Phone Sachs

4500 complaints, ok then 4498, well actually it was 2. Yes just 2 complaints at the time about a prank phone call made to someone who in the past has had his fair share of smacks on the head, fingers in the eye and now suffered GBH of the ear hole.Now, either there were only 2 people listening to the show, or Andrew Sachs got su interior to complain also on their families’ behalf. So most of the complaints came after the newspaper article highlighting the broadcasting god’s bleak moment.

Were they out of order?As a born and bred Englishman who has grown up with the comedy mentality, ‘If you can’t laugh at yourself who can you laugh at’? Us Brits have always been good at that, a celebrity is barely cold before we are texting jokes about the newly, dearly departed.I have never once put pen to paper to complain about anything I have seen, heard or read about, I am one of those consumers that know where the ‘Off button’ is. But let’s just hit pause for a minute because why should I deprive myself of entertainment from two of Britain’s TV’s top presenters who border on genius? Surely I can accept and get over the fact that these two giants of the entertainment world can make a little mistake? Initially it was a mere slip of the tongue by Ross (and I’m not talking metaphorically here) but then ballooned into several attempts and to be honest a broadcasting disaster, an unfunny, thoughtless piece of something rhyming with prank. If Jonathan was asked to rank this particular offering from his extensive career on air I am certain he would himself admit it was pwetty low wanking.

Now here is my first point, Jonathan Ross in my view is in the top 3 of TV and radio personalities and he is not 2 or 3.

Russell Brand? I have only just recently started to get into him, but like millions of his fans I don’t really understand him. He took my viewing virginity while presenting either the Brits or MTV awards and like many first times it was painful, disappointing and a turn off, I definitely hit the right button, ‘The off one’

I never really bothered about anything that came under the Russell ‘Brand’ after that first flirt until I came across him by accident in the movie ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’. In that he was brilliant. And this is when I realised his real strengths, it was almost as if they said to him in between scenes, ‘Ok Russell, what would you say there’? Like his lines from the script were overlooked by the secretary as she typed, perhaps Russell was shagging her also and she found it difficult to concentrate on her real task in hand. I am a huge fan of Russell don’t get me wrong, but giving him a microphone is like giving Osama Bin Laden the job of chief air traffic controller at Heathrow airport. Give him a pen he is genius, amplify his thoughts into the spoken word and you have anarchy.

This is where the ultimate blame rests with the controllers of the BBC, they know what he is like, they even had the ‘New’ technology enabling them to listen to the recording of the recording of the recorded answer machine message.

If that wasn’t a big enough insult to the little man who was chased by matador Basil round Fawlty towers in every episode, is now hounded by an even bigger ‘Bully’ who thinks it’s ok to broadcast his conquests to whoever might have tuned in to listen to quality comedy and been disappointed by childish almost drunken schoolboy behavior that would, back in my day, be broadcast from a little red box not Broadcasting house. Can you imagine Manuel at his answer machine after a day out at the seaside with his family, all sitting in the lounge with their tea and scones pressing play on his answer machine, or even worse, listening in the car on the way home to the show? ‘KE’

The BBC is 97% to blame for this incident, Brand 1% (For the follow up calls not the original) and Jonathan Ross 2% for being the instigator, he really is above that and I can’t begin to imagine why he would get caught up in something so delinquent.

As for the 150,000 pound fine is concerned, the license fee, tax paying public should not foot the bill, let all three parties concerned learn a 50 grand lesson in broadcasting, and Russell, stick to stand up live shows in venues where people know what to expect, I’m not saying for one second pull the curtains on the great Russell Brand I am suggesting you are far more talented than you sometimes demonstrate. I would prefer you stuck to writing, you are an incredible human with an astounding mind, but you need taming occasionally you tiger you, GGGrrrrrrrr