Sex And Violence Passed By ITC
The ITC has refused to uphold complaints regarding sex, violence and racism on TV programmes this month. The complaints of violence and racism were in response to a sketch on the Bremner, Bird and Fortune comedy show which showed Bremner “blacked-up” and parodying TV chef Ainsley Harriot. In the course of the sketch he cut off his own fingers and arm and put his body through a mincer. 15 viewers complained that the sketch, which was shown in the course of a 9.30pm broadcast, was “shocking and offensive” with two also claiming it was racist.
Channel 4 defended the sketch as a satirical look at the number of celebrity chefs on British TV. A warning was given at the outset of the programme of “scenes that might upset” during the programme, but the ITC nonetheless sympathised with viewers, saying that some considerable time elapsed between the warning being given and the sketch being shown. It also said that regular viewers may have been shocked by its “unexpectedly gory presentation”. However it concluded that the sketch did not contravene the Programme Code, although it advised Channel 4 that care over the placement and wording of warnings in future similar cases needed to be taken. It also decided that as the chef’s colour was not an issue in the sketch, it was not racist in intention or presentation.
ITV’s Crossroads was returned to the screens after 13 years during March and was doubtless hoping to grab some headlines. Two of many new characters introduced to the cast were a gay couple, Tony and Bradley. Six complaints were submitted to the ITC after the two were shown kissing during the first week of the show being broadcast in a 5.30pm slot directly after children’s television programmes on ITV.
The ITC took the view that by the time the kiss was shown, the relationship between the two men had been established, in a low key way. The kiss itself was brief and at a party, and was “portrayed as a greeting between friends rather than having any sexual connotations.” The ITC pointed out that shows including a showbiz magazine show and an adults interactive challenge show had previously shown in this slot, despite being adjacent to children’s programming. The incident was not found to be in breach of the programme code as the ITC said that so far the portrayal of the gay relationship had not “exceeded what is acceptable in family viewing time.”
ITC: 020 7306 7743 www.itc.org.uk
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