Latest news with #TalkingPicturesTV
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ofcom accused of censorship in Carry On free speech row
Ofcom has been accused of censorship by TV bosses in a deepening free speech row over classic comedy. Campaigners have accused the regulator of creating a 'culture of fear' through its rules on language and offence in golden oldie favourites such as Please Sir! and the Carry On series. They argue that the overly stringent rules and the fear of being subjected to a crippling fine amount to censorship. While Ofcom does not operate a blacklist of banned words and phrases, TV bosses have complained they are hostages to an arbitrary and ever-changing set of guidelines. Ofcom has insisted it is not a censor and earlier this month issued a statement insisting broadcasters had editorial freedom to decide what they air. But Jonathan Moore, chief executive of RewindTV, said Ofcom's response 'blatantly ignores' the reality of broadcasting and urged the regulator to 'come clean' about how much pressure it puts on small channels. He said: 'Many broadcasters live in permanent fear of falling foul of Ofcom guidelines – small companies could fold if they're hit with a fine and so, inevitably, they are forced to take a 'safety-first' approach when it comes to censorship. 'That means more and more content ends up cut, damaging the authenticity of classic shows needlessly.' Mr Moore called on the regulator to update its guidelines to recognise the importance of protecting classic British shows. One proposed change is a 'presumption of innocence' that would exempt broadcasters from punishment if they show material that is deemed offensive, but would ensure Ofcom has the power to take action against repeat offenders. Campaigners have previously suggested that classic comedy should be granted an exemption from modern broadcasting rules because of their cultural and historical significance in the same way that vintage cars are exempt from road tax and VAT. They have also said they are willing to show a 'trigger warning' before any programme starts to alert viewers to potentially outdated content. RewindTV is among a small number of channels – which also includes Talking Pictures TV and That's TV – that have built up modest but loyal audiences through their slate of nostalgic hits. However, the prevalence of old-fashioned language, themes and viewpoints in these films and TV programmes has triggered a clash with regulators. TV executives acknowledge that some viewpoints have no place in the modern age. But they argue that Ofcom's guidance on specific words is 'little more than a lottery'. For example, in a recent broadcast of 1983 comedy-drama Brass starring Timothy West, the word 'queer' was cut but its synonyms 'nancy boys' and 'pansies' were left in. Mr Moore argued that viewers should be granted greater authority to decide what they consider offensive. He said: 'The sort of people tuning in to RewindTV comedies are likely to know what they're going to get in terms of content, and the rules should reflect that. 'The chances of our viewers being upset by shows such as Doctor in the House or Carry On Laughing are small – they are far more likely to take umbrage at the sort of adult language that is now the norm on mainstream broadcasters. 'But it's not appropriate for us to dictate to those broadcasters' audiences any more than it is appropriate for others to dictate to our audience.' A spokesman for Ofcom said: 'Ofcom is not a censor. Freedom of expression is at the heart of our broadcasting rules – and these rules do not prevent the broadcast of content that may be offensive or controversial to some audiences. 'Each broadcaster has editorial freedom to decide the type of programmes or films it airs.' 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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ofcom accused of censorship in Carry On free speech row
Ofcom has been accused of censorship by TV bosses in a deepening free speech row over classic comedy. Campaigners have accused the regulator of creating a 'culture of fear' through its rules on language and offence in golden oldie favourites such as Please Sir! and the Carry On series. They argue that the overly stringent rules and the fear of being subjected to a crippling fine amount to censorship. While Ofcom does not operate a blacklist of banned words and phrases, TV bosses have complained they are hostages to an arbitrary and ever-changing set of guidelines. Ofcom has insisted it is not a censor and earlier this month issued a statement insisting broadcasters had editorial freedom to decide what they air. But Jonathan Moore, chief executive of RewindTV, said Ofcom's response 'blatantly ignores' the reality of broadcasting and urged the regulator to 'come clean' about how much pressure it puts on small channels. He said: 'Many broadcasters live in permanent fear of falling foul of Ofcom guidelines – small companies could fold if they're hit with a fine and so, inevitably, they are forced to take a 'safety-first' approach when it comes to censorship. 