BBC commissions new series based on Paris Lees autobiography - 'What it's like to be a girl'..

The irony is that if a working class lad had done what Paris did, I doubt the likes of the Beeb would have any sympathy at all? In fact, I think they’d have depicted the victim’s side of the story…

I don't think that's clear at all. It sounds to me like she's contrasting Scandinavia with Weimar, positioning the former as being the good guy.

I think the BBC are taking a massive risk. Promoting someone like Lees is only going to bring all his past comments bubbling back up to the surface.

I can't imagine 'Auntie' wanting to be associated with a lot of that

If the bbc schedule wasn't already proportional heavy with drag queens and trans stuff, I'd maybe give them the benefit of the doubt that this is a worthwhile adaption. Maybe there is something unique about the book, or author, to make it worthy of tax payers money over any other content they could produce.

But I realistically isnt any of that, its part of a drive to educate the population about TRA and promote trans ideology. Maybe the bbc will prove me wrong and commission work questioning any sexism and misogyny in trans ideology? Just for balance?

In retrospect, I think you may well be @illinivich. Media attention is not the same as hard sales. I still wouldn't question the BBC's decision to dramatise the book. It has been praised for its writing style and content but even I think that the incessant advertising is too much.

Further, a self aware, rather than ideology pushing, adaptation wouldn't take Lees' claim to have always been a girl at face value.

I think this is a bit unfair. Lees is middle class now, but they grew up working class. I think the issue is that they seem to share the perspective they had then, rather than having a more nuanced view of the reasons why the people around them seemed to only shuffle miserably, and of the limited adolescent view they had then.

Well it's clear she meant the backlash to Weimar, rather than Weimar itself. Clearly a ridiculous & offensive thing to say.

I’m really sad to read this about the BBC since Covid it’s like a magazine with too much opinion and not enough real news

Meghan Murphy wrote this in response at the time - the she/her sounds jarring, but it was 11 years ago

https://www.feministcurrent.com/2014/03/06/of-course-some-women-are-flattered-by-cat-calls-but-that-doesnt-make-street-harassment-ok-a-response-to-paris-lees/

For those not familiar with the Catcalling article https://www.vice.com/en/article/enjoying-catcalls-paris-lees-column/

I am at a loss as to how Paris Lees can know anything about being a girl, being as he is a man.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70zd31n2k0o

Repetitive BBC article on the news website trailing this. Really scraping at the bottom of the barrel to present Supreme Court as oppressive. Can’t discuss the crime committed in real life at all because, plot point.

That disgusting article that Paris Lees wrote about loving being catcalled in public or whatever crap it was is such a far cry from this presentation of Lees here as being some kind of eminent author.

It must be a good show after all it is based off of an "acclaimed" memoir by an "award-winning" writer.

I think this will also win some Baftas next year for some reason. The Baftas seem to always select BBC dramas no one ever watched particularly if they are about a worthy cause.

What an insult to the working classes, too!

Don’t fit the norm? 🤣🤣

Whoa, didn’t know that. I mean I’m willing to bet many of these people are just straight middle class media studies graduates with interesting hair but even so that’s a fair few people. Still, my job involves commissioning (books). I don’t make them all about my type of lifestyle or interests or “identity”. Well actually, none of them tbh

400 trans people employed by the BBC.

Is it me, or is the BBC totally obsessed with men dressed as women, be it drag or trans or whatever? Some executive has quite the fetish going on I reckon.

Okay, actually it was quite funny.

' I had this sense that people were living longer, wages were going up, flights were getting cheaper, they were cloning sheep. It felt like there was going to be more democracy, there was hope, there was a future.'

Of cloned sheep?

I haven’t read the book, nor will I watch the TV series, but does Paris discuss in all truthfulness why they were in prison? I would say that that is a very significant part of this story.

I have a feeling that article will make me cross.

Zoe Williams interview. I think she knows nothing about the Weimar Republic.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/may/30/all-of-us-felt-like-we-had-touched-gold-what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl-the-bbcs-electric-coming-of-age-tale

Well this fiction not a documentary. But I agree their non fic coverage of trans is crap. Weirdly the trans UK redditors find the Beeb v transphobic, so this ridiculous stance had actually pleased no one! Similarly, they hate the Guardian bc a few like Sonia Sodha (the Antichrist to them practically) didn't drink the Kool aid.

I dont know that it was a successful book? Usually when a book sells a lot of copies, the publishers are keen to say.

I dont think sales should be a factor when commissioning a drama, but pushing an ideology shouldnt be either.