General BBC-related comment thread

! Please use this thread for comments about the BBC’s current programming and activities. This post will remain at or near the top of the blog – scroll down for new topic-specific posts. N.B. This is not an invitation for general off-topic comments, rants or chit-chat. Thoughtful comments are encouraged. Comments may also be moderated. Any suggestions for stories that you might like covered would be appreciated! It’s your space, use it wisely.

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168 Responses to General BBC-related comment thread

  1. Hugh says:

    Have you seen David Cowling?

    David is the BBC’s political research editor and every month he writes a round-up of the opinion polls for us. However, no one has heard from David since the beginning of May, when he told us:

    “There could well be a ‘tipping point’ for the Conservatives as there was for Labour in the mid 1990s but it hasn’t happened yet according to the opinion polls.”

    David’s friends at the BBC are increasingly concerned for his safety and well-being. So, if you know where David is or, David, if you’re listening, please call us on 08700 4225. That’s 08700 H-A-C-K.

    All calls will be treated in the strictest confidence (and charged at the £1.50/minute premium rate of our commercial partner)

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  2. Martin says:

    High: I think he’s living in Cuba. The retirement home of all beeboids.

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  3. Hugh says:

    Incidentally, if you look back through those poll watch columns, voting intentions are covered in every month of the last year, but suddenly in February they stopped mentioning them. Nothing in March, either – coincidentally at about the time the Tories began to establish a consistent and significant lead over Labour.

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  4. Jack Bauer says:

    Hugh:
    Have you seen David Cowling?

    He sleeps with the fishes.

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  5. Chuffer says:

    “He sleeps with the fishes.”

    I like a man who knows his plaice.

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  6. Jack Bauer says:

    I like a man who knows his plaice.
    Chuffer | 13.06.08 – 4:37 pm | #

    Or is that a red herring?

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  7. only me says:

    i think hes just codding you

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  8. Martin says:

    He’s probably having a “whale” of a time

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  9. firefoxx says:

    At least he got a fair herring in court, and has now gone to a better plaice.

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  10. sutekh says:

    The man had no sole. But let’s just skate over that, eh?

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  11. Martin says:

    Wherever he is, he’s probably “squids in” by now

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  12. Jack Bauer says:

    Okay — I’m all fished out.

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  13. smallheathen says:

    Eel be back!

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  14. pounce says:

    The BBC its love for Hamas, hatred for Israel and half the story.
    Hamas set off massive Gaza blast
    The armed wing of Hamas has admitted that a massive explosion in the Gaza Strip on Thursday was caused by militants preparing an armed operation.Seven people, including a four-month-old baby were killed in the blast, in Beit Lahiya, in the north of the strip. Hamas had initially blamed the explosion on an Israeli air strike and responded with rocket fire, but Israel denied any involvement.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7452540.stm

    Seven people including a child have been killed by the BBC’s favourite militants and the BBC headline reads along the lines of a successful operation against Israel while mentioning nothing of the people who died. Yes it was an accident but when its an Israeli accident the BBC leads with headlines like this;
    Israeli fire kills girl in Gaza
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7447799.stm
    Any of the clones like to explain to little old me why the BBC does so?
    The BBC its love for Hamas, hatred for Israel and half the story.

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  15. pounce says:

    BBC defends Muslim beheading

    Exclusive by Derek Robins – BBC bosses have defended the grisly beheading of a Muslim by a Christian zealot in new drama Bonekickers.

    In the bloody scene, ex-EastEnder Paul Nicholls plays a fundamentalist who decapitates a Muslim with a sword.

    Producer Rhonda Smith said: “It’s not meant to be shocking or to cause offence and it comes very much from the storyline.”

    BBC chiefs are planning to warn viewers about the gruesome beheading scene.

    A BBC spokeswoman said: “It is in a 9pm slot in early July and viewers will be advised of the content immediately before broadcast.”

    The six-parter billed as Time Team meets Indiana Jones follows a group of archaeologists solving historical mysteries. It stars Julie Graham, Hugh Bonneville and Adrian Lester.

