What Price Scruples?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11975749/BBC-to-sell-downloads-of-un-PC-classic-comedies-it-banned-from-TV.html

[Canary42]

Yet another AOG Smear Campaign.

[retrocop]

Thanks for the opportunity BBC. I notice the War Game is up for grabs. I have that one on DVD. Not for the faint hearted. Depicts the start and aftermath of a nuclear attack on the UK.

[Retrochic]

These seventies programmes lampooned everyone not just gay ,black and female. Usually the one being Politically INcorrect was shown up to be an idiot anyway ( Alf Garnett for instance) so the joke was on them. Some of these programmes are still been shown all over the world, and the film War Game was shown in other countries from 1965 yet banned until the 1980's in the UK. People should be allowed to see these programmes and make their own judgements.

[Gromit]

The so called banned Fawlty Towers episode has been broadcast dozens of times. It was edited in 2013, but the offending remarks remain in the DVD version for anyone to buy.
'It Ain't half hot mum' DVDs are also available.

The article is pretty factless.

[ToraToraTora]

Anyone remember Love thy neighbour? that was a classic. Every episode made a plonker out of the racist yet the PC brigade cannot see it, they are so consumed by irrelevance. For racial stereotyping see "mind your language!

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

You are missing the point, it is not a matter of whether or not one can buy these episodes, it is the sheer hypocrisy shown by the BBC, that while they ban them from our screens one can still purchase them at a price through the BBC.

[Mamyalynne]

Airing to the public , they have to be prepared to protect the perpetually annoyed and offended.

This way people who see these programmes purely for what they are have to opportunity to purchase them.

[Old_Geezer]

I don't see the problem. The BBC are more or less obliged to pander to the oversensitive and not broadcast perfectly decent but in some quarters controversial programmes into folks' living rooms; but for the normal folk who want a little nostalgia there's no reason not to supply the same programme in a downloadable form. Profitable in it for them too.

[Old_Geezer]

Anyway I think scruples command about 2d for a large bag.

[Gromit]

AOG,

No hypicrisy at all. Broadcasting to a nation, and making something available for purchase are two comletely different things. A DVD (or download) will have a rating restricting who can buy or watch it. But anyone can tune into a broadcast. Someone purchasing a download of the Fawlty Towers episode via their Credit Card, will be warned that it might be offensive, but they are adult so can make their own minds up.

[anotheoldgit]

I wonder if we will be able to purchase downloads of the fantastic Black & White Minstrel Show?

[hc4361]

You can already buy all of these on dvd

[Old_Geezer]

I believe the newspapers ads occasionally show minstrels CDs for purchase. Unsure what the BBC does with any video it has though. It should be available; it was a good show. Good voices, dancing ladies in spangley costume.

[Gromit]

I am sure you will be able to download the Black and White Mistrel Show, but as its all on YouTube, why would you bother?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywOtN0FE4Ac

[hc4361]

TTT, Love Thy Neighbour was ITV and that, too, is available on DVD

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

In a free society one is given a choice if they might be offended, that is via the on-off switch.

Some of us do not have a say in, what we might be offended by.

[Gromit]

AOG

We are a free society, but the BBC has a responsibility to its viewers. 700 people complained about the Fawlty Towers episode, so the time it was repeated after that, it was slightly edited. It was never banned.

[youngmafbog]

700 out of a population of 50m+ Some free society.

Pandering to the vocal minority is more like it.

And it is hypocrisy, We, as licence payers, funded this in the first place so we should not have to pay again to gain access.

Like AOG says, censorship should be by the off button, it's free to use by the easily offended.

[hc4361]

youngmafbog - are you seriously stating that every programme the Beeb has ever broadcast should be available 24/7 for free?

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// 700 people complained about the Fawlty Towers episode, ///

Wow, 700 people complained out of approx 25,500,000?