Channel 4 have just apologised.....

For showing a Simpsons episode with a song about New Orleans on it on Wednesday. The song was relevant to the storyline! Can't see why anyone would complain.

The song:



Whilst I can see how people could misunderstand its entirely related to the story!

Good move by Channel 4 - it's worth a quick sorry rather than getting into a big argument with viewers or a whole load of letters/calls to deal with. If you'd just switched on at the song, I think you'd think it might be in bad taste.

I recall from the DVD commentary that they actually had a whole load of complaints from New Orleans residents when the episode originally aired (when New Orleans was in a much better state than it is now). Best to err on the side of caution I think.

Interesting - that episode was also aired on RTÉ Two a few days ago but i'm not aware of any apologies having been made.

A spokesman for the nineteen sixties group, The Animals, made the following statement this morning:-

"Due to recent circumstances, we wish to apologise for any confusion and make it clear that there is NOT a house in New Orleans."

That's just.......

Not mine, I hasten to add.

Sent to my mobile telephone in the form of a text message, earlier today, by one Mr Field, video editor of Mr Knowles' little programme on BBC One at 19:00 on Fridays.

Is that Mr Field or Mr Frame?

Well if we're having a blame amnesty, I got this by txt today:
"If New Orleans is the town of jazz, what is Katrina and the Waves doing there?"

I know it's naughty. Also, please don't point out the real band was Catrina either.. it's just a bad pun.

Without sounding quite sad as I do feel for those in New Orleans but life was happening before and will carry on and that song was made for the Simpsons before the hurricane struck so it wasn't like the makers were delibrately doing it to have a dig so I don't see any reason why it should be a problem or Channel 4 apologising for it. No doubt Fox/Gracie or whoever will edit the episode and remove the song completely. Reminds me of when Eastenders were using a song in the Queen Vic that was the same song that Labour were using for there voting campaign and come the omnibus on Sunday the song was changed and the cast were still dancing to the old song and totally out of beat with the edit.

It wasn't. The band was Katrina and the Waves, with a K.

Because it is (or appears to be, and that's enough) in extremely poor taste, that's why they would complain. I would expect that if anyone at Channel 4 had realised the episode contained the song they would have swapped the episode for another, and quite rightly too.

Die Hard 2 aired one night shortly after (possibly the same day as) a rail disaster a few years ago, and someone at ITV had the wherewithall to edit out the line (paraphrased): "We're like British Rail - we get you there in the end."

David