UK TV and Radio News

The Simpsons Channel 4
7 October 2015, 18:00

The Simpsons is an irreverent animated comedy produced in the USA, appealing to a mixed audience of children and adults, and broadcast by Channel 4

Ofcom was alerted by a viewer to a sequence in which Homer Simpson was shown hanging by a noose from a tree. The viewer felt this was inappropriate for an early evening broadcast when families would be watching.

Ofcom viewed the programme. We noted that the storyline in this episode centred on the relationship between Homer Simpson and his son, Bart, and prominently featured strangulation. In summary, the key segments included:

• A therapist sought to build trust between father and son through a series of outdoor activities, which Bart used to ridicule Homer. This culminated in a sequence in which Homer was shown standing on the branch of a tree with rope in a noose around his neck. The therapist persuaded Homer to jump, assuring him that Bart will cut you down . As Homer jumped from the branch, kicking and struggling against the tightened noose, Bart turned away to write a text message on his phone. The action then moved to a different location.
   

• When Bart was shown again, Homer's feet were visible in the background, still kicking in thin air. The therapist then strangled Bart in frustration at the boy's callousness, while Homer -- avoiding suffocation by holding the noose away from his neck with his hands -- remarked You see? You see how that boy pushes your buttons! The therapist continued to strangle Bart, stating We'll talk when he's dead. Just break already . Bart reached to cut Homer down. After Homer fell to the ground he removed the therapist's fingers from around Bart's neck.

Ofcom considered Rule 1.3:

Children must...be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them.

Channel 4 apologised for any offence caused to viewers by this episode. Channel 4 said that it had reviewed and made edits to the instances of violence and potentially imitable behaviour in this episode before it was originally broadcast in December 2014, mainly to reduce the hanging scene. As a result of that broadcast, the Licensee said it had received two complaints about the content. In light of those complaints, Channel 4 said the episode was reviewed again with the result that the cumulative effect of the mock strangulation together with the hanging scene were deemed to be too strong for the scheduled time. Channel 4 said regrettably, due to human error, the edits which were considered necessary to correct this were not put into effect with the consequence that the episode was repeated without the further edits . Channel 4 said it would not repeat this episode before the watershed, and that it will be reviewing the specific compliance process for The Simpsons going forward .

Ofcom Decision: Breach of Rule 1.3

Although we were mindful of the comedic nature of the material, this episode focused on strangulation and contained a prolonged sequence showing a repeated physical attack on Homer who did not resist, and who clearly appeared to suffer as the assault was taking place. We considered that a sequence in which a well-known character was first encouraged to hang himself and was then shown doing so was uncomfortable and unexpected. We acknowledged that the comedic tone helped to limit the potential unsuitability of the material for child viewers. However, we considered that this was insufficient to counteract the overall effect of the separate and lengthy instances of physical harm shown. We therefore considered that the cumulative effect of these sequences made the material unsuitable for children.

Ofcom acknowledges that the inclusion of potentially harmful acts in an animated programme can distance viewers from their portrayal and can mitigate their potential unsuitability for child viewers to some extent. However, this does not mean that the portrayal of such acts does not need to be suitably limited in this type of programming. In this case, we considered that the scenes of strangulation and hanging were likely to have exceeded audience expectations for a programme shown at 18:00 on a public service channel.

We noted the decision by Channel 4 not to show this episode again in a pre-watershed slot and its apology for the broadcast of this material. Nevertheless, we concluded that this episode of The Simpsons was not appropriately scheduled and was therefore in breach of Rule 1.3.

A mother has complained to Ofcom about a graphic beheading scene shown on children's TV. An animated toast soldiers was shown beheading an egg in an ISIS-style execution.

Angela Halliwell claimed the execution was inappropriate for young children. She ludicrously claimed::

Kids could think extreme violence like beheading is normal.

