X-Rated: The TV They Tried to Ban
Encyclopedia
X-Rated: The TV They Tried to Ban was a 2005
British
one-off television documentary
examining controversial material on British television. It was first broadcast on Channel 4
, at 10pm on Sunday 6 March 2005, as part of their "Banned" season
, and was approx. 90 minutes long.
The TV They Tried to Ban highlighted examples of offensive language, sexually explicit
content and disturbing images on television, and instances where they caused controversy
or increased public tolerance of such material on television in Britain. However, by showing these incidents (often repeatedly), as well as some that were previously unseen on television, the documentary itself became notable as one of the most explicit programmes in British television history. However, Ofcom
received only one complaint for "Offence" caused by the documentary, and did not uphold it because the programme contained sufficient warnings (before it began, at the end of each advert break
, and even within the documentary itself). It has been repeated many times, mainly on digital sister channel E4
.
It contained contributions from celebrities
, media commentators, programme-makers and the critics of explicit broadcasts. Interviewees included Shaun Ryder
, Caprice Bourret
, Paul Ross
, Stephen K Amos, Vince Powell
, David Quantick
, Garry Bushell
and Charlie Parsons
.
The TV They Tried to Ban was mainly light-hearted in its tone and narration
, and implicitly suggested that 'Complainers' should not be so shocked by television programmes and should simply choose not to watch; perhaps the 'Complainers' are the "They" of the documentary's title. Cole Porter
's "Anything Goes
" was played during its closing credits
, and the documentary seemed to be intended partly as entertainment (containing gross-out humour etc.), rather than a solemn debate.
The theme tune to the documentary was The Hives
' "Hate to Say I Told You So
".
live
interview with the punk
band the Sex Pistols
on Bill Grundy
's Today show on Thames Television
, which included swearing rarely before heard on television, least of all during prime time
, and damaged Grundy's career while launching the band's. The documentary then shows clips from the 1996
controversy on TFI Friday
during which singer Shaun Ryder
and actor Ewan McGregor
both said "fuck
" on the live early-evening show. This caused it to become pre-recorded
, and Shaun Ryder's name to be put on the official Channel 4
charter forbidding him from appearing live on the channel. Ryder, in fact, swore 14 times during his live performance of "Pretty Vacant
" - a song originally by the Sex Pistols. Its publishers, however, prevented Ryder's version of the song from being used in The TV They Tried to Ban, and an on-screen message here calls them "Spoilsports".
The documentary shows how accepted the "f-word" has become on British television, by pointing out that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay
said "fuck" 84 times in a single episode of documentary Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. "Cunt", on the other hand, remains a highly objectionable word: The TV They Tried to Ban shows its first televised use, by a protester (actually Felix Dennis
) who 'invaded' the studio
of David Frost
's chat show The Frost Programme (the protester was immediately criticised as immature by Frost). We then see the almost-unnoticed incident, on This Morning
on 16 February
2002
, when Caprice
mentioned that she was appearing in The Vagina Monologues
in a segment called "Reclaiming 'Cunt'". This received three complaints and was not even noticed by presenters Fern Britton
and John Leslie
at the time, but a tabloid frenzy ensured that Caprice was "kicked off the show". The documentary then shows a single frame from satirical
comedy Brass Eye
, that caused controversy in 1997
; Chris Morris
superimposed the words "Grade Is A Cunt" onto the screen, to protest against the then-Channel 4 commissioner Michael Grade
's censoring
of a scene involving a fictional musical about serial killer Peter Sutcliffe
.
Continuing the theme of offensive language, The TV They Tried to Ban comments that 1970s British sitcoms like Love Thy Neighbour
and Mind Your Language
, and the BBC
's Black and White Minstrel Show
, contained no swearing
(and were loved by "middle England
"), but are seen as embarrassing by many today because of their racism
. Vince Powell
, creator of both series, defends Mind Your Language by saying "All I was doing was making fun of the English language
, not the foreigners". Stephen K Amos, however, cites Love Thy Neighbour as increasing casual racism, because it introduced viewers to anti-black (and anti-white) insults they hadn't even heard before. The BBC official whose job is to discourage 'offensive' words is interviewed, and is seen with the list of words that were once seen as the least-desirable for broadcast (predominantly swear words
), and the same list in the 2000s, which is markedly different, containing mainly racist, homophobic
or anti-disabled
insults. Finally in part 1, a previously unbroadcast advertisement for Channel 4 is seen. Part of a series of adverts, made in 2004
, that contained quickly changing clips of presenters and personalities from Channel 4 shows all talking about a particular subject, this advert was on the theme of "favourite swear words", and obviously contains explicit language.
