like SpongeBob and Patrick, desperate to be seen to be doing the right thing?

both i suspect. execpt maybe not legions, enough though to make a complaint.

 

[Weststander]

Whitehouse is a genius. The Fast Show remains my favourite TV programme

Simon Day was on Talksport earlier today.....essentially as Billy Bleach. Someone, somewhere will no doubt have been offended

Whitehouse has a natural, smirking aura, the same as Milligan, Cooper and Palin, imho. They don’t even need to say anything, yet they bring a smile to your face.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Glad I’ve got my dvd set of Dad’s army before it’s taken off the air. I should think that Cpl Jones has had his day.

 

[The Clamp]

It’s pretty hard to defend some of the FT dialogue to be fair but this knee jerk decimation of tv shows is rather uncalled for.

 

[Weststander]

Here’s a classic sketch, ripe for busybodies to wipe from history.

Is Enfield offending gays, women and blacks, or is the intention and content simply taking the p out of arrogant Tykes? To me, clearly the latter.

 

[Weststander]

I presume this came from Twitter. I've just checked - it's readily available on Netflix and BritBox.

The whole series has gone from UKTV which looks to me like their licence has expired.

BBC’s Newsnight is covering this now, they said the BBC controls UKTV.

 

[dazzer6666]

Here’s a classic sketch, ripe for busybodies to wipe from history.

Is Enfield offending gays, women and blacks, or is the intention and content simply taking the p out of arrogant Tykes? To me, clearly the latter.

‘You’ll never play for Yorkshire’

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

...and yes, exposing the bigot

 

[banjo]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/gavin-stacey-race-row-viewers-22177971.amp

Gavin and Stacey now.

 

[Mental Lental]

It’s pretty hard to defend some of the FT dialogue to be fair but this knee jerk decimation of tv shows is rather uncalled for.

Why is it uncalled for? I don’t understand the reactions from some people on this thread. I can only assume that they are unaware of exactly how racist this episode of FT actually is. I see some posters that were fine with pulling down the statue now saying removing an old racist episode of a much loved British sit-com as “a step too far.” We’re currently going through a period of attitude adjustment with regards to institutional racism and old sit-coms that used racist language are as much a part of this as statues of slave traders. There are no exceptions or excuses. This episode used racist language. It’s gone. And there will be more to follow.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Mrs T now tells me that episodes of Boosh and League of Gentlemen have now been pulled too.

So this is where my complacency recedes and my left eyebrow starts to arch.....I no longer have any smug 'I'm not racist' comfort zone left.

Asearch on t'internet shows me:

Netflix has withdrawn League of Gentleman becaue of @papalazaru, and Boosh for 'The spirit of Jazz'.

I will now have to acknowledge my own racism, and confess that I am keeping my DVDs and will continue to watch them.

I will be interested, additionally in whether [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] requests that @papalazaru change his user name.

I should add that this information has been verified by the font of wisdom, Somerset live https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/netflix-stops-streaming-mighty-boosh-4215731 so it may be the case that I wake up in the morning and discover it was all a dream.....

If not, I'd be very interested to see if there is anyone who can explain to me how either of these portrayals is racist. Papalazaru is a character, a grotesque from a circus who is meant to be a 'blackface' clown. The character is white and is played by a white actor. There are other characters in the series (for those who haven't seen it) that include an incestuous brother and sister (surely an affront to incest victims?) and a children's theatre group whose strapline is 'Put yourself into a child'.

I'm certainly not going to do anything more than raise one eyebrow about the choices being made here, but I'd really like to see if anyone can justify this censorship. I accept that where the line is crossed is subjective and dependent on the times and the intention and the extent to which it causes hurt. If anyone knows anyone who has been hurt by Papalazaru or The Spirit of Jazz because a white comedy actor played a white character in blackface, and another white comedy actor played a fictitious ghost of what was probably a black man, I'd like to hear about it.

Bottom line for me: I think that some people working for some organizations are getting a bit overwrought over this, but I'm aware that numerous people I have on ignore would say the same thing about people who object to Love Thy Neighbour, Jim Davidson, Bernard Manning, Tommy Robinson, Nigel Farrage and Priti Patel.

Have I just had an apotheosis?

Nah. I just coughed a bit too hard while wearing too tight a pair of Mrs T's undies.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Why is it uncalled for? I don’t understand the reactions from some people on this thread. I can only assume that they are unaware of exactly how racist this episode of FT actually is. I see some posters that were fine with pulling down the statue now saying removing an old racist episode of a much loved British sit-com as “a step too far.” We’re currently going through a period of attitude adjustment with regards to institutional racism and old sit-coms that used racist language are as much a part of this as statues of slave traders. There are no exceptions or excuses. This episode used racist language. It’s gone. And there will be more to follow.

