Musing on Manning and today's programme
Well, Bernard Manning went and died between my post yesterday and the start of last night's programme. So, of course, we led with that.
He appeared on one of those deathlist websites (they predict which celebrities' deaths are imminent) only a few weeks ago, giving us an opportunity to interview him about that very gholish subject. And then Channel 4 had that mock funeral for him. Upshot: Some very relevant soundbites from him.
I watched the Tiswas Reunited show at the weekend. It's astonishing that 25 years ago it was OK to have Bernard Manning and Jim Davidson on a children's show. No way today. How things have changed.
All to do with the rise of alternative comedy? Well, things have changed there too. I remember in the Young Ones when Jim Barclay, dressed as a policeman, was being a racist bigot. The joke was he was being racist to a white man. Jim was wearing sunglasses and thought he was black. Oh, my aching sides. But when it was shown in 1982 his line after he removed his sunglasses was "Sorry John, I thought you was a n******". Full word spoken. OK at 9pm on BBC2 in 1982. When it's shown on UKTV G2 late at night now, the line's edited out. Mr Alternative Comedy Ben Elton was one of the writers then. And, of course, it was satirical, so he wasn't using it as offence. But it's just too controversial to be shown now.
Anyway, on the 5pm show today we're planning to lead with the transport authorities' attempt to woo us with the congestion charge. If the reaction of my car-loving colleagues is anything to go by, it'll be an uphill struggle.
Gordon Brown's been in town too. And Kevin Duffy's asked him about gun crime in the city.
It's also getting tougher to get a GP. Georja's been finding out why.
It's Jess Dunsdon's first 5pm news programme as anchor. She presented at 9 with Matt last night. I missed it. I feel a disciplinary coming on. But I am assured everything was ticketyboo.