Viewers complain after character in One of Us inaccurately describes illness as terminal
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| Bill Douglas, played by John Lynch, in the BBC’s One of Us. Photograph: Hal Shinnie/BBC |
The writers of the BBC1 drama One of Us have defended their
depiction of a character with Parkinson’s disease after viewers objected to his
description of the illness as terminal.
The BBC said
it would not reveal the number of complaints received about the latest episode
of the psychological drama. It is understood that viewers also took issue with
other ways in which Parkinson’s was discussed.
The programme’s creators and writers Jack and Harry Williams
said the way the character Bill Douglas, played by John Lynch, talked about the
disease reflected his own experience.
In a statement, they said: “One of Us is a fictional drama
series and the way Bill talks about his Parkinson’s is a deliberate choice – he
perceives it as a death sentence, an end to his way of life and sense of
self.
“He uses the hyperbolic language to shock and punish his son.
This extreme behaviour is integral to the plot of the final episode.”
The episode, the third in a four-part series, was watched by 3.7
million people.
Barbara Williams, director of support and local networks at
Parkinson’s UK, said the media had a responsibility to ensure the public were
not misinformed.
She said: “Parkinson’s is a complex neurological condition
affecting around 127,000 people in the UK. We know from our own research and
what people tell us about their experiences of living with Parkinson’s that
misconceptions about the condition can have a devastating impact on people’s
emotional and mental wellbeing, so it is essential that information the public
receives about the condition is correct.
“The media have a hugely important role to play in disseminating
factual information about Parkinson’s and a responsibility to make sure that
the public are not misinformed. We would urge anyone speaking about Parkinson’s
publicly to check the facts first, in order to portray the condition
accurately.”
The final episode of One of Us will be shown next Tuesday.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/sep/07/bbc-receives-complaints-over-parkinsons-depiction
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