Banned! The Mary Whitehouse Story - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Episode 1
At a time when debates about free speech feel increasingly polarised, we look back to 1963 when a Midlands housewife and teacher named Mary Whitehouse became the original, self-styled ‘cancel culture' warrior. Armed with just a typewriter, she began a 30-year campaign to turn back the tide of the permissive culture she saw sweeping through society with the advent of the sexual revolution.
This series revisits Whitehouse's campaigns, from her attacks on the BBC and boycotts against films like Last Tango in Paris to conflicts with feminists and the gay liberation movement, and her contention that pornography, made mainly by men for men, was not going to lead to greater happiness for society. Whilst her views on some issues are a long way from the prevailing attitudes today, questions about the after-effects of the sexual revolution continue to resonate.
Using a vast campaigning archive housed at the University of Essex, and featuring contributions from Gyles Brandreth, Michael Grade, Beatrix Campbell, Ken Loach and Peter Bradshaw, the series hears first-hand testimony from the people who knew her, who studied her work - including author Ben Thompson - and who took her on: from activist Peter Tatchell to millionaire pornographer and now co-owner of West Ham United, David Sullivan.
Episode 2
During the 1970s, Mary's battle with permissive society is hotting up, as ideas of progress and suggestions that nothing should be censored gain currency. Nude actress and men's magazine columnist Fiona Richmond publicly objects to Mary's ‘bullying' desire to standing in the way of her personal freedoms, and the then pornographer, now co-owner of West Ham FC, David Sullivan decides to take the fight to Mary with the audacious move of calling his flagship porn magazine Whitehouse.
In her final campaigning phase, Mary gets closer to the seat of power than anyone thought possible through her relationship with Margaret Thatcher. The birth of home video and her railing against so-called ‘video nasties' raise her profile even further. But the growth of entertainment media, culminating in the internet, overtakes anything Whitehouse can do to censor content.
Recently Updated Shows
The Snake
The Snake will follow 15 people from various professions trying to manipulate their way to becoming that week's snake, who decides who stays and who leaves the show, through a series of challenges. Each week, the winner of each challenge earns control of ‘The Saving Ceremony', an elimination that is about who will save certain contestants with people making friends, faking friends, or sparking romantic connections with the winner taking home $100,000.
Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! is a classic game show -- with a twist. The answers are given first, and the contestants supply the questions. Three contestants, including the previous show's champion, compete in six categories and in three rounds (with each round's "answers" being worth more prize money).
Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service
Restaurateurs who are looking for a quick fix or social media glow-up are in for the surprise of their lives when famed culinary titan Gordon Ramsay trades his signature chef knives for a state-of-the-art surveillance vehicle and cutting-edge spyware in FOX's all-new unscripted series, Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service. In a Gordon Ramsay series first, Chef Ramsay will venture into struggling restaurants under the cover of night. With the help of a secret source on the inside, he'll gather raw, unfiltered evidence and get a 360-degree view of the major issues facing each restaurant. This insider will not only remain a secret to the staff, but will also help Ramsay infiltrate the restaurant after-hours for a dramatic nighttime black light kitchen investigation that reveals more filth and grossness than ever before. By the time Ramsay reveals his identity, it will be too late for staff to cover up their culinary crimes. Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service will be his toughest assignment yet as he takes drastic measures to transform not only the restaurant but also the staff, because Gordon knows he can upgrade the menu and renovate the restaurant, but the most important change has to come from the people. Are the restaurant and staff willing to accept Gordon's mission, or are they too far gone to be saved?
