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Thread: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

  1. #1

    Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53032895

    Pleased by this decision, John Cleese's comments yesterday are right as far as I'm concerned - the original decision lumped Fawlty Towers, and programmes like Till death us do Part, in with Love thy Neighbour and they were completely different things.

  2. #2

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Have the Wayans brothers apologised yet for dressing as white people?

  3. #3

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53032895

    Pleased by this decision, John Cleese's comments yesterday are right as far as I'm concerned - the original decision lumped Fawlty Towers, and programmes like Till death us do Part, in with Love thy Neighbour and they were completely different things.
    Absolutely. No comparison whatsoever.
    Alf Garnet and Eddie Booth were bigoted opinionated racists. Basil Fawltey was a "normal" bloke who wanted an easy life but was whipped kept getting himself into farcical situations.
    The only bit of possible racism I can remember was the aforementioned Germans sketch where he had had the blow on the head from that naughty moose!

    Unlike Love thy neighbour and TDUDP, FT is a show that stands the test of time but mainly was just funny.

  4. #4
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    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53032895

    Pleased by this decision, John Cleese's comments yesterday are right as far as I'm concerned - the original decision lumped Fawlty Towers, and programmes like Till death us do Part, in with Love thy Neighbour and they were completely different things.
    Sensible outcome - although I thought this was always what UKTV suspended the episode to consider: either editing out the Major's racist lines (as Cleese himself agreed in 2013 for the BBC repeats) or adding a 'warning' message at the start as is used for so many other (often older comedy) programmes. In the end we get the unedited episode available through that source, but a recognition that public attitudes have evolved and the broadcasters recognise that.

    Those sort of messages have to be selective though, or they become intrusive or meaningless. Some channels seem to start every programme with a warning about sex scenes, upsetting scenes, offensive language or something else (though rarely violence).

  5. #5
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    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by MacAdder View Post
    Absolutely. No comparison whatsoever.
    Alf Garnet and Eddie Booth were bigoted opinionated racists. Basil Fawltey was a "normal" bloke who wanted an easy life but was whipped kept getting himself into farcical situations.
    The only bit of possible racism I can remember was the aforementioned Germans sketch where he had had the blow on the head from that naughty moose!

    Unlike Love thy neighbour and TDUDP, FT is a show that stands the test of time but mainly was just funny.
    I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.

  6. #6

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    In my opinion, this is the right decision but they could easily bleep out the offending word from the Major or even cut out the scene altogether. Imagine being a young black child and settling down for what's advertised as a classic British show and viewing that scene. It's ugly, dated language and completely unnecessary.

  7. #7

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
    I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.
    I agree with you - my intention was to pair Fawlty Towers and TDUDP against Love the Neighbour.

  8. #8

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by MacAdder View Post
    The only bit of possible racism I can remember was the aforementioned Germans sketch where he had had the blow on the head from that naughty moose!
    Apart from the scene where the N word is used about 8 times uncensored

    But to be fair you probably haven't seen that (me neither) because the BBC have been taking the sensible decision to air an edited version of that episode since 2003, thinking that that kind of language isn't appropriate at 1930 on BBC2 on a Sunday, even if it is "of its time".

    UKTV were still airing the original version, and that's what was taken down yesterday pending review. As that link says, they've now reinstated it with warning about the language.

    A classic gammon frothing at the mouth over nothing situation, I lost count a long time ago what number this is

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    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
    I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.
    And with Love Thy Neighbour as my memory serves me (which isn't very well) he usually ended up losing anyway.

  10. #10

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by xsnaggle View Post
    And with Love Thy Neighbour as my memory serves me (which isn't very well) he usually ended up losing anyway.
    Yes he did, live thy neighbour gets a raw deal imo the words that are used are offensive in this modern time but by no means was it a racist show it was actually cleverly written

  11. #11

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    what about Gavin and Stacey..he was called Chinese Alan because he liked Chinese food..ffs!

