Popetown goes global on the back of protests
-14/08/05
A ten-episode adult TV cartoon series scrapped by the BBC after protests about its alleged anti-Catholic content will go Europe-wide on DVD next month, after premiering successfully in New Zealand and Canada.
Popetown was commissioned by minority channel BBC Three in 2002, but was pulled from the schedules a year ago following 6,000 complaints by people who found its premiss offensive.
Alongside the plays Bezhti and Corpus Christi, and the London musical-turned-TV show Jerry Springer ñ The Opera, Popetown has become a test case for what many see as religiously-based censorship.
During the Springer controversy, Jonathan Bartley, director of the UK think-tank Ekklesia, warned that ìChristians will now be seen as wanting to have their religious cake and eat it ñ happy to defend their right to criticise other faiths when it suits, but protesting vigorously when anyone raises questions about their own beliefs.î
Popetown is an animated sitcom which looks at daily nuisances in the workplace, with one major twist. The workplace in question is the Vatican and the CEO happens to be a brattishly portrayed 77-year-old Pope.
Centring on the long-suffering and good hearted Father Nicholas and his daily struggle against life’s up and downs, the programme’s voice cast includes Ruby Wax, Jerry Hall, Matt Lucas (from hit show Little Britain), comedian Bob Mortimer and Mackenzie Crook (from The Office and Extras).
The Catholic Church in Britain was shocked by the idea of Popetown, and the BBC’s Stuart Murphy finally decided to cancel it on grounds of lack of quality, declaring that ìthere is a fine judgement line in comedy between the scurrilously funny and the offensive.î
But when the Rt Rev Crispian Hollis, Bishop of Portsmouth, attacked the show by saying that ìany attempt to belittle or diminish [the Pope’s] status as the leader of the Catholic Church is totally unacceptableî, free speech campaigners were outraged.
The BBC said at the time that it might recoup some of the show’s £2.5 million production costs through broadcast and video sales by BBC Worldwide and the series’ creator, independent production firm Channel X. In Britain, E4 were thought to be interested.
On 8 June this year Popetown premiered on New Zealand’s C4, gaining a 25% audience share among 15-29 year-olds. The Catholic Church there has repeatedly condemned the programme, and is in the midst of an official complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
However, New Zealand Catholic communications officer Lyndsay Freer originally said that she ìcouldn’t take it seriously enough to consider it harmful or offensiveî, according to the official Popetown website.
In Canada, meanwhile, Catholics are calling for a boycott of media conglomerate CanWest over its screening in July.
Popetown’s director, Phil Ox, has branded those who want to stop the show from being broadcast ìevilî, and its backers say ìmindless attacksî by ìmany who have not even seen itî are only adding to its ìcult statusî.
Revolver Productions, who are putting Popetown out on European Region DVD in September 2005, say that it is ìan incredible piece of work with an outstanding cast, [and] weíre delighted to have acquired it despite stiff competition from bigger organisations.î However, anti-censorship website Mediawatchwatch.org.uk has dubbed it ìcrapî.
Director Ox told journalists last week: ìI am glad that it is finally out thereî, adding, with obvious tongue-in-cheek delight, ìI should just remind everybody that viewing this show can destroy your soul.î
But NZ youth e-zine Stuff wonders what all the fuss is about, observing: ìIt’s kind of cute, extremely puerile, fantastic to look at in a retro ’50s and ’60s sort of way and, despite the well-publicised anxieties… has really very little to do with the Catholic Church.î
When the original controversy broke, London vicar, philosophy lecturer and Ekklesia associate Giles Fraser said that ìThe decision to withdraw Popetown suggests a religion that cannot laugh at itself, a religion of claustrophobic disapproval, a religion where control is smuggled in under the guise of sensitivity. OK, sometimes the laughter is cruel – but there are bigger issues at stake. For the ability to laugh at oneself is perhaps the most effective litmus test which detects healthy from dangerous religion.î
The National Secular Society is reported to have made the first episode of the series available in advance to its members, who were unimpressed.
UK on-line merchant Amazon is not yet among those offering the Popetown DVD for order at present.
