REACTION TO Constable Savage: Racist Police (Not The Nine O'Clock News)

[@scousemouse9715]

Evening from an English woman. Its great that you're listening with a light heart and a raw sense of humour. Thanks for posting.

[@Andrew-r2h]

HI from an old Englishman - you guys are great = happy and have great laughs = keep it up

[@DaveyL1954]

I sit here with you laughing at this sketch which I've seen many times. I'm so glad that we laugh together. It is our strength as human beings that we are able to do this. Love and peace to you all. Dave in Yorkshire England.

[@newblackdog7827]

This was 1980. The joke is that “Constable Savage” (London Metropolitan Police) is a thick racist. Rather than getting sacked he’s transferred to the SPG a (now long disbanded) special squad that had a reputation for extreme violence and racism. 😂

[@thedukeofnuts]

Now the SPG unit is known as the Territorial Support Group.

[@Garen65]

The SPG (Special Patrol Group) were a (now-disbanded) police unit that had a reputation for racism and violence. What a load of rubbish. They had justification for profiling and it is still relevant today. But we are not allowed to mention the races involved in violent crimes but we all know who they are.

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

Did they have a reputation for "extreme violence"? 🤔

[@newblackdog7827]

@ Well, from recollection when assisting the (real) Sweeney, they managed to shoot a “wanted armed robber” driving a Mini about 20 times-who then transpired to be instead the son of a sitting High Court judge…🤷🏻‍♂️

[@danjensen2695]

@@normandavidtidiman9918 yes the SPG were notorious in the 70s and 80s foe being thugs in police uniforms - their bully boy tactics were in part respeonsible for the Brixton riots and others of that era - if further proof was needed of this - Vivian in the young ones named his hamster SPG

[@rainbowqueen1872]

Brits are great at calling-out bad behaviour using humour. At the time this was broadcast the police were often in the spotlight for Racism and this sketch nailed the extent of the problem.

[@FlyingPhilUK]

In case anyone wonders... the Hedgehog at the end is a reference to an apology they had to do at the start of this program about a song (about Truck Drivers) they did in the previous episode, when a truck drove over a (stuffed) hedgehog - the BBC got several compaints about that - so, they had to do an apology at the start, which they turned into a joke, of course

[@mcfcguvnors]

I like trucking & i like to Truck - never made any sense but their songs were ace , Gob on you , reggie bosenquet , all good stuff

[@JulieLevinge]

SPG was disbanded years ago for racism & violence this is over 40 years old. ❤️ your reaction!✊❤️

[@dannevirkenz]

Wasn’t it after the death of a protestor? Which the police then went on to cover up and obstruct the investigation of? Of course, nothing like that now with the TSG! en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Ian_Tomlinson Different names, same thugs!

[@ianalford7258]

Thank you for recognising comedy 👍😂

[@ianlove1215]

Not The Nine O'clock News: An 80s sketch show broadcast on BBC2 at 9pm when the real news was being shown on BBC1. There were just 4 people doing it. Rowan Atkinson - who later went on to do Mr. Bean & the 4 Blackadder series, Griff Rhys Jones - he hasn't much else, apart from writing & doing a comedy series with another from NTNON. Mel Smith - sadly passed away a few years ago, but did Alas Smith and Jones, a mainly 2 handed sketch show with Griff. Lastly there was Pamela Stephenson, an intelligent woman who helped with the sketches who became a psychoanalyst & married the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly.

[@thebravesirobin8665]

Mel Smith didn't have the same success as Rowan Atkinson but he did appear in a surprising number of films. Some of my favourite films featured Mel Smith. He was in "The Princess Bride", "Brain Donors", "National Lampoon's European Vacation.", "Morons From Outer Space" and "Bullshot".

[@andrewlilico2218]

Stephenson went on to become one of the stars of Superman III.

[@seeker1432]

A lot of these older shows liked to show the stupidity of Racism through comedy. The racist always looks the stupid one.

[@Shoomer88]

The SPG (Special Patrol Group) were a (now-disbanded) police unit that had a reputation for racism and violence.

[@AnthonyClegg-d2v]

Thats putting it mildly.

[@cheryltotheg2880]

It was also the name of Vivian’s hamster in the young ones

[@Shoomer88]

@@cheryltotheg2880 I forgot about that.

[@nw8000]

Good times

[@rjjcms1]

It's not the only sketch Not the Nine O'Clock News did about the SPG. There was one in which an officer bursts through the front door of a home,smashes several objects including a vase of flowers violently and shouts something like "SPG man! Come out with your hands up". His wife appears and says something like "oh darling,I do wish you wouldn't bring your work home with you."

[@Smithjones12]

Not the nine o'clock news, it was excellent 🤣

[@tonycritcher3419]

And the memory of the show after all these years kinda lingers

[@Smithjones12]

@tonycritcher3419 🤣 that song 🤣. Gerald the gorilla 🦍 🤣

[@tonycritcher3419]

@@Smithjones12 'David b***** Attenborough!' 'Wild, I was absolutely livid!'. Not forgetting the Kate bush parody!

[@Smithjones12]

@@tonycritcher3419 Wild I was livid 🤣

[@tonycritcher3419]

@@Smithjones12 It certainly was a great time for comedy, people I'd never heard of and then becoming completely unforgettable!

[@AndyWhite-w5u]

It's to make racists look stupid, humour back then was to laugh at racists, the public knew it was wrong.

