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The BBC dances to Rome's tune

And here I always thought it was the media's job to persecute and humiliate Christians every chance they got. That's what they told me in Sunday School.
 
Marquis de Carabas said:
And here I always thought it was the media's job to persecute and humiliate Christians every chance they got. That's what they told me in Sunday School.
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Yeah, but as far as I gather Catholics are not Christians.

 
Thankfully 'Father Ted' had its airing on Channel 4, I wonder if that series was ever pitched to the BBC?

from the story:
I understand the world has changed since the series was originally commissioned
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I'm still racking my brain over that one...was the decision made because the pope is older? Or more senile than a few years ago, 'cos i definately don't remember him practising star-jumps, 5-10 years ago!
 
From the National Secular Society website from the 14th May '04

Link here:
"HAS THE BBC DROPPED ‘POPETOWN’?

The Sunday Times reported last week that the BBC has "retreated under sustained pressure from the Catholic Church" and dropped its satirical cartoon series, Popetown. The cartoon has been the subject of controversy since the Catholic Church got to hear about its mocking of the pope as an infantile creature on a pogo stick.

But BBC officials deny that a decision has been made to cancel the £2 million cartoon series, saying that it will eventually be shown.

The cartoon was originally scheduled for last November on BBC Three, with a later run on BBC2. Since it was announced, several Catholic bishops have attacked the BBC for commissioning it, saying it was ‘offensive’ - even though they had not seen it.

The National Secular Society wrote to Mark Byford, the acting Director General at the BBC, reminding him that the BBC prides itself on not giving in to pressure from interest groups, and encouraging him to stand firm over Popetown. He responded that he was not going to give in to pressure groups of any kind. "The BBC has always faced challenges to its impartiality and independence from groups with specific viewpoints... however, we can only respond to specific reasoned criticism, and will not dignify uninformed polemic with either response or reaction."

Terry Sanderson, the NSS’s media spokesperson, said: "If the Sunday Times report turns out to be true - and we sincerely hope it won’t - the implications are quite serious. If the BBC withdraws Popetown because of Catholic pressure, will it also capitulate to demands that it stop criticising the Church, in the way that it did - quite legitimately - in its Panorama, Kenyon Confronts and Today programmes?" "

A degree of foresight worthy of a psychic!
 
If an organisation cannot withstand satire then it is surely dying.

Doesn't say much for God either, if he is threatened by a programme on BBC Three, that only 55% of British homes can receive and only gets about 1 million viewers on average.
 
Media Guardian follow up this story

There's more on this story here , and it's a depressing read. You have to register to read it, but registration is free.

Asked whether he believed the current regime was more receptive to the arguments of the Catholic church, Mr Jennings replied: "Significantly so. We are not looking for special treatment. But Mark Thompson's a practising Catholic and his number two Mark Byford is also a Catholic."

Archbishop Nichols, who has been strongly critical of several BBC programmes on the Catholic church in the past, welcomed today's decision.

"I am reassured that this decision demonstrates genuine sensitivity on the part of the BBC to the faith and deeply held convictions of many people," he said.

"I am sure that this decision will help to build confidence between the Catholic Church and the BBC under its new chairman and director general."
 
I'd be well prepared to work myself into righteous indignation about this one, only I've a sneaking suspiscion the program itself would be rubbish.

I've no evidence for that, other than the fact they only planned to screen it on bbc three.

It does set a worrying precedent though.

How do I get the Sunday Morning show on BBC2 banned for repeatedly suggesting religion is a pre-requisite to morality?
 
I'd be well prepared to work myself into righteous indignation about this one, only I've a sneaking suspiscion the program itself would be rubbish.
I've no evidence for that, other than the fact they only planned to screen it on bbc three.
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I'd agree to a point Benguin, most of the content is dire however a couple of programs, Monkey Dust and Little Britain are very good and i'm looking forward to the new series unless BBC1 and BBC2 grab them.

We may never know if popetown is pants, the BBC appears to have taken on the role of Lord Chamberlain!

Hopefully another channel will buy the series off the BBC or I'll have to wait till it comes out on DVD.
 
Popetown smokin', Prodtown burnin' down

Pycroft said:
. . . I'll have to wait till it comes out on DVD.
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I for one am already waiting, impatiently. I'd walk quite a few miles to score a DVD of the complete Popetown series.

But what are the chances of a U.S. release if something as feeble as the CC of the UK can intimidate the Beeb? Over here, the snappers have a lot of clout, and use it. (I employ the term "clout" in a metaphoric sense, of course, and would never imply that Catholic Action would actually, physically strike anyone, particularly me.)
 
Pycroft said:
I'd agree to a point Benguin, most of the content is dire however a couple of programs, Monkey Dust and Little Britain are very good and i'm looking forward to the new series unless BBC1 and BBC2 grab them.
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I thought Little Britain was originally BBC2? And it is brilliant, where-ever it came from.

I wonder if they'll screen that in the US? I've no idea what the americans would make of it ....
 
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