'That means more and more content ends up cut, damaging the authenticity of classic shows needlessly.' Mr Moore called on the regulator to update its guidelines to recognise the importance of protecting classic British shows. One proposed change is a 'presumption of innocence' that would exempt broadcasters from punishment if they show material that is deemed offensive, but would ensure Ofcom has the power to take action against repeat offenders. Campaigners have previously suggested that classic comedy should be granted an exemption from modern broadcasting rules because of their cultural and historical significance in the same way that vintage cars are exempt from road tax and VAT. They have also said they are willing to show a 'trigger warning' before any programme starts to alert viewers to potentially outdated content. RewindTV is among a small number of channels – which also includes Talking Pictures TV and That's TV – that have built up modest but loyal audiences through their slate of nostalgic hits. However, the prevalence of old-fashioned language, themes and viewpoints in these films and TV programmes has triggered a clash with regulators. TV executives acknowledge that some viewpoints have no place in the modern age. But they argue that Ofcom's guidance on specific words is 'little more than a lottery'. For example, in a recent broadcast of 1983 comedy-drama Brass starring Timothy West, the word 'queer' was cut but its synonyms 'nancy boys' and 'pansies' were left in. Mr Moore argued that viewers should be granted greater authority to decide what they consider offensive. He said: 'The sort of people tuning in to RewindTV comedies are likely to know what they're going to get in terms of content, and the rules should reflect that. 'The chances of our viewers being upset by shows such as Doctor in the House or Carry On Laughing are small – they are far more likely to take umbrage at the sort of adult language that is now the norm on mainstream broadcasters. 'But it's not appropriate for us to dictate to those broadcasters' audiences any more than it is appropriate for others to dictate to our audience.' A spokesman for Ofcom said: 'Ofcom is not a censor. Freedom of expression is at the heart of our broadcasting rules – and these rules do not prevent the broadcast of content that may be offensive or controversial to some audiences. 'Each broadcaster has editorial freedom to decide the type of programmes or films it airs.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Ten years of Talking Pictures: ‘I try to watch modern TV but they mumble'
Prepare to get nostalgic for nostalgia. Talking Pictures TV, the old movie and telly channel, celebrates its tenth anniversary on 26 May — and, yes, it does seem like only yesterday that we pleasantly wasted our first rainy afternoon in front of an easy-to-follow Fifties B-movie. Happily, amid a world of turbulent streamers, after 87,000 hours and 5,000 films, shorts and TV series, Talking Pictures' schedules are a millpond of consistency, in which the monochrome, the well enunciated and the unchallenging thrive. Monday's un-showy birthday line-up is typical, featuring Calling Paul Temple, a 1948 detective film, a documentary on the Dunkirk-faring steamship the Medway Queen, and one of the last Dixon of Dock Greens from 1976, which is about as modern era as
Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Ooh, matron! Carry On cut as Britain's censors crack down on classic comedy
Sarah Cronin-Stanley, who runs a TV channel with her father, Noel, from an office in their Hertfordshire garden, has an important decision to make. Talking Pictures TV, which specialises in 'golden oldies' films and TV series, is preparing to air an episode of 1970s drama A Family at War for the first time in years. The last time she did so, Cronin-Stanley was hauled in front of regulator Ofcom over her refusal to censor the racist insult 'w-g'. Now, she must decide whether to broadcast the word again with a warning to viewers in advance – or cut it out completely. It is a familiar challenge not just for Talking Pictures TV, which is approaching its 10th anniversary, but also for a handful of other channels that have carved out a niche among audiences looking for a nostalgic trip into the annals of entertainment history. There is no doubt that some language and themes from those days are no longer acceptable in the modern era. But critics say Ofcom's 'suffocating' guidelines raise the risk that classic hits will gradually be whittled down and ultimately lost. 'I think people have a thicker skin than maybe Ofcom gives them credit for,' says Jonathan Moore, who runs Rewind TV. 'It's the nanny state, isn't it, really? It's one rule to try and dictate taste for everyone rather than allowing the audience to make their own choices.' While nostalgia TV remains a relatively small niche in the broadcasting landscape, the genre has built up a loyal following through its re-runs of classics such as Are You Being Served?, 'Allo 'Allo! and the Carry On series. Figures from official ratings agency Barb show Talking Pictures TV, which claims to be the biggest independent channel in the country, had an audience of around 3.3m in March. Rewind TV attracted 1.4m viewers, while That's TV pulled in 3.7m. 'Good, clean fun' Despite their popularity, these channels have often found themselves at loggerheads with Ofcom. While the regulator does not have a blacklist of banned words and phrases, it issues guidelines on offensive material based on a public survey carried out every five years. Ofcom uses these findings to assign language to one of three categories: mild, moderate and strong. Words that fall into the first category are considered unlikely to trouble audiences, while moderate language has a greater potential for offence. Words ranked 'strong' are perceived to be highly offensive and require a 'clear and strong contextual justification for broadcast'. Rather than acting as an outright censor, Ofcom gives guidance on how broadcasters should approach language then leaves them to make the decisions. If audiences are unhappy, they are entitled to complain to the regulator, as on occasion they have. For some TV bosses, however, the rules are overly prescriptive. Critics argue that the ever-evolving nature of language and social norms means channels are being held to an arbitrary and constantly shifting set of standards. Ofcom's latest guidance, published in 2021, ranks 'whore' as moderate language, whereas the Americanised equivalent 'ho' is deemed mild. Following 2016's survey, 'bloody' was considered mild language. As of 2021, however, it has been upgraded to moderate. Other words such as 'queer' split opinions among survey respondents. It has been used in the past in a derogatory way but has now been adopted in the acronym LGBTQ+. 