News Analysis India

Tag: BBC

  • Ricky Gervais defends new Netflix ‘SuperNature’ after uproar over trans jokes

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: British actor-comedian Ricky Gervais has defended his latest Netflix special “SuperNature”, which has attracted criticism from the transgender community for a string of graphic jokes aimed at them.

    In the hour-long special, which was released on the streaming service on Wednesday, Gervais made several remarks about the community that trans activists have slammed.

    Trans rights organisation GLAAD criticised the comedian for the special which it said was full of “graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes”. Talking to UK’s The Spectator, Gervais said his jokes were not aimed at “trans folk, but trans activist ideology”.

    “I’ve always confronted dogma that oppresses people and limits freedom of expression. It was probably the most current, most talked about, taboo subject of the last couple of years. I deal in taboo subjects and have to confront the elephant in the room,” the 60-year-old actor-comedian said.

    In a separate interview with BBC One’s The One Show, Gervais said comedy is for “getting us over taboo subjects”. 

    “I think that’s what comedy is for, really – to get us through stuff, and I deal in taboo subjects because I want to take the audience to a place it hasn’t been before, even for a split second. Most offense comes from when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target,” he said.

    On Wednesday, GLAAD had issued a statement, lambasting the comedian for his “anti-gay rhetoric” and spreading “inaccurate information about HIV”.

    “We watched the Ricky Gervais ‘comedy’ special on Netflix so you don’t have to. It’s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV,” the organistion said.

    “Attention Ricky and Netflix: people living with HIV today when on effective treatment, lead long and healthy lives and cannot transmit HIV to others,” it added. GLAAD also criticised Netflix for giving a go-ahead to anti-LGBTQ content.

    “While Netflix is home to some groundbreaking LGBTQ shows, it refuses to enforce its own policy in comedy. The LGBTQ community and our allies have made it very clear that so-called comedians who spew hate in place of humor, and the media companies who give them a platform, will be held accountable. Meanwhile, there are PLENTY of funny LGBTQ comedians to support,” the statement concluded.

    Last year, Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special “The Closer” generated a huge backlash over remarks about the trans and LGBTQ+ communities and even sparked an employee walkout at the streaming service’s Sunset Boulevard building in Los Angeles.

  • Giancarlo Esposito to headline AMC drama series The Driver

    By Express News Service

    Breaking Bad-actor Giancarlo Esposito is all set to star in AMC’s upcoming drama series titled The Driver.

    The six-episode series is an American adaptation of a UK miniseries of the same name. Aired on BBC in 2014, the original series was created by Danny Brocklehurst and Jim Poyser.

    The new series is created by Sunu Gonera in collaboration with Brocklehurst, with Gonera directing the pilot and Theo Travers serving as showrunner.

    Esposito will star as a taxi driver whose life takes an unexpected turn when he is hired to chauffeur a notorious gangster. The Driver will be produced by AMC Studios in association with A+E Studios and Thruline Entertainment. Esposito, Gonera, Brocklehurst, and Travers also serve as executive producers.

  • Sian Brooke to lead BBC police thriller ‘Blue Lights’ 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Sian Brooke is set to play the lead in BBC One’s upcoming police thriller series “Blue Lights”.

    The actor, best known for playing Sherlock Holmes’ evil sister Eurus in the final episode of the BBC’s “Sherlock”, will essay the role of rookie police officer Grace in “Blue Lights”.

    The six-part drama comes from “Salisbury Poisonings” creators Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson.

    The story centres on Brooke’s Grace who makes a decision in her 40s to leave her steady job and join the force.

    “Just a few weeks into her role, she’s making so many mistakes that her decision no longer looks like a winning bet,” the plotline reads.

    Actors Katherine Devlin, Richard Dormer, Martin McCann, John Lynch, Jonathan Harden, Valene Kane and newcomer Nathan Braniff round out the cast .

    “Blue Lights” is currently under production in Belfast.

  • ‘I’m back’: Idris Elba starts filming for movie version of BBC series ‘Luther’

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: British star Idris Elba has finally started shooting for the film version of his hit BBC series “Luther”. Touted as “an epic continuation of the ‘Luther’ saga”, the Netflix movie will see Elba reprising his role of DCI John Luther.

