16/02/2021
Lenny Henry, who in the 1980’s was one of the foremost men of colour on our television screens, travels back to the decade of shoulderpads and large perms on More4 TV at 10pm this evening (Tuesday 16th February). There he learns that Channel 4 Television was from the start associated with taking risks and representing groups marginalized by the other three TV channels that were then nationally available. Hated fundamentalist campaigner Mary Whitehouse was attacking Channel 4 within hours of it taking to the airwaves in November 1982 with Phil Redmond’s ground breaking drama series Brookside in her sights. Brookside of course, featured the first regular LGBTQ characters in British soaps, with a character called Gordon and his boyfriend occasionally appearing during the early to mid 1980’s. In response to Whitehouse and the homophobic tabloid papers in Britain, Channel 4 Director General Jeremy Isaacs was heard to quip that a broadcaster that was not irritating Daily Mail readers on a frequent basis, was failing in its duties to the public. As a Jewish man, Isaacs recognized the need for minority viewpoints to be transmitted on TV. Mercifully, Mrs Whitehouse failed in reigning in Channel Four or any other channel and her movement to “clean up TV” died with her.