Russell Brand, Jonathan Ross, Andrew Sachs Story

[slapdash]

I agree that it's ludicrous that this is front page news in several newspapers. It's probably even ludicrous that so many of us are bothering to comment on it on PL.

But ...

Originally Posted by whycantistayawayfromdogs

Its their job to be innovative and run very close to the line of what is acceptable and what isnt. It, however, isnt their job to censor themselves, this was recorded 2 days before it was aired and like a lot of shows (almost all 'as live' shows in fact) someone is in charge of deciding whether the segment gets broadcast.

Alexander Armstrong was saying that if everything filmed whilst they were shooting 'have I got news for you' (of which hes been a guest presenter a number times) was aired then it definately wouldnt have got to its second series.

Someone didnt do their job properly, but it certainly isnt Ross or Brand - and comparing this to someone sitting at their 9-5 making prank calls is downright silly.

If they'd just joked about how funny (?) it would be to bully a 78 year-old by leaving a message on his answering machine taunting him about how one of them had sex with his grand-daughter, then I'd agree with you. It would be up to the editors to decide whether it was acceptable to broadcast it.

But they did leave the message on the answering machine.

[SteveO]

Exactly right Slapdash that hits the nail right on the head. Perhaps in their next episode they would have rang the McCann's and said they found her daughter. Again if they just joked of doing it then it's not a problem but actually doing it is entirely different

[garyfinny]

Some of the people that complained really need to get a life. I bet that some of them did not even watch the aforementioned sketch.

It was some unfortunate remarks, for which people have apologised for.
But what happens now? Every stand-up comedian insults someone sometime.

This is no-lose for everyone involved. Sure, Brand and Ross may have lost a contract, but it increases their own profiles, I'm sure when the bandwagon dies down, they will be good signings for another station.

No-lose for Sachs granddaughter, a Z-list celebrity now thrust into the moonlight.
No-lose for Sachs, people (including me) probably had forgotten about him and what he did.
No-lose for BBC, and renewed interest in Fawlty Towers.
Max Clifford couldn't have planned it better.

There are more important things going on than this. But, I suppose it papers over the fact that the world economy seems to be fcuked.

[whycantistayawayfromdogs]

Originally Posted by SteveO

Exactly right Slapdash that hits the nail right on the head. Perhaps in their next episode they would have rang the McCann's and said they found her daughter. Again if they just joked of doing it then it's not a problem but actually doing it is entirely different

I agree that it makes them responsible for leaving the message and that alone reflects badly on them somewhat. However they havent been suspended because they left a naughty message on an answerphone but because the bbc have recieved 15000 complaints about it (which would never had happened if it hadnt been aired). If it had never been broadcast they could both apologise to him and it would never have got any coverage. Im sure Mr Sachs doesnt want his granddaughters name dragged through the mud (although she seems to be jumping at the chance to get in the papers!).

400,000 people listen to the show and at the time 2 people complained, about the swearing - not the content, not one other complaint was received until it was written about - thats insane.

[happygooner]

Originally Posted by SteveO

Exactly right Slapdash that hits the nail right on the head. Perhaps in their next episode they would have rang the McCann's and said they found her daughter. Again if they just joked of doing it then it's not a problem but actually doing it is entirely different

There is no questioning how stupid it was in hindsight but seriously. Could he not just have deleted the message before listening to all of it if he was that offended?

Perhaps he did, who knows!? Either way I can understand him raising it with the correct people. But for every man woman and child to thrown in their tuppence on top

Bullying??....give me a break!! Unless it was so close to the bone that he actually believed it to be true and they were intentionally rubbing his nose in it.

I've all the respect in the world for Andrew Sachs. Fawlty Towers is comedy gold and Manuel both seen and heard is one of the most recognisable characters on British television but this is a storm in a tea-cup oh so reminiscent of everything else the media get their claws into.

[whycantistayawayfromdogs]

Originally Posted by SteveO

Exactly right Slapdash that hits the nail right on the head. Perhaps in their next episode they would have rang the McCann's and said they found her daughter. Again if they just joked of doing it then it's not a problem but actually doing it is entirely different

Do you really think that makes for a good comparison?