    The BBC show ended its five-season run in 2019 and since then, Elba has been teasing the possibility of a film version, which was finally green lit earlier this year. Elba shared took to Instagram and shared a sneak peek from the movie set. “Oi…I’m back!” he wrote in the caption.

    Jamie Payne of “The Alienist” fame is directing the feature film from a script penned by series creator and writer Neil Cross. The cast also includes actors Andy Serkis and Cynthia Erivo. Netflix is producing the film in association with the BBC.

    Elba and Cross are also producing along with Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and David Ready for Chernin Entertainment.

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Sean Bean, Nicola Walker to play lead roles in BBC drama ‘Marriage’

    By PTI

    LONDON: “Game of Thrones” star Sean Bean and “Unforgotten” actor Nicola Walker have been roped in to essay the central characters in four-part drama series “Marriage”.

    BAFTA-winning writer and director Stefan Golaszewski will be helming the show for BBC One.

    The series will explore the ups and downs of a long-term relationship.

    Bean and Walker will play a married couple, Ian and Emma, who are negotiating the fears, comforts and frustrations of their 30-year marriage.

    “I’m thrilled to be playing opposite the talented Nicola Walker and I’m looking forward to bringing Stefan’s intimate scripts to the screen,” Bean said in a statement to BBC.

    Walker added, “This is a unique project. Stefan has created such a beautiful, funny and complicated world and I’m excited to be stepping into Ian and Emma’s marriage with Sean.”

    The Forge and The Money Men are producing the series for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

    Filming on the project will begin soon.

  • BBC’s first Hindi news reader Rajni Kaul dies at 93

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Rajni Kaul, a distinguished broadcaster who became the first woman to read a news bulletin in Hindi on BBC nearly 60 years ago, passed away in Faridabad on Tuesday. She was 93. She was cremated on Wednesday, family sources said.

    Born in Peshawar, now in Pakistan, Kaul worked with All India Radio (AIR) in New Delhi before joining the Voice of America (VOA) in Washington and then BBC in London. She was the first woman to join BBC Hindi as a staffer and became the first woman to read a news bulletin in Hindi on the network in 1961.

    She was married to eminent broadcast journalist late Mahendra Kaul who also worked with the VOA and the BBC. They had settled down in London.

  • New BBC documentary to give Bush administration’s view of 9/11 attacks

    By Associated Press
    NEW YORK: Actor Jeff Daniels will narrate a new documentary, “9/11: Inside the President’s War Room,” that will tell the story of the attacks through the eyes of the Bush administration.

    Several members of the Bush administration will give their view of what happened on that day, including former President George W. Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, it was announced on Thursday. Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser on that day, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and White House chief of staff Andy Card will also participate.

    Apple+ and the BBC will collaborate on the project, which will debut in September near the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Both the streaming service and BBC One will show the project.

    The documentary will focus on the 12 hours following the attack. The creative team includes director Adam Wishart and producers Simon Finch, Neil Grant and Serena Kennedy.

  • ‘Boycott BBC’ trends on Twitter after radio show caller uses offensive remarks against PM Narendra Modi’s mother

    By Online Desk
    During a recent episode of BBC Asian Network’s ‘Big Debate’ radio show, one of the callers used offensive remarks against PM Narendra Modi’s mother.

    An audio clip of which has now gone viral on social media. Following which many Twitterati and BJP leaders took to the micro-blogging site to register their displeasure.

    The topic of discussion on ‘Big Debate’ radio show revolved around racism against Sikhs and Indians in the UK, and eventually, the discussion branched off to the ongoing farmers’ protests in Delhi.

    One of the callers, who was identified as ‘Simon’, went on a rant and used vulgar remarks against PM Narendra Modi’s mother Heeraben Modi.

    The host of the show immediately diverted the conversation back to the original topic, but it was too late as the remarks had already reached thousands of listeners.

    The decision of the show’s producers to keep the audio still available for other listeners ended up irking many in India.