. The documentary claims that Margaret Thatcher
's 1979 rise to power
, shortly after which the Conservative
government created Channel 4, actually unleashed "a tide of filth" and 'morally objectionable
' content onto British TV screens, because Channel 4's remit compelled it to 'push boundaries' and show programmes for groups not catered-for by the 'mainstream
' channels.
Channel 4's film series shown under the Red Triangle banner, which began in 1986
, is described here by David Quantick as "Like having a little pervert sat in your front room" because of the often-pornographic
content in the films. However, an episode of the BBC drama The Singing Detective
(broadcast 30 November 1986), which contained a sex scene, attracted more complaints, as did a 6pm episode of Channel 4's Right to Reply
that repeated the scene; The TV They Tried to Ban points out the irony
of a complaints programme being complained-about itself.
An unusually suggestive sex scene in Footballers' Wives
, that the programme's makers freely admit was "soft porn
", is the introduction to the documentary's examination of depictions of gay
sex on British TV, and the possible hypocrisy
in tabloids complaining about gay male characters in EastEnders
and Queer as Folk
, but describing lesbian-themed period drama Tipping the Velvet
as "marvellous" and "a moving drama about the love that can exist between two women", although Garry Bushell
obviously realises that contradiction, in joking that it had "nothing to do with the tits!". A censored gay sex scene between two male Footballers' Wives characters is shown in The TV They Tried to Ban, for its entire duration of two seconds; even this was not broadcast by ITV
, even though the long heterosexual sex scene had previously been allowed. Interviewed here, one of the Footballers' Wives actors says he was unhappy with the decision to cut his scene, simply because choosing to film it was a difficult decision for a straight actor.
Other controversial broadcasts that are examined in this part of the documentary include Channel 4's Animal Passions, about a group of bestialists in the United States
, and a documentary about Derek Jarman
's 1976
film Sebastiane
. The 1991
documentary contained a scene including an erect penis (supposedly accidentally, as it was on a cinema screen in the background of an interview with Jarman). These are officially not allowed on British television, but The TV They Tried to Ban examines the Mull of Kintyre theory on the subject, and broadcasts the scene again, with an explicit warning immediately before showing it.
and rave culture in the early 1990s, and how some broadcasters tried to put this youth culture on TV, in such shows as Channel 4's The Word
and Something for the Weekend. These late-night series were reflected by rude moments, and concentrating on freakish talents, making for more bizarre entertainment than before; indeed, The Words most infamous incident involved a young man snogging an elderly woman during "The Hopefuls", a 'famous for 15 minutes' segment. The 'Complainers' suggest that people could have demonstrated their talents by performing a song
or a poem
instead.
The TV They Tried to Ban then unveils the supposed "top three most offensive British TV moments", however, X-Rated: Top 20 Most Controversial TV Moments (broadcast on Channel 4 in the same month) revealed a different top three because it used a different system. Here, the top three was named as:
, shown 2005
) Brass Eye Special (paedophilia) (Channel 4, 2001
) Derren Brown
: Séance
(Channel 4, 2004
's televised autopsy
in 2004, which was criticised by some, but welcomed by others who appreciated the insight into how the human body
(and treatment of dead bodies) works. A Channel 4 documentary about a man who eats foetuses is also suggested as a pointer of television's possible future direction, and the interviewees suggest (not totally seriously) that executions be shown on TV - Shaun Ryder
nominates Ian Huntley to be the first to suffer this fate (although forgets Huntley's name), while another suggests, "let's have burnings
on Channel Five". (The programme was made before the high-profile execution of Saddam Hussein
, which bears some resemblance to these ideas.) The TV They Tried to Ban plays a moment from news
satire The Day Today
, which filmed a fake hanging from the 1960s; this is the end of the documentary.
