BBC bans all male panel shows

dark crystal · 10-02-2014 11:55AM #1

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2555111/All-male-comedy-panels-BANNED-BBC-pledges-include-women-shows.html

All-male comedy panel shows will be consigned to the history books, after BBC bosses told producers that female guests must now be involved with the programmes...

...BBC2’s QI and Mock the Week came under fire for 'rarely having women represented or only having "token women" on their programmes.'

In 2011, Victoria Wood said of panel shows: 'I don’t like them. They are a male preserve. That’s all right, that’s how they are. It is more of a male characteristic to want to top somebody’s gags.’
Meanwhile, Lee Mack, who is a team captain on BBC1’s Would I Lie To You?, said men are better suited to being stand-up comedians as they are more competitive - and therefore dominate TV panel shows as a result.

The 45-year-old, who wrote and starred in the BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out, added: ‘The problem isn’t that there’s not enough women in panel games.

'The problem is there’s not enough women in comedy in general.’

What a ridiculously patronising decision by the BBC. Panel shows should be funny, regardless of the gender of the panellists.

I'm not a subscriber to the notion that women can't be funny, they most certainly can, but to book a comedienne on the basis of gender alone seems completely condescending and over the top PC.

By all means, book more women, but for the love of Stephen Fry, at least do it based on merit, not just because they're women!

Newaglish · 10-02-2014 11:56AM

Well it's definitely not going to solve the problem of only having "token women"

Ihatecuddles · 10-02-2014 11:57AM

I'm one of those people that haven't found a funny female stand up. Not for lack of trying either.

iDave · 10-02-2014 11:58AM

BBC2’s QI and Mock the Week came under fire for 'rarely having women represented or only having "token women" on their programmes.'

So the solution to having token women on the shows is to make token women mandatory. Couldn't make it up.

Professey Chin · 10-02-2014 11:58AM

Will Loose Women and stuff like that be banned too?

Wait, just comedy shows? That's even sillier!

Lando Griffin · 10-02-2014 12:00PM

1st guest should be Mrs Brown from the hit tv series Mrs Browns Boys.

Qualitymark · 10-02-2014 12:02PM

One of those sentences where a hyphen would make all the difference. I think you mean 'bans all-male panel shows'; a bit less sensational!

mauzo! wrote: »

I'm one of those people that haven't found a funny female stand up. Not for lack of trying either.

Depends on what you find funny, perhaps?

Dyr · 10-02-2014 12:03PM

Wait? Victoria Wood is actually a comedian?

looksee · 10-02-2014 12:04PM

What a ridiculous ruling. Next thing will be a compulsory female on Top Gear. Come to think of it a female on that programme might be a good idea, if they could find a woman willing to be other than purely decorative. Can you imagine a female in the desert trying to drive a 4xdrive in high heeled sandals.

I too find the idea of 'compulsory women' condescending and patronising.

phasers · 10-02-2014 12:05PM

That's bloody stupid. There are less female comedians on the circuit, of course they're going to be less represented on panel shows.

You all know what this means right? More Sarah Millican and her stupid fat cake jokes

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 10-02-2014 12:05PM

Bambi wrote: »

Wait? Victoria Wood is actually a comedian?

she's the only funny female comedian I've ever seen. my mother had a vhs tape of hers years ago, was great.

Royale with Cheese · 10-02-2014 12:05PM

This can only lead to more Miranda Hart on tv. Yay.

dark crystal · 10-02-2014 12:07PM

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

she's the only funny female comedian I've ever seen. my mother had a vhs tape of hers years ago, was great.

My mother loved her too - I actually thought Acorn Antiques was hilarious!

Turtyturd · 10-02-2014 12:08PM

Stand up lessons for women would surely yield better results.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 10-02-2014 12:08PM

dark crystal wrote: »

My mother loved her too - I actually thought Acorn Antiques was hilarious!

that was one of my favourite parts as well

force eleven · 10-02-2014 12:13PM

Gender quotas are a joke in any walk of life. If the Dail was 100% women, wouldn't give a damn as long as they did the job. We're far to PC nowadays to stay stop this nonsense and let the best people, male or female, get the jobs.

