Emmerdale Helicopter Crash - Insensitive?

[jayteeto]

Tonight's Emmerdale had a helicopter crash through the roof of a wedding reception. The Clutha families think it insensitive. I just watched it, wasn't comfortable with the scenes......

[OvertHawk]

I imagine that it would be uncomfortable for you, as a helicopter Pilot, and also to the Clutha families...

I also imagine that an episode of the The Bill in which a Police Officer is shot will make other Police Officers uncomfortable and upset the families of people who've been shot...?

Where does one draw the line - or shall we just play replays of Crossroads 24/7?

OH

[jayteeto]

Nah, you do have to move on, I agree. I'm not angry about it, But the report is due out about..... Errrrr.... Now?
It's nowt to do with being a helicopter pilot, the crash was really badly filmed as well. But it was just too....... Just not..... Just a little bit too close for comfort. Next year I wouldn't have been so uncomfortable.

Bad timing?

[OvertHawk]

I completely get it Jay...

I've not seen the episode (don't do soaps) but have often seen things on telly that hit very close to home and thought "They didn't have to do that" - Especially if it involves a helicopter accident (I'm either cringing at the accident or - more often - how badly it was portrayed). But you can't allow for everyone's feelings.

I suppose the trouble is that it's almost impossible to have anything dramatic without offending or upsetting someone. "It's too soon after the accident; It's close to when the report is due out; it's the anniversary; It's the night before the third public enquiry"...

Having said that - Emmerdale does have form for cut-n-paste tragedy...

They had an aircraft crash that was uncomfortably like Lockerbie and did they not have an HGV crash that drew criticism for being reminiscent of the Sowerby Bridge accident? It's difficult not to be cynical about the timing... It will have gotten them good ratings :suspect:

[Sir Niall Dementia]

Back around 1990 the Casualty series postponed an edition which showed an airliner crash (just post Kegworth) It had been filmed pre-Kegworth and when it finally came out had some nasty similarities. The Roughnecks series showed a helicopter incident very similar to one that nearly turned me into a floating organ donor (filmed pre my incident, shown post it), it is entertainment, trouble is someone, somewhere will be upset by it, no matter what the film makers make. My great uncle was a deck officer on the Titanic, I enjoyed the film(s) and have read all the books, maybe I'm just an unfeeling git, but, if it is accurately filmed, with knowledge and realism then I can't/won't complain, if its' crap I'll be the first reaching for keyboard and an e-mail to the complaints dept. I haven't seen this one, I can't stand Emmerdallas!

SND

[jayteeto]

In six months time, the board will have reported and a few more facts will be out there. The families will have some answers and the lawyers will make their money. It would be less insensitive then.
They could have thought about their "crash" a bit more. Why not slightly change the circumstances, but still have a heli crash? Even have the happy couple departing in an aircraft that fell into the waving crowd?
Watch it before you comment, an aircraft gets knocked out of the sky (crap) and tumbles out of control through the roof of a wedding reception, roof falls in on guests with tail visible sticking out.
The more I think about it, the more I feel it was poor tv

[Evil Twin]

Sorry but we are talking about a soap opera, therefore pretend, did anyone really expect anything aviation related to be factually correct or even sensitive to the Clutha families. If people are unable to differentiate between fact and fiction they really should get out a bit more, and yes, before I get flamed I have been personally affected by a disaster and further it was aviation related. If watching a soap opera upsets perhaps one should switchoffyourtelevisionsetgooutanddosomethingalotlessboringi nstead!

[Nail The Dream]

Most episodes of Emmerdale / 'Enders / Corrie etc etc disturb me -
so I choose not to watch them - end of problem :ok:

Nail

[jayteeto]

Do me a favour and save the patronising :D
I don't watch that rubbish either, I read about the families upset in the paper and watched the scene. I am sure that some of what you find entertaining would make my eyes bleed, so save me that utter drivel.
Absolutely get the comment about it NOT BEING REAL, however there is no excuse in saying that because of that it can be insensitive. There are many programmes out there that are really insulting/insensitive. That doesn't give carte blanch permission to upset people. I also understand that you can't pussyfoot around things and say that "you can't do this or that", there would be nothing on TV!!
My point is simple and you keyboard warriors are leaping in as usual jumping to conclusions without seeing the clip. The timing is poor, NOT the content. YES its a soap, YES its not real, YES I could turn the TV off, but AFTER WATCHING THE CLIP, IT DEFINITELY MADE ME SQUIRM A BIT, they haven't annoyed me, but I am a bit disappointed in ITV

[heli1]

Did it wipe out the entire cast...if so it did some good!

[P6 Driver]

OvertHawk wrote;

I completely get it Jay...

I've not seen the episode (don't do soaps) but have often seen things on telly that hit very close to home and thought "They didn't have to do that" - Especially if it involves a helicopter accident (I'm either cringing at the accident or - more often - how badly it was portrayed). But you can't allow for everyone's feelings.

