In Death in Chorus, they needed to demonstrate that Jones could sing and what better way then to show him singing in the shower. And show him they did -- in a full nude back view. Usually when one showers, the curtain is closed to keep the water in, but not on MM. So what was the point? So that we could know for sure that he has no tattoos, birthmarks or tan lines where the sun doesn't shine?
shareI would think the point was that in general people are nude in the shower. As I recall there was a glass door in the shower, so why would there need to be a shower curtain?
shareThey could have used a frosted shower door.
shareThey could have dressed him from head to toe in a nun's habit. What on earth is the big deal seeing a nude body?
share"They could have used a frosted shower door."
Just say no...to the frosted shower door. I appreciated it.
Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."
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I agree with JohnD61 and Jessica_Rabbit69 -- but I have the episode in my collection and I have just looked at the scene in question, and have uploaded a still image from it to use as an avatar to accompany this message (assuming the nice folks who run the IMDB website don't block it).
I have two points for you.
1. They DID use a partially frosted door. It's frosted in vertical ribs where the producers wanted it to be frosted. Indeed, the actor himself may have wanted it frosted, in case he feared he might not live up to people's expectations, because ...
2. The scene *begins* with Jones's back to the camera, as he lathers his hair; but then he turns around and faces the camera full on.
So, the scene *does* contain frontal nudity as well as backal nudity. But with the strategically positioned vertical frosting, the back image is semi-obscured and the front image is very effectively blocked.
On the one hand, "Dang!" On the other, it may be the 21rst century but we *are* still dealing with "Auntie ITV," here - and she is slightly less liberal than Auntie BBC.
If you want fully unobstructed nudity, you either need to watch Channel 4 in UK or Global TV, CTV, CBC/SRC, TVO, or TVA in Canada. (They can also get away with saying the F-word on prime time Canadian TV - uncommonly liberal of them!)
A final note: If you saw this episode on a PBS station in the USA, the local station may have censored out the frontal part of the "nude scene." Auntie FCC in Washington is even *more* conservative than Auntie ITV in London, so PBS and PBS affiliates frequently remove scenes they find objectionable, or which they presume (rightly or wrongly) their viewers will find objectionable.
So, when PBS showed *The Jewel in the Crown* we did not get the scenes where Sarah Layton gets seduced, or the scene where Hari Kumar is sexually abused by Ronald Merrick (the one where Merrick refers to Daphne Manners,saying "An English girl's gone missing. *You* know which one. The one likes black cock; and the more the merrier.") We also didn't get the scene in *I, Claudius* where Caligula kills his sister; and two entire episodes from the first season of *Upstairs, Downstairs* were deemed by PBS to be inappropriate for an American audience, so they weren't even imported. We got them in Metro Detroit/Windsor when Channel 9 did an independent broadcast of the entire series, including the episode where Emily kills herself and the follow up episode afterward.
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My only problem with the scene was that it was obviously a pretext to set up the "Jones is a competent tenor" plot point.
Maybe it's my limited social life, but although I know that singing in the shower is an actual "thing", I can't say I've been around many people who actually do it.
And even if Jones isn't a stereotypically "reserved" Englishman, I found it a bit forced to have him burst into song while being forced to shower in someone else's home, after getting an unexpected and disagreeable soaking.
Jones is a cheerful chap most of the time, but in those circumstances most people would be inclined to hurry up and return to a more comfortable and presentable state.
I just watched this episode on Netflix; I remember the rear view, but not the reported frontal view. I also don't recall any obvious editing or blurring of his naughty bits, and I'm pretty sensitive to such things. But it might've just escaped my notice.
Just to vent a bit more about this: although the good stuff is now behind their paywall, I watched many European police shows on Mhz Networks' "International Mystery" series.
It really bugs me when they censor/blur human anatomy. For instance, the well-produced French/Belgian (?) "Maigret" series (1991) has lots of interior scenes of houses with artwork featuring nudity.
At least, I guess that's what it features-- because you see lots of fuzzed-out paintings on walls, or sculptural bric-a-brac that's also blurred out.
I don't mean scenes in a porno shop, or bordello, or glimpses of some thug's girlie pictures tacked up on the wall; I mean ordinary residential homes of suspects, witnesses, etc. I'm sure that what's being blocked out would be considered "tasteful" (artistic) nudity in a saner world.
Even though I'm personally "pro-nudity" in my viewing habits 😉, I can grudgingly understand blocking out "live" nudity, i.e. actual flesh-and-blood naughty bits. But it seems insanely puritanical to block out some painting, statue, or vase in the background for this reason.
I've never viewed a DVD version, but it would make me crazy if they also censor those. It just seems like uptight overkill to me.
Thanks, I feel a little better now.
Yes, I wonder why no one else seems to mention that partially frosted shower door. Was it just on Netflix? Unlikely--they had no problem with, for example, Pierre Perrier's frontal nudity in "The Returned."
shareI guess I am not the only who thinks Jason Hughes alias Ben Jones is a hottie. And is very nice to see him once without a suit and tie in his whole glory showing his sexy ass. ;-)
shareSeconded. And he has another shower scene in The Oblong Murders. No curtain, full arse on show. And he has facial hair too. YUM.
shareSuch a pretty boy, but from the neck down......well, a few months at the gym could probably do wonders. To be so flabby at his young age, shame.
shareYes, Auntie PBS had fuzzed out the whole scene and deleted the front part.
shareTry: http://watchseries.lt/serie/midsomer_murders or http://www.couchtuner.la/watch-midsomer-murders-online/ to watch the naughty, unexpurgated versions. (And lots of other good programs.)
shareLast week I have seen the Oblong Murders episode again. A very nice view on his ass indeed! I think it is ridiculous to say that only extremely gym toned bodies should be shown. In general too attractive actors are not good as main character for a crime series, but a sexy sidekick is OK! And why not shown him naked now and then. It is a pity Scott was never shown under the shower. Or did I miss it?!
I don't think they ever showed Scott in the shower. i'm sure I would have remembered that.
shareI agree. Also, I often find so called 'average' body built to be the most attractive, so I often get annoyed that majority of American shows only have shirtless men who are either naturally buff or gymed-out for the scene. There are, of course, very attractive musceled guys, but a little more body diversity would be good. In UK not all nude people are necessary attractive, but I am sure they are all attractive to someone and they seam more like everyday people.
Watched this episode on WETA-UK here in Maryland last night.
Thought the scene in question was very well done, and saw no need for PBS to blur out the "naughty bits", front and back.
We have much to learn here in the colonies...
Cheers!!
_______________________
What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-goin' on here?
Yep, PBS sprinkled that fairy dust very liberally. Did you notice that when Barnaby and Joyce were discussing Jones singing in the shower that they both had twinkles in their eyes? And that had nothing to do with recruiting Jones to sing in the choir.
Did you also notice that this episode was basically a rewrite of an earlier episode where they used the exact same mansion, a large bird was involved in the plot, a person was held against their will in a bedroom, a collection of valuable objects was also in the plot, the bagman gets messy and dirty, a business operation doesn't pan out, and because of that a man involved in that business operation is the one who is murdered. Ho hum.
Jones is in the shower in “The Oblong Murders” as well, nude, from the back, no shower door or curtain.
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