Back to BBC4: Screenwipe

Charlie Brooker is back with another series of Screenwipe on BBC4, and for any telly writers, producers, fans, or bloggers this is truly must see TV. That is unless you are the type of person who likes to write to OFCom regarding anything objectionable you may find on the box – if you are one of those types, probably best you avoid this show… or suffer writer’s cramp.

Yes folks, it is true, Screenwipe is a show about TV, but in typical Charlie Brooker style, it is more about what is wrong then what is right about the stuff on the box. It contains humour, satire, nudity and lots and lots of swearing! And just to upset the complaint writers a bit more, an entire segment was shown in the first episode of this series defending Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand!

“No Justification” for Brand Show – BBC News

From the BBC:

Lewd calls to actor Andrew Sachs by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross were a “deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification”, the BBC Trust has said.

Chairman Sir Michael Lyons supported Ross’s 12-week suspension, adding that no further action would be taken.

He said the furore could have been avoided if BBC management had followed editorial guidelines.

Steps taken to ensure there is no repeat of the incident include creating a register of high-risk programmes.

Strangely, Sir Michael Lyons appeared this afternoon on the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio2, and admitted after a bit of a grilling from Jeremy that on the night of the Russell Brand show only two complaints were received. He continued by saying that many of the letters of complaint actually admitted that they did not listen to the show… In fact I will go out on a limb and assume that most of the complaints were made by people who couldn’t have picked Russell Brand out from a police line-up before this whole ordeal! I guess though that doesn’t excuse Ross and Brand from the situation, but it does bring up the question of what happened to the BBC being for everyone? Should someone be allowed to complain just because they don’t like the presenter??? Who knows?

 

Ross and Brand to be burned!

An effigy of Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand has been erected in Edenbridge, Kent in the wake of the BBC lewd phone calls row. The bonfire ‘guy’ will be ignited at the start of the town’s annual firework display on Saturday.

Is this not a bit hypocritical? I mean, Ross & Brand over-stepped the mark of good taste somewhat, but really should they be publicly humiliated this way? Is it fair on Brand’s mum or Ross’ family to see their loved ones burned? Especially by a bunch of Kentish men who probably have never listened to Russell Brand’s radio show before?

I think in defence of these two I will make a ‘guy’ that looks like Sach’s stripper/prostitute (according to The Mirror) granddaughter Georgina Ballie and burn her… that is if I can keep it from being nicked by some sex pervert!

BBC NEWS | Ross pulls out of Comedy Awards

The fallout from the Brand/Ross-gate telephone scandal has seen TV and Radio presenter Jonathan Rosssuspended without pay for twelve weeks, a move that should cost him over £1million. All of JR’s BBC projects (Friday Night with…, Film 2008, and his radio show) will be suspended from broadcast.

Outside the Box feels that this punishment was a bit harsh… and not because I am a great lover of Jonathan Ross or Russell Brand, but because there is nothing else to watch on Friday nights… so Auntie Beeb has decided not only to punish the presenter but also TV viewers across the nation. Personally I think they should have just fined Ross the million quid, donated it to a charity, and been done with the whole thing.

I do wonder also what will happen to the people who appear on Ross’s shows? Will the Four Poofs be paid? Or the poor guy who operates the camera?… If not, why not? Are they guilty by association?

From the BBC.co.uk

TV’s Jonathan Ross has been suspended from all BBC shows without pay for 12 weeks, following the prank calls row.

Director general Mark Thompson called Ross’s actions “utterly unacceptable”, adding that the presenter should regard it as a “final warning”.

The controller of BBC Radio 2, Lesley Douglas, resigned over the broadcasts involving Ross and Russell Brand.

Douglas said the decision to leave her job was “mine and mine alone” and was made with “enormous regret”.

Thompson said Ross’s three-month suspension was “an exceptional step”. It is believed the suspension of pay will cost the entertainer more than £1 million.

News has also appeared today that Jonathan Ross has decided to pull out as the presenter of the Comedy Awards… a move that should cost Ross a few more shillings and probably open the door for some un-funny person like Harry Hill or those idiots Ant and Dec…

Jonathan Ross has stepped down from presenting the 2008 British Comedy Awards, ITV1 has announced.

The broadcaster said it backed the presenter’s decision in the wake of the Radio 2 row concerning prank calls made to Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs.

