Tom Daley: Diving For Britain

It takes a special kind of genius to make a documentary about Tom Daley that's a bit boring.
Well done the BBC!

Torchwood: Uncut?

There's been much kerfuffle this week over this story;
"JOHN Barrowman has clashed with the BBC by defending Torchwood's axed explicit gay sex scene - saying it was NOT gratuitous."
A word of warning though - THIS IS IN THE SUN!!!
IT MAY NOT BE TRUE!
They love to sensationalise and - quite literally - sex stories up.
You'd hope just two months after that "Pre-watershed gay TV kiss ban" (that never existed and was never proposed), people might be a bit more sceptical.
It was The Sun what broke it last weekend;
Barrowman bonk with a barman is banned by Beeb
"It has already been shown on US cable channel Starz, which co-funded the drama. But shocked Beeb bosses have cut it from the BBC1 version, fearing an avalanche of complaints from viewers..."
The Sun can only quote "an insider" - which means they may have made it up.
Or hacked someone's mobile phone.
Who can say.
Mr Ian Sider told them;
"It wasn't that it was a gay scene that worried people, but just the fact it was such an explicit sex scene, full stop.
"You can get away with scenes like that on American cable channels, but you can't on primetime BBC1."
A BBC spokesperson has said;
“The UK and US versions of Torchwood are slightly different. However these differences do not change the story in any way and the strong storylines are first and foremost to the series.”
Torchwood is shown after the watershed - the episode in question will be shown on BBC 1 next week.

Update: A certain Russell T Davies has emailed GT:
"Now be calm.
“There is a cut in Ep.3 to simultaneous gay AND straight sex scenes. As if I’d let them cut gay sex alone! Dear God. Have faith! They’re cut because the BBC thinks that, unusually, a young audience watches post-watershed Torchwood, because of Captain Jack. And it’s not as if Editorial Policy thinks sex is shocking in that context; they just think sex scenes cause embarrassment between kids and the adults watching, which encourages people to turn over. They want viewers to stay!
“And Ep.7 goes centre-stage with a proper, dark, beautiful, honest love story between two men, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever had my name on. So there’s been no degaying here! Seriously: as IF I would! Come on!
“Be calm!”
Quoted on Gay Times Online.

Thought For the Day: Evan Davis

"I think we have to tolerate other people's feelings. In the great spectrum of things, I don't think discrimination against gay men, or being barred from bed and breakfasts or pubs, is very prevalent.
"Put it this way: compared to most of the gay people I know, I am way to the other end of the spectrum in believing that people have a right to be bigoted. It would be unfair if gay people were denied legal rights that other people have but my libertarian self is big enough to say that there are some rights there. I don't know where we draw that line but people do have a right to say what they want happening in their house.
"[He is visibly conflicted on the point, aware of his own privilege. He doesn't want to be an] Uncle Tom who doesn't know you're a victim.
"But there's a statistical problem that arises here. It's the Ali G line: 'Is it cos I is black?' Now supposing you are black, or gay, or short, or some status that is perceived as disadvantageous.
"If you fix upon that status you will then make the statistical mistake of viewing the random knocks that anybody has in their life and assuming they're because you are black or gay."

Evan Davis, interviewed in The Evening Standard.
Philosophy as economics - Get 'er!

• Evan Davis presents Panorama: Breaking Into Britain on BBC1 tonight at 9pm.

The One Show: With Gilbert & George

Pure class.

I missed this programme on Wednesday - thanks to The Observer for the tip-off.
Watch it here.

Dancing On Ice: Walking On Thin Ice

This week's big news story: A simpleton wearing a bright purple leotard who appears in a show about ice skating has said something that may or may not have been homophobic.
Exciting!

Come Fly With Me: Plane Crash TV

Reviews of Matt Lucas and David Walliams' Come Fly With Me have been predictably stinking.
Though pointing out that the targets for their comedy are often society's victims now seems as tired and predictable as... well, as an episode of Little Britain Abroad.
In fact Come Fly With Me has a broad speculum of comic characters, from Fearghal (pictured), a campy gay air steward on a budget airline, to Moses, a campy gay "executive passenger liason officer".
Verily, as Matt Lucas has said; "All human life is there."
Currently halfway through its first series arguably Come Fly With Me's main problem is that it's just not very funny.
However The Sun today have managed to find someone to defend the show;
"David and Matt's new series is absolutely brilliant and very funny.
"I don't believe for one minute they have a racist bone in their bodies.
"They are falling victim to political correctness - just as I did. And political correctness is killing comedy."
Who be this?
None other than right-wing comedy legend and wifebeater, Jim Davidson.
Nick nick!

Fagburn Awards 21: TV Programme of the Year (Revised)

Toast.