This. And see my personal quandry and hopeful denial in the post above.

 

[The Clamp]

Why is it uncalled for? I don’t understand the reactions from some people on this thread. I can only assume that they are unaware of exactly how racist this episode of FT actually is. I see some posters that were fine with pulling down the statue now saying removing an old racist episode of a much loved British sit-com as “a step too far.” We’re currently going through a period of attitude adjustment with regards to institutional racism and old sit-coms that used racist language are as much a part of this as statues of slave traders. There are no exceptions or excuses. This episode used racist language. It’s gone. And there will be more to follow.

I was referring more to the League of Gentlemen type shows.
I am largely in agreement with your take on the matter.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

BBC’s Newsnight is covering this now, they said the BBC controls UKTV.

One thing that does amaze me is the extent that bits of the media establishment is shitting itself. Where is the pressure coming from? Is this a licence fee issue? I doubt that even the more hairy arsed elements in the official 'virtual' organization, BLM (population, 52, plus virtual chums), are even aware of the stuff that's being pulled. Christ, this really is a race to the bottom.

It would be quite funny, though, were it not for the genuine pain here. I listen to R5 a lot and the coverage there has been excellent; nobody pointing at Papalazaru and screaming for a policeman there. But there have been lots of people talking about the shit they have had to live with (Brendon Batson today - and he's far too forgiving and accomodating in my book).

Don't let all this soppy bollocks stuff undermine a good moment in the awakening of the national conscience, please. FFS.

 

[Acker79]

Might not be permanent:

A spokesperson for UKTV repeatedly refused to clarify why the programme had been removed, or whether the decision was permanent: “We aren’t commenting on individual titles. However, we regularly review our programmes, and make edits, add warnings and make schedule changes where necessary to ensure that our channels meet the expectations of our audience.” (from here)

So what’s next for the chop? I imagine the Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse “is he a quare”? sketches are on borrowed time.

Apparently Harry Enfield caused a bit of a stir this morning on the radio defending a sketch with blackface in it (he has no regrets, apparently), naming the character in full, despite the name containing what we now consider a racist epithet.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Friday Night Dinner. Up there with the best of all time imo.

There is shit loads of high end comedy, and I barely watch telly.

FND is brilliant. However it is clearly offensive to Jews.
Green wing, a classic. Although is contains incest and mocks the Swiss.

I have a feeling that the heads of some of the middle management in one or two media outlets may be rolling soon.
I hope they have a guilt ridden and fearful weekend, where they confront their own racism and make a full and frank apology first thing Monday morning.
*****.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Might not be permanent:.

Course it won't be.

They'll look again at the decision, using BAJ (Brain Assisted Judgement) and rule it onside

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Mighty Boosh gone, I think just one episode and calls for Gavin and Stacey to go. Get ****ed. Ricky Gervais is absolutely spot on with his views on comedy saying that some jokes will offend people, it's part of comedy, so what. Obviously he's not advocating disgustingly racist jokes, but you get the picture.

This is such a sad state of affairs.

 

[Acker79]

Ricky Gervais is absolutely spot on with his views on comedy saying that some jokes will offend people, it's part of comedy, so what. Obviously he's not advocating disgustingly racist jokes, but you get the picture.

He either is, or he's a hypocrite. You can't say 'if my jokes offend you, so what? that's comedy!... Your jokes are offensive they need to be banned' And therein lies the problem. Either we accept there is a line where "it's a comedy" isn't a defence for things that offend people, upset people, harm people, in which case we also have to accept we all place that line somewhere differently. Or we say 'anything goes, no one is allowed to be offended if the speaker cries "it's a joke"'.

 

[LamieRobertson]

One thing that does amaze me is the extent that bits of the media establishment is shitting itself. Where is the pressure coming from? Is this a licence fee issue? I doubt that even the more hairy arsed elements in the official 'virtual' organization, BLM (population, 52, plus virtual chums), are even aware of the stuff that's being pulled. Christ, this really is a race to the bottom.

It would be quite funny, though, were it not for the genuine pain here. I listen to R5 a lot and the coverage there has been excellent; nobody pointing at Papalazaru and screaming for a policeman there. But there have been lots of people talking about the shit they have had to live with (Brendon Batson today - and he's far too forgiving and accomodating in my book).

Don't let all this soppy bollocks stuff undermine a good moment in the awakening of the national conscience, please. FFS.

You working at all at the mo?