EE: Violence complaints upheld

[faceless]

EastEnders violence makes one viewer 'physically sick' as dozens complain about gory episode
30th August 2008

Violent scenes in which an EastEnders character was stabbed to death attracted dozens of complaints from BBC viewers and are said to have made one viewer 'physically sick'. Thursday's episode, aired before the watershed at 7.30pm, featured the death of Jase Dyer at the hands of a criminal gang. It showed the character, played by Stephen Lord, being attacked before depicting his body lying dead in a hospital.

The BBC admitted viewers had complained that the broadcast featured too much violence. One viewer, writing on the Points Of View message board on the BBC website, said: 'My wife was physically sick and my son of 13 was brought to tears.' Around 130 people are reported to have complained.

But the corporation defended the soap opera, saying the violence was 'implied rather than explicit'. It said in a statement: 'Whilst we acknowledge that this was a particularly dramatic episode, we were very careful to make sure that any actual violence was implied rather than explicit, and it was made clear from the outset that Jase's life was in serious jeopardy. This was the climax of a long-running story involving Jase and his former 'firm', and we believe this was the outcome that many viewers would have been anticipating in the context of this storyline.'

'Whilst issues of violence and knife-crime may be in the news currently, they were not glamorised or glorified in any way within this episode, rather we saw the devastating consequences of such actions and the clear message was that crime does not pay. We do appreciate that some viewers found the images of Jase's dead body uncomfortable; however, in trying to fully convey Jay's loss and depth of emotion, we felt it was necessary for viewers to see what he was seeing. We understand that some viewers were upset, but we signalled the nature of the content of the episode through the pre-programme continuity announcement and billings.'

It is not the first time this year that viewers have reacted angrily to storylines in the popular soap. In June, media watchdog Ofcom upheld complaints that scenes featuring character Max Branning being drugged and buried alive were unsuitable for the time they were aired. The two episodes, shown in March, attracted more than 600 complaints from viewers and 116 people took the matter to the regulator. Ofcom said the scenes had a 'seriously disturbing' element to them. It had already ruled the show had breached TV rules in February, upholding complaints about scenes showing a gang attack in the Queen Vic pub which caused a woman to go into premature labour.

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at least it wasn't as badly acted as the scene in the storage area of the pub...

[Skylace]

Pfffftt...I still don't get these complaints. To me it wasn't that bad and it was implied violence. I think some people have nothing better to do then complain.

[SpursFan1902]

[eefanincan]

[Twirley]

I thought the episode was extremely well acted...and portrayed. The young actor playing Jay was admirable in his portrayal of a son who loved his father and knew that his father was his only real family. My hat goes off to the way this episode was crafted - I even cried a few tears when I saw that Jase didn't pull through and how upset Jay was about it. I really liked the way they set up the scene with Jay & Billy about how horrible it was to be in care.

Anyway, I really believe the BBC treated this episode with empathy to kids in that kind of situation.

[Skylace]

[SpursFan1902]

Yeah, the hallway scenes got me too. I just don't understand why people feel that they should be in control of all TV. I don't care what they are showing on channels I am not watching and if something comes on that I am not interested in on a channel that I am watching (we have entire channels devoted to fishing and hunting - talk about violence) I just turn it off. I just don't get it...

[faceless]

Scores of complaints as EastEnders shows scenes of a paedophile grooming a teenager
By Paul Revoir
17th September 2008

Scenes of a paedophile preying on a teenager in pre-watershed soap EastEnders has led to scores of complaints. Viewers have hit out at what has been dubbed the most controversial story-line on the show ever, featuring a pervert's relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

On Friday viewers of the show were introduced to new character Tony, boyfriend of Bianca, who has just been released from prison. But his character, played by Chris Coghill, is shown have a romantic relationship with schoolgirl Whitney, who is the step-daughter of Bianca. Tony has been shown kissing the girl passionately after sneaking into her bedroom while his girlfriend was in the bath on Friday night's episode. The pair were then seen falling to the bed, implying that the couple were engaged in a sexual relationship.