[alexmac]

Christ... 18,000 have now jumped on the bandwagon - unbelievable. Do these people seriously not have anything better to do?

I see the grandaughter (slag) has a double page spread in the Sun today...

[SteveO]

Originally Posted by whycantistayawayfromdogs

Do you really think that makes for a good comparison?

No it's not a good comparison, perhaps if I had said they were going to call Stephen Hawking and said they were going to bang his Mrs.

To be honest I don't care if they stay or go I've watched 2 programmes on the BBC all year. Everyone should stop paying their licence fee and then maybe it would cease to exist.

It wouldn't surprise me if Brand and the girl came up with this stunt to gain publicity for the girls band

[daveyboy]

**** this idea of a "moral policeman" we are treading on very dangerous ground when it becomes acceptable to sack someone because their actions were considered immoral. As for the wider issues, it says it all about celebrities mesmorise people into a mind state where what they say and do is all the matters. Instead of people being up in arms about the bigger issues this is what they complain about!

[mowen982]

Biggest load of bollocks ever!!

and like people have said, have people got nowt better to do with there lives?

and the answer is a big fat ******* no!!

really that simple... this country it a mess!

[Cassius Marcellus]

Originally Posted by alexmac

Christ... 18,000 have now jumped on the bandwagon - unbelievable. Do these people seriously not have anything better to do?

I see the grandaughter (slag) has a double page spread in the Sun today...

I don't read papers, why is she a slag?

[alexmac]

Stripper - Dancer in a troupe called The Satanic Sluts.... Admits to shagging Brand...

Now he has gone and quit...

[Charlie Wong]

they are both tw@ ts , get them off tv ASAP.

[Charlie Wong]

Brand has left R2
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081029/...l-ea4616c.html

[whycantistayawayfromdogs]

lol brand has quit, could the BBC have handled this any worse?

Hes kinda funny sometimes so this is a bit of a shame, shows what the public can achieve when they all jump on the bandwagon.

[ScottyXS]

The reason for the number of complains is clearly because of the 2 presenters and not because of the actual incident anymore

Brand and Woss must be getting a major reality check!
People are just using this incident as an excuse to make a complaint because lets face it- not many people like Brand or Woss. And they know that by doing this, we could see the last of them for a while anyway.

[whycantistayawayfromdogs]

Originally Posted by ScottyXS

The reason for the number of complains is clearly because of the 2 presenters and not because of the actual incident anymore

Brand and Woss must be getting a major reality check!
People are just using this incident as an excuse to make a complaint because lets face it- not many people like Brand or Woss. And they know that by doing this, we could see the last of them for a while anyway.

If I was a regular face on national TV id pleased if only 20,000 people in the UK didnt like me , especially since there are so many grumpy old bastards...

[AJ]

Originally Posted by WASP

These are two of the highest paid civil servants in the country. Ross gets paid more than the PM and all his cabinet put together. This is the BBC - public service broadcasting - paid for by you, not some W.A.N.K FM station.

Forget it was Andrew Sachs or the girl involved, it is just not on to abuse a 78 year old man in this way and then broadcast this drivel.

These people aren't civil servants, if they were they'd have unions.

The BBC isn't part of the civil service

They don't work to the direction of goverment minsiters, they work to a charter, i don't see anything here that violates this charter or the law.

As yourself a different question, who actually owns the BBC ?

[Nade]

My gut feeling about Brand's resignation is that he was looking for an easy way out of the BBC. What i mean is he's a huge hit in the US, but had a contract with the BBC so had to stay over here to do his radio show. Now he doesn't do the radio show he can move to the US and rake in a mint from the yanks who TBH won't have even heard about this incident, although minor anyway.

[gazabroad]

Originally Posted by Nade

My gut feeling about Brand's resignation is that he was looking for an easy way out of the BBC. What i mean is he's a huge hit in the US, but had a contract with the BBC so had to stay over here to do his radio show. Now he doesn't do the radio show he can move to the US and rake in a mint from the yanks who TBH won't have even heard about this incident, although minor anyway.

Sorry, but thats just bollocks, he could have just resigned and moved on if he really wanted to.