The series which first aired in February 1973 is being investigated by the BBC after an episode was repeated on BBC Two and a viewer complained about the language used. Before the episode aired, the BBC shared a warning, telling viewers the instalment may contain outdated language.
The episode in question saw Frank Spencer comment: “I’m the chief of the pixies, I’m the friend of all the little boys and girls.”
“Oh no you’re not, you’re a p**f,” a boy yelled at Frank.
Frank responded: “I beg your pardon, block your ears!”
A complaint from a viewer led the BBC to investigate but an internal watchdog decided it did not breach editorial guidelines.
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“But you’re sitting there and it’s absolutely… really stressful.”
Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em ran from 1973 until its third series in 1978 and returned in 2016 for a Sports Relief special.
It’s not the only BBC series to face backlash in recent months.
Little Britain, Blackadder and The League of Gentleman have also come under fire for the language used.
The BBC was also slammed in January after they aired Grease and viewers complained John Travolta’s character Danny was racist, homophobic and used bullying language.
The 1978 classic is one of the most popular films but when it aired on BBC One on Boxing Day, it was slammed by viewers with many viewers writing movements such as #MeToo.
One viewer posted on Twitter: “The drive-in/botched make-out session between Danny and Sandy hasn’t aged well. Film kinda glides right into song (“Sandy”) before viewers register the date rapey vibe of the scene they just saw #Grease.”
Another commented: “Ahhh man. Just watching #Grease one of my favourite films and it’s so of its time. Misogynistic, sexist and a bit rapey.”
A third shared: “Grease is far too sexist and overly white and should be banned from the screen. It is nearly 2021 after all.”
Published at Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:07:00 +0000
BBC launches investigation into Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em over ‘offensive’ language
