MGEITF 2007: Queen Documentary Might Never Be Shown
The controversial BBC documentary on the Queen might never be shown, according to Peter Fincham, controller of BBC One.
Speaking at the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival (MGEITF), Fincham said: “I certainly hope that we will screen the series, a lot of talking is going on in the background – I can’t say whether or not the Queen will see it before it goes up, because I don’t know.”
The ‘fly on the wall’ documentary was going to be broadcast as part of the channel’s autumn schedule but, when questioned, Fincham could not give a definitive answer as to when it would be shown.
He said: “I hope and believe we will run it,” adding, “I trusted the footage. I had no reason not to trust the footage”.
He was unable to go into great detail about the mistakes made over the programme’s trailer – which appeared to show the Queen walking off “in a huff” when she had not – as an investigation is currently underway, headed by former BBC senior executive Will Wyatt.
The BBC has suspended new commissions from the producer of the programme, RDF, until Wyatt’s investigation is concluded in October.
The furore created by the ‘sexed-up’ Queen trailer followed shortly after the record fine given to Blue Peter for faking a contest winner (see £50,000 Fine For BBC), and plunged the channel into the TV-fakery crisis which has hit the television industry hard this year.
As with Channel 4 and ITV, the BBC has suffered from revelations over faked phone-ins and dubious practice this year, although Fincham argued strongly that the Corporation is not as badly wounded as some would have it.
“Let’s get it in context. I don’t think the BBC’s in a mess. Not all TV is broken and not all the BBC is broken. The BBC does have a capacity for self-reproach but when you flagellate the BBC you’re pushing at an open door.”
He continued his upbeat note when talking about the wider picture for television this year, asking if it might be the end of the domination of reality TV and the rebirth of mainstream Saturday night entertainment, with the success of show’s such as Any Dream Will Do and The X-Factor.
“Are we on the turn with reality TV? Has the centre of gravity of a certain sort of TV shifted a little bit from that back to Saturday night TV?”
Of course, the session’s big question was, what is going to replace Neighbours? However, Fincham could only say that he is considering all options and no decision has yet been made.
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