Dirty Talk On TV

Si and Dave are The Hairy Bikers, reincarnated in their latest series the Hairy Bakers. Nice play on words there boys. From anyone else I would say it was a corny title for a new programme that combines baking and biking but Dave and Si are such good fun to watch and posses a wicked and subversive sense of humour that I can forgive them most things.

I mention them because they are prone to lace their programs with less than subtle sexual innuendo. Harmless enough so your granny can watch and spread thinly throughout the programmes to ensure you’re always listening intently for the next one.

What you can and can’t say on TV varies from country to country and by the transmission time of the programme. However we seem to have reasonably liberal attitudes and broadcasting codes in the UK, especially when compared with the US. I remember Huey from The Fun Lovin’ Criminals appearing on “Never Mind The Buzzcocks” and being at first amazed and then hugely excited when he found out he could use pretty much any profanity on British TV except the word cunt. The show descended into a two minute tirade of good natured swearing as he exercised his new found freedom.

However yesterday morning on the BBC’s breakfast news show I heard the best piece of sexual innuendo I’d heard on TV for a long time. Bill Turnbull, made a good humoured but cheeky remark to one of the presenters on OB. Sian Williams promised to reprimand him later in private and gave him such a naughty look.

There is one place on British TV where swearing and adult naughtiness is still frowned upon though. “The One Show”. It’s as pure as the driven snow, virginal and free from controversy. I.E. it’s becoming boring. OK so I’m not in the target demographic but the only amusement I get from that show these days is when one of the production team books a slightly dangerous guest who then drifts off the sugar-coated content that the producers pre-ordained and looks like they might mention one of the taboo subjects – like sex or anything that isn’t smiley-smiley nicey-nicey.

I suppose not all TV shows can have the wicked sense of fun that the bikers have.

Tags: Hairy Bikers, Bill Turnbull, Sian Williams, The One Show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Fun Luvin Criminals, Fun Lovin Criminals