Piglets has been hit with over 100 Ofcom complaints after it made its debut. The six-part comedy is set in a fictional police training college, where it follows the story of six newly recruited cops, who are all very different as the training team try and get them ready for the job in hand. The comedy is led by Sarah Parish and Mark Heap, who play Superintendent Julie Spry and Superintendent Bob Weekes whilst the six new recruits - Steph (played by Callie Cooke), Leggo (Sam Pote), Geeta (Sukh Kaur Ojla) Afia (Halema Hussain), Dev (Abdul Sessay) and Paul (Jamie Bisping) - cause as much chaos as possible during their training.
However, the show - which kicked off over the weekend - has been criticised by over 100 people, who complained to Ofcom. There was 106 complaints in total, which related to the programme's title and content, with some claiming that the name 'Piglets' and the plot of the comedy show was disrespectful to the police force. The Police Federation of England and Wales have also complained about the title, calling it a "disgusting choice of language" and "highly offensive to police officers risking their lives".
Acting national chair, Tiffany Lynch, said: "I find it incredulous that this has passed through checks and balances at an organisation made up of people who at any time have or may need the support and assistance of the police. [The title is] inflammatory against a landscape of rising threats and violence against officers. We should not be put at further risk for viewing numbers, our officers deserve respect, not humiliation for the job they are undertaking.
It is incredibly dangerous to incite more negativity and misinformation against a public sector service that’s already under so much pressure." Defending the show, Mark Heap said: "It’s not a documentary. It’s not a satire on the police – it’s just a nice structure.
It’s the 'sit' in which to put the 'com,'" whilst creator Victoria Pile added: "It’s a workplace with all the usual challenges and romances. Whether it’s a hospital, a police training college or a university, it’s still got the same human condition at its heart. Our little group wants to explore the real ways that people behave – and pull it out a little bit at the corners and go for the extreme.
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