    The beheading scene comes in an episode dealing with the excavation of medieval soldiers from the time of the Crusades.

    It leads to the hunt for the cross on which Jesus was crucified which the Crusaders may have brought back from the Holy Land.

    Also keen to find the cross are right-wing Christian fanatics who also want to use violence to drive Muslims out of Britain.

    Bonekickers could also come under fire from traditional archaeologists, warns Professor Mark Horton, a consultant on the series.

    Horton said: “I think there will be a backlash from the anoraks – some have already written to the BBC saying it will trivialise archaeology and the title will annoy them.”

    It’s penned by Ashes To Ashes creators Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah

    http://www.teletext.co.uk/entertainment/news/166ced16619c4c3f8301c47531af2dd1/BBC+defends+Muslim+beheading.aspx

    Good to see the BBC rewriting current news in favour of the religion of victims?

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  16. Martin says:

    Looks like a really good programme on on Monday evening about Muslim men (who make up 12% of the prison population) and terrorist recruitment in prison.

    any one want to take a guess as to which channel isn’t the one who produced it?

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  17. meggoman says:

    And here’s how the fucking BBC – excuse my own language – explain, portray or descibe the insignificance of Ireland, the Irish people and their referendum.

    ‘Just over three million Irish voters are registered – in a European Union of 490 million people.’

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  18. bodo says:

    A Christian beheading a muslim? Of course – happens all the time doesn’t it?

    Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad, but we know that never in a million years would the BBC show a drama featuring Muslims beheading Christians.
    Wasn’t it an episode of Casualty where Islamic bombers were changed to animal rights extremists?

    They are so far up their PC backsides it’s untrue.

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  19. Jack Bauer says:

    pounce/bodo

    You have to laugh. All those damn Christians going around beheading those peace lovin’ Muslims. It’s a crime I tells ya.

    And the only people protesting the show are people who think it “trivializes archaeology.”

    Can’t have that chaps.

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  20. Benny says:

    So the social cohesion experts at the BBC think that showing a Muslim being beheaded by a Christian is a great way to get Muslims “on side”. Lets just hope that angry Muslim viewers will realise that this is fiction and not real, else they might want to take to the streets and take revenge on the many millions of sword wielding Christian fanatics in Britain. If this programme incites revenge attacks against Christians, then the BBC will have blood on it’s hands.

    All that talk of ‘social cohesion’ is quickly forgotten in the BBC’s rush to do some Christian bashing.

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  21. Jack Bauer says:

    Lets just hope that angry Muslim viewers will realise that this is fiction and not real, else they might want to take to the streets and take revenge on the many millions of sword wielding Christian fanatics in Britain.

    Oh sure. That’s exactly the sort of reasoned response we can expect from people who want to murder cartoonists, and newspaper editors.

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  22. Jack Bauer says:

    Maybe the Vicarette of Tilby can do another Thoughtless For The Day; she can apologize for Christians defending themselves during the Crusades.

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  23. Biodegradable says:

    I was sure pounce’s post about “Bonekickers” was parody. I now realise it isn’t and I’m dumbstruck. Utterly speechless.

    I’m tempted to say “you couldn’t make this up”, but they have!

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  24. Jack Bauer says:

    bio — I agree…

    oh hang on there’s a couple of Jehova’s Witnesses at my door brandishing a large sword…back in a sec… or not….

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  25. Biodegradable says:

    Get with the program Jack.

    You need to get your ritual Jewish sabre blessed by a rabbi and cleansed with a gentile child’s blood. Then you behead the Jehovah’s Witnesses while reciting the appropriate verses from the Torah.

    I thought everybody knew that…

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  26. Gibby Haynes says:

    I remember when Paul Nichols was an up-and-coming star of television in the nineties. Beware young starlets: be careful with your money and career decisions, or you too could find yourself in one of the BBC’s inverted-worldview primetime dramas.

