Classic comedies 'face extinction' warns TV boss - and these are the reasons why

Daily Mirror

27-04-2025

Classic comedies should be 'treated like vintage cars' and given exemptions from normal controversial language rules or they will face extinction, according to a TV boss
Jonathan Moore, boss of REWIND TV, which broadcasts classic comedies like Please Sir! and Don't Drink The Water, says it is practically impossible for TV regulator Ofcom to keep up with changing language use - which currently brands words like 'mincing' medium offensive, meaning they could attract complaints, while 'bitch' isn't deemed offensive at all.
Now, Jonathan is asking for vintage humour from a past era to be recognised for its cultural significance and for appropriate allowances to be made.
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He says: 'Classic cars are exempt from road tax and MoT rules when they reach 40, because they are seen to be part of the nation's history, and their preservation has cultural and historical significance.
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"They also appeal to a niche audience, who understand and appreciate them as being from a different time. In much the same way, classic comedy is certainly part of the nation's history, providing an insight into societal changes, as well as a window on a world long passed.
Even more recent shows such as Drop the Dead Donkey and Whose Line Is It Anyway? are generally appreciated by an older audience, who understand the context in which they were recorded.'
With rules relaxed for classic cars - those manufactured without seatbelts, typically before 1965, don't need them - Jonathan feels the same leniency should be shown to comedies.
He wants broadcasters to be allowed to screen shows largely uncut, with only the most offensive content removed. Ofcom currently considers complaints about the broadcast of offensive language on TV and radio on a case-by-case basis, taking into account relevant factors of each specific broadcast.
The regulator commissioned pollsters Ipsos MORI to conduct research to help them understand public attitudes towards the broadcast of offensive language before producing its guidance.
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Jonathan continues: 'We believe that shows more than 40 years old should be broadcast largely uncut – of course, we retain the right to edit content we consider particularly inappropriate – with a message explaining clearly that content that was deemed acceptable back then may not be acceptable now. Years of cuts can suffocate a show and that's something we want to avoid.'
According to Jonathan, shows such as Carry on Laughing from the 1970s remain hugely popular, but broadcasters face a continual challenge to stick to censorship rules.
He continues: 'Broadcasters already pepper their shows with trigger warnings; this isn't a new idea. 'But granting a 'classic comedy' exemption by default would help protect iconic shows from extinction – and losing these shows would be like losing a huge library of social commentary and changing attitudes.'
TOP 10 CARRY ON FILMS: 1 Camping (1969); 2 Doctor (1967); 3 Up The Khyber (1968); 4 Nurse (1959); 5 Matron (1972); 6 Screaming (1966); 7 Cleo (1964); 8 Abroad (1972); 9 Sergeant (1958); 10 Constable (1960). TOP 10 STARS: 1 Sid James; 2 Kenneth Williams; 3 Barbara Windsor; 4 Hattie Jacques; 5 Charles Hawtrey; 6 Jim Dale; 7 Joan Sims; 8 Kenneth Connor; 9 Terry Scott; 10 Wendy Richard.