Favourable Feedback From the BBC Regarding My Complaint
By
Tempie
Copyright © 2011
Firstly, I would like to publicly thank BBC Complaints for their very passionate and prompt response to my complaint against their, 3 August episode of BBC One soap opera Doctors. Their opening was thanking me for contacting them and apologizing that I was so upset, “ …We’re sorry you were so upset by the 3 August episode….”
As I exercised my right as a loyal viewer as well as a concerned citizen who questioned in my article and complaint, “ Is The BBC a Hate-Crime Bully?,” I feel it very important and just to also share their response. For they additionally took the time to explain in detail and put answers to all of the questions I referenced to in my article giving me more insight and a better understanding.
Secondly, I won’t be able to go into detail all that was said, however, I will share all of the relevance I can below feeling much better now having made my concerns known and am very appreciative of the acknowledgement and awareness outcome of the BBC,
“ …We’d assure you your concerns have been registered on our audience log, which is a daily report of audience feedback that’s circulated to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers. Thanks again for taking the trouble to contact us…”
I would additionally like to say that for me having gone through all the processes I knew available to express my concern including the BBC, Ofcom, Equality Commission as well as my husband, it is very comforting to have received favourable responses from each of them. It truly restores faith in the system. It continues to echo that each side should be heard and then justice through diplomacy can be reached. It shows that every person has the right to agree or disagree on a matter and that the reasons and outcomes of actions should be known and all circumstances which could possible cause affect be taken into consideration.
I am pleased to share also from the BBC who went into depth their explanation to the entire storyline and characters and proposed outcome of the 3 August episode of BBC soap opera Doctors, “… All the scenes in this episode were considered very carefully before their inclusion and were integral to the culmination of the racism storyline between Mrs Tembe and Trevor, as they prompt her to stand up to Trevor and confront him and his accomplices. ‘Doctors’ is always extremely careful to use words which could cause offence sparingly and within context, and any actions taken by characters in scenes are portrayed in a manner which is appropriate for daytime viewers. … We therefore can’t agree that the 3 August episode was, as you claim, ‘blatant promotion of racial hatred’, but we appreciate and acknowledge the strength of your views on this matter….”
Thirdly, further explanation of the episode from BBC is as follows, “…The episode also sees regular cast member, Heston, show his shock at the victimisation of Mrs Tembe as he tries to persuade her to go to the police. The BBC has a very strict set of Editorial Guidelines, which all programmes must adhere to, and which are always taken into account to ensure that episodes are suitable for pre-watershed viewing.
As you mention, the culmination of the story sees Mrs Tembe confront Trevor, Grace and his friends and stand up to them. She goes out in Botswanan dress and challenges what they have done nd said to her all day and knows that after speaking to Trevor she has challenged him and what he has been saying and doing.
Her victory was to stand up to Trevor and stop him from harming her by his actions.
We hope that if you watched ‘Doctors’ on the following day, you also saw Sgt Rob Hollins go to speak to Trevor and give him some friendly advice ‘off the record’ that he is going to do everything he can to close down the nationalist gang that Trevor was a member of, and that if Trevor goes anywhere Mrs Tembe again he will prosecute him. He also asked Trevor what kind of role model he is to Cameron – reiterating what Mrs Tembe said to him. Trevor says he doesn’t want to be involved anymore but the nationalists won’t let it go, so Rob suggests he should think about moving on. Later in the episode when Mrs Tembe goes back to pack before going away, she sees Trevor and Cameron move out. Trevor won’t be troubling her any more…”
Lastly, I will conclude that I along with my husband are still loyal viewers of the BBC and BBC One soap opera Doctors. As I still feel the very same way as I did from my original statement in my article, “…The storylines have touched on varied topics and it has for me being born in America and now living in England with a different environment, set of standards and processes; has served as a cultural educational awareness and understanding of current dramas that are continually in the news….”
I speak on behalf of my husband in all that I say. We thank BBC Complaints , Ofcom, Equality Commission and ALL that have responded and the many that have given support to our concerns…