The recent week-long headline grabbing brouhaha at the Beeb that saw the resignation of comedian Russell Brand and the 3-month suspension of comedian Jonathan Ross over complaints lodged by fading comedy actor Andrew Sachs, now appears to have been a setup following today's announcement that Andrew Sachs is to joining the rival broadcaster ITV's popular TV series Coronation Street.
I mention this only to demonstrate, yet again, how the media spins and is spun for purely financial and/or political gain.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct...drew-sachs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopi...treet.html
David - I don't think it was a set-up.
As you know, I spent more than a decade working for the BBC. I know people in the telly industry, and I know people who work with Ross & Brand.
The reason a lot of their shows are pre-recorded is because they're pretty much out of control. The fundamental job of their producer is to edit out the truly offensive stuff, and sharpen up the material (thru nipping & ticking in the edit suite).
In this case, the producer apparently cut out some really grotesque material but thought it was OK (yah) to include Brand's claim that he had "fucked" Andrew Sachs' grand-daughter. This was passed up the BBC editorial referral system prior to transmission and, shamefully, (but not surprizingly to a Beeb veteran like me), management were either asleep or genuinely thought this puerile tosh was: a) funny; b) transmittable.
The Daily Mail then got all outraged. Brand resigned. Ross has been suspended for 12 weeks without pay (a couple of million quid in lost earnings).
My reading of the situation is that Andrew Sachs - still most famous for his role as Spanish waiter Manuel in Fawlty Towers - and his agent have decided to cash in on his name being in the press, and get him some lucrative work on Coronation Street.
So, whilst I may be wrong, my reading is that this is simple opportunism from Sachs' agent. In fact, if the agent couldn't get work for his client whilst he's basking in the sympathy of the British public, he'd be rubbish at his job.
Fawlty Towers is one of my all time favorite shows! First time I saw it I nearly pissed myself I was laughing so hard I was crying. They need to re-run it!
Dawn
Dawn Meredith Wrote:Fawlty Towers is one of my all time favorite shows! First time I saw it I nearly pissed myself I was laughing so hard I was crying. They need to re-run it!
Dawn
I agree, Dawn.
After 30 years it's still very funny. Can't say that about many comedy shows.
Thanks Jan, I am sure you're reading is right -- it just seemed to me to be so convenient that Sachs suddenly gets a job at Corrie...
Makes perfect sense to me.
He's from Barcelona.
Charles Drago Wrote:Makes perfect sense to me.
He's from Barcelona.
I can always cont on CD to be my first laugh of the day!
Dawn