Latest news with #SomeMothersDo'Ave'Em
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Classic sitcom becomes latest show slapped with woke trigger warning for ‘discriminatory language' in Christmas special
The classic episode now appears on iPlayer with warnings - find out what they're for here TRIGGERED Classic sitcom becomes latest show slapped with woke trigger warning for 'discriminatory language' in Christmas special Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CLASSIC sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em has been slapped with a warning by the BBC for its Christmas Day special from 1975. The seasonal special of the second series was titled Learning to Drive, and aired prime time at 6:55pm, featuring festive scenes of Frank Spencer working in Santa's grotto dressed as a pixie. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 The BBC has slapped a warning on the classic 1975 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Christmas special 2 The show has main character Frank Spencer working in Santa's grotto - with quips about 'fairies' prompting the warning Credit: BBC Press Handout But when iconic character Frank performs to children and introduces himself as 'the Chief of the Pixies, the friend of all the little boys and girls', a young boy heckles him on stage, shouting: 'Oh no you're not, you're a poof.' Frank, played by Michael Crawford, responds: 'I beg your pardon? Block your ears. I'll remember your face - you needn't bother cleaning your chimney this Christmas.' His typically calamitous performance as a pixie, in which he plays a bugle and a magic flute, is criticised by Mr Wheeler, played by George Sewell, who gets laughs from the audience for making several quips about 'fairies', which may also be considered outdated humour due to the term's connotations. The episode now appears on iPlayer with the warning that the episode contains: 'Discriminatory language which some may find offensive.' READ MORE TV NEWS TV TENSIONS Watch awkward moment feuding stars Myleene & Frankie come face to face on TV The episode also sees Frank attempt to pass his driving test, and show off his shoddy DIY attempts to Any Questions? host David Jacobs when the BBC invites him to appear in a home improvements TV show. The beloved series ran for three series from 1975 until 1978, and only one episode contains a warning to modern viewers. Previously, viewers of the The Fast Show have been warned about 'discriminatory language' in a Suits You scene from an episode which aired in February 1996. It could concern a scene where the series' lusty Middle Aged Guys declare women who rebuffed their advances 'lesbians'. The Office and Only Fools and Horses are also screened with warnings about their appropriateness for modern audiences. Channel 4 has previously been branded 'humourless' for flagging a series of Father Ted episodes on its streaming service, and ITV has a similar caution on 1970s comedy George & Mildred.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What a relief – a modern comedy in which no one is grappling with their sexual identity
Can a man and a woman ever truly be best mates without the thorny issue of sex rearing its ugly head? It seems odd that in this age of gender neutrality, diversity this and diversity that, for a sitcom to be grappling with this age-old dilemma. But that's exactly where we are with Platonic (Apple TV+), in which Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, as Will and Sylvia, bicker and bitch, fall out, fall in, and generally display all the hallmarks of an old-school married couple. But they are – and always will be, unless the show ultimately loses the plot – just good friends. Will and Sylvia are a couple you really are rooting for not to get together. To circle back to that opening question, boy does it feel good to land in a world where absolutely no one is grappling with a sense of their sexual identity. There is a place for all that, but it's become such a box-tick in modern comedy that it's now a cliché. Platonic, for all its witty barbs at the state of the world, plays a straight bat when it comes to relationships. We're in the second series now and the pattern (I'm being kind and not saying formula) is clear. Artisan craft brew master Will, a man-child with an unfortunate fondness for garish bucket hats, and Sylvia, a law graduate who gave up her career to be a full-time mother-of-three – yes, she's bitter – are so in tune with each other they could be twins. But closeness strikes sparks and the explosions come at regular intervals. Rogen and Byrne, both at the top of their game, have an absolute blast ripping into each other in spats that kick off playfully but invariably tip over into the spiteful, causing chaotic schisms in a friendship that gets patched up over and over. Because these two are meant to be together, just not together. It makes for an honest, fractious and totally believable portrayal of a male and female friendship, built around a plot that bounces through bar business bust ups, mid-life crises – Will is around two decades too old to dress the way he does, we all know one of those – and astutely observed takes on the ever widening generation gap between boomers, Gen-Z and whatever other label has popped up in the last five minutes. Everyone around Will and Sylvia gets jealous of their special relationship as a given, the comedy flip-flops between broad slapstick – in scenes oddly reminiscent of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, things inevitably go belly up whenever the pair get together – and the slyly subtle. A bed scene soundtracked by Brit indie band Wet Leg, I confess, tickled the schoolboy smutkid lurking inside me. There is breathing space, supplied by an enjoyable supporting cast in which Carla Gallo as Sylvia's sardonic female friend and Luke Macfarlane as her implausibly buff lawyer husband provide shades of light relief. You need that because being around Will and Sylvia can be both hilarious and exhausting; they're the kind of people you look forward to coming round, but who you breathe a huge sigh of relief when they leave. Don't we all need mates like that? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
