Urban Myths (TV Series) The Sex Pistols Vs. Bill Grundy (2018) User Reviews

Lively version of a notorious TV moment

[loveagoodstory · 8/10 · 17 June 2024]

For 2024, imagine the Sex Pistols going on The One Show to eff and jeff their way through a few TV minutes and, if you were young then, into legend.

It's a well-acted 25 minutes from a solid cast that captures all the major elements you'll need, and many minor ones that colour in the TV world well. It was good to see the broader brush strokes of the story being brought to life. And dear old Bill had his choices and tragically, for his career, decided to say what he said.

(I find it comical that another review here claims to know the inside story but writes it in the sniffy tones of an outraged 70's Mary Whitehouse type. It just forgot to say that they were so offended they kicked in their TV screen then sent ITV the bill...)

Biased Review

[jody-186 · 10/10 · 17 February 2020]

Before I recommend this short, I fully admit I am a die hard Sex Pistols fan. This was based on one of the most infamous interviews on live TV ever. Rotten, Jones, Matlock and Cook completely take over Thames TV. This movie gives you the behind the scenes decisions that led to this infamous interview. You have a narcissist alcoholic interviewer vs. Punks who just don't give a crap. The cancellation by Freddie Mercury where Queen was supposed to be interviewed. EMI offering up the Sex Pistols as a late replacement. The scenes that made this episode priceless was the mistake of Thames TV having overflow compliant calls going to the Green Room where the Pistols where answering the complaints. This is 30 minutes of gut busting laughter.

Barely watchable..

[martinlucas-469-207968 · 2/10 · 12 April 2020]

As a member of the production crew that actually participated in this debacle, I just want put on record that this cheapo production bore only the vaguest relation to actual events, and only that because the producers had access ( as everyone does) to the Youtube footage of the actual studio interview. The makers clearly had only the vaguest idea how a daily features programme is produced. I far as I know not one of us who were there were consulted about what really happened, and the characterisations of key characters are ludicrously ( not amusingly ) inaccurate. Particularly invidious was the depiction of Bill Grundy, a skilled and talented presenter who took the hit for miscalculations by the production team he should have been able to rely on.