my reply to casualty complaint

[miss muffit]

Did anyone else complain to the BBC for saturday nights casualty?

I did and this is the reply i got:

Dear Mrs ?

Thanks for your e-mail regarding the BBC One programme 'Casualty' as broadcast on 11 April 2009.

I understand you were concerned with this particular episode as you felt it portrayed childminding in a negative light. I also note you felt the appearance of a dog in A & E was inappropriate.

Drama productions like 'Casualty' aren't always best served by meticulous attention to detail and a certain amount of dramatic licence can be involved in trying to capture the essence of an issue or profession and then conveying this to an audience. We appreciate that even the most minor deviation from accuracy can be irritating to some viewers (particularly those with experience of the subjects or profession mentioned) but there are constraints which mean that we can't or don't always want to keep as closely to the level of detail that some viewers would like us to.

In this episode there was no intention to suggest all childminders are irresponsible or unprofessional. However 'Casualty' doesn't purport to be a documentary, it's a fictional drama programme and although it endeavours to be true to life at all times the drama often has to come first - as that is the priority; to try and tell compelling stories, to the best of its ability.

Nevertheless, I appreciate that you weren't happy with the content of this episode and to this end I'd like to assure you that I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for the 'Casualty' team and also their senior management. It ensures that your points are circulated and considered across the BBC. The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Regards

Craig Thompson
BBC Complaints
________________________________

[misst104]

I don't watch casualty. What happened?

xxx

[huggableshelly]

I stopped watching it as hubby took over with the remote so not seen it for a few months now

[jibberjitz]

I've not watched Casualty for a while, sounds like you were right to complain though!

[hbomb1]

I watch Casualty religously - love it!

[rickysmiths]

That sounds like a familiar reply!! I think a few of us got replies similar to this from the BBC when we complained about Doctors and the portrayal of Childminding on that programme. I think the BBC has a problem overall so it doesn't matter what programme it is.

[Chanelle]

I love Casualty but was disappointed by the episode last week. It was very well acted but made Childminders look very bad !

Good on you for complaining !

[Jules12Wed]

I've not got a reply yet but no doubt it will be the same.

[TheBTeam]

Me too, still waiting for my reply but no surprise that it is a 'sorry but' one!

[Mrs.L.C]

Snap. Got exactly the same back

[helenlc]

Here's my reply I got - worded slightly differently but basically the same:

Dear Mrs Xxxx

Thank you for your e-mail about 'Casualty'.

Firstly, I apologise for the delay in our reply. We know our correspondents appreciate a quick response, and it is a matter of regret to us that you have had to wait for so long on this occasion.

I understand you believe a storyline portrayed childminders in a poor light.

I'd begin by pointing our that there was no intention to suggest all childminders are irresponsible or unprofessional. However 'Holby City' does not purport to be a documentary, it is a fictional drama programme and although it endeavours to be true to life at all times the drama often has to come first - as that is the priority; to try and tell compelling (and realistic) stories, to the best of its ability.

Drama productions are not always best served by meticulous attention to detail and a certain amount of dramatic licence can be involved in trying to capture the essence of an issue or profession and then conveying this to an audience. We appreciate that even the most minor deviation from accuracy can be irritating to some viewers (particularly those with experience of the subjects or profession mentioned) but there are constraints which mean that we cannot or do not always want to keep as closely to the level of detail that some viewers would like us to.

For our Editorial Guidelines on Impartialty & Drama, please visit:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/edit...alitydra.shtml

I hope this helps to clarify the situation however I appreciate that you may continue to hold a different view.

I can assure you that I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's circulated to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers.

Thanks for taking the trouble to contact us with your concerns.

Regards

James Kelly
BBC Complaints
____________________________
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

[Lady Haha]

I had an email very similar to that back to a complaint I made ages ago about one of those documentary progs. It was about childcare and showed the worse case scenarios which included their reporter registering with Ofsted as a childminder and not having to have any checks done on her. She got her cert in a couple of weeks. I don't know how she did it, but she did. She didn't even do the ICP course! The rest of the prog covered private nurseries where this reporter got jobs and secretly filmed. The stuff she got on tape was awful. Children being neglected etc.

I complained about that at the time, saying that I was shocked at how easy their reporter had got her cert and that all they had done was cast doubt into the minds of thousands and thousands of parents who prob already feel scared of leaving their children in childcare. I went on to say that the vast majority of childminders spend months getting various checks etc done before they become registered, blah, blah, blah......

I got a reply similar to this one, only saying as it was a documentary, they had to highlight the worse cases to make it 'more interesting' basically. They don't care who they hurt in their persuit of ratings.

[balloon]

Hmmn, as has already been said, those replies sound very familiar - same old crud shunted out again and again...

Wonder if it's worth writing to one or more of the TV mags?

[Mollymop]

what happened on the programme>?