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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sully- who wrote (57455)	4/11/2007 7:43:34 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 90947

BBC Pulls Movie on Iraq War Hero Because It's 'Too Positive' Media Research Center "A planned TV drama based on the exploits of a British Iraq war hero has been dropped by the BBC," FNC's Brit Hume reported in his Grapevine segment on Monday night. Picking up on a Sunday Telegraph of London story, Hume related how the paper quoted "a source close to the project as saying the BBC began to have second thoughts about the project last year because it was hesitant to show anything positive about the war." The movie was based on Private Johnson Beharry, the youngest person to earn Britain's highest award for valor. The newspaper reported he received the Victoria Cross for his "courage in rescuing an ambushed foot patrol then, in a second act, saving his vehicle's crew despite his own terrible injuries." The Sunday Telegraph revealed that the BBC "has cancelled the commission for a 90-minute drama about Britain's youngest surviving Victoria Cross hero because it feared it would alienate members of the audience opposed to the war in Iraq. The BBC's retreat from the project, which had the working title Victoria Cross, has sparked accusations of cowardice and will reignite the debate about the broadcaster's alleged lack of patriotism." Hume's April 9 Grapevine segment on Special Report with Brit Hume: "A planned TV drama based on the exploits of a British Iraq war hero has been dropped by the BBC. The Sunday Telegraph quotes a source close to the project as saying the BBC began to have second thoughts about the project last year because it was hesitant to show anything positive about the war. Private Johnson Beharry twice braved ambushes to lead troops to safety, becoming the first person to receive Britain's highest award for valor -- the Victoria Cross, the first in 25 years. The BBC confirms the decision but won't comment on the reasons." An excerpt from the April 8 Sunday Telegraph article: <<< Hero's tale is 'too positive' for the BBC By Chris Hastings, Arts and Media Editor Amid the deaths and the grim daily struggle bravely borne by Britain's forces in southern Iraq, one tale of heroism stands out. Private Johnson Beharry's courage in rescuing an ambushed foot patrol then, in a second act, saving his vehicle's crew despite his own terrible injuries earned him a Victoria Cross. For the BBC, however, his story is "too positive" about the conflict. The corporation has cancelled the commission for a 90-minute drama about Britain's youngest surviving Victoria Cross hero because it feared it would alienate members of the audience opposed to the war in Iraq. The BBC's retreat from the project, which had the working title Victoria Cross, has sparked accusations of cowardice and will reignite the debate about the broadcaster's alleged lack of patriotism. "The BBC has behaved in a cowardly fashion by pulling the plug on the project altogether," said a source close to the project. "It began to have second thoughts last year as the war in Iraq deteriorated. It felt it couldn't show anything with a degree of positivity about the conflict. "It needed to tell stories about Iraq which reflected the fact that some members of the audience didn't approve of what was going on. Obviously a story about Johnson Beharry could never do that. You couldn't have a scene where he suddenly turned around and denounced the war because he just wouldn't do that."... The independent production company which was developing the project for a prime-time slot on BBC1 is now believed to have taken the script to ITV. Pte Beharry, 27, who was awarded the VC in March 2005, was the first person to receive the country's highest award for valour since 1982 and the first living recipient since 1965. He was honoured for two acts of outstanding gallantry which occurred just over a month apart while he was serving with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, in the Iraqi town of al-Amarah, in 2004. He was cited for "valour of the highest order" after he drove a Warrior tracked armoured vehicle through heavy enemy fire in May 2004 to come to the rescue of a foot patrol that had been caught in a series of ambushes. The 30-ton Warrior was hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades, causing damage and resulting in the loss of radio communications. Pte Beharry drove through the ambush, taking his own injured crew and leading five other Warriors to safety. He then extracted his wounded colleagues from the vehicle, all the time exposed to further enemy fire. The following month, Pte Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior vehicle of his platoon through al-Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the vehicle and Pte Beharry received serious head injuries. Other rockets hit the vehicle incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew.Despite his very serious injuries, Pte Beharry then took control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He required brain surgery for his head injuries and he was still recovering when he received the VC from the Queen in June last year.... The BBC's decision to pull out will only confirm the fears of critics that television drama is only interested in telling bad news stories about the war.... >>> END of Excerpt For the article in full: www.telegraph.co.uk mrc.org