, citing unfair treatment and a failure to fully explain the format of the programme to her. While Ofcom suspected that "there may have been a lack of frankness on the programme makers' part regarding the general tone", it concluded that her views had not been misrepresented, and did not uphold the complaint.
One observer called the documentary a "back-slapping orgy", reflecting Channel 4's possible tendency to overstate its own importance or bravery in showing 'daring' material on television.
First shown in March 2005, and presented by E4 puppet
characters Bronx Bunny and Teddy T
, its conclusion was different from that of The TV They Tried to Ban; Its top four "most offensive" programmes were:
(BBC One
, 1992
) — 2,215 complaints Jerry Springer: The Opera (BBC Two, 2005) — approx. 1,000
Brass Eye Special (Channel 4, 2001)
Derren Brown: Seance (Channel 4, 2004)
The reason for this discrepancy was presumably that this documentary only counted complaints made after broadcast by viewers - as Bronx Bunny points out here, Jerry Springer: The Opera would have been in first place, had viewers complained after watching it. In the end, the BBC received approximately 50,000 complaints before screening the controversial opera, mainly from Christians unhappy with Jesus Christ's portrayal.
Ghostwatchs appearance in first place might also have detracted from the theme of The TV They Tried to Ban, as that documentary was about offensive programmes, whereas Ghostwatch only received complaints because it scared or 'fooled
' viewers.
2005 in television
The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
one-off television documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
examining controversial material on British television. It was first broadcast on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, at 10pm on Sunday 6 March 2005, as part of their "Banned" season
Channel 4 Banned season
There have been two Channel 4 Banned seasons. The first aired in April 1991 over three weeks and saw the broadcast of a number of films and documentaries which had previously been banned from British television or cinema...
, and was approx. 90 minutes long.
The TV They Tried to Ban highlighted examples of offensive language, sexually explicit
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
content and disturbing images on television, and instances where they caused controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
or increased public tolerance of such material on television in Britain. However, by showing these incidents (often repeatedly), as well as some that were previously unseen on television, the documentary itself became notable as one of the most explicit programmes in British television history. However, Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
received only one complaint for "Offence" caused by the documentary, and did not uphold it because the programme contained sufficient warnings (before it began, at the end of each advert break
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, and even within the documentary itself). It has been repeated many times, mainly on digital sister channel E4
E4 (TV)
E4 is a channel on British digital television, launched as a pay-TV companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. The "E" stands for entertainment, and the channel is mainly aimed at the lucrative 15–35 age group...
.
It contained contributions from celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, media commentators, programme-makers and the critics of explicit broadcasts. Interviewees included Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder
Shaun William Ryder, aka X, is an English musician, occasional newspaper columnist, actor, author, singer-songwriter and television personality, best known as lead singer for Happy Mondays and Black Grape – and more recently as the runner-up of the 2010 version of the British TV Show I'm a...
, Caprice Bourret
Caprice Bourret
Caprice Bourret is an American supermodel, actress, television personality and businesswoman. She currently resides in the United Kingdom where she runs her company By Caprice Lingerie Ltd.- Early life :...
, Paul Ross
Paul Ross
Paul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
, Stephen K Amos, Vince Powell
Vince Powell
Vince Powell was a British television writer.Powell was born as Vincent Smith to Roman Catholic parents in Miles Platting, Manchester. When he was five, his mother died; two years later, his father remarried...
, David Quantick
David Quantick
David Quantick is a freelance journalist, writer and critic who specialises in music and comedy.-Career history:...
, Garry Bushell
Garry Bushell
Garry Bushell is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Oi! band The Gonads and manages the New York City Oi! band Maninblack. Bushell's recurring themes are comedy, country and class...
and Charlie Parsons
Charlie Parsons
Charlie Parsons is a British television producer who created a number of notable television shows including Survivor. He also created The Big Breakfast and The Word....
.
The TV They Tried to Ban was mainly light-hearted in its tone and narration
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
, and implicitly suggested that 'Complainers' should not be so shocked by television programmes and should simply choose not to watch; perhaps the 'Complainers' are the "They" of the documentary's title. Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
's "Anything Goes
Anything Goes (song)
"Anything Goes" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for his musical Anything Goes . Many of the lyrics feature humorous references to various figures of scandal and gossip in Depression Era high society...