The scene appeared in an episode of OOglies on CBBC in 2012 but is still available on iPlayer. It also shows a toast soldier covered in strawberry jam after being shot, before the character throws back a grape 'grenade .

A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline:

OOglies is a popular slapstick comedy series that depicts all sorts of food getting into scrapes with each other. This clip involving a boiled egg and toast is no different and we would be surprised if our audiences read anything more into it.

The BBC has landed itself in hot water after reportedly including a rather feeble muslim joke in a Catherine Tate Christmas special.

Her character is a potty-mouthed elderly woman called Nan who asks a Muslim if he is an ISIS bomber. When she sees a Muslim man, recognised from anger management classes, she jokes that if he were to have anger troubles, we're all in trouble . Then, she expresses relief that he is a caretaker, and not an ISIS bomber.

 Meanwhile an example from New Zealand where the joke was a bit flat. A New Zealand company has taken down a billboard featuring a photo of Caitlin Jenner after numerous complaints.

Alongside the photo of the reality TV star, the billboard featured the sentence, I hope your sack is fuller than mine this Christmas .

Cranium Signage agreed to remove the billboard after an LGBT support group emailed the company's director and argued that it was tasteless, crass, insulting and vile .

And with a different spin on 'outrage', many have apparently taken to social media in disgust at a photo shoot for Interview magazine showing 18-year-old Kylie Jenner posing in a wheelchair.

Kylie Jenner is the youngest of the Kardashian/Jenner family and is no stranger to controversy, but her latest photoshoot has been criticised for being ableist .

In the photoshoot for Interview Magazine shot by photographer Stephen Klein, Kylie is seen sitting in a gold wheelchair wearing a PVC bodysuit.

This has sparked 'outrage' on Twitter as many dislike the casual use of a wheelchair as a fashion prop.

The BBC has pulled a comedy show from its schedules over fears because it involves a terrorist suspect.

The last episode of the Lentil Sorters , a sitcom set in the fictional Office of Local and National Statistics, had been due to air on Radio 4 yesterday, but BBC bosses dropped it from the schedules at the last minute amid fears the storyline was 'insensitive' on the day the Commons debates air strikes on ISIS.

Producer David Tyler from Pozzitive, tweeted:

We had to hold the last #LentilSorters at 11.30 today - it was a bit "terrorist-y".

The plot was about a terrorist suspect - Daniel wanted to bomb him, Audrey to preserve his human rights. So we and the Beeb decided not to play it; too fruity, today of all days. Sorry folks.

Take four women all struggling to find happiness and fulfilment, add a touch of glamour, gutsy humour and a desire to improve their lot in life and Brief Encounters is born.

Set in the early 80s, the six-part series introduces Steph, Pauline, Nita and Dawn as unlikely entrepreneurs who begin to sell exotic lingerie - to the dismay (and often delight) of their loved ones.

Steph is an invisible girl until Ann Summers comes into her life. It ignites the ambition she didn't know she had and grows her confidence. Married to Terry and with a young son, Steph strives to make something extra of her life. Her chance meeting with Nita in the school playground kick starts a sequence of events that will change both of their lives. Mother of four, Nita is a mix of grit and warmth, struggling to run a household with a husband whom she adores but who frequently strays to the wrong side of the law, despite his devotion to his family.

Pauline is the oldest of the gang, in her 50s, who jumps in at the deep end and agrees to host a party for Steph to salve her loneliness. Pauline's sunny disposition hides a secret sadness. She and her husband, Alan deeply love each other but their relationship has suffered whilst he's concentrated on building his business. It's through Ann Summers that Pauline steps out from the shadows.

Young Dawn has a lust for life, and although bubbly and outgoing, since her mother died she has been trapped, looking after her father and three brothers who all take her for granted. The bug of earning serious cash with the other women gives her the incentive to finally realise her dreams with fiance, Russell.

The series is inspired by chapters telling the story of the early days of the Ann Summers party plan business found in 'Good Vibrations, Jacqueline Gold's memoir.