Qualitymark · 10-02-2014 12:14PM

Turtyturd wrote: »

Stand up lessons for women would surely yield better results.

And is it men who'd give women these lessons? The male comedians who go on and on about their mickeys, with a sad snigger?

Take a look at Old Jews Telling Jokes if you don't think women are funny. Plenty of great jokes there, by both men and women, told with spectacular timing and elegance.

gramar · 10-02-2014 12:14PM

Jesus, I hope that doesn't mean that we're going to see more of twink on the telly.

anncoates · 10-02-2014 12:16PM

gramar wrote: »

Jesus, I hope that doesn't mean that we're going to see more of twink on the telly.

Thankfully I think it only applies to women that are intentionally comic.

danniemcq · 10-02-2014 12:16PM

From QI

Stephen
Oh! I say. But recent studies appear to have shown an interesting thing, which is that women laugh more but they laugh less at women. Women laugh more at men. Audiences, generally, laugh more at men, but women themselves do more laughing.

https://sites.google.com/site/qitranscripts/transcripts/7x07

personally if the panel is funny i'll watch but if they are just adding someone to make up numbers then the quality suffers. There are some very very funny women out there but to me it seems that there isn't that many of them. This means that in an effort to be equal they are going to add more and more medicore or crap women comedians and this will make things worse not better

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcqrM96M

of some of that QI show

10-02-2014 12:17PM

Yay for Affirmative Action!

Turtyturd · 10-02-2014 12:17PM

Qualitymark wrote: »

And is it men who'd give women these lessons? The male comedians who go on and on about their mickeys, with a sad snigger?

You class that as comedy?

Qualitymark · 10-02-2014 12:19PM

DannieHasABrazilian wrote: »

There are some very very funny women out there but to me it seems that there isn't that many of them.

Thing is, that's the same argument that used to be made about women suitable to be newsreaders, about women sub-editors, women in the police, women doctors, etc. Cometh the hour, cometh the woman.

Davarus Walrus · 10-02-2014 12:20PM

QI is about as funny as piles anyway, regardless of whether the panelists have a cock or not.

Stephen Fry is one self-important pompous arsehole.

eviltwin · 10-02-2014 12:20PM

Stupid decision and I say that as a woman.

It would be one thing if there was discrimination against women and none ever featured on these shows but QI - the only one of these I would watch regulary - has had plenty of women on in the past. Jo Brand is a regular. There are more male comedians than female so it makes sense that there would be more men on these kind of shows. I don't think that is sexist.

Lapin · 10-02-2014 12:45PM

phasers wrote: »

That's bloody stupid. There are less female comedians on the circuit, of course they're going to be less represented on panel shows.

This is true.

And the percentage of female 'comedians' who are actually funny is a lot less.

Crass decision by the Beeb.

What next? Not enough black people on every panel show. Not enough gays, Irish, Armenians, Brummies?

Popularity amongst an audience should dictate who appears on game shows - not gender.

Annasopra · 10-02-2014 12:47PM

gramar wrote: »

Jesus, I hope that doesn't mean that we're going to see more of twink on the telly.

On the bbc?

gramar · 10-02-2014 12:54PM

anncoates wrote: »

Thankfully I think it only applies to women that are intentionally comic.

yah, my mistake...I got comedian mixed up with laughing stock

mango salsa wrote: »

On the bbc?

Look at Brendan o'Carroll. They can't get enough of him!

Santa Cruz · 10-02-2014 01:03PM

gramar wrote: »

Jesus, I hope that doesn't mean that we're going to see more of twink on the telly.

The idea of comedians is to laugh at their jokes not at them.

wandatowell · 10-02-2014 01:09PM

BBC2’s QI and Mock the Week came under fire for 'rarely having women represented or only having "token women" on their programmes.'

So Sandi Toksvig is a token women?

She is hilarious, always her stuff and I'm delighted when she pops up on QI
though Im watch it on Netflix so probably not up to date.

py2006 · 10-02-2014 01:11PM

Now lets find some token loose men...

BBC bans all male panel shows

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