  12. #12

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by kendoddsdadsdogsdead View Post
    what about Gavin and Stacey..he was called Chinese Alan because he liked Chinese food..ffs!
    Tabloid shitstirring, no one wants Gavin and Stacey banned, and it hasn't been

  13. #13

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by delmbox View Post
    Tabloid shitstirring, no one wants Gavin and Stacey banned, and it hasn't been
    I’d stick it in Room 101 along with Mrs Brown’s Boys though

  14. #14
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    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Have I Got News For You @haveigotnews - 12 Jun

    Fawlty Towers faces criticism for ‘outdated material’, due to its depiction of a thriving hospitality industry.



  15. #15

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by splott parker View Post
    I’d stick it in Room 101 along with Mrs Brown’s Boys though
    I like G&S! Mrs Brown's Boys is shit though

  16. #16

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    We had to take down a Welsh advert for the 6 nations a few years back because the English complained and it was a cracker, you had groups of Welsh in Welsh shirts shouting England, groups of Irish in shirts shouting England, same with the Scots and I think they had the odd Frenchman and Italian as well, then came the punchline which was sport is not just about who you want to win but who you want to lose, lol, luvely butt.

  17. #17

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by xsnaggle View Post
    And with Love Thy Neighbour as my memory serves me (which isn't very well) he usually ended up losing anyway.
    Yes he did, as did Alf Garnet and that's always been the cop out.
    Both, however, however had a license to say and do what they liked which could bot have been an easy watch for many.

    Both a totally different type of comedy to FT.

  18. #18

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by delmbox View Post
    I like G&S! Mrs Brown's Boys is shit though
    That useless Stacey, the only Barry girl with an hiya butt accent, oh, the old lady next door doesn’t work hard on the accent either, lazy acting. It’s as though casting just went for the stereotypical Welsh accent, proper actors adapt.

  19. #19

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
    I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.
    Perhaps but the lead characters were very similar.

  20. #20

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by delmbox View Post
    Apart from the scene where the N word is used about 8 times uncensored

    But to be fair you probably haven't seen that (me neither) because the BBC have been taking the sensible decision to air an edited version of that episode since 2003, thinking that that kind of language isn't appropriate at 1930 on BBC2 on a Sunday, even if it is "of its time".

    UKTV were still airing the original version, and that's what was taken down yesterday pending review. As that link says, they've now reinstated it with warning about the language.

    A classic gammon frothing at the mouth over nothing situation, I lost count a long time ago what number this is
    You are joking right?

  21. #21

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Alf Garnett was a racist east ender played by Warren Mitchell, a jewish londoner

    It was deliberately written to portray alf Garnett as a racist

    Warren Mitchell was on a train in london once and this white bloke said to him I love the way you take the piss out of blacks and asians on that show

    Mitchell said I am an immigrant and the people I am taking the piss out of is racists like you

    There is a thin line between clever and stupid

  22. #22

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by MacAdder View Post
    You are joking right?
    Maybe he was an ahead of his time rapper?

  23. #23

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Alf Garnett was a sharp and witty satire that had a go at everyone and he always came out worse off.
    Love they Neighbour was your average sitcom with hardly any comedy value at all.
    As a kid i hated the black and white minstral show ...."why were these men trying to look black but sing like a church choir" i thought.
    what were they thinking with that show.

  24. #24

    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by MacAdder View Post
    Yes he did, as did Alf Garnet and that's always been the cop out.
    Both, however, however had a license to say and do what they liked which could bot have been an easy watch for many.

    Both a totally different type of comedy to FT.
    Hardly a cop out, the racism of Alf Garnett was being mocked.

  25. #25
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    Re: Fawlty Towers episode reinstated by UKTV.

    Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
    I wouldn't put Till Death Do Us Part and Love Thy Neighbour in the same bracket. The first was satire (although of its time and wouldn't be made today), the second was shallow, 'cheap laughs' comedy based on racial stereotypes.
    I agree. Warren Mitchell told a very good story about some racist bloke going up and saying to him "You tell it like it is, love your show Alf". Mitchell replied with "My show is making fun of people like you."

    Love Thy Neighbour is horrendous, in hindsight, and was definitely "of its time". It has been repeated in my lifetime, but it was dreadful and, as you say, cheap.

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