To a soundtrack of music from the era, Brief Encounters will commence filming in February 2016, with casting currently underway.

The BBC1 programme, The One Show , is being investigated by TV censor Ofcom over an politically incorrect gag about dwarves.

Jimmy Carr, who was on the show to promote his Greatest Hits tour, told viewers that he had once come up with a two-word gag. He said:

I tried to write the shortest joke possible. So, I wrote a two-word joke which was: 'Dwarf shortage. It's just so I could pack more jokes into the show.

He then looked directly at the camera and added:

If you're a dwarf and you're offended by that, grow up.

Two viewers complained to Ofcom, who uncharacteristically have decided to investigate the complaints. A spokescensor said:

We're investigating whether potentially discriminatory comments in this programme met generally accepted standards

A few viewers have vented their 'fury' at the BBC after this week's episode of Doctor Who showed a plane being shot out of the sky by a missile.

The super sensitive tweeters claimed the timing of the episode was insensitive given the terror attack on the Russian plane flying out of Egypt.

In the episode a shapeshifting alien takes the form of Clara Oswald and shoots at the plane with the with the intention of killing the doctor and all of the others on board The missile is seen hitting the plane before it explodes and is brought to the ground where viewers were shown the burning wreckage.

The Daily Mail dredged up a few trivial tweets:

• Surprised the BBC would show a plane being shot down given recent events #doctorwho
• Given the situation in Egypt, perhaps blowing up a plane on this week's episode of Doctor Who was not wise.
• Can't believe #doctorwho showed a plane being shot out of the sky given the current news #insensitive.

A BBC spokesman responded:

The episode was clearly signposted as science fiction set in a fantasy world and no one died in the scene.

Update: Official BBC response: Gotcha, it was a military aircraft, not a commercial airliner

10th November 2015. See  article from bbc.co.uk

Doctor Who
BBC One, 7 November 2015

Complaint:

We received complaints from viewers who felt that scenes showing the destruction of an aeroplane were inappropriate in light of recent events.

Response:

We're aware that elements of drama programmes can sometimes bring to mind real events, and we always think very carefully about this.

In this case, though, the story was presented as a science fiction fantasy, far removed from the real world. The episode didn't depict a passenger-carrying commercial airliner - it was a military aircraft on official business - and both the Doctor and his companion survived.

With this in mind we didn't feel the scenes would be outside of most viewers' expectations for the programme, but we appreciate the differing feedback we've received.

Update: Complaints to Ofcom will surely be made into paper planes for crashing into the waste bin

13th November 2015. See  article from independent.co.uk

TV censor Ofcom said it has received 30 complaints about the Doctor Who plane crash. No doubt these will soon be consigned to the waste paper bin.

Update: Ofcom reject complaints without investigation

24th November 2015. See  article from theguardian.com

Ofcom has decided against launching an investigation into the plane crash episode of Doctor Who. A spokesman said:

We received a number of complaints that it was insensitive to broadcast this episode, which featured a plane being shot down, so close to events in the Sinai peninsula. In our view, the science fiction nature of Doctor Who and the storyline created a sufficient distinction from recent events. We therefore will not be taking the matter forward for investigation.

There has been a bit of a debate in America about why Christianity, which would have formed a central part of the lives of the aristocracy in the early 20th century, is largely absent from the TV drama Downton Abbey .

Now the man tasked with ensuring the historical accuracy of the series has revealed why Downton does not do God. Alastair Bruce, who serves as the show's historical advisor , said that executives in charge of the series had ordered producers to leave religion out of it , for fear of alienating an increasingly atheistic public.

For instance, the Crawley family is never shown in the process of sitting down to dinner, with the action instead shown from part-way through the meal . This, Bruce said, was to avoid having to show the characters saying grace. Bruce explained:

In essence you hardly ever see a table that isn't already sat at. We never see the beginning of a luncheon or a dinner, because no one was ever allowed to see a grace being said , and I would never allow them to sit down without having said grace.

