TV
BBC receives record complaints over Jerry
Published Thursday, Jan 6 2005, 11:50 GMT | By Daniel Saney
Thousands of complaints have been received over the BBC's decision to show Jerry Springer: The Opera.
The show, boasting a gratuitious 8,000 obscenities including 3,168 "f**k"s and 297 "c**t"s, is to be shown on BBC2 on Saturday at 10pm. Although the show won Best New Musical at the 2004 Olivier Awards the decision to show it on television has sparked 15,000 complaints to the BBC as well as a record 4,500 to Ofcom.
Jerry Springer: The Opera features David Soul as the chat show host, characters such as dancing Ku Klux Klan members and classic songs such as Pregnant By A Transsexual and Talk To The Ass.
Media groups, politicians and the Church are among those who object to the screening, reports the Sun.
Tory MP Peter Luff said: "I consider myself broad-minded, but this show was seriously objectionable.
"I do not believe in censorship, and I will defend robustly the right of a theatre to put on a play that some find offensive.
"But to show it on television where there is a danger children could see it is irresponsible. I am bitterly disappointed an organisation for which I have such high regard should betray its public duty."
The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester, is similarly unimpressed, commenting: "My worry is that this programme is a major departure from the current high expectations of viewers regarding offensive material on a publicly-funded public service channel.
"In addition, the timing of the broadcast, at 10pm, with a trailer programme at 9pm on a Saturday evening, raises the possibility that many older children may be drawn into watching."
The show, boasting a gratuitious 8,000 obscenities including 3,168 "f**k"s and 297 "c**t"s, is to be shown on BBC2 on Saturday at 10pm. Although the show won Best New Musical at the 2004 Olivier Awards the decision to show it on television has sparked 15,000 complaints to the BBC as well as a record 4,500 to Ofcom.
Jerry Springer: The Opera features David Soul as the chat show host, characters such as dancing Ku Klux Klan members and classic songs such as Pregnant By A Transsexual and Talk To The Ass.
Media groups, politicians and the Church are among those who object to the screening, reports the Sun.
Tory MP Peter Luff said: "I consider myself broad-minded, but this show was seriously objectionable.
"I do not believe in censorship, and I will defend robustly the right of a theatre to put on a play that some find offensive.
"But to show it on television where there is a danger children could see it is irresponsible. I am bitterly disappointed an organisation for which I have such high regard should betray its public duty."
The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester, is similarly unimpressed, commenting: "My worry is that this programme is a major departure from the current high expectations of viewers regarding offensive material on a publicly-funded public service channel.
"In addition, the timing of the broadcast, at 10pm, with a trailer programme at 9pm on a Saturday evening, raises the possibility that many older children may be drawn into watching."
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