I suppose the trouble is that it's almost impossible to have anything dramatic without offending or upsetting someone. "It's too soon after the accident; It's close to when the report is due out; it's the anniversary; It's the night before the third public enquiry"...

Having said that - Emmerdale does have form for cut-n-paste tragedy...
They had an aircraft crash that was uncomfortably like Lockerbie and did they not have an HGV crash that drew criticism for being reminiscent of the Sowerby Bridge accident? It's difficult not to be cynical about the timing... It will have gotten them good ratings

For someone who doesn't do soaps, you know your Emmerdale!

[jayteeto]

It's a British tradition. NOBODY watches soap operas........... but they top the viewing figures every week :cool:

[[email protected]]

It just shows how poor the scriptwriting is in soap land - they are so desperate to keep ahead in the ratings wars that such 'high-drama' pieces as a helicopter crash are becoming more and more common.

Perhaps it is because the two most watched things on TV in UK are soaps and football - neither of which are exactly edifying spectacles - that we find ourselves wondering where this great 'underclass' of non-achieving individuals that seem to populate great swathes of this country have come from.

[OvertHawk]

P6

Fair comment... I was expecting some stick for that. :ok:

I don't, and never have, watched it but I do remember Lockerbie and Sowerby Bridge very clearly and as a result I remember the associated furore when similar events were dramatised.

OH

[jayteeto]

Soaps yes, however.........
Oh Crab, football may not be your thing, but come on. How on earth does watching footy cause an underclass? You could substitute ANY team sport these days. Cricket and Rugby now have hooligans. Racing is the sport of kings?? Do me a favour and go to any 'ladies day', queens they are not.

[[email protected]]

No but you can still sit next to opposing fans at a rugby match with a beer in your hand - does that happen anywhere in the Football Premiership?

That same underclass is sadly permeating all areas of sport but it grew up in football because it was allowed to - and it all starts with lack of respect on the pitch by the prima donna superstars.

Yes I am an old git:ok:

[newfieboy]

Emerdale .....still running. Last time I saw that show Amos and Mr Wilkes were running the pub and living together. I guess in this day they would be portrayed as a little light on the loafers, oh alright Gay. Is Seth Armstrong still alive and downing numerous scammed pints down T'Woolpack. Seem to recall the Sugdens were the local go to boys.....one of them was married to some dreary blonde chick who actually was quite hot in real life.
Learnt to fly in the Dales in the 80's beautiful place for sure.

[ExGrunt]

I did see the episode and although the cause of the crash was different (exploding propane cyclinder strikes AC) - the final roof collapsing on the village hall was a bit tasteless - especially as the G-SPAO AAIB report has been punted into the long grass next to the Iraq report.

IIRC the Lockerbie rip-off was due to be transmitted on an actual anniversary of PA103.

So all they need to do now is have a bin lorry mow down the survivors!

EG

[surely not]

Crikey guys, aren't soaps supposed to reflect real life? Unless they are writing pure fiction about the future it is highly likely that all story lines are based on events that have happened in real life, and then dramatized a little bit more for the ratings.

I understand that for some it might have been a little close to the bone, but I doubt that those affected were even 0.5% of those who viewed the programme. Furthermore how many of the 99.5% who watched it and weren't affected knew about the real life incident it might have been based on?

Do we ban war films in case anybody watching gets disturbing flash backs to experiences they have had?

As a general comment, and not directed at Jayteeto, it concerns me that we are now a society where a mere handful of complainers can write to a complaints body and get something banned or watered down on quite weak reasoning.

[diginagain]

It's hardly a new phenomenon. In 2002 an episode of 'Peak Practice' portrayed a Lynx helicopter crashing in flames about 18 months after XZ199 had crashed killing three.

[jayteeto]

I covered that earlier, you are TOTALLY correct in saying we cant ban stuff just because a few people might get upset.
BUT....... The families asked ITV to postpone/cancel this storyline, we need to look at WHY they said it.
Any day now, the board could report on the accident, its active and its RAW at the moment, emotions are high. Right now is not the best time to air this VERY similar tragedy. As many have written, FFS its only light entertainment!! If that's so, is it REALLY essential to do it now?? Will the world end if you waited a few months and the dust has settled?
My views are purely personal, I'm not saying you are wrong and I am right, really!! That's why my accusation is set as low as saying it is insensitive.

[mary meagher]

jayteeto, I completely agree with you. I watch Emmerdale all the time, and I also have 3000 hours airtime.

I thought the storyline was shockingly insensitive. If they have to kill off a few characters, why not be more inventive, have an HGV trash the party, or even a gas explosion....but the episode was contrived and ridiculous.

[misterbonkers]

Mary - can you not see the irony in the post you have just written? Bin lorry crash in glasgow....

Soaps do these things to create a fuss. It gets them viewings.