I think that the view was that we'd leave religion out of it, and it would've taken extra time too. I suggested a Latin grace, but they decided that was too far, and no one would've known what was going on.

Bruce said that he was even banned from featuring napkins folded in the shape of a bishop's mitre, for fear of breaching the religious edict:

Everyone panics when you try to do anything religious on the telly. I still wish we could've got some decent napkin folds , but I was always left with my triangle.

Peter Fincham, ITV's director of television also revealed that earlier in the year that the channel had considered renaming the series, because it featured the word Abbey in the title. He said:

I can remember discussions that almost seem comical now. We talked about the word Abbey. Would people think it would have nuns or monks in it and be a religious series? But we satisfied ourselves they wouldn't and did a bit of marketing around it.

The Daily Mail has tried to talk up a few trivial tweets about the new BBC 2 drama, London Spy. The newspaper claims:

An Ofcom investigation has been launched into a new BBC drama after viewers complained about its gays sex scenes and nudity.

London Spy, a new thriller, was broadcast across the UK at 9pm on Monday on BBC 2. The programme stars Ben Whishaw, who is also Q in the new Bond film Spectre.

After 25 minutes of the show he is seen in a steamy sex scene with Edward Holcroft. Metal sex toys, bondage gear and a sex dungeon were also on show, for the first episode which had a peak viewing audience of three million.

The show had 13 complaints from viewers who were shocked by what they saw on their screens. Some people also took to Twitter to express their opinions.

Christian group the Evangelical Alliance were also angered. A spokesman told The Sun : We should expect better from our publicly-funded broadcaster.

However PinkNews begs to differ. Claims that the show received thirteen complaints and that the show will be investigated, have been rubbished by Ofcom. PinkNews explains:

The broadcasting watchdog contacted PinkNews to reveal they are yet to launch an investigation -- after receiving just a single complaint.

We've received one complaint about London Spy on BBC Two. We will assess this complaint before deciding whether to investigate or not, an Ofcom spokesman told PinkNews.

A BBC radio DJ who said that breastfeeding in public was unnatural has been criticised by TV censor Ofcom for his highly offensive comments.

Alex Dyke told listeners of his daily show on BBC Radio Solent that he found it embarrassing to sit next to a breastfeeding mother on the bus.

Ofcom today announced that 45 complaints against Dyke had been upheld, saying that his views were likely to be perceived as misogynistic .

The comments breached rule 2.3 of the body's regulations, which states that potentially offensive material must be justified by its context. An Ofcom spokesman said:

We found this radio discussion broke our rules regarding offensive content. The presenter's statements were highly offensive, stereotyped women who breastfed and were likely to be perceived as misogynistic.

The BBC took various steps after the broadcast, including the presenter broadcasting an apology, further compliance training for the presenter, and tightening its compliance processes.

However the presenter had been permitted to broadcast highly offensive comments, with minimal editorial oversight.

Cuffs,
BBC One, 28 October 2015

Complaint

We received complaints from viewers who felt that some of the content of Cuffs wasn't appropriate for an 8pm time slot.

Response

Cuffs is an ambitious new drama for the 8pm slot on BBC One, and aims to reflect the reality of police work and the challenges facing the police force. This means it will sometimes tackle difficult issues. We took care to make potential viewers aware of the nature of the series, through trails and pre-publicity, so that people could make an informed decision as to whether they wanted to watch.

At the same time, we're aware of our responsibilities to our audience and, as with all programmes, a great deal of thought went into appropriate scheduling. The content and placing of Cuffs was carefully considered at a senior level and we felt it was not beyond general audience expectations for a drama of this nature at 8pm. That said, we accept that tastes vary enormously and that some viewers might have a different point of view.

About 200 people have complained to the TV censor Ofcom about ITV's new series Jekyll And Hyde, claiming that it is too scary to be shown before the watershed.

