How ironic it is that Nick Ross, peerless presenter of the BBC’s Crimewatch, should be mugged in broad daylight by his employers. He was uninjured – but they made off with his job and he is unlikely to get it back.
In fact, Nick wisely handed it over rather than put up a fight – someone could have been hurt.
Whatever an embarrassed BBC says, you can be sure that Nick was targeted because of his age. At 59 he did not fit in with a planned revamp of the programme – his programme (he launched it in 1984 and was at the heart of production, both on and off screen) – and was deemed too old.
So they squeezed him out in a classic corporate coup, the usual squalid affair where meetings are held behind the doomed person’s back and decisions taken without their knowledge.
We all know how it works.
Too old at 59? What a joke! In the US they value their experienced anchors. Barbara Walters, veteran interviewer, still hosts the influential daily talk show The View at the age of 75. Larry King, 73, is required nightly viewing.
Dan Rather and Peter Jennings vied for ratings on their flagship news bulletins as they chased each other through their 60s.
Junking Nick Ross will, of course, turn out to be the death knell for a programme that relied heavily on his journalistic instincts and experience to make it fly. Did the BBC conduct one of its wretched “focus groups” to find out whether the presenter was too old? Did it secretly poll its viewers? I doubt it.
There is a new orthodoxy at Television Centre and Ross is one of its first male victims. Women have long been elbowed aside in a misdirected scramble for the “yoof” audience – Anna Ford, Moira Stuart.
Now it’s the turn of the alpha males. Will the likes of Huw Edwards and Jeremy Paxman be next? Let’s see: they’re popular; they do a good job; they’re well into middle-age; yup, I give them both about six months.
PC BRIGADE DID BERNARD MANNING AN AWFUL INJUSTICE
JUDY WRITES...
I heard Bernard Manning had died on the BBC radio news as we drove home from work on Monday. I was shocked, not at his death because he had been ill for a long time but at the cold and brusque announcement.
After baldly stating that he had died, the newsreader launched into an account of how offensive his humour was and how racist. That was that. No acknowledgment that he could be hysterically funny, no fond memories of him from other comics, by whom he was much loved.
On the BBC television news later, Fiona Bruce announced his death in the same way. A terse reference to his controversial humour, especially offensive to racial minorities.
This is true, especially in Manning’s later years. It is by no means the whole truth, however.
When I started out in television my first job was as a runner and one of the shows I worked on was The Comedians. Bernard’s humour was much gentler then and he was an outstanding stand-up comic. He was also a kind and lovely man.
Later on the ITV news, Mark Austin was much kinder, acknowledging that he was controversial but also very successful and very funny.
ITV interviewed Johnny Hamp, the Granada executive who dreamed up The Comedians and who, like me, remembered Manning as a pussy cat.
The BBC has recently acknowledged that it has a built-in liberal Left-wing bias. The tone of its handling of Bernard Manning’s death was about as politically correct as you can get.
It was also cold, uncaring and disrespectful to a man who, for all his flaws, was extremely talented. And he had just died, for God’s sake.
THE B.B.C.A LAW UNTO THEMSELVES.
24.06.07, 7:27pm
The whole of the B.B.C. from the top down stinks to high heaven.
Roll on the day their t.v. tax is withdrawn.
Following the death of Bernard Manning I just happened to be watching the programme "The Right Stuff" on channel 5 when they got round to discusssing the comedians sad departure. I was both amazed, disappointed and disgusted when a certain panel member by the name of Yasmin or Jasmin something or other almost clapped her hands with glee and with what can only be described as a sickly grin on her face stated she was delighted (or words to that effect) that he had died! But then, being a self confessed Muslim woman "she would wouldn't she! I'm just more than a little surprised that other mobs of "placard waving, effigy and flag burning" Muslims weren't out demonstrating and shouting their abuse's on the streets again! God help this beautiful country of ours and save us from these racist alien fanatics!
alroy.
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THE B.B.C.A LAW UNTO THEMSELVES.
24.06.07, 7:27pm
The whole of the B.B.C. from the top down stinks to high heaven.
Roll on the day their t.v. tax is withdrawn.
• Posted by: rozipoz • Report Comment
RE: JUDY & BERNARD MANNING
24.06.07, 1:47pm
Following the death of Bernard Manning I just happened to be watching the programme "The Right Stuff" on channel 5 when they got round to discusssing the comedians sad departure. I was both amazed, disappointed and disgusted when a certain panel member by the name of Yasmin or Jasmin something or other almost clapped her hands with glee and with what can only be described as a sickly grin on her face stated she was delighted (or words to that effect) that he had died! But then, being a self confessed Muslim woman "she would wouldn't she! I'm just more than a little surprised that other mobs of "placard waving, effigy and flag burning" Muslims weren't out demonstrating and shouting their abuse's on the streets again! God help this beautiful country of ours and save us from these racist alien fanatics!
alroy.
• Posted by: alroy • Report Comment
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