" was played during its closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
, and the documentary seemed to be intended partly as entertainment (containing gross-out humour etc.), rather than a solemn debate.
The theme tune to the documentary was The Hives
The Hives
The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
' "Hate to Say I Told You So
Hate to Say I Told You So
"Hate to Say I Told You So" is the first single from Swedish garage rock band The Hives' second studio album Veni Vidi Vicious. First released on 4 December 2000, it was re-released on 11 February 2002 as the opening track on the compilation Your New Favourite Band. It is internationally known as...
".
Part 1
The first half-hour part of The TV They Tried to Ban examines use of offensive language on British television, including the 19761976 in television
The year 1976 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1976.-Global television events:*The Olympics, broadcast from Montreal, Canada, draw an estimated one billion viewers worldwide....
live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
interview with the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
on Bill Grundy
Bill Grundy
William "Bill" Grundy was an English television presenter and former host of Today, a regional news programme broadcast on Thames Television...
's Today show on Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
, which included swearing rarely before heard on television, least of all during prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
, and damaged Grundy's career while launching the band's. The documentary then shows clips from the 1996
1996 in television
The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
controversy on TFI Friday
TFI Friday
TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...
during which singer Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder
Shaun William Ryder, aka X, is an English musician, occasional newspaper columnist, actor, author, singer-songwriter and television personality, best known as lead singer for Happy Mondays and Black Grape – and more recently as the runner-up of the 2010 version of the British TV Show I'm a...
and actor Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
both said "fuck
Fuck
"Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,...
" on the live early-evening show. This caused it to become pre-recorded
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
, and Shaun Ryder's name to be put on the official Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
charter forbidding him from appearing live on the channel. Ryder, in fact, swore 14 times during his live performance of "Pretty Vacant
Pretty Vacant
"Pretty Vacant" is a song by the English punk rock band The Sex Pistols. It was released on 1 July 1977 as the third single from their only album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The song marked the band's only appearance on the British music show Top of the Pops...
" - a song originally by the Sex Pistols. Its publishers, however, prevented Ryder's version of the song from being used in The TV They Tried to Ban, and an on-screen message here calls them "Spoilsports".
The documentary shows how accepted the "f-word" has become on British television, by pointing out that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
said "fuck" 84 times in a single episode of documentary Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. "Cunt", on the other hand, remains a highly objectionable word: The TV They Tried to Ban shows its first televised use, by a protester (actually Felix Dennis
Felix Dennis
Felix Dennis is a British magazine publisher, poet, and philanthropist. His privately owned company, Dennis Publishing, pioneered computer and hobbyist magazine publishing in the United Kingdom...
) who 'invaded' the studio
Television studio
A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
of David Frost
David Frost (broadcaster)
Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE is a British journalist, comedian, writer, media personality and daytime TV game show host best known for his two decades as host of Through the Keyhole and serious interviews with various political figures, the most notable being Richard Nixon...
's chat show The Frost Programme (the protester was immediately criticised as immature by Frost). We then see the almost-unnoticed incident, on This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
on 16 February
February 2002
February 2002: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December- February 2, 2002 :...
2002
2002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
, when Caprice
Caprice Bourret
Caprice Bourret is an American supermodel, actress, television personality and businesswoman. She currently resides in the United Kingdom where she runs her company By Caprice Lingerie Ltd.- Early life :...
mentioned that she was appearing in The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
in a segment called "Reclaiming 'Cunt'". This received three complaints and was not even noticed by presenters Fern Britton
Fern Britton
Fern Britton is an English television presenter, known as the former main co-presenter on the ITV magazine programme This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. She left the show on 17 July 2009, her 52nd birthday.- Early life :...
and John Leslie
John Leslie (television presenter)
John Leslie is a Scottish former television presenter. He has presented BBC One's Blue Peter and ITV's This Morning and the ITV gameshow Wheel of Fortune. He was also the roving reporter for the first series of the UK version of Survivor...
at the time, but a tabloid frenzy ensured that Caprice was "kicked off the show". The documentary then shows a single frame from satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
comedy Brass Eye
Brass Eye
Brass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries. A series of six aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001....
