Are The Bbc Wrong To Ban 'it Ain't Half Hot Mum' From Our Screens?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2583111/It-aint-half-daft-BBC-ban-racist-Dads-Army-creator-JIMMY-PERRY-BBCs-refusal-repeats-greatest-hits.html

[anotheoldgit]

Yes the great Al jolson, although this clip was Larry Parks playing him in the film The Jolson Story (1946) but sung by Jolson.

It is interesting to note that both those in the wings and the audience were at first a little nervous regarding his 'blacking up' but then later finished up by giving him a standing ovation, for the talent of the man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfjzKYXzsjA

[weecalf]

Isn't the other guy like Sid little .i thought it was being banned because it was not funny .silly me then

[Zeuhl]

/Zeuhl, it was Bates' culture. /

Not exactly hc

Michael Bates' parents were Anglo-Indian - I don't think his character in IAAHM was

Anglo-Indian culture and Indian culture were, and are, very different

[andy-hughes]

AOG - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nervous_laughter

[sp1814]

AOG

No...in my opinion, it's a series that is just too 'of it's time' to resonate now, and it doesn't have the charm of 'Dad's Army' or slapstick appeal of 'Are You Being Served'.

Incidentally, if the BBC started repeating these, how soon before the same people bemoaning their ban started to complain about the number of repeats.

The BBC should be doing what it does best...concentrating on excellent new comedies (W1A, Nighty Night, Getting On, Twenty Twelve etc) rather than dusting off tired old formats.

[Zeuhl]

/It is interesting to note that both those in the wings and the audience were at first a little nervous regarding his 'blacking up' but then later finished up by giving him a standing ovation, for the talent of the man. /

aog

you do realise don't you, it's just a biopic STORY not a film record of the actual events

and it was made in 1946

"This movie shows the idealized career of the singer Al Jolson, a little Jewish boy who goes against the will of his father in order to be in showbiz."

Do you not think by 1946 the biopic might be somewhat defensive or even apologist on Jolson's behalf and rewriting history for its own purposes?

[sp1814]

And The Office, and Extras, and The Royle Family.

In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the BBC have a pretty impeccable record when it comes to comedy. I will trust them to know what should be broadcast, because of this...I can, off the top of my head, name about fifty hugely popular, well-written, awards-laden comedies from the BBC.

I would struggle to name five from all other channels combined.

[emmie]

the films of his life were basically correct, there is some artistic licence, but it's all there, he was the son of a Cantor, born in Lithuania, who's family emigrated to the US for a better life, he rose to become America highest paid star and one of the hardest working.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jolson

[emmie]

I cannot abide Ricky Gervais, not in anything, every time he is on, the tv is switched over.

[EDDIE51]

It is the Indian being played by a white man with his face blacked up that has killed it. I thought that was wrong even when it was first broadcast, if they had a real Indian playing the part it would still be on TV now. Same reason the Black and White Minstrel show can never be shown again.

[emmie]

Jimmy Perry has said that he wore make up, he didn't need to be blacked up, if as stated he was Anglo Indian, then hardly likely he wouldn't need that much - but it's unlikely to be repeated, why can't the BBC sell the rights to another channel, wouldn't that do?

[Kromovaracun]

"The BBC should be doing what it does best...concentrating on excellent new comedies (W1A, Nighty Night, Getting On, Twenty Twelve etc)"

The first series of Nighty Night is, in my humble opinion, the best comedy produced by the BBC in my lifetime. I'll be really interested to see if it ages much.

[emmie]

some people won't get Twenty Twelve or it's follow up W1A because it's not what one would call a comedy, they are largely satires, on The Olympic committee and the BBC. I have worked with people like these and they are a pain in the arris - their foolish corporate speak, and out of the office seminars and team bonding events were the bane of our lives.

[sp1814]

Kromovaracun

Re: Nighty Night.

Yes, I agree...the second series had it's moments, but the first was just jaw-droppingly brilliant.

[sp1814]

emmie

Many won't get it, but for those who do, it's comedy gold.

Literally can't wait for the return of Siobhan Sharp.

And as I have said previously, the BBC wipes the floor with every other channel when it comes to comedy.

It's even responsible for 'Parks and Recreations' being shown over here!!!!

[andy-hughes]

divebuddy - "andy-hughes, If you've ever been to a modern "edgy" comedian's show - someone like Jimmy Carr, for instance - you would know that what your link is talking about doesn't apply.
nobody is laughing in "an attempt to move a situation along more quickly". the "edgy" jokes come thick and fast. all the jokes are edgy. all the audience know in advance that this will be so. if people didn't want this they wouldn't be there in the first place or they would walk out when it (very quickly) became obvious that that was all there was.
I've been to a couple of Jimmy Carr's shows and I can assure that the audience find it hilarious. very poor taste, but hilarious."

This is interesting because I have seen a Jimmy Carr show, on TV, but an entire show, so I know of what you speak.

I find JC's approach to be totally different, particularly the final section of the show i saw, where he decided to guage that individual audience's acceptance of levels of taste - ratcheting up each joke to find the 'offence' level.

Now that i found not only really funny, but really clever.

To me, Jimmy Carr's comedy possesses a sense of sharpnes and wit which is uterly devoid from Frankie Boyle's output - Carr carefully slices his audiences, reactions with a very sharp knife, Boyle simply smashes his to bits with a blunt instrument.

I do completely accept that people like both comedians, but I maintain that FB's audience are probably roller-coaster addicts - c'mon shock me, you know you can - and there is an audience for that, it is simply not on television, and to imagine that it was shows a lack of juidgement on the part of Frankie Boyle.

[sp1814]

Yeah...I see the Michael Bates character as the big sticking point with the repeats of the show.

Personally, I couldn't give two hoots if it were repeated, but I suspect that the viewing figures wouldn't be as high as they would be for real classics like Dad's Army and Fawlty Towers.

The problem with IAAHM is that it didn't really have 'classic' episodes that people still talk about.

[ludwig]

Apart from the racism aspects, I don't suppose the Sgt Major constantly referring to the Melvin Hayes character as a 'flaming p00f', helped its chances of being shown much.

Personally I think some things should just be retired, and stay retired. It's too dated, and not actually good enough to warrant being shown again, unlike say Fawlty Towers.

[andy-hughes]

I can't wait for W1A - like many viewers, I have, and do work with people like this - it is comedy gold.