Sick grandad becomes first person in Britain to die on national television

[kasperbbs]

I wouldn't want to make my last moments into some kind of entertainment for strangers, but if the family doesn't mind then whatever. I can`t see how this is in any way 'science'.. As some people pointed out "THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!! OMG!!", well if you don`t want your children seeing it, don`t let them watch it? Still it couldn't be worse then 'generic action movie #537468678' where heads are flying and guts spilling out everywhere.

 

[SillyBear]

I'm confused, what's the science in this? People keep on mentioning science and I'm trying to understand where that fits in.

To share the human experience of death, I guess.


I saw the programme, and it was completely amazing and gave a real insight into life and death. It was beautiful and well done for the BBC for showing it. 99% of the time when the public creates an uproar over something on TV, it is utter nonsense - and this is one of those times.

Edit: I also believe this would be a wonderful thing to show a child. It was done tastefully and respectfully, and gave a real perception of what death is. Great educational tool.

 

[elilupe]

I wonder how the cameramen felt while filming this...

 

[Trasken]

This is an obvious and sick attempt to boost ratings

 

[EvilPicnic]

I really don't see the issue. Death is a part of life, and can be beautiful in it's own way, just like any other part. It's the taboo and the 'fear' that keeps many people from appreciating this, and I think the BBC should be applauded for demonstrating it.

After all, it's only through seeing death that we can understand it.

Another thing I think people are missing is that this programme as a whole was about the breadth of life, and showed birth too. It would be absurd to show the beginning, but not the end, no? In context, it all makes good sense and is educational.

Not that the Daily Mirror or it's ignorant-as-fuck readers would ever understand.

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

This is wrong on SO many levels =| i can't believe the BBC have showed this!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/12/sick-grandad-becomes-first-person-in-britain-to-die-on-national-television-115875-23124043/

I actually can't believe the Family aloud it either, it's just...wrong! The BBC says it's for science, i say it's wrong and should not have been shown! What if kids were to have see this? it's just stupid and to be honest i think the family should be ashamed!

Your thoughts?

Not the first guy for one.

For another, this does have merit and I'd be happy for my kids to see it. Spoiler alert: people die. Pretending like it doesn't happen and avoiding looking at it just makes it more scary. By shielding kids from it, all you're accomplishing is ensuring that it'll seem weird and terrifying later in life. If you show it to kids and let them get used to the idea and confront it themselves before they start getting inundated with the more typical intense fear and mysticism surrounding death, I think you're doing them a great service.

Edit: And if the program was about the entire human lifespan and showed birth, it would be extremely silly not to show death.

 

[Radelaide]

Not the first person by a long shot. Tommy Cooper died live on stage.(televised)

I believe there was another person who filmed their own death as well, but... I don't know how I feel about this.

I think it means a death that was planned, if someone died live on stage i doubt it was on purpose.

you think he planned his own death to shock the audience?

TBF, I think he carried on despite his failing health. I remember watching it and it was a hell of a shock.

He'd just come to the end of one of his routines, and then he collapsed Mr Bean style against the curtain. Everyone laughed.

And then nothing happened.

And then they cut to commercials very fast.

It was....harrowing.

For a second there, I swore you said "He carried on despite dying on stage."

What the heck is in the drinking water over there?

OT: Probably not the best thing to see. People really aren't equip to deal with confronting images such as their own mortality sometimes.

 

[sacrine]

Whatever it takes to bring the mystery out of death. If people understood it more maybe they wouldn't be so scared about it.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

For a second there, I swore you said "He carried on despite dying on stage."

If you watch the clip, which I don't really recommend, you can almost believe that.

What the heck is in the drinking water over there?

No fluorine for a start. And definitely no whiskey. At All.

 

[Tdc2182]

I don't see anything wrong with it. Children and people are so overprotected these days, people need to know what real life is like.

 

[deserteagleeye]

I remember there was this video of an old acrobat guy crossing a thin line between to buildings. It was pretty dark. You didn't see him hit the ground but you could see him hanging for his life before he falls to his death. Soooooo sad.

 

[crazyfoxdemon]

As long as the old man allowed it... whats the big deal? >_>

I think the big deal is that it was on National Television..

Death is just a part of life, whether it's right in front of us or miles away shown to us through a screen, what is the difference?

I think people should have the right to expose themselves as much or as little to death as they want. Just because death is natural doesn't mean that everyone can handle it. And with it being on national television, some people who can't handle death probably saw it.

 

[thecoreyhlltt]

It was ABSOLUTELY fascinating. In my opinion, if the family allow it, the guy allows it and then BBC decide they'd run it it's fine. It's not like the BBC forced people to watch it but I can see where other people are coming from. Dying and having your final breath televised it's very eerie...to say the least.

you wouldn't happen to know where i could see this video do you? because you're right, it is fascinating(or at least it sounds fascinating)

 

[Trolldor]

This is wrong on SO many levels =| i can't believe the BBC have showed this!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/12/sick-grandad-becomes-first-person-in-britain-to-die-on-national-television-115875-23124043/

I actually can't believe the Family aloud it either, it's just...wrong! The BBC says it's for science, i say it's wrong and should not have been shown! What if kids were to have see this? it's just stupid and to be honest i think the family should be ashamed!

Your thoughts?

It was fine.

You're just too sensitive. Don't pull the bullox about "the children" because you are uncomfortable with it.

This is the world. This is reality. By showing people what actually happens we generate awareness and understanding.

 

[Antari]

If there's one thing I can promise you, none of us are getting out of this alive! If the family agreed with it and the person who died, whats to complain about?

 

[thecoreyhlltt]

It was ABSOLUTELY fascinating. In my opinion, if the family allow it, the guy allows it and then BBC decide they'd run it it's fine. It's not like the BBC forced people to watch it but I can see where other people are coming from. Dying and having your final breath televised it's very eerie...to say the least.

you wouldn't happen to know where i could see this video do you? because you're right, it is fascinating(or at least it sounds fascinating)

if you are in the UK you can watch it on iplayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

if you aren't you can probably use a proxy server to kid on you're a licence fee payer but i wouldn't know anything about that

hmph, that's weird. i'm in the U.S. and the iplayer worked fine, but i still couldn't find it. why doesn't America ever get to watch the cool stuff?!?!?!!??