ITV police sitcom to return despite backlash

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As a fan who has seen my fair share of police sitcoms, I must say that ITV’s “Piglets” has certainly piqued my interest. I remember the controversy surrounding its title and the initial backlash it received from both critics and the Police Federation. But as someone who appreciates a good underdog story, I have to admit that I was rooting for it all along.

ITV’s police sitcom Piglets has been renewed for another series.

Prior to the debut of its first series in July, the comedy show faced criticism from the Police Federation of England and Wales who deemed the title as distasteful and highly provocative. They stated that the term ‘pig’, historically, has been used as a derogatory slang for police officers.

Despite receiving mostly unfavorable feedback from both critics and viewers, ITV remains committed to the show and has approved a second season.

The piglet series has been renewed for a second season, and it’s amazing because they received an overwhelming response. Ricky Champ, who portrays Sergeant Daz Black on the show, expressed this during an interview on the “Reading Between the Lines” podcast.

Initially, the debut episode received overwhelmingly negative feedback from all sides, making me think, “Well, that’s a wrap”. However, it turned out to have impressive viewership numbers, which evidently caught ITV’s attention.

In a new setup, Piglets finds Sarah Parish from Curfew and Mark Heap known for Friday Night Dinner, starring as the two supervisors responsible for guiding six freshly minted police recruits through their training process.

Other cast members include Rebecca Humphries, Ukweli Roach, Jamie Bisping and Callie Cooke.

Prior to the broadcast, the England and Wales Police Federation deemed the show’s title as highly disrespectful towards the police officers who selflessly put their lives on the line daily to safeguard the public.

In response to the criticism, ITV explained in a statement that “Piglets” is a humorous new comedy centered around a police training academy. The title does not aim to be offensive; instead, it’s a clever and endearing play on words meant to highlight the innocence and youth of our young recruits.

In response to the inquiry, Nana Hughes, who oversees comedy at the broadcasting station, mentioned at that moment that the chosen title was not meant to cause offense to anyone.

She remarked, “Since humor is a matter of personal taste, some might find it amusing while others won’t, but ideally, most will. We affectionately named our trainees ‘Piglets,’ thinking it was a charming and humorous choice. However, we can’t alter it now as it has already been set in motion and is scheduled to air in a week. There simply isn’t enough time.

Piglets airs on ITV and ITVX.

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2024-11-08 15:20