Diana: The Witnesses In The Tunnel

[Pip Madeley]

Is anyone going to watch this controversial documentary on Thursday?

Channel 4 will broadcast photos of the crash that killed Princess Diana despite a plea from her sons. Prince William and Prince Harry's private secretary wrote to the channel saying they felt it would be a "gross disrespect" to their mother's memory.

Channel 4 said it decided to run the images in the documentary on Wednesday after considering the princes' concerns against wider public interest. The pictures by French photographers are of the August 1997 crash in Paris.

The letter from the princes' private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, was sent to Hamish Mykura, head of history, science and religion at Channel 4, last Friday. Mr Lowther-Pinkerton wrote: "If it were your or my mother dying in that tunnel, would we want the scene broadcast to the nation? Indeed, would the nation so want it?"

In particular, the letter asked Channel 4 to remove several images of the crashed car with Diana still inside and of a medic treating her. "These photographs, regardless of the fact that they do not actually show the princess's features, are redolent with the atmosphere and tragedy of the closing moments of her life," Mr Lowther-Pinkerton added. He said the broadcaster had been unwilling to allow the princes to view the documentary, called Diana: The Witnesses In The Tunnel, so he watched it last week and briefed the princes on its content.

Channel 4, however, deny that they refused to give the princes access to the video.

Should the photos be shown? Is it important that we see images of Diana near death?

[Wayne]

Is anyone going to watch this controversial documentary on Thursday?

Not me.

Is it important that we see images of Diana near death?

No. I don't think it's neccesary at all. Irrespective of all the controversy surrounding the circumstances of her death, How will showing these photo's enlighten anything?
Let's be honest, It's just to get people to watch it, & unfortunately there are people out there who will be happy see this kind of thing. It's the worst kind of morbid, deeply unpleasant voyeurism is you ask me.

[Dino]

Well.I wasn't going to bother, but seeing as her sons have kicked up such a fuss... to quote American Dad's Steve Smith "Oh,now I HAVE to see them!"

[Dino]

Well.I wasn't going to bother, but seeing as her sons have kicked up such a fuss... to quote American Dad's Steve Smith "Oh,now I HAVE to see them!"

Mind you, I'll probably miss it anyway... 1997, I went downstairs to watch Planet of The Spiders on UK Gold, and there was a superimposed caption at the bottom of the screen saying "There is a major news story breaking, please turn to your news channel."
What were you doing?

[Pip Madeley]

Watching Planet of The Spiders on UK Gold as well. I've still that broadcast on tape.

[Dino]

Watching Planet of The Spiders on UK Gold as well. I've still that broadcast on tape.

Sort of ruined the illusion a bit didn't it?

[Pip Madeley]

Well, I was only 11.

I agree with Wayne about the issue, by the way.

[Captain Tancredi]

Channel 4 probably also get a certain amount of kudos within the television industry for refusing to bow to pressure from the royals.

[WhiteCrow]

Hmmm - I was looking at the Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination last night and realised this must be the most watched "snuff" movie of all time.

I think in a similar vein, all the conspiracy theories around Diana, mainly created by "that man" mean people have a kind of curiosity. If that man could give it a rest and stop harping about all these theories, people would just leave them be.

To me the message of her death was simple "clunk click every trip". The only survivor was the one to wear a seatbelt. And please don't start me on how a secret serviceman in a Citreon 2CV top speed 90mph drove a top of the line luxury car going at 160mph off the road. Just listen to what you're saying ...

[Dino]

Hmmm - I was looking at the Zapruder film of the Kennedy assassination last night and realised this must be the most watched "snuff" movie of all time.



To me the message of her death was simple "clunk click every trip". The only survivor was the one to wear a seatbelt. And please don't start me on how a secret serviceman in a Citreon 2CV top speed 90mph drove a top of the line luxury car going at 160mph off the road. Just listen to what you're saying ...

Yeah, but wasn't there "a bright flash" in the tunnel before the crash?
Ok, I'll let it lie.
But yes, if she had worn a seatbelt the outcome would have been different...
....and if the ambulance had travelled a little faster to the hospital.....

[WhiteCrow]

I hope Channel 4 will be paying the paperazi who took those photos for their shots, I don't think they've been properly paid for them yet.

[Dino]

I hope Channel 4 will be paying the paperazi who took those photos for their shots, I don't think they've been properly paid for them yet.

Hasn't stopped Sky News showing extracts of the show has it? (Whilst going "Ooh! These Channel 4 monsters! Showing tasteless footage of the car! That's OUR job! ooh!Ooh!")

Expect to see pictures of the show in The Sun and other papers the day after.... whilst they go "Ooh! How dare Channel 4 defy the wishes of the Princes...ooh!" etc

[WhiteCrow]

Expect to see pictures of the show in The Sun and other papers the day after.... whilst they go "Ooh! How dare Channel 4 defy the wishes of the Princes...ooh!" etc

Yes this must be in the same way the Sun promised in the aftermath never to use Paparazi pictures and to leave Harry and William unharassed. I'm sure Kate Middleton would beg to differ ...

[WhiteCrow]

Just seen an argument about this on the BBC - and someone saying if you make a historical document you don't need to use ghoulish pictures.

And in fact I cannot disagree more on that point. It's hard to imagine a program on the assasination of either Kennedys without using some of that footage. Likewise you cannot cover the horror of the First World War or the Holocaust without using a certain amount of quite disturbing pictures.

[Rob McCow]

It's hard to imagine a program on the assasination of either Kennedys without using some of that footage. Likewise you cannot cover the horror of the First World War or the Holocaust without using a certain amount of quite disturbing pictures.

As an historical document, the film is of little worth compared with eyewitness accounts, news reports of the time and whatever subsequent inquests were conducted. The film was most useful for the movie 'JFK' starring Kevin Costner. It's also not nearly as graphic as the pictures of Diana sound; all that happens is President Kennedy falls out of view and the other people in the car panic.

The holocaust pictures are paticularly gruesome, but they serve a purpose in that they illustrate the atrocities that were committed during the war. In that way, they are more valuable as historical evidence.

For the Diana pics, the mangled wreck of the car sufficiently shows how bad the accident in the tunnel was. We can see the concrete pillar that the car hit and we know the speed it was travelling, so its easy to surmise that it was a horrific accident. What does seeing the graphic detail tell us in addition to that?

It shows us that she was photographed to death. And that Channel 4 have decided to prostitute her corpse in the hunt for ratings.

[Pip Madeley]

To be fair to Channel 4, Diana is blurred in the images, they will not be showing her face.

[WhiteCrow]

Of course when it comes to what is good taste or not, we should defer to Prince "Dress up as an SS officer" Harry!

[Dino]

Well.I wasn't going to bother, but seeing as her sons have kicked up such a fuss... to quote American Dad's Steve Smith "Oh,now I HAVE to see them!"

And would you believe it? The Apprentice was on BBC 2, two of the most punchable contestants and Mr. Nice got fired/fell on their sword, so after all that I missed the Diana show!
Lol as we used to say in Stalinist Russia....