
The first reactions to Prince Andrew: The Musical have arrived on Channel 4.
With its comedic retelling of the Duke of York’s troubles over the years, as well as the spotlight on other members of the royal family, the musical spectacle was bound to divide opinion.
Some fans have anticipated that the programme, which stars Kieran Hodgson as the primary character, could face Ofcom complaints.
However, some have commended those who developed it, as well as placed Kieran on an exceptionally high pedestal, lauding the creation as ‘genius’.
One person tweeted: ‘I wonder how many complaints Ofcom will get this week?’, while another speculated: ‘Ofcom is going OFF right now.’
Another referenced Tory MP Lee Anderson by tweeting: ‘Somewhere, Lee Anderson is preparing his complaint to Ofcom while preparing his next tweet about “woke snowflakes” not allowing things that are on TV not being on TV.’
Nonetheless, there was also widespread adulation for Prince Andrew: The Musical and Kieran, who wrote it as well as starring in the project.
‘#C4PrinceAndrew is peak entertainment! If this isn’t on at the fringe next year with Kieran Hodgson as Prince Andrew then will it even be worth going?’ one person commented.
‘What a brilliantly funny and clever man Kieran Hodgson is!’ another said, while someone else wrote: ‘Give @KieranCHodgson a knighthood for being a genius.’
One viewer raved over the film by tweeting: ‘#princeandrewthemusical is a hilarious and musically adroit work of genius. Bravo to everyone involved.’
Meanwhile, after several days of festive programmes, one individual revealed that in their opinion, Prince Andrew: The Musical topped the lot.
‘#princeandrewthemusical what a work of genius! Satire at its best. Well done
@Channel4 that wins Christmas viewing for me,’ they said.
Speaking ahead of the musical’s release, Kieran admitted how ‘nervous’ he felt about it premiering.
‘In fact I’m more nervous about this than anything I’ve done before,’ he admitted to The Times.
‘The show is a real tightrope walk. It’s up to the viewing public to decide whether we fell off the tightrope or not,’ he continued.
‘But I think if you are trying to carry the torch for satire, in a humble way trying to follow on from, I don’t know, Gulliver’s Travels or Dr Strangelove, on some level there ought to be anger. Otherwise what are you doing it for?’
Prince Andrew: The Musical is available to watch on All 4.
What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.