, that caused controversy in 1997
1997 in television
The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
; Chris Morris
Chris Morris (satirist)
Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
superimposed the words "Grade Is A Cunt" onto the screen, to protest against the then-Channel 4 commissioner Michael Grade
Michael Grade
Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth CBE is a British broadcast executive and businessman. He was BBC chairman from 2004 to 2006 and executive chairman of ITV plc from 2007 to 2009.-Early life:...
's censoring
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
of a scene involving a fictional musical about serial killer Peter Sutcliffe
Peter Sutcliffe
Peter William Sutcliffe is a British serial killer who was dubbed "The Yorkshire Ripper". In 1981 Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attacking seven others. He is currently serving 20 sentences of life imprisonment in Broadmoor Hospital...
.
Continuing the theme of offensive language, The TV They Tried to Ban comments that 1970s British sitcoms like Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour was a popular British sitcom, which was aired from 13 April 1972, until 22 January 1976, spanning seven series. The sitcom was produced by Thames Television and broadcast by ITV. The main cast included Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams...
and Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series, that premiered on ITV in late 1977. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it is set in an adult education college in London and focuses on the English as a Foreign Language class taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown, portrayed by Barry Evans,...
, and the BBC
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Black and White Minstrel Show
The Black and White Minstrel Show
The Black and White Minstrel Show was a British light entertainment show that ran on BBC television from 1958-1978 and was a popular stage show. It was a weekly light entertainment and variety show presenting traditional American minstrel and Country songs, as well as show and music hall numbers,...
, contained no swearing
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
(and were loved by "middle England
Middle England
The phrase "Middle England" is a socio-political and geographical term which originally indicated the central region of England, now almost always referred to as the "Midlands"....
"), but are seen as embarrassing by many today because of their racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. Vince Powell
Vince Powell
Vince Powell was a British television writer.Powell was born as Vincent Smith to Roman Catholic parents in Miles Platting, Manchester. When he was five, his mother died; two years later, his father remarried...
, creator of both series, defends Mind Your Language by saying "All I was doing was making fun of the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, not the foreigners". Stephen K Amos, however, cites Love Thy Neighbour as increasing casual racism, because it introduced viewers to anti-black (and anti-white) insults they hadn't even heard before. The BBC official whose job is to discourage 'offensive' words is interviewed, and is seen with the list of words that were once seen as the least-desirable for broadcast (predominantly swear words
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
), and the same list in the 2000s, which is markedly different, containing mainly racist, homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
or anti-disabled
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
insults. Finally in part 1, a previously unbroadcast advertisement for Channel 4 is seen. Part of a series of adverts, made in 2004
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
, that contained quickly changing clips of presenters and personalities from Channel 4 shows all talking about a particular subject, this advert was on the theme of "favourite swear words", and obviously contains explicit language.
Part 2
The second part talks about the portrayal of sex on television in Britain. In the "Swinging Sixties", the documentary claims, no sexually explicit matierial was allowed on the UK's three TV channels, although in the 1970s some artistic films shown late at night contained nudityNudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
. The documentary claims that Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's 1979 rise to power
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, shortly after which the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government created Channel 4, actually unleashed "a tide of filth" and 'morally objectionable
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
' content onto British TV screens, because Channel 4's remit compelled it to 'push boundaries' and show programmes for groups not catered-for by the 'mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
' channels.
Channel 4's film series shown under the Red Triangle banner, which began in 1986
1986 in British television
This is a list of British television related events from 1986.-Events:*4 January – Televised football returns to British television after the contractual dispute from the previous year is resolved....
, is described here by David Quantick as "Like having a little pervert sat in your front room" because of the often-pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
content in the films. However, an episode of the BBC drama The Singing Detective
The Singing Detective
The Singing Detective is a BBC television miniseries written by Dennis Potter, which stars Michael Gambon, and was directed by Jon Amiel. The six episodes were "Skin", "Heat", "Lovely Days", "Clues", "Pitter Patter" and "Who Done It"....
