Entertainment News
- 23 January 2013, 13:56
BBC bosses defend Fawlty Towers editing
BBC bosses have come under fire for censoring racist language in a re-run of classic 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers.
The vintage comedy, starring John Cleese as manic hotelier Basil Fawlty, was broadcast by the channel earlier this month, but many fans were outraged when they realised one episode had been edited.
A scene featuring a disparaging reference to the Indian national cricket team was cut, prompting a wave of protest online, but a spokesman for the corporation insisted the language had to be censored for modern audiences, and even implied Cleese had approved the edit.
The representative tells the Daily Express newspaper, "We are proud of Fawlty Towers and its contribution to British television comedy. But public attitudes have changed since it was made and it was decided to make minor changes, with the consent of John Cleese's management, to allow the episode to transmit to a family audience."
Update:
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what do you think?
davenlesley
Absolutely pathetic. A recent remake of The Dambusters changed the name of Guy Gibsons dog to Digger from you know what. Always be suspicious of people who rewrite history as you never know what lies it leads to
movvi
Grrr! You can't just erase the bits of cultural history you don't like, stupid BBC. Leave it alone and perhaps do something about the Tweenies episode which featured a puppet Jimmy'S a vile...THAT was offensive and unbelieveably dim witted.
Louisa Gieldon
I don't agree with altering anything. It's too 1984 ish. Let history stand as it is. We cann't undo what happened and we should be grown up enough to accept the historical perspective
blue side
2:25pm on 23/1/2013
O so that applies to Fawlty Towers but not other progs like 'Mrs Brown's Boys' - seems the BBC has differing standards. So how about a re-run of 'Till Death Us Do Part' ?