BBC ‘Woke’ responds to criticism for censoring Chewin ‘The Fat

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The BBC has responded to criticism of editing certain scenes from the legendary comedy show Chewin ‘the Fat so that they do not offend modern audiences.

BBC Scotland’s hit comedy series has been re-released for rerun which is occasionally shown on BBC Scotland.

The public broadcaster has confirmed that it shows every episode before it airs, implying it is removing some of the riskier skits.

Chewin The Fat launched the careers of Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill who went on to write the sitcom Still Game.

Co-star Karen Dunbar found out the show fell for the censors while filming a new documentary about comedy in today’s waking world.

She was shown how decisions are made on what to cut from the show before a rehearsal aired last year.

Chewin The Fat started as a radio show on BBC Radio Scotland and then toured for four television series between 1999 and 2002, initially on BBC One Scotland. The sketch show’s favorites included The Big Man, Ronald Villiers and The Woman Who Can Smell “s *** e” Or A Lie, Miles Away.

It also featured such characters as Dunbars Randy Auld Betty, the family that chain smokes and uses voice mail. It also features an infamous scene featuring an ice cream seller lifting her skirt up to two young boys.

Some elements deemed unacceptable will be revealed in the documentary Karen Dunbar: The Comedy of Offense which is scheduled to air later this year.

Following the controversy, the BBC responded: The BBC regularly reviews older content to ensure it meets current public expectations. It’s part of our process when rehearsing archival content, including comedy.

Scottish comedian Leo Kearse, who appeared in the documentary, criticized the cuts and called on the BBC to stop censoring art.

He said, ‘Now they’re putting on Chewin’ The Fat – a fun, non-partisan, generous comedy – in case that offends modern sensibilities. Were we going to put a mule on the Mona Lisa or a Banksy on the Sistine Chapel? ”

The BBC is censoring Chewin the Fat, that this strait is not a revival. This censorship is an attack on people, culture and identity, there is a difference. What next censorship Billy Connolly, Still Game, Rab C Nesbitt, Scotch and Wry, Francie and Josie.

James Kelly (@jpa_kelly) January 12, 2022

Ms Dunbar told the Cultural Coven podcast: The week we stayed [to London for the documentary] Chewin ‘The Fat was going to be rehearsed on the weekend so they brought skits and they asked me if I thought it was going to be kept or canceled.

The BBC is going through every rehearsal that comes out and will remove the pieces that are not acceptable today. The result of this was that Chewin The Fat was released on Saturday, but it came out with ripped tracks that would have been within the original 20 years.

Chewin ‘the Fat series three and four plus highlights from the first two series were broadcast across the UK. The show has been repeated regularly on BBC Scotland since its launch in 2019.

Last year, Mr Kiernan said he didn’t think Chewin ‘The Fat would be made today because it would be deemed too offensive. He said: Karen likes pulling up her skirt, I don’t think you can. We got letters back then and someone wrote and said As funny as the nation thought this sketch was, this sketch would work if there were two little girls in the van and it was a man? Me and Greg went No that wouldn’t be so funny. So the point has been made, don’t write sketches like that anymore so we haven’t. Another dirty thing is Auld Betty. You couldn’t have it on TV now.

The BBC censors Chewin the Fat.

Dear BBC.

It’s not okay. pic.twitter.com/rz8UTujZMr

Mark Boreham (@ retrofan1980) January 12, 2022

Last year, censors issued an offensive warning on classic Allo Allo episodes in case viewers were upset with characters taking on French and German overtones.

The BBC comedy, which ran from 1982 to 1992, invented a host of slogans that proved popular for decades.

The BBC also attached an “offensive language” warning to the iPlayer episodes of the classic prison sitcom Porridge.

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