    This has led to sharp reactions on Twitter, with #BoycottBBC becoming the top trend in India today with more than 80,000 tweets. The #BanBBC is also currently trending at number two with over 25,000 tweets.

    Many Twitterati have put out tweets branding BBC as ‘anti-India’ and want the media organisation to be banned.

    Some BJP leaders have also been vocal about the issue and have tweeted out demanding ‘boycott’ of BBC.

    Here are some of the reactions on Twitter.

    Not Only #BoycottBBC .Its Time To #BanBBC
    — Arun Yadav (@beingarun28) March 3, 2021

    Its Time To #BoycottBBC .Shame On BBC .
    — Yogi Balaknath (@MahantBalaknath) March 3, 2021

    I don’t agree with #BoycottBBCIt should be #BanBBC
    — Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) March 3, 2021

    #BoycottBBCYes i support this trend
    — सुनील द्विवेदी (@sk1447088) March 3, 2021

    #BoycottBBC for Abusing PM of India
    — Aditya Brahmbhatt (@Aditya30361142) March 3, 2021

  • ‘The Crown’ stars Olivia Colman, Matt Smith to voice star in BBC’s ‘Superworm’

    By PTI
    LONDON: BBC has roped in British star Olivia Colman and Matt Smith to lead the cast of animated special “Superworm”.

    The half-hour show, based on the book of the same name by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, will also feature “Sex Education” star Patricia Allison and actor Rob Brydon.

    Sarah Scrimgeour and Jac Hamman will direct the special from a script by Max Lang and Suzanne Lang, BBC said in a statement.

    The show follows Superworm (Smith), who is a hero always on hand to help out all the other animals and insects, whose latest challenge is to fight the wicked Wizard Lizard and his servant Crow.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Crown’ actress Emma Corrin to star alongside Harry Styles in Amazon’s ‘My Policeman’

    “I’m delighted to play the part of ‘Superworm’. And join such a fabulous cast of actors, artists and storytellers. What fun to be part of the BBC’s Christmas line up in this great children’s tale,” Smith said. Colman, who will narrate the show, said, “This is such a lovely project to be involved with.

    “When reading the script, and imagining all those things going on at the end of the garden, I could really get a feel for the pure fun and joy that the film will bring. I’ve always loved these charming productions at Christmas and I’m delighted to be voicing the narrator.”

    Barney Goodland will produce “Superworm” with Martin Pope and Michael Rose serving as executive producers.

    The show will air on BBC One on Christmas this year.

  • Editorial :- Jetalee Ne Modi Se Haath Kyon Nahi Milaaya?

    Why Jaitley did not get the hand in Modi? It is a matter of discussion in the Rajya Sabha.
    The Congress has also started looking at this issue with political eyeglasses and the reason for not getting the hand is to mention the growing distances between Jaitley and PM Modi.
    In a BBC News, the reason for this is also medical. Before discussing this, I also understand that Jaitley did not mix hands with PM Modi. Even if it happened in an unknown way.

    PM Modi is senior to Jaitley ji, so greeting him by not giving a hand to Modi Ji is the essence of Indian culture.
    In this regard, I am remembering one sentence. When Yogi Adityanath was in Gorakhnath Math, Ashok Singhal had gone to meet him. By reaching it, Singhal ji began to touch the feet of Yogi ji. The yogi immediately stood up and said, “Singhal ji, I am your volunteer, I should touch your feet.”
    Ashok Singhal ji said that I am touching the feet of the abbot of Gorakhnath Math, not Yogi Adityanath.
    The second incident related to this is a few days ago. U.P. police officer worshiped Yogi ji as a guru in police uniform and worshiped him. This was discussed in the media. Opposition parties have criticized.
    The office of CM Yogi explains that the police officer Yogi Adityanath did not worship the Mahant as Gorakhnath as his guru.
    Since Rahul Gandhi was born in Italy, he grew up in Western culture. Nehru himself had said that he was an Englishman with education and that he is a Muslim by culture and is a devious Hindus.
    Therefore, Nehru and Rahul’s Congress will not see Jaitley joining hands with Modi. The distance between them will be seen.