The show, featuring scenes involving murder and violence, aired on Sunday at 6.30pm. Based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel, it follows the story of Jekyll's grandson, Dr Robert Jekyll, who lives with a monster, Hyde, suppressed within him. But in 1930s London, he is not the only monster around.

An Ofcom spokesman said:

Ofcom has received 212 [complaints] about Jekyll and Hyde, which aired on ITV on Sunday. We will assess these complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not.

The first episode featured a half-human half-dog creature called a Harbinger, the physical transformation of saintly Jekyll into evil Hyde, and the brutal murder of Robert's foster parents in Ceylon. It also showed a violent bar-fight and a punch-up in an alleyway.

An ITV spokesman said:

ITV issued a warning before the transmission of Jekyll and Hyde advising parents that it included some violence and scenes that younger children may find scary.

Update: 500 complaints

27th October 2015. See  article from telegraph.co.uk and article from dailymail.co.uk

The whinge count is now reported as 500. 263 complaints to Ofcom and a further 280  complaints to ITV.

The Telegraph also reports that ITV have ludicrously added an over 18s warning to those watching the show on ITV Player. An ITV spokesprat tried to downplay this nonsense decision with some technical bullshit.

Meanwhile the Daily Mail warns that the next episode will be even scarier but will be shown at the slightly later time of 7pm.

The Daily Mail seems to have given up on sound bites from MediaWatch-UK and instead extracted some 'outrage' from MPs. Conservative MP Nigel Huddleston whinged:

ITV really needs to listen to its viewers. As a national broadcaster, it has to take its responsibility seriously. None of us want to turn on the TV in the early evening and end up with our children having nightmares. I've got a six-year-old and a nine-year-old, and even from the trailer I could see that [Jekyll and Hyde] was too much [for them].

Huddleston, a member of the culture, media and sport select committee, added that it would almost certainly investigate watershed rules following the controversy He said:

Our film classifications are incredibly strict, yet on television, it seems to be a bit lax and unfortunately [is] getting even more so. It does look like gore and offensive language has become acceptable and that shouldn't be the case.

Labour MP Christian Matheson said the watershed still matters , adding:

Viewers want guidance and parents want assurance. The warnings [at the start of a show] are only good for the people who joined the programme from the start.

ITV did issue a warning before Jekyll and Hyde about its content. But Labour MP Helen Goodman said it was not enough, accusing the broadcaster of being grossly insensitive :

The public reaction shows that this really ought to be on after 9pm.

Update: Ofcom to investigate

30th October 2015. See  article from theguardian.com

TV censor Ofcom said it had received a total of 459 complaints about the show, the majority of which said it was too scary for broadcast at 6.30pm on Sunday, two and a half hours before the 9pm watershed. Including complaints made to ITV, the total is now more than 800. An Ofcom spokesperson said:

Ofcom has carefully assessed a number of complaints about Jekyll and Hyde on ITV. We are opening an investigation into whether the programme complied with our rules on appropriate scheduling and violent content before the watershed.

A source close to the productions said the team behind the show had carefully considered the kind of programming aimed at children that is regularly broadcast before the watershed, such as the Harry Potter films, and had been surprised by the reaction.

The sad thing is, it got really, really good reviews, said the source. When you are making a show you just want people to love it. Lots of people have said they loved it including those with children. You don't make shows to upset people.

ITV, which received around 380 complaints following the broadcast, has said it has no plans to move Jekyll and Hyde's transmission time. The remaining episodes of the 10-part series, which are scheduled for a 7pm time slot, are expected to feature more monsters and to get sillier . A spokesperson said:

ITV always considers carefully the content of its programming, and of course suitability for younger audiences is something we care about and give a great deal of thought to, hence our very specific announcement highlighting the fact that younger viewers may find Jekyll and Hyde scary.

