BBC pull drama about war hero due to it being "too positive".

[amc1980]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/08/wiraq308.xml

Hero's tale is 'too positive' for the BBC
By Chris Hastings, Arts and Media Editor, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 11:56pm BST 07/04/2007



Amid the deaths and the grim daily struggle bravely borne by Britain's forces in southern Iraq, one tale of heroism stands out.

   
Private Johnson Beharry with his Victoria Cross

 
Private Johnson Beharry's courage in rescuing an ambushed foot patrol then, in a second act, saving his vehicle's crew despite his own terrible injuries earned him a Victoria Cross.

For the BBC, however, his story is "too positive" about the conflict.

The corporation has cancelled the commission for a 90-minute drama about Britain's youngest surviving Victoria Cross hero because it feared it would alienate members of the audience opposed to the war in Iraq.
The BBC's retreat from the project, which had the working title Victoria Cross, has sparked accusations of cowardice and will reignite the debate about the broadcaster's alleged lack of patriotism.

"The BBC has behaved in a cowardly fashion by pulling the plug on the project altogether," said a source close to the project. "It began to have second thoughts last year as the war in Iraq deteriorated. It felt it couldn't show anything with a degree of positivity about the conflict.

"It needed to tell stories about Iraq which reflected the fact that some members of the audience didn't approve of what was going on. Obviously a story about Johnson Beharry could never do that. You couldn't have a scene where he suddenly turned around and denounced the war because he just wouldn't do that.

"The film is now on hold and it will only make it to the screen if another broadcaster picks it up."

The independent production company which was developing the project for a prime-time slot on BBC1 is now believed to have taken the script to ITV.

Pte Beharry, 27, who was awarded the VC in March 2005, was the first person to receive the country's highest award for valour since 1982 and the first living recipient since 1965. He was honoured for two acts of outstanding gallantry which occurred just over a month apart while he was serving with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, in the Iraqi town of al-Amarah, in 2004.

He was cited for "valour of the highest order" after he drove a Warrior tracked armoured vehicle through heavy enemy fire in May 2004 to come to the rescue of a foot patrol that had been caught in a series of ambushes. The 30-ton Warrior was hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades, causing damage and resulting in the loss of radio communications. Pte Beharry drove through the ambush, taking his own injured crew and leading five other Warriors to safety. He then extracted his wounded colleagues from the vehicle, all the time exposed to further enemy fire.

The following month, Pte Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior vehicle of his platoon through al-Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the vehicle and Pte Beharry received serious head injuries. Other rockets hit the vehicle incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew.Despite his very serious injuries, Pte Beharry then took control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He required brain surgery for his head injuries and he was still recovering when he received the VC from the Queen in June last year.

The script of the film about his heroics was being developed by Darlow Smithson, the production company responsible for the Bafta-winning Touching The Void and the docu-drama Tsunami, which was recently aired by the BBC. The Ministry of Defence is believed to have been supportive of the project and was offering the film-makers technical advice.

The BBC's decision to pull out will only confirm the fears of critics that television drama is only interested in telling bad news stories about the war.

The Ministry of Defence recently expressed concern about Channel 4's The Mark of Cain which showed British troops brutalising Iraqi detainees. That programme was temporarily pulled from the schedules after Iran detained 15 British troops.

A spokesman for the BBC admitted that it had abandoned the VC project but refused to elaborate.
 

They were quick enough to make a programme about the death of an Iraqi in UK custody, despite six of the seven accused being found not-guilty.

Makes me glad I don't pay my license fee.

[24KT]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/08/wiraq308.xml

They were quick enough to make a programme about the death of an Iraqi in UK custody, despite six of the seven accused being found not-guilty.

Makes me glad I don't pay my license fee.

because it feared it would alienate members of the audience opposed to the war in Iraq.



Hmmm... that speaks volumes. When a network pulls the plug for that reason, it literally speaks volumes, about the volumes of people opposed to the madness taking place.

[amc1980]

Or, perhaps, they don't want to alienate a particularly vocal section of their audience. The one that has a penchant for burning flags and threatening the decapitation of nonbelievers.

There is clearly an interest in the man's story, or why else would people be buying his book?

[24KT]

Or, perhaps, they don't want to alienate a particularly vocal section of their audience. The one that has a penchant for burning flags and threatening the decapitation of nonbelievers.

There is clearly an interest in the man's story, or why else would people be buying his book?

I don't doubt there would be interest in the story. I however highly doubt it is due to fears of alienating those who might decapitate. I think to use that spin is merely race baiting. I love the way the article tries to link the conflict with Iraq with the clear attempts of many to fertilize unease and tension over Iran.

Networks pull programs all the time. In the case of the "Mark of Cain", ...I can certainly understand why they might pull it, ...especially after the Ministry of Defense expressed concern. I mean... when you're looking to stir up the public's passions and inflame them into hating those "nasty ragheads"... the last thing you need is for the public to realize their troops have and are committing horrific crimes, ...especially when you've tried so diligently to blend the nations and peoples of both those countries into one blurry and indistinguishible enemy. It works both ways ya now.

Besides critical thought is difficult when the primal brain has taken over.