'T--ser', 'slut' and 't--t' are among the words that have been cleaved out of classics including Carry On Laughing (a TV compilation of clips from the film series), Please Sir!, On The Buses and Whose Line is it Anyway?. 'It's a little bit arbitrary, to be perfectly honest,' says Moore. 'Offence is partly in the eye of the beholder, isn't it? One person's offensive word might be another person's completely acceptable word.' Broadcasting bosses agree that some topics, such as outright racism or homophobia, are beyond the pale. 'There is some stuff that's just not funny any more,' says Cronin-Stanley. 'If you're going to watch a film from 1958 you're going to hear language from 1958. But if it is so outrageously rude, we'll take it out.' Other elements are more nuanced, especially in light of their context. Films such as the 1959 crime drama Sapphire contain racist language precisely because it is a critical study of racist attitudes in London at the time. In the world of comedy, meanwhile, the offending characters are often being sent up for their unsavoury views, or will ultimately get their comeuppance as a result of them. Robert Ross, an author and comedy historian, says: 'No producer, no actor, no writer of that generation of comedy set out to be malicious or offend on purpose. It was all for good, clean fun.' Ofcom says it is not a censor and takes context into account when considering complaints. Cronin-Stanley insists that after almost a decade of broadcasting, her channel has found a 'happy medium' to stay within the regulator's rules, though she says any move to edit programmes sparks an angry response from viewers. Free speech fears Others are less sanguine. Moore argues that Ofcom's approach means classic programming is at risk of being cut beyond all recognition as broadcasters self-censor, warning that this could ultimately lead to extinction. 'The last thing we want is a whopping great big fine coming in the post because we've let something slip,' he says. 'So we're very aware and very nervous about that and we probably do go a bit further than we should, maybe, because of that fear.' Critics point to similar examples in the publishing industry where the works of children's authors such as Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl were revised to avoid causing offence. Blyton's Famous Five books were subsequently reverted to their original language after the edits flopped. Campaigners are now calling on Ofcom to grant an exemption for classic comedies, much in the same way that vintage cars become exempt from MOTs and road tax once they turn 40 years old. Such a move would free old-school programmes from language restrictions on the proviso that viewers were given adequate prior warning about the content. Ross argues it is vital to keep broadcasting these films and programmes to preserve a window into a Britain long gone, and that a trigger warning is a small price to pay. 'If that's what's needed to actually let this stuff out of the vaults, then that's good,' he says. The debate over free speech comes as Ofcom is already facing criticism from Donald Trump's administration over its crackdown on online harms. US officials are believed to have raised concerns that the new laws, which are designed to protect children from harmful material circulating on social media, target American companies and impinge on free speech. It comes amid a broader campaign by Trump's administration, which cites free speech in its efforts to overturn what it describes as censorship on social media platforms. In a speech in Munich in January, JD Vance, the vice president, launched a ferocious attack on Europe, accusing the bloc of abandoning 'some of its most fundamental values' and claiming free speech was 'in retreat'. He said: 'What no democracy, American, German or European will survive, is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their pleas for relief, are invalid or unworthy of even being considered.' An Ofcom spokesman said: 'Ofcom is not a censor. Freedom of expression is at the heart of our broadcasting rules which do not prevent the broadcast of content that may be offensive or controversial to some audiences. 'There is editorial freedom for each broadcaster to decide how it covers any issue, topic or programme type. 'In our research, audiences recognise offensive language can play an important role on TV and radio. But viewers and listeners still want broadcasters to take care with potentially offensive terms, particularly so children are protected, and especially when discriminatory language is used. 'Our rules and research help broadcasters to strike the right balance. 'We've explored people's views on the acceptability of outdated or discriminatory content being broadcast in older programmes. Our research reflects that viewers welcome being warned about this kind of content at the start of programmes whilst still being given the opportunity to watch and enjoy older material.' Beneath the discussions about censorship and the nanny state, however, is a desire among these channels to preserve a piece of the past. 'It's not a nice thing to be responsible for when effectively you are butchering shows,' says Moore. 'We're not just here for a quick buck, we actually deeply care about the programming and we want to preserve what is, at the end of the day, history and historical artefacts – that's how we view them.'
