|
Stephen Fry Slams British TV
Stephen Fry has criticised British TV saying it is "shocking" how "infantilised" adult programmes have become.
"I'm not saying TV should be pompous and academic, but it should surprise and astonish," he said.
The comedian and writer was speaking at the annual Bafta Television Lecture in London.
Fry said: "The only drama the BBC will boast about are Merlin and Doctor Who, which are fine but they're children's programmes. They're not for adults.
"And they're very good children's programmes, don't get me wrong, they're wonderfully written... but they are not for adults.
"They are like a chicken nugget. Every now and again we all like it. Every now and again."
He added: "If you are an adult you want something surprising, savoury, sharp, unusual, cosmopolitan, alien, challenging, complex, ambiguous, possibly even slightly disturbing and wrong," he said.
"You want to try those things, because that's what being adult means.
"It's children's television, it's entirely infantilised. It's not grown up."
Fry praised US TV, which he said provided "surprise and shock and adulthood".
He also said BBC's comedy shows such as Gavin and Stacey and Little Britain were "very successful", also "unbelievably Balkanised".
"They are set into a particular demographic. This is what I mean by television not being the nation's fireplace. It's just all parcelled and I don't know that there's a solution to it," he added.
waveguide.co.uk
Who Writer Hits Back At Stephen Fry
Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat has hit back at Stephen Fry's criticism of the "infantilism" of British TV, defending the show as one for all the family.
Moffat said the "high end" show could not be compared with junk food.
He was speaking at a screening of the first part of the grand finale of this series of Doctor Who.
The episode features Daleks, a wrestling match with a Cyberman head and Romans.
It also sees some familiar faces make a return and tear-jerking scenes involving the Doctor's assistant Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan.
The episode is titled The Pandorica Opens, the Pandorica being a Pandora's Box-like holder of the most feared things in the universe.
Asked about Fry's comments, Moffat said Fry was a big Doctor Who fan and joked he was trying to sound "grown up".
He said of Doctor Who: "It was designed specifically to be a family programme, that's what it's for.
Fry argued this week that heavily promoted shows like Doctor Who, while being good programmes, are for children. During a question and answer session after a speech, Fry told the audience: "If I wanted to be angry ... I would say infantilism's the problem...
"The only drama the BBC will boast about are Merlin and Doctor Who, which are fine but they're children's programmes.
waveguide.co.uk
|