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  27. Jack Bauer says:

    You need to get your ritual Jewish sabre blessed by a rabbi and cleansed with a gentile child’s blood. Then you behead the Jehovah’s Witnesses while reciting the appropriate verses from the Torah.

    That was always my fave scene from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

    How soon we forget the classics!

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  28. Peter says:

    “BBC bosses have defended the grisly beheading of a Muslim by a Christian zealot in new drama Bonekickers.”

    It should be called “Wasps Nest Kickers”.
    This is dangerous incitement,if anyone gets killed because of this,the BBC should be stripped of its Charter and the producers in court.

    Over to John “Social Cohesion” Reith for an exculpatory comment.

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  29. Jack Bauer says:

    Peter … how about Boneheaders

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  30. Peter says:

    Have to asked the Beeboids Jack.The word bone might be offensive to some of them.

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  31. It's all too much says:

    Re decapitation / Bone kickers

    What is the basis for this soap plot line – could it be based on the conviction of a fanatic ‘Birmingham’ man who wanted to behead a British service man?

    I see typical and predictable BBC rank hypocrisy at work yet again. TV was a bit braver in the 70’s

    Does anybody remember the effect of “Death of a Princess” (was it a BBC or an ITV production?) in the late 70’s where a Saudi was decapitated and his lover, a princess was crushed to death by a large concrete block. This was a docudrama based on contemporary events. It was not a flimsy PC sensationalist soapudrama. I seem to recall the criticism of cultural and religious practices in “Death of a Princess” nearly resulted in cessation of all trade and diplomatic links with the Kingdom. The BBC will be happy to attack British trade links with Gulf states but I doubt if there will be any cultural commentary…

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  32. bodo says:

    ‘Bone kickers’ – Look on the bright side chaps, many people I know had their eyes opened to BBC bias by a particular report or programme. And once sensitised people start to notice it everywhere.
    The Beeb are doing themselves no favours putting out such PC tosh. They’re just ensuring the license fee is abolished even sooner.

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  33. pounce says:

    More info on the BBC’s ‘Bonekickers’.

    Bonekickers – Episode One: Army Of God

    The excavation of 14th century medieval soldiers alongside Saracen coinage in Somerset leads to the hunt for the True Cross.

    Brilliant archaeologist Dr Gillian Magwilde has a passion for history and a hunger for the truth. She’s aided by her loyal team, forensic expert Dr Ben Ergha, eager new intern Viv Davis and the erudite but disreputable Professor Gregory Parton.

    Using their archaeological skills the team discover that the medieval soldiers were Knights Templar. Analysis of a small piece of cedar wood from the dig indicates that it’s 2,000 years old – and from the Holy Land. Could it be part of the True Cross?

    Gillian needs to buy time to survey the site but right wing religious extremist Edward Laygass, who believes that the country is at war for its Christian soul, acquires the land and declares it Holy Ground. Laygass calls on a cell of violent modern day crusaders to aid him in his quest, and the team find themselves in mortal danger.

    An enigmatic symbol carved on the back of a crucifix could give them the clue they need to find the True Cross…

    http://bonekickers.com/

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  34. Peter says:

    Interestingly the Knights Templar were disbanded in 1312.

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  35. Martin says:

    More shite from Michael Prick on Newsnight. When talking to a woman in the street about David Davis he said “would you support the locking up of terrorists for 42 days?”

    Woman relies “well it’s a long time if you are innocent”

    Typical Prick. So is the BBC saying anyone arrested isn’t a “suspect” but is guilty?

    The way Prick puts words into people’s mouths is a disgrace. Fine for politicians who are well aware of this unwashed vile man, but ordinary members of the public?

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  36. gus says:

    You have to laugh at it. What fantasy land is there, in which “Christian zealots”, behead Muzzies?? They take reality and turn the victims into th criminals.
    Reminds me of the old “Dragnet” where the names were changed to protect the innocent. Only in this case it’s the innocent who become the criminals.
    And the ass-hats at the KGBBC don’t notice the irony.