The Guardian
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Assessment to The Dark Knight: the seven best films to watch on TV this week
In a post-climate disaster future where freedoms are restricted, Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) are visited by an official for seven days of close observation to check their suitability to have a child. But Alicia Vikander's Virginia isn't just there to ask them intrusive questions; day two starts with her having a tantrum as if she were a toddler. In Fleur Fortune's slippery psychological drama, the couple's attempt at parental role play – while never really knowing if Virginia is being herself or not – turns into a tense game of manipulation, even exploitation. Vikander is the film's chief delight as the murkily motivated visitor, but Olsen and Patel give as good as they get. Thursday 8 May, Prime Video Batman is an unusual comic-book hero in that he works best in the shadow of the villain. And in the second of Christopher Nolan's terrific Gotham trilogy (the other two bookend it over the bank holiday weekend) there are few bigger shadows than Heath Ledger's Joker. He is a magnetic, mischievous presence opposite Christian Bale's po-faced vigilante, quick with a quip or a spot of pencil-based violence. And in this dark morality play, even Aaron Eckhart's noble DA Harvey Dent must compromise his principles to get justice. Sunday 4 May, 9pm, ITV2 It took him three years to shoot and led to his bankruptcy, but Jacques Tati's 1967 film represents the high point of his comedic style – physical, satirical and mostly wordless. It's set in an ultra-modern Parisian quartier of gleaming steel, glass and traffic that so befuddles Tati's visiting Monsieur Hulot he immediately gets lost. Overwhelmingly detailed, there's always something interesting going on in the background of the identikit offices and doll's house-like flats – culminating in a glorious set piece in a half-finished restaurant. Saturday 3 May, 3.35pm, Talking Pictures TV Robert De Niro solidified his reputation as the premier method actor of his generation with the Oscar-winning role of boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's 1980 biopic. It's a brutal but beautiful vision of a single-minded man deformed by jealousy, with De Niro piling on the muscle, then the pounds, as Jake's career rises and falls. Joe Pesci is superb as his exasperated brother/manager Joey, while Cathy Moriarty gets all the sympathy as Jake's wife, Vickie, who receives the brunt of his violent tendencies – world-beating in the ring, disastrous out of it. Monday 5 May, 10.30pm, BBC Two Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Claire Tomalin's book about actor Nelly Ternan's secret relationship with Charles Dickens has been moulded into a nuanced drama by writer Abi Morgan and director Ralph Fiennes. Felicity Jones is wonderfully affecting as teenage innocent Nelly, who catches the eye of the celebrated author (Fiennes) and – in an uneasy mix of attraction and financial imperative – becomes his lover. A fascinating look at the star wattage of Dickens, but also the women who trailed silently in his wake. Thursday 8 May, 10.10pm, BBC Four This joyously tacky 1974 Spanish/Italian film is a rare instance of the continental zombie horror genre popping up in Britain. Filmed in the Peak District, though it's pretending to be the Lakes, Jorge Grau's chiller has corpses coming back to life thanks to a ministry of agriculture bug-killing ultrasonic radiation experiment. There's a pleasing clash of cultures amid the shuffling undead attacks, as young folk Edna (Cristina Galbó) and George (Ray Lovelock) fight prejudice from Arthur Kennedy's dismissive old Irish copper as well as the flesh-eating hordes. Friday 9 May, 10.10pm, Talking Pictures TV The irony of making the pleasing-on-the-eye Michael Fassbender wear a papier-mache head for most of the film is only one of the joys of this offbeat drama. Lenny Abrahamson's comic tale of musical integrity is inspired by the life of Chris Sievey and his character Frank Sidebottom. Domhnall Gleeson's pianist Jon joins the charismatic singer's avant garde psych-prog group (to the disgust of Maggie Gyllenhaal's synth player Clara) and tries to nudge them towards popularity. But there's a darkness behind Frank's mask that lends the caper a more serious face. Friday 9 May, 2am, Film4
