# BBC will not broadcast Attenborough episode on destruction of wildlife over fear of rightwing backlash

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-will-not-broadcast-attenborough-episode-on-destruction-of-wildlife-over-fear-of-rightwing-backlash/980978>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** documentary-bio\
**Created:** [March 10, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-will-not-broadcast-attenborough-episode-on-destruction-of-wildlife-over-fear-of-rightwing-backlash/980978 "2023-03-10T17:05:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-will-not-broadcast-attenborough-episode-on-destruction-of-wildlife-over-fear-of-rightwing-backlash/980978/21 "2023-04-28T18:02:43Z")

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> [@Smid](#):
>
> Richard Sharp, new Chairman of the BBC is a major long term Tory donor (400k plus) and was on the board of conservative think tank, the Centre for Policy Studies. His financial ‘assistance’ to Boris Johnson prior to his BBC appointment (on merit I’m sure) is now well known.

Perhaps well known, but apparently now having a real effect. To wit: Richard Sharp is out as BBC Chair.

> **[Richard Sharp: BBC chairman resigns over report into appointment](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65323077)**
>
> Inquiry finds Richard Sharp breached the governance code for public appointments.

I guess you can get in trouble for buying your sinecure? It’s like it’s not even worth being filthy rich and well connected any more.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-will-not-broadcast-attenborough-episode-on-destruction-of-wildlife-over-fear-of-rightwing-backlash/980978/22 "2023-04-28T18:39:32Z")

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I’ve seen the episode and honestly, I was almost expecting it to directly attack the UK’s current and recent governments. If it did, I missed it.

It was just an episode.

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**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbc-will-not-broadcast-attenborough-episode-on-destruction-of-wildlife-over-fear-of-rightwing-backlash/980978/23 "2023-04-29T10:24:21Z")

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It shows how beaten down the BBC is currently when such a “weak sauce” criticism will get it removed from broadcast. Frankie Boyle’s tv show is now cancelled (he’s on Taskmaster now as a guest), and it’s not so much “there’s no left wing comedy on the BBC anymore”, more “there’s no comedy on the BBC anymore” (this has arguably been the case mostly for a number of years, people remember pre mid 90s for BBC comedy, not the likes of Citizen Khan and Mrs Browns boys “comedy” which has been its output in the last 20 odd years).

On the subject on the Stan Laurel of fascists character (Alexander Boris Johnson), there was rumours going around the other day he was going to declare bankruptcy. FrankIy, he’s not a man of cool measured decisions, so I can imagine he could have made a bunch of financial bad decisions recently or in the past, and that could have been what was driving him to “overachieve” in recent years. The need for an 800K would be a red flag there in itself.

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