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Log inBlundering BBC
Blundering BBC
by Admin on Mon May 12, 2008 11:43 am
Grave concerns over EastEnders scenes
John Plunkett
Monday May 12 2008
The BBC's editorial complaints unit has criticised two controversial episodes of EastEnders in which a character was drugged and buried alive.EastEnders scenes involving Max Branning and his wife Tanya caused "upset among a segment of the audience which was neither anticipated nor intended", ruled the corporation's internal editorial standards body.The storyline featured in two episodes of EastEnders over the Easter holiday weekend on March 21 and March 24 this year.
Inthe first episode viewers saw Tanya, played by Jo Joyner, spiking Max'sdrink before driving him into Epping Forest with her lover, Sean Slater. Max, played by Jake Wood, was then buried alive in a coffin before later regaining consciousness.The BBC had previously sought to defend the plotline, which prompted more than 150 complaints, saying it had taken "great care" to flag up the nature of the scenes in advance publicity and pre-programme announcements. But the editorial complaints unit, or ECU, said the "nature of the response" registered with the BBC and Ofcom "suggested that the emotional impact of the storyline was somewhat stronger than had been considered likely, and that it had caused upset among a segment of the audience which was neither anticipated nor intended".Upholding three specific viewers' complaints, the ECU's findings have been discussed among the EastEnders production team and will be taken into account in the development of future storylines of the soap, the corporation said.In its initial response to viewers' complaints on March 25, the day after the second episode was broadcast, the BBC said sorry to viewers who did not enjoy the episodes but stopped short of a full apology. "Whilst we appreciate that these episodes were dramatic, they were carefully filmed and edited in order that Max's ordeal was in the main implicit, rather than explicit, whilst still retaining their powerfulness," it said."It's also important to note that Max made it out alive after Tanya realised she couldn't go through with her plan to leave him for dead," the BBC added.Guardian TV critic Nancy Banks-Smith, in her review of the second episode, commented: "Complaints to the BBC seem to be along the lines of it's-not-very-nice-to-bury-someone-alive-before-the-watershed-is-it?
Personally, I think the director general should be walking to Canterbury with dried peas in his shoes."Media regulator Ofcom is also investigating the two episodes of the soap after receiving 118 complaints from viewers. Ofcom is expected to publish its ruling in the next few months.EastEnders was censured by Ofcom in February for an episode showing a gang attack the Queen Vic pub in which one of the characters went into premature labour. The media regulator said the soap had shown "sustained violence, intimidation and menace" inappropriate for a pre-watershed audience in the scene.
(Guardian)
I find the BBC totally irrisponsible, how they could ever think of a storeyline like this, it is totally beyond me. I personally don't watch this shit and so knew nothing about the plot until I read this article in the guardian.
Screening this type of storeyline and showing it at peak time to children, I presume thats their main audience, adults would'nt watch this shite, would they?
The media is so powerful, the images that they show and the way that they talk and narrate, the voice tones that are used all go towards forming peoples perceptions, and if the powers that run these media outlets don't know that, then they are in the wrong job.
Only 118 complaints were received by ofcom, thats because over 59, million people don't watch this shite. Otherwise ofcom would have been inundated.
John Plunkett
Monday May 12 2008
The BBC's editorial complaints unit has criticised two controversial episodes of EastEnders in which a character was drugged and buried alive.EastEnders scenes involving Max Branning and his wife Tanya caused "upset among a segment of the audience which was neither anticipated nor intended", ruled the corporation's internal editorial standards body.The storyline featured in two episodes of EastEnders over the Easter holiday weekend on March 21 and March 24 this year.
Inthe first episode viewers saw Tanya, played by Jo Joyner, spiking Max'sdrink before driving him into Epping Forest with her lover, Sean Slater. Max, played by Jake Wood, was then buried alive in a coffin before later regaining consciousness.The BBC had previously sought to defend the plotline, which prompted more than 150 complaints, saying it had taken "great care" to flag up the nature of the scenes in advance publicity and pre-programme announcements. But the editorial complaints unit, or ECU, said the "nature of the response" registered with the BBC and Ofcom "suggested that the emotional impact of the storyline was somewhat stronger than had been considered likely, and that it had caused upset among a segment of the audience which was neither anticipated nor intended".Upholding three specific viewers' complaints, the ECU's findings have been discussed among the EastEnders production team and will be taken into account in the development of future storylines of the soap, the corporation said.In its initial response to viewers' complaints on March 25, the day after the second episode was broadcast, the BBC said sorry to viewers who did not enjoy the episodes but stopped short of a full apology. "Whilst we appreciate that these episodes were dramatic, they were carefully filmed and edited in order that Max's ordeal was in the main implicit, rather than explicit, whilst still retaining their powerfulness," it said."It's also important to note that Max made it out alive after Tanya realised she couldn't go through with her plan to leave him for dead," the BBC added.Guardian TV critic Nancy Banks-Smith, in her review of the second episode, commented: "Complaints to the BBC seem to be along the lines of it's-not-very-nice-to-bury-someone-alive-before-the-watershed-is-it?
Personally, I think the director general should be walking to Canterbury with dried peas in his shoes."Media regulator Ofcom is also investigating the two episodes of the soap after receiving 118 complaints from viewers. Ofcom is expected to publish its ruling in the next few months.EastEnders was censured by Ofcom in February for an episode showing a gang attack the Queen Vic pub in which one of the characters went into premature labour. The media regulator said the soap had shown "sustained violence, intimidation and menace" inappropriate for a pre-watershed audience in the scene.
(Guardian)
I find the BBC totally irrisponsible, how they could ever think of a storeyline like this, it is totally beyond me. I personally don't watch this shit and so knew nothing about the plot until I read this article in the guardian.
Screening this type of storeyline and showing it at peak time to children, I presume thats their main audience, adults would'nt watch this shite, would they?
The media is so powerful, the images that they show and the way that they talk and narrate, the voice tones that are used all go towards forming peoples perceptions, and if the powers that run these media outlets don't know that, then they are in the wrong job.
Only 118 complaints were received by ofcom, thats because over 59, million people don't watch this shite. Otherwise ofcom would have been inundated.
