Ross, Brand Etc, Again

Like many others, I've been giving this issue quite a bit of thought over the last few days.  Firstly I ask myself, do I have a right to have a view or comment?  Along with the vast majority of the other 10 000 or so complainants, I did not listen to the original broadcast. It clearly was not aimed at me or my age group (50+) and I would have neither known or cared about it without all this furore.

As many have said already, what gives me the right is the fact that I pay my licence fee.  While I've always believed the £100 or so I shell out each year is a bargain, it is not an insignificant figure.  For the most part I feel proud to contribute to what I believe is one of this country's greatest institutions.

Still, I was not intending to put my oar in until I heard yesterday afternoon's edition of Running Away on Radio 4.  Under other circumstances it would have been just another of those inoffensive afternoon offerings that reflect the lighter side of life.  In this programme presenter Tim Samuels takes a 'famous guest' to one of their favourite places, gleaning aspects of their life story along the way.  Yesterday it just happened to be Andrew Sachs.

I was expecting a series of anecdotes from his acting and comedy career.  Not the case.  It turns out that Andrew Sachs, the forgotten figure in all of this, was born in Germany, and the early years of his life had him caught up in the rise of the Nazis.  His family only just managed to escape capture and for a time his father was arrested.

And while listening to these revelations, I felt the anger rising.  Ross and Brand obviously had no idea they were dealing with a character who is far more than just an old sit-com comedian; someone who has seen and endured far more in life than they could ever imagine.  We who came after owe Andrew and his generation so much and any form of belittlement like this is most upsetting.

I understand the BBC is required to cater for all ages and tastes, and this includes the young.  But somewhere in the mix there has to be an element of the sort of respect which reflects the fact that older generations were once young and edgy themselves.  But then the times themselves had an edge; one which offered challenges far greater than in today's cosetted society.