Cyderdelic
Encyclopedia
Cyderdelic was a BBC Three
spoof documentary
following the activities of a 'West Country direct action group within the growing anti-capitalist movement'. It was subtitled 'The Revolution Will Be Televised'.
Cyderdelic was narrated by John Peel
and starred Barry Castagnola (Beetle), Marc Wootton
(Su Long), Liam Woodman (Frogger), and followed the trio over two months as they traveled from the May Day demonstrations
to the sunrise celebrations at Stonehenge
. The lads spread their philosophy – 'overthrow capitalism and replace it with something nicer', 'cut the traffic, not the trees' and 'most women and foreigners can be as good as men'.
. The contentious scene showed spoof ecowarrior Su holding an art exhibition entitled 'England is Shit'.
The complaint centred around the depiction of the Cross ('one of the most central symbols of the Christian faith') covered in excrement. Later in the same scene one of the central characters stated repeatedly that 'Jesus Christ is a bell end.'
BBC Producers' Guidelines 6.8 and 6.9 state that "deep offence will be caused by profane references or disrespect, whether verbal or visual, directed at deities, scriptures, holy days and rituals which are at the heart of various religions." and that "the use of names [considered holy by believers, for example Jesus Christ or God] as expletives in drama or light entertainment causes distress far beyond their dramatic or humorous value." It should also be noted that blasphemy remains a criminal offence in England and Wales.
However, the complaint was not upheld by the BBC Programme Complaints Unit, on the justification that the scenes mocked the "ludicrous pretensions of this pompous and self-regarding character" as well as the British modern art scene, that only a single complaint had been received, and that the show aired late at night on an 'experimental' channel.
The complainant however wrote to the BBC Governors
, who decided to overrule the original decision and uphold the complaint. They concluded: "Members agreed with the complainant that the references about which he had complained were clearly in breach of the BBC Producers' Guidelines".
This decision was reported in national and international press, and had particular resonance following the decision not to show the Popetown
cartoon series on the BBC.
The ruling was also brought back into public debate during the controversy over Jerry Springer – The Opera, and was one of the reference documents used by the BBC Governors when they debated whether Jerry Springer – The Opera was itself blasphemous.
The original decision of the Governors was to ban any repeat or sale of the offending episode, but following a campaign by Cyderdelic fans this position was softened and repeats and a DVD release were allowed with the contentious scene removed.
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
spoof documentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
following the activities of a 'West Country direct action group within the growing anti-capitalist movement'. It was subtitled 'The Revolution Will Be Televised'.
Cyderdelic was narrated by John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
and starred Barry Castagnola (Beetle), Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton is an English character comedian. He is perhaps best known for his role as the fake medium and psychic, Shirley Ghostman, on the BBC Three series, High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman and he also appeared in Nativity!- Career :...
(Su Long), Liam Woodman (Frogger), and followed the trio over two months as they traveled from the May Day demonstrations
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
to the sunrise celebrations at Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
. The lads spread their philosophy – 'overthrow capitalism and replace it with something nicer', 'cut the traffic, not the trees' and 'most women and foreigners can be as good as men'.
Awards
Cyderdelic was shortlisted for the 2001 Perrier Award and in 2002 won the BBC Two Greenlight Award.Blasphemy
Cyderdelic was at the centre of a complaint of blasphemy after a viewer felt that a scene in the first series show 'Environmental' mocked the CrucifixionCrucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
. The contentious scene showed spoof ecowarrior Su holding an art exhibition entitled 'England is Shit'.
The complaint centred around the depiction of the Cross ('one of the most central symbols of the Christian faith') covered in excrement. Later in the same scene one of the central characters stated repeatedly that 'Jesus Christ is a bell end.'
BBC Producers' Guidelines 6.8 and 6.9 state that "deep offence will be caused by profane references or disrespect, whether verbal or visual, directed at deities, scriptures, holy days and rituals which are at the heart of various religions." and that "the use of names [considered holy by believers, for example Jesus Christ or God] as expletives in drama or light entertainment causes distress far beyond their dramatic or humorous value." It should also be noted that blasphemy remains a criminal offence in England and Wales.
However, the complaint was not upheld by the BBC Programme Complaints Unit, on the justification that the scenes mocked the "ludicrous pretensions of this pompous and self-regarding character" as well as the British modern art scene, that only a single complaint had been received, and that the show aired late at night on an 'experimental' channel.
The complainant however wrote to the BBC Governors
Board of Governors of the BBC
The Board of Governors of the BBC was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It consisted of twelve people who together regulated the BBC and represented the interests of the public. It existed from 1927 until it was replaced by the BBC Trust on 1 January 2007.The governors...
, who decided to overrule the original decision and uphold the complaint. They concluded: "Members agreed with the complainant that the references about which he had complained were clearly in breach of the BBC Producers' Guidelines".
This decision was reported in national and international press, and had particular resonance following the decision not to show the Popetown
Popetown
Popetown is a controversial animated sitcom, billed by its producers as "Father Ted meets South Park", following the doodles and scribblings of a student at school during a lesson. His drawings depict the life of Father Nicholas, who lives in a Vatican City parody referred to as "Popetown"...
cartoon series on the BBC.
The ruling was also brought back into public debate during the controversy over Jerry Springer – The Opera, and was one of the reference documents used by the BBC Governors when they debated whether Jerry Springer – The Opera was itself blasphemous.
The original decision of the Governors was to ban any repeat or sale of the offending episode, but following a campaign by Cyderdelic fans this position was softened and repeats and a DVD release were allowed with the contentious scene removed.
DVD
A Cyderdelic DVD was released on 3 July 2006External links
- Official Cyderdelic Website
- The Guardian
- BBC News
- The Times
- Fooling Nobody Marc Wootton's official website and blog