Over the last few years, political satire appears to have been a dying art; gone are the days of programmes such as Spitting Image and Not The Nine O'Clock News. These were the kind of programmes from which no politician was safe. Now the BBC have suggested that, with the new Lib/Con Coalition, political satire may well be making a return to our screens...
Maggie and John in happier times
In the article, the BBC correspondent points out the lack of political satire since 1997 and suggests that history shows that a new Conservative government will bring with it fresh satire; pointing out the relentless attacks on the Conservatives in recent history by shows such as Spitting Image, Beyond the Fringe, That Was The Week That Was, and publications such as Private Eye.
Rowan Atkinson gives the Tories both barrels on 'Not The Nine O'Clock News'
He goes on to argue that the distinct lack of satire aimed at the Labour party in recent years is not because they love Labour so much that they can't bring themselves to attack them. Far from it.
O'Farrell instead opts for the explanation that the whilst the satirists do happen to sympathise with Labour, they are so angry with them and what they have done over the last 13 years, that they were simply unable to produce the same kind of satire that goes down so well when they're attacking the Conservatives.
Similar treatment from the folks at 'Spitting Image'
As I've said before, I shall say again: the BBC makes no secret of its massive Labour bias. This is, remember, the 'unbiased' Corporation that toasted Labour's 1997 victory with champagne and partying. Hardly the behaviour one should expect from a publicly funded state broadcaster.
At the end of the day, this is nothing more than a feeble excuse from the BBC, published more in hope than expectation. I can only hope that the upcoming influx of anti-Tory satire will prove the BBC's allegiance beyond doubt and will simply provide another nail in the coffin of this Leftist organisation and its license fee.
Admittedly, Gordon Brown wasn't immune - but how could they resist such an easy target?
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No BBC satire under Labour? What about "The Thick Of It"? Two distinct series, and numerous specials! Its main character, Malcolm Tucker, is an imitation of Alastair Campbell, and the government is clearly Labour. I'd say that was pretty vicious.
ReplyDeleteA good and fair point. I've not seen the series in question so I can't really comment on the content of it. However, the thing that has been most obviously missing are the direct attacks on particular politicians that were a mainstay of political comedy in the 1980s and 1990s. Who can forget the depictions that Spitting Image came out with, for example!
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