Ross, 47, has been suspended from all BBC programmes for 12 weeks without pay as a result of the calls, which were made on Russell Brand’s Radio 2 show.

via BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Ross pulls out of Comedy Awards

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Brand quits BBC over prank calls

Following on from my earlier blog entry, the news has now broken that Russell Brand has quit the BBC. Hopefully this will be the end of this matter!

From the BBC.co.uk:

Russell Brand has resigned from his Radio 2 programme following prank calls he made with Jonathan Ross to actor Andrew Sachs.

It follows a public apology from Ross over his “juvenile and thoughtless remarks” in the calls.

Earlier, it was announced the pair would be suspended and all their shows taken off air until the BBC has investigated the calls made on Radio 2.

via BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Brand quits BBC over prank calls

And judging by the remarks of Mr Sachs to the BBC reports, I think he is prepared to let this matter rest.

<<<Click to watch his interview>>>

Ross and Brand Suspended from the Beeb… my reaction

From BBC.co.uk:

Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand are to be suspended and all their shows taken off air until the BBC has investigated their prank calls made on Radio 2.

It follows a series of calls made by the pair to actor Andrew Sachs on Brand’s Saturday night programme.

The actor, 78, said he would not be reporting the matter to police.

Meanwhile, Brand has told reporters: “It would be silly of me to speak without thinking because that’s caused all this trouble in the first place.”

He added he was sorry he upset Sachs, famous for his part in Fawlty Towers, over comments made about the actor’s granddaughter.

Sachs, 78, said he was “not surprised” by the BBC’s suspension of the pair, but would not be reporting the matter to police.

The calls were broadcast as part of Russell Brand’s pre-recorded show on 18 October.

During the calls, Ross swore and said Brand had slept with Sachs’ granddaughter.

More than 18,000 people have complained to the BBC.

This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers Mark Thompson Statement in full

Announcing the suspensions in a statement, BBC director general Mark Thompson said he would be returning from a holiday and would “in the coming days, announce what action we will take”.

“In the meantime, I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned.

“This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers.”

BBC One show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was due to have been filmed at BBC Television Centre, west London, later on Wednesday.

Guests on the show were to have been Sir David Attenborough, comedian Frank Skinner, US teen singer Miley Cyrus and band The Killers. The BBC said people with tickets to be in the audience should not attend.

A decision has yet to be taken on what should be shown in its place on Friday night.

Ross’s Saturday morning radio show, as well as Brand’s Saturday night radio show, have also been pulled from Radio 2’s schedules.

Meanwhile, Ms Baillie, 23, told the Sun the pair should “pay for what they’ve done with their jobs”.

Brand and Ross both have Saturday shows on Radio 2

She said her grandfather was “really upset and says he wants the whole situation to end”.

“What’s funny about humiliating a lovely old man who has never harmed anyone in his life?” she added.

She said Brand and Ross were “beyond contempt”.

“It was bad enough that they recorded these things on my grandfather’s answer machine but astonishing the BBC saw fit to broadcast it when they could have stopped it.

“Someone high up at the BBC must have decided it was funny and suitable for national radio. They’ve shown an appalling lack of judgement.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Sachs told the BBC that Ross had “personally delivered a letter of apology and some flowers” since the broadcast.

He has not “heard anything” from Brand, the actor added.

Sir Gerald added that if media regulator Ofcom were to fine the BBC for the incident, it should not be paid with licence payer’s money.

“If the BBC is fined I believe the two people involved should pay the fine and not the licence payers,” he said.

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So it appears that the whining whinging Liberals who write to the BBC have finally gotten their way. Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross have been taken off the air, after 0.0075% of the country complained about a prank phone call made by the presenters on a Radio show that I am sure 2/3rds of these people who have written in never even listened to!

I agree that the phone call was in bad taste, but you could argue that most of what Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand do is in bad taste… that is why people love them. They push the boundries and say and do the things that most of us wish we had the nerve to do or say.

The BBC however, have taken the wrong action (my opinion) and suspended the pair, impending investigation. Really they should have just sent the two on the air to make a public apology, been slapped on the wrist and been done with it.

The BBC instead have suspended two of their ratings winners and bowed to the pressure of old wrinklies who don’t watch or listen to their shows any way.

I just hope they don’t make the stupid move of sacking the pair because it would just be wrong, and probably would not cause too much distress to either presenter in any case. Surely Ross who is a ratings winner would easily find another UK network to air his show, and Brand… well he would just continue doing what he does I am sure…

But that is just my opinion!