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  37. David Preiser (USA) says:

    pounce | 13.06.08 – 10:50 pm |

    Gillian needs to buy time to survey the site but right wing religious extremist Edward Laygass, who believes that the country is at war for its Christian soul, acquires the land and declares it Holy Ground. Laygass calls on a cell of violent modern day crusaders to aid him in his quest, and the team find themselves in mortal danger.

    Silly Christians. Must’ve prayed with Bush and Blair.

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  38. Mugwump says:

    In the next installment, they can have a bloodthirsty band of Mormons fly airplanes into office towers in Saudi Arabia.

    The BBC: Reality is what we do.

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  39. gus says:

    And on the season finale, a band of Nuns straps on suicide belts and blows themselves up in a the Grand Mosque in Mecca. During Ramalamdingdong.

    Nuns gone wild.

    Stay tuned, next season, Catholics honour rape their rivals sisters and “evangelical” Christians car bomb Disco’s in Berlin……followed by Lutherans taking Muslim hostages at the Beijing Olympics.

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  40. Jason says:

    Here’s a great account of the idiocy of the BBC’s 2005 program “Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic”, out of interest.

    http://markhumphrys.com/irish.left.media.html#dont.panic

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  41. Trofim says:

    Listen again to Friday’s The World Tonight, for a most transparent example of the mindset of a typical BBC Guardianista, when the Robin Lustig talks to Caroline Quinlan (The News Quiz, the Now Show etc) of about how comedians will manage after George Bush. 40 minutes into the programme.

    On Barrack Obama – I love him, I think he’s fantastic!

    On the end of George Bush’s term: I’m going to be dancing in the streets like all right-thinking people.

    The world consists of two clearly defined types of people. The goodies – right-thinking people – and the rest, the baddies. There is no in-betweens, no people who have a mixture of right thoughts and wrong thoughts, just US, and the enemies.

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  42. Steve Edwards says:

    Laurie Taylor, the epitome of the BBC media liberal, recently presented a programme about the gentrification of Harlem.

    The unabashed subtext was that it was a dreadful thing that white people were moving into the area, whilst the black population was moving out.

    Now try to imagine a BBC programme bemoaning the opposite.

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  43. NotaSheep says:

    But has anyone seen David Cowling?

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  44. Bryan says:

    Now try to imagine a BBC programme bemoaning the opposite.
    Steve Edwards | 14.06.08 – 7:46 am

    Precisely. And while the BBC gets misty-eyed at the thought of Palestinian “refugees” returning to Israel, they would find the thought of Jews returning to Jew-free Gaza outrageous.

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  45. DB says:

    http://bonekickers.com/
    pounce | 13.06.08 – 10:50 pm

    The website says that it’s produced by Rhonda Smith who also produced something called “Fairy Tales”. That sounds about right.

    Following the recent “White Girl”, where Islam was held up as the salvation for Britain’s white working class women, we now have this outrageous load of crap which they laughably claim is “based in fact”. The BBC has heard the criticism about the political bias in its drama and responded with a mighty “SO WHAT? FUCK YOU!” to the licence payers.

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  46. Jack Hughes says:

    Gotta love this comment on the bonekickers site:

    Imagine you had an elephant in your room.

    But TV dramas were always about mice – or goldfish – or budgies. Never elephants. R.J.Mitchell

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  47. D Burbage says:

    In what way do

    “TV entertainers head honours list”

    when if you look at the list itself, it’s ‘headed’ by 17 new knights, not one of which is a BBC TV person.

    Self-importance trumping public interest again? surely not

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  48. Lurker in a Burqua says:

    BBC Reporting Insults Irish Democracy

    http://www.order-order.com/2008/06/bbc-reporting-insults-irish-democracy.html

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  49. The Cattle Prod of Destiny says:

    If you love ‘Bonekickers’ then you will love the cast list of the new Surviviors.

    For those who don’t know ‘Survivors’ is an apocalyptic tale of England after a virus has killed 99% of the World’s population. It centres on a disparate group desperately trying to gain ‘lost skills’ etc.

    Let the games commence … 🙂

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