A ten-episode adult TV cartoon series scrapped by the BBC after protests about its alleged anti-Catholic content will go Europe-wide on DVD next month, after premiering successfully in New Zealand and Canada.
Popetown was commissioned by minority channel BBC Three in 2002, but was pulled from the schedules a year ago following 6,000 complaints by people who found its premiss offensive.
Alongside the plays Bezhti and Corpus Christi, and the London musical-turned-TV show Jerry Springer – The Opera, Popetown has become a test case for what many see as religiously-based censorship.
During the Springer controversy, Jonathan Bartley, director of the UK think-tank Ekklesia, warned that ‘Christians will now be seen as wanting to have their religious cake and eat it – happy to defend their right to criticise other faiths when it suits, but protesting vigorously when anyone raises questions about their own beliefs.’
Popetown is an animated sitcom which looks at daily nuisances in the workplace, with one major twist. The workplace in question is the Vatican and the CEO happens to be a brattishly portrayed 77-year-old Pope.
Centring on the long-suffering and good hearted Father Nicholas and his daily struggle against life’s up and downs, the programme’s voice cast includes Ruby Wax, Jerry Hall, Matt Lucas (from hit show Little Britain), comedian Bob Mortimer and Mackenzie Crook (from The Office and Extras).
The Catholic Church in Britain was shocked by the idea of Popetown, and the BBC’s Stuart Murphy finally decided to cancel it on grounds of lack of quality, declaring that ‘there is a fine judgement line in comedy between the scurrilously funny and the offensive.’
But when the Rt Rev Crispian Hollis, Bishop of Portsmouth, attacked the show by saying that ‘any attempt to belittle or diminish [the Pope’s] status as the leader of the Catholic Church is totally unacceptable’, free speech campaigners were outraged.
The BBC said at the time that it might recoup some of the show’s £2.5 million production costs through broadcast and video sales by BBC Worldwide and the series’ creator, independent production firm Channel X. In Britain, E4 were thought to be interested.
On 8 June this year Popetown premiered on New Zealand’s C4, gaining a 25% audience share among 15-29 year-olds. The Catholic Church there has repeatedly condemned the programme, and is in the midst of an official complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
However, New Zealand Catholic communications officer Lyndsay Freer originally said that she ‘couldn’t take it seriously enough to consider it harmful or offensive’, according to the official Popetown website.
In Canada, meanwhile, Catholics are calling for a boycott of media conglomerate CanWest over its screening in July.
Popetown’s director, Phil Ox, has branded those who want to stop the show from being broadcast ‘evil’, and its backers say ‘mindless attacks’ by ‘many who have not even seen it’ are only adding to its ‘cult status’.
Revolver Productions, who are putting Popetown out on European Region DVD in September 2005, say that it is ‘an incredible piece of work with an outstanding cast, [and] we’re delighted to have acquired it despite stiff competition from bigger organisations.’ However, anti-censorship website Mediawatchwatch.org.uk has dubbed it ‘crap’.
Director Ox told journalists last week: ‘I am glad that it is finally out there’, adding, with obvious tongue-in-cheek delight, ‘I should just remind everybody that viewing this show can destroy your soul.’
But NZ youth e-zine Stuff wonders what all the fuss is about, observing: ‘It’s kind of cute, extremely puerile, fantastic to look at in a retro ’50s and ’60s sort of way and, despite the well-publicised anxieties… has really very little to do with the Catholic Church.’
When the original controversy broke, London vicar, philosophy lecturer and Ekklesia associate Giles Fraser said that ‘The decision to withdraw Popetown suggests a religion that cannot laugh at itself, a religion of claustrophobic disapproval, a religion where control is smuggled in under the guise of sensitivity. OK, sometimes the laughter is cruel – but there are bigger issues at stake. For the ability to laugh at oneself is perhaps the most effective litmus test which detects healthy from dangerous religion.’
The National Secular Society is reported to have made the first episode of the series available in advance to its members, who were unimpressed.
UK on-line merchant Amazon is not yet among those offering the Popetown DVD for order at present.