A complaint was made after an episode of
the long-running BBC show
aired in February this year, which featured a gypsy character selling
pegs and lucky heather and a joke about a fortune teller stealing
Basil's wallet.
Gypsies
have reported the show to Northamptonshire Police alleging that the
storyline is racist towards their community and way of life.
Joseph Jones,
vice-chairman of the Southern England Romany,
gypsy and Irish Traveller Network, called on the BBC to pull the
episode from its schedule and give travellers the same protection and
respect they give to other ethnic minorities.
He argued they had been subject to "stereotyping" of a type
other minority groups suffered on television in the 1960s and 1970s.
"They need to realise that gypsies and
travellers are a recognised ethnic minority in this country and deserve
the same treatment as any other group," he said.
"To perpetuate this myth about gypsies and travellers is wrong.
Attitudes like this belong 20 or 30 years ago, we are supposed to have
moved on since then.
"If they are going to keep showing this then I look forward to them
bringing back the likes of Alf Garnett to the screen."
The
programme, which was aired on the BBC's digital channel CBBC, centred
on Basil's co-star Mr Stephen, played by actor Christopher Pizzey.He
falls under the spell of a gypsy fortune teller, Dame Rosie Fortune,
who moves into the flat above them and greets them at the door with
offers of pegs and "lucky" heather.When she offers to read Basil's
fortune for him,
the character tells a joke about previously visiting a gypsy fortune
teller who predicts he is about to embark on a long journey.
When Mr Stephen asks what happened, Basil
replies: "He stole my wallet and I had to walk all the way home."
Basil Brush, well-known for his "Boom
Boom"
catchphrase, was created in 1963 by Peter Firmin, who also created the
Clangers and Bagpuss.
He got his first break
when he starred with magician David Nixon on The Nixon Line in 1967.
The character, whose voice is based on that of comic actor Terry
Thomas, had his own show from 1970 until it ended in 1982. The
programme returned in 2002.
Since
January this year he has presented Basil's Swap Shop, based on the
children's television programme from the 1970s and 1980s, on BBC Two on
Sunday mornings.
The offending episode has now been shown
several
times since then and also features on a DVD of the series, called Basil
Unleashed.
The BBC refused to comment on the
situation, with a spokesman saying the matter was now in the hands of
the police.
A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police
said: "We
can confirm we have received a complaint about a TV show fe
aturing
Basil Brush from a member of the public.
"The complaint was logged as an incident
of a racist nature and we are now investigating."
BPP Comment:- Apart from
the fact that this matter is complete idiocy straight out of the pages
of Lewis Caroll - what are the facts about 'gypsies' in Britain? The
only racial type the gypsies could come under are Romany. Most of those
passing themselves of as gypsies - perhaps 90% plus are NOT Romany -
therefore not gypsies! The only European country with a significant
number of Romanies is Roumania.
The
claim by politically correct lunatics such as the man making this
complaint that it somehow falls under the dreadful Race Act is FALSE
and FRAUDULENT. The correct discription of these people - with whom the
BPP has no particular axe to grind - is 'travellers' - nothing more and
nothing less- and for the most part they would be described of Irish
descent - poor old Basil didn't even mention the Irish. The whole 'Race
Charge' situation is now enetering the realms of total insanity. Time
to repeal the Race and Religious Hatred Acts and restore freedom of
thought, speech and action to the worn out British people.
Basil
in jail under race charges