(broadcast 30 November 1986), which contained a sex scene, attracted more complaints, as did a 6pm episode of Channel 4's Right to Reply
Right to Reply
Right to Reply was a British television series shown on Channel 4 from 1982 until 2001, which allowed viewers to voice their complaints or concerns about TV programmes...
that repeated the scene; The TV They Tried to Ban points out the irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
of a complaints programme being complained-about itself.
An unusually suggestive sex scene in Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006...
, that the programme's makers freely admit was "soft porn
Softcore
Softcore pornography is a form of filmic or photographic pornography or erotica that is less sexually explicit than hardcore pornography. It is intended to tickle and arouse men and women. Softcore pornography depicts nude and semi-nude performers engaging in casual social nudity or non-graphic...
", is the introduction to the documentary's examination of depictions of gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
sex on British TV, and the possible hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
in tabloids complaining about gay male characters in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
and Queer as Folk
Queer as Folk (UK TV series)
Queer as Folk is a 1999 British television series that chronicles the lives of three gay men living in Manchester's gay village around Canal Street. Both Queer as Folk and Queer as Folk 2 were written by Russell T Davies...
, but describing lesbian-themed period drama Tipping the Velvet
Tipping the Velvet
Tipping the Velvet is an historical novel written by Sarah Waters published in 1998. Set in Victorian England during the 1890s, it tells a coming of age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her to London, and finds various ways to support herself...
as "marvellous" and "a moving drama about the love that can exist between two women", although Garry Bushell
Garry Bushell
Garry Bushell is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Oi! band The Gonads and manages the New York City Oi! band Maninblack. Bushell's recurring themes are comedy, country and class...
obviously realises that contradiction, in joking that it had "nothing to do with the tits!". A censored gay sex scene between two male Footballers' Wives characters is shown in The TV They Tried to Ban, for its entire duration of two seconds; even this was not broadcast by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, even though the long heterosexual sex scene had previously been allowed. Interviewed here, one of the Footballers' Wives actors says he was unhappy with the decision to cut his scene, simply because choosing to film it was a difficult decision for a straight actor.
Other controversial broadcasts that are examined in this part of the documentary include Channel 4's Animal Passions, about a group of bestialists in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a documentary about Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman
Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman was an English film director, stage designer, diarist, artist, gardener and author.-Life:...
's 1976
1976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
film Sebastiane
Sebastiane
Sebastiane is a controversial 1976 film written and directed by Derek Jarman and Paul Humfress. It portrays the events of the life of Saint Sebastian, including his iconic martyrdom by arrows. Most of the controversy surrounding the film derives from the homoeroticism portrayed between the soldiers...
. The 1991
1991 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1991-92 United States network television schedule.The year 1991 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1991.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
documentary contained a scene including an erect penis (supposedly accidentally, as it was on a cinema screen in the background of an interview with Jarman). These are officially not allowed on British television, but The TV They Tried to Ban examines the Mull of Kintyre theory on the subject, and broadcasts the scene again, with an explicit warning immediately before showing it.
Part 3
This part of the documentary examined the rise of "lad(ette)"Lad culture
Lad culture is a subculture commonly associated with Britpop music of the 1990s."The image of the 'lad' or 'new lad' arose in the early 1990s as a generally middle-class figure espousing attitudes conventionally attributed to the working classes"...
and rave culture in the early 1990s, and how some broadcasters tried to put this youth culture on TV, in such shows as Channel 4's The Word
The Word (TV series)
The Word was a 1990s Channel 4 television programme in the United Kingdom.-Format:Its presenters included Mancunian radio presenter Terry Christian, comedian Mark Lamarr, Dani Behr, Katie Puckrik, Jasmine Dotiwala, Alan Connor, Amanda de Cadenet and "Huffty"...
and Something for the Weekend. These late-night series were reflected by rude moments, and concentrating on freakish talents, making for more bizarre entertainment than before; indeed, The Words most infamous incident involved a young man snogging an elderly woman during "The Hopefuls", a 'famous for 15 minutes' segment. The 'Complainers' suggest that people could have demonstrated their talents by performing a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
or a poem
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
instead.