The programme depicts the girl's character as a willing participant in the romance, something which has also upset some viewers. On Monday's episode the character was back in the girl's bedroom, telling her "You look just like that same 12 year-old girl I fell in love with." He encouraged her not to wear make up saying she looked 'incredibly beautiful without it'. When the character of Whitney, played by 16-year-old Shona McGarty, said she felt naked without it - to which he replied: 'What's wrong with that?'

There have already been almost 70 complaints to the BBC and Ofcom and the storyline has only just been introduced on the long-running soap. This controversy comes just a month after a knife murder on the controversial show caused 134 complaints after a dead body was shown. That saw the death of character Jase Dyer, played by Stephen Lord, as he was set upon by a criminal gang who stabbed him.

Earlier this year BBC bosses revealed EastEnders was the most controversial show on the BBC last year, attracting 5,500 complaints from viewers. That was more than double the number provoked by any other programme. Viewers expressed their anger about the latest antics on the show on the BBC's message boards.

One said: 'I am totally disturbed by tonight's episode...I can barely talk. The storyline with Whitney & Tony is terrible. I am aware this type of abuse is going on in some homes but is this really the only way to get the message across. It is appalling that my daughters watch this just before bed. This is a family show and I think I should be able to choose how I approach/inform my children about abuse. Not via EastEnders.'

Another added: 'I too find this quite distasteful for a programme scheduled in the early evening...I watch soaps for enjoyment, not for public service messages. This is not enjoyable and I think has now gone too far.'

The BBC said the episodes had been incredibly carefully thought through and that the broadcaster had worked with the NSPCC on the storyline. Copies of the script were said to have been sent to the charity, who returned them with detailed comments. The controversy over this and last month's row is the latest in a long-line of recent complaints about episodes of the soap.

Today a BBC spokesman said: 'This is a difficult and challenging storyline, but one which keeps with the tradition of the show for tackling difficult social issues such as domestic abuse and mental health in the past.' He added: 'All the content on screen adheres to the BBC's editorial guidelines.'

At the weekend the BBC's drama chief Jane Tranter defended the storyline as a 'fantastically good idea'. She said: 'The big moments in EastEnders, those iconic pieces of television history, tend to be things that are incredibly near the knuckle, and are actually quite difficult subjects to raise in the context of a family sitting room.'

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Considering the amount of complaints the show gets it seems pretty clear that the producers don't give a toss about their viewers and are just desperate to get publicity. I want to be entertained by tv, not force fed social-issues by Londoners. Coronation Street manages quite often to get its social message across (as in the recent story about the property developer forcing an old man out of his house) without turning it into some seedy and/or blood-soaked horror story.

On a related note - how many women like 'Max's' wife would take part in a murder bid, burying their husband alive, and not suffer some kind of guilt or breakdown later? Is she meant to be a psychopath?

[SpursFan1902]

"There have already been almost 70 complaints to the BBC and Ofcom...caused 134 complaints after a dead body was shown..

...attracting 5,500 complaints from viewers. That was more than double the number provoked by any other programme."

I wonder how many of these complaints were from the same people? You know the type...uptight, control freak kind of people who want to control what they watch and what you watch. I am not saying that the violence and abuse scenes aren't tough to watch, but if you don't want to watch, don't. EastEnders has always tackled tough subjects, AIDS, first gay characters, ect, so why is anyone surprized that they are tackling this one? I don't think that these complaints are the majority of watchers, I think they are the same group.

[faceless]

You're probably right to some extent, but how many 'delicate' story lines do they need to continually push? And where do they go now?

The storyline about HIV was well done though. It was based solely on the reactions of the people around who found out, not on how he caught the virus. I think that air of suggestion is much better than the in-your-face stuff that's made people's skin crawl in this case.

[pirtybirdy]

The whole Tanya thing was creepy. She goes on business as usual, but to think she did try to murder the father of her children. Because he cheated on her time and again? That is so wacked.

[eefanincan]

[SpursFan1902]

[Skylace]

[eefanincan]

You know, I think there will always be people who react passionately to storylines such as these. And I wonder how many of them have trouble discerning between fiction and reality.