British Comedy Guide

Newsjack: Controversial Childrens Cartoons

A failed Sketch on this week's episode.

1.ROMESH:
A woman from Cardiff claims that her 2 year child learnt the f word from an episode of Peppa Pig. But that isn't the only children's show that has caused some controversy in the past, as this episode of Postman Pat Shows.

2.GRAMS:POSTMAN PAT THEME TUNE

3.SFX:CAR BRAKING/ HITTING PERSON

4.CHARLIE:
Oh my god. You've just killed the Reverend.

5.PAT:
(drunk) Who the hell cares anymore?

6.CHARLIE:Are you drunk Pat?

7.PAT:
Am I drunk, the kid asks. I may have had a couple of bottles. (sobbing) My wife's leaving me, she's taking the kids, she's taking everything. Bitch. Apparently she's slept with most of the town anyway.

8.CHARLIE:
Pat calm down, you don't want to make things worse.

9.PAT:
Shut up Charlie. We all know your dad's a gigolo and you were an accident.

10.ROMESH:
And now here's an episode of Thomas and Friends that also caused a few complaints from viewers.

11.THOMAS:
Hello Percy, What are you up to?

12.PERCY:
I've got to transport some Paki's to the city.

13.THOMAS:
Transport some...

14.PERCY:
Paki's. You know the ones with the turbans.

15.THOMAS:
I don't think you're allowed to call them that.

16.PERCY:
But that's what they are.

17.THOMAS:
Look Percy I'm not sure I want to be friends with you now you've joined the EDL.

18.PERCY:
All we want is England for the English. There's nothing wrong with that.

19.THOMAS:
You've become a bit of a racist.

20.PERCY:
If hating foreigners makes me a racist, well then I guess I'm a racist. Anyway I can't stop too long or they might try and blow me up.

21.ROMESH:
That episode was called 'Percy the skinhead'. But that's not all the children's shows that have caused controversy in the past. Remember everyone's favourite penguin in; Pingu and the Rape Charge, the euthanasia episode of Teletubbies and Bagpuss and the killing spree.

End.

The moment I got to "paki" I realised that you had no idea what BBC Radio will broadcast. I gave up reading after that. The Postman Pat bit was too cliched - his wife's left him, he's an alcoholic - and doesn't bring anything new to the table.

I do feel it's a good idea though - the shock of children's cartoons being offensive can be very funny. I think perhaps you need to go back and be very honest about what in this sketch is genuinely funny at present.

Share this page