The TV They Tried to Ban then unveils the supposed "top three most offensive British TV moments", however, X-Rated: Top 20 Most Controversial TV Moments (broadcast on Channel 4 in the same month) revealed a different top three because it used a different system. Here, the top three was named as:
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, shown 2005
2005 in television
The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
)
2001 in television
The year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
)
Derren Brown
Derren Victor Brown is a British illusionist, mentalist, painter, writer and sceptic. He is known for his appearances in television specials, stage productions and British television series such as Trick of the Mind and Trick or Treat...
: Séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
(Channel 4, 2004
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
Part 4
The documentary concludes by asking "Where can controversial TV go next?". More recent controversial programmes are shown, such as Gunther von HagensGunther von Hagens
Gunther von Hagens is a controversial German anatomist who invented the technique for preserving biological tissue specimens called plastination.-Early life:...
's televised autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
in 2004, which was criticised by some, but welcomed by others who appreciated the insight into how the human body
Human body
The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
(and treatment of dead bodies) works. A Channel 4 documentary about a man who eats foetuses is also suggested as a pointer of television's possible future direction, and the interviewees suggest (not totally seriously) that executions be shown on TV - Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder
Shaun William Ryder, aka X, is an English musician, occasional newspaper columnist, actor, author, singer-songwriter and television personality, best known as lead singer for Happy Mondays and Black Grape – and more recently as the runner-up of the 2010 version of the British TV Show I'm a...
nominates Ian Huntley to be the first to suffer this fate (although forgets Huntley's name), while another suggests, "let's have burnings
Execution by burning
Death by burning is death brought about by combustion. As a form of capital punishment, burning has a long history as a method in crimes such as treason, heresy, and witchcraft....
on Channel Five". (The programme was made before the high-profile execution of Saddam Hussein
Execution of Saddam Hussein
The execution of Saddam Hussein took place on December 30, 2006 . Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging, after being found guilty and convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi Special Tribunal for the murder of 148 Iraqi Shi'ite in the town of Dujail in 1982, in retaliation for an...
, which bears some resemblance to these ideas.) The TV They Tried to Ban plays a moment from news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
satire The Day Today
The Day Today
The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
, which filmed a fake hanging from the 1960s; this is the end of the documentary.
Criticism
One of the 'Complainers', unhappy with her portrayal in the documentary, complained to OfcomOfcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, citing unfair treatment and a failure to fully explain the format of the programme to her. While Ofcom suspected that "there may have been a lack of frankness on the programme makers' part regarding the general tone", it concluded that her views had not been misrepresented, and did not uphold the complaint.
One observer called the documentary a "back-slapping orgy", reflecting Channel 4's possible tendency to overstate its own importance or bravery in showing 'daring' material on television.
X-Rated: Top 20 Most Controversial TV Moments
This, list programme presented the 20 most controversial British television programmes, judged on how many official complaints they received at the time.First shown in March 2005, and presented by E4 puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
characters Bronx Bunny and Teddy T
The Bronx Bunny Show
The Bronx Bunny Show was a ten-part series originally broadcast in 2003 on E4 in the United Kingdom. It was an adult puppet interview show which followed the premise of a semi-educational show for the good people of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan...
, its conclusion was different from that of The TV They Tried to Ban; Its top four "most offensive" programmes were:
Ghostwatch
Ghostwatch is a British reality–horror/mockumentary television movie, first broadcast on BBC1 on 31 October , 1992.Despite having been recorded weeks in advance, the narrative was presented as 'live' television...
(BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, 1992
1992 in television
The year 1992 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1992.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:*Hallmark Hall of Fame .*Guiding Light .*The Today Show ....
) — 2,215 complaints
The reason for this discrepancy was presumably that this documentary only counted complaints made after broadcast by viewers - as Bronx Bunny points out here, Jerry Springer: The Opera would have been in first place, had viewers complained after watching it. In the end, the BBC received approximately 50,000 complaints before screening the controversial opera, mainly from Christians unhappy with Jesus Christ's portrayal.
Ghostwatchs appearance in first place might also have detracted from the theme of The TV They Tried to Ban, as that documentary was about offensive programmes, whereas Ghostwatch only received complaints because it scared or 'fooled
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
' viewers.