The Daily Mail has gone to town on a trivial bad taste joke about Cilla Black on You've Been Framed

An old episode contained a clip of red-haired woman falling and hitting her head on the side of a swimming pool. Harry Hill quipped: It is Cilla Black appearing in her last show for ITV. Cilla died in August after collapsing and banging her head in Marbella.

The episode was made last year and was repeated again on Saturday. The Daily Mail reports:

Furious fans were left distraught and complained to ITV calling them crass , sick and insensitive for allowing a joke about Cilla falling over to be broadcast last weekend.

The Daily Mail dragged up a few angry tweets, eg:

Simon Gittins: The you've been framed CIlla joke was just sick. All you have done is hurt her memory. You should be ashamed.

ITV later apologised for the mistake and said the clip should have been cut

The Daily Star reported:

A hidden camera and prank show featuring a cast of black and Asian comedians has been commissioned by the channel for autumn -- called Sniggaz . In an ITV press release, the channel said:

C4 backed indie Renowned Films has also been commissioned by ITV2 to produce a 1 x 30 comedy special, completing the set of singles. The show, entitled Sniggaz (w/t) will feature a brand new cast of up and coming Black and Asian comics, as they hit the streets in a mix of fast paced provocative hidden camera and character based pranks poking fun at prejudices and stereotypes around race and diversity in the UK.

Renowned's Duane Jones added:

We're thrilled to be working with ITV2 to unleash our brand new comedy show, Sniggaz, bringing some of the freshest Black and Asian comics and writers to the channel for the first time. 'Sniggaz' will poke fun at the stereotypes and prejudices that most of us are too afraid to discuss. Watch out UK, the sniggaz are coming.

By the time I checked out the story the ITV press release reads:

C4 backed indie Renowned Films has also been commissioned by ITV2 to produce a 1 x 30 comedy special, completing the set of singles. The show, entitled Pranksterz will feature a brand new cast of up and coming Black and Asian comics, as they hit the streets in a mix of fast paced provocative hidden camera and character based pranks poking fun at prejudices and stereotypes around race and diversity in the UK.

Set artists have been having fun with the latest episode of the TV drama, Homeland . The Arabic graffiti covering some of the walls is claimed to include slogans mocking the show for its simplistic depiction of Muslims and the Islamic faith.

The Arabian Street Artists, including painters Heba Amin and Caram Kapp, were invited to cover the Berlin set in authentic graffiti for the most recent episode, set in a refugee camp on the Lebanese/Syrian border. However, the artists claimed to have used the platform to write slogans such as Homeland is racist, This show does not represent the views of the artists, and Homeland is a joke and it didn't make us laugh.

The artists said they were provoked by the show's inaccurate, undifferentiated and highly biased depiction of Arabs, Pakistanis, and Afghans.

The claims have yet to be verified.

In a tediously long report, Ofcom have had a whinge at trailers on Comedy Central that were considered too adult for daytime viewers.

Ofcom received more than 200 complaints about the tone, humour and language used in more than a dozen trailers that aired repeatedly on Comedy Central and Comedy Central Extra before the 9pm watershed.

The trailers included comedian Howard performing a standup routine which included the line you filthy bitch which aired at 9.30am on Christmas Eve during cartoon series Penguins of Madagascar.

Delaney's pre-watershed trailer included the comedian talking about fingering because I've just learned how to do it .

Other clips included a trailer promoting a South Park Erection Night Special and trailers for a post-watershed scheduled animation series Brickleberry, which featured cartoon characters being graphically killed.

Paramount UK-owned Comedy Central's initial response to Ofcom was that none of the trailers was in breach of the broadcasting code because the channel was not intended to appeal to, nor aimed, at children . The broadcaster said that it had worked hard to make sure that the references and comments in its trailers would go over the heads of younger viewers watching .

Ofcom ruled that all of the trailers broke broadcasting rules including that children must be protected from unsuitable material by appropriate scheduling of content. The TV censor said that the trailers were clearly unsuitable to be broadcast before the 9pm watershed.