Another Quick Message From JL About Channel 4 banning 'The Speech' on religious grounds

Write to Channel 4! It only takes a minute!

A couple of weeks ago, I shared an email I’d sent to the Channel 4 bosses regarding the removing of “The Speech” from the station’s network.

I was (and still am) very bloody angry about this decision, not least because of the appalling way they’ve treated Graham, the writer/director responsible for some of their best-loved and most successful programmes. I also think it’s incredibly cowardly of them to give in to bullies, it demonstrates a total lack of any integrity (particularly artistic integrity) and sets a very dangerous precedent.

It seems that I and the many others who complained have now received the same blanket response from Channel 4. It’s a pathetic fob-off and totally ignores the issues raised. I’m not letting them off the hook that easily. I think we need to demonstrate our strength of feeling about their allowing bullies to dictate content and, more importantly, Graham’s brilliant work.

So, can I please ask that, if you haven’t already complained to C4, you drop them a line. (Feel free to crib my original correspondence which you can find here, together with the contact details you’ll need.) Or, if you have already been in touch with C4, contact them again to let them know we’re not shutting up.

(And do spread the word! A good friend of mine made the excellent point that there are probably thousands of IT Crowd fans, maybe not so ‘up’ on gender matters, who don’t know this is happening.)

Below is the reply email I’ve just sent which you’re very welcome to use if you wish.

Thank you so much!

Dear

Thank you for your email. I appreciate your response. However, the link you provided brings up a 'Page not found' message so wasn't very helpful. I did manage to find what I believe is the appropriate page on your website. I'm afraid the statement contained therein feels like lip service and does not address any of the issues I raised in my initial correspondence.

You claim that "The Speech" episode of the IT Crowd has been removed from your schedule because it “does not meet your standards". That is, frankly, laughable. This is a hilarious and brilliant piece of television that has been targeted by activists from a small but very vocal political group. To quote one of my trans friends, "Thanks a lot Channel 4 - you've made us look like a bunch of humourless narcissists”.

Your “standards” do not seem to be applied with any uniformity; some of the programmes I have watched on your station just in the past few weeks give far greater cause for offence (for those looking to be offended), yet they remain on the schedule. I can quote a dozen examples of content which could be deemed homophobic or transphobic or racist. And, of course, were I to list all the examples of misogyny in programmes shown across your network, it would take me the rest of the year. These programmes do seem to meet your standards.

What are these "audience expectations" to which you refer? Surely your audience is made up of a diverse range of people who do not think or react as one homogenous group? Those who do not like this episode of the IT Crowd are at perfect liberty not to watch it. I am a member of your audience and my expectation is that my favourite series is shown intact and not removed from view because you pander to bullies.

You cannot pretend you are unaware that the writer and director of the IT Crowd, Graham Linehan, has the been the target of some horrendous abuse due to his active support for women's sex-based rights. Whether you agree with his position on this issue or not, it should not affect the screening of his work. It is clear to me (and, seemingly, thousands of other C4 viewers) that you have given in to the vociferous activists who are seeking to sabotage his career.

The IT Crowd is one of the best things shown on Channel 4 - it is an outstanding piece of comedy writing and performance and deserves to be screened in its entirety. Shame on you for being so cowardly and not defending the man responsible for some of your best and most successful shows. Your actions demonstrate a total lack of artistic integrity and set a dangerous precedent. If you allow this sort of enforced censorship to dictate your output, I'm afraid your future is very bleak. 

Yours sincerely