The Execution of Gary Glitter Channel 4 9pm

[CaptainUnderpants]

Have just seen this that this drama is on tonight.

a drama where the death penalty has benen brought back and Gary Glitter is to be hanged.

I feel slightly taken back that they are using a rela life perosn as subjevt fo this , no matter how vile his crimes are a fiind it a bit disturbing.

here

[CaptainUnderpants]

Sorry some bad typos there - no matter how vile his crimes are - to use a real life person as subject of this I find disturbing.

[Curiousmama]

Yes agree quite vile. Although maybe if he'd abused my child I may think differently? Television just gets more bizarre IMO.

[CaptainUnderpants]

I am not worried about his rights - dont get me wrong there , its just the thought of s living person being used as subject of a drama like this.

On the other hand the writers have done this as a thought provoking exercise .

[Flamebat]

I agree. Can't quite put my finger on why it feels wrong, but it does...

[sassy]

I imagine the programme makers have had to pay him in order to use his name. Vile that he is profitting from his crimes, if so.

[thelunar66]

That bloke who is playing GG looks scarily like the real thing!

[SolidGoldBangers]

I find this worrying and disturbing as well. Given that Gary Glitter unquestionably did bad things, but there are surely far more suitable candidates for such a story - like people who actually killed someone for their jollies. This sounds like rather nasty and pointless sensationalism for the sake of it.

[CaptainUnderpants]

I dont think it is because he is famous that makes it disturbing , it is because this is a real person who is going to be executed.

[ReneRusso]

Using a real person who has been convicted of real crimes makes it more thought provoking. If it was totally made up then it would be easier to detach rather than think of the real consequences of the death penalty.

[AitchTwoToTangOh]

it's a disgrace, imo, cannot believe it got past the commissioning process. he's not committing a crime by just living quietly, it's an extraordinary invasion. and yes, he's a beast etc but we do not, as it happens, parade our beasts on primetime tv in fictionalised accounts of their death. how vile.

[TAFKAAAAAARGHtheUrbanDryad]

I watched it.

I kind of wish I hadn't.

[thelunar66]

Anything i watch/read to do with death penalty disturbs me. I wish I hadn't seen it.

[InterruptingKid]

HOW did they get away with this?
terrible

[PoptyPing]

Charlie Brooker's tweets on this are hilarious

''A repulsive act that flies in the face of our natural instinct' also describes Glitter's 70s performances'

'We find the defendant... implausible'

'I don't want to sound sensationalist, but I think this might be the product of a society in hopeless freefall'

'Wait for the bit where Glitter hears the remix of his music. That's the point my mind started trying to kick its way out of my head.'

[FrameyMcFrame]

I just watched it

at least we still have charlie brooker
I think I might go and live in New Zealand now.

[saintmaybe]

I think there are programmes like this because there's a reliably large audience of people who like watching things about child sexual abuse and this is a 'respectable' way to do it.

[mamadiva]

I actually thought it was well done.

I watched it with 3 people who think the death penalty would solve all our problems, after watching this every one of them seriously re thought because when he was hung even the campaigners were silenced and it did'nt do anyone any good.

Hopefully it will make people realise that the DP is NOT agood thing! Only thing I thought was missing at the end was some American stats to show how much the DP actually fails in America because they still have rapists, paedo's, murderers etc.

IMO The only thing that ca help in this country is tough prisons ad American style sentencing (as in if you kill a family you will do 200 years type thing) basically life is life and make them work bloody hard, feed them enough to keep them alive and well and basic ammenities. A lot more people would be worried about that I reckon!

[gorionine]

I watched it and like TAFKAAA, wish I had not. It was distubing. I think what made me feel very uneasy is the fact that it was a real character
(although played by an actor).I really had to repeat to myself all the way through that it was just a fiction.

[UpYourViva]

I think the whole point of using GG was that many people in this country believe that the DP should be brought back for such crimes as he's commited. I found it thought provoking although slightly didturbing, but using a real life person made it all the more real and i myself found it slighly changed my opinions of the DP