[@davereeder61164]

I watched this as a child in the 70's . They were very funny and not politically correct. SPG are the biggest thugs in the Police force usually seen being heavy handed in riot gear.

[@davidcoleman757]

The sketch was an instant classic; more so because the UK police at the time had a dreadful reputation for racism. SPG stands for Special Patrol Group; a somewhat notorious police unit from the same period. Vivian on The Young Ones had a pet hamster with a Glasgow accent called SPG.

[@nickoutram6939]

The hedgehog at the end was part of another joke/sketch.

[@FSMDog]

The British have a long history of mocking racist characters - Fawlty Towers, In sickness and in health Sadly some didn't get that the bigotry was being mocked

[@Ominousheat]

The reaction of the girl in the middle is really telling. I think it's the best of the bunch.

[@ernestoglesby5342]

One of the classics.

[@RosaLichtenstein01]

In the UK, the pavement is what you in the US call the sidewalk.

[@libby215]

Your group is so joyous to watch and I have subscribed 🌻

[@77Xd2]

It's called British humour love❤

[@Mad_ManX]

Great channel Guy's & Gals 💯 Jamie from England

[@clivethewritermadenglishma4042]

The punch line. transfering you to the SPG. That's Special Patrol Group.

[@simonhampson5082]

Special Police Group - they didn't patrol as such, but were called in when violence and thuggery were seen as a requirement to solve an altercation.

[@markmcnicholas9475]

As others have said, this was 45 years ago (nearly) and just before serious riots erupted in the UK, with many black people involved, but also many white people too. The police were empowered by a law designed to allow stopping and searching anyone on “suspicion of criminal activity” known colloquially as the “suss” law. (suspicion of criminal intent) It was used on everyone, (I was arrested several times, as were friends of mine. A friend and I were once arrested in his back garden and charged with burglary) But black people believed it allowed for them to be targeted unfairly. They were blamed for the social unrest that erupted just after this sketch. The SPG were a more military part of the police, created for mass disturbances that were believed to be violent. So sending Savage off there was the punchline that made sense. It takes me back, but it was a long, long time ago.

[@sarablack2547]

it says on the screen that you were looking at at the beginning that it was 1980.

[@gladiammgtow4092]

Not the Nine O'Clock News is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 16 October 1979 to 8 March 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the Nine O'Clock News on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy sketches, re-edited videos, and spoof television formats. The programme features Rowan Atkinson, Pamela Stephenson, Mel Smith, and Griff Rhys Jones, as well as Chris Langham in the first series.

[@kenny832]

They transferred him to the SPG (Special Patrol Group) who became notorious in the 1970's when they became a "counterinsurgency unit" & largely Policed the Caribbean/African communities in London. They were accused of inciting the Brixton race riots & in 1979 (allegedly - no-one was charged) killed a man (Blair Peach) at an anti fascist protest with a blunt instrument. The unit was found to be in possession of illegal weapons like knives, crowbars & sledgehammers - basically violent thugs in Police uniform. So violent in fact, that Vyvyan from The Young Ones named his hamster after them!

[@andrewlilico2218]

Although in the sketch the charges were invented, at the time of the sketch in 1980 there still existed a "sus" law (originally from 1824) that tended to be used mainly against black men and granted the police very wide discretion to imprison people for up to 3 months on the suspicion that they were intending to commit an offence. That law was repealed in 1981.

[@MichaelOconnor-qw6kt]

It was 1980s not the nine oclock news was fantastic . Check out a song they sang called I LIKE TRUCKING ... and check out THE DARTS SKETCH you will laugh hard guys

[@rjjcms1]

They used to do parody songs as well,like the Ayatollah Song.

[@clivegreen7139]

For those wondering, the SPG was the Special Patrol Group, a police division based in Barnes, on the outskirts of London. When this episode aired, they were already notorious for racist behavior, sorry to say.

[@GeeCeeWU]

The SPG were known as the Special Patrol Group, an elite force that were formed in 1961, to deal with more violent crimes in London, such as serious public disorder, riot and terrorism and were able to be deployed quickly like a swat team. They were disbanded in 1987.

[@alabama1413]

Hi Guys. I have been a subscriber for a few weeks & live in England. I want to offer you some guidance on English/British humour. It’s important to understand that many of the comedy shows from the 1970s through to the early 2000s were all about self deprecating humour, that is, where the English are making fun of themselves, highlighting the bigotry that comes with certain professions, in this case, the new Constable who is racist but doesn’t really see the problem until his superior, Rowan Atkinson points it out to him. What is being highlighted is the ignorance of the Constable, showing him to be a fool in continuing to harass the black gentleman. You will see this ignorance repeated in other series too where the ‘white man’ is confronted by a black man in a situation he cannot control. To see just how funny this can be & how this ignorance of the white English man makes you laugh at him, you really need to watch ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, the first episode. This series was filmed in the 1970s & became a hit as it featured the bigotry & hypocrisy of character Eddie Booth who arrives back from holiday with his wife to find they have new neighbours next door, a black couple, Bill & Barbie Reynolds. What follows are hilarious exchanges as the two couples get to know each other & Bill is constantly getting the better of Eddie. Please watch this as it was great at showing just how ridiculous racism & bigotry are. I promise you will laugh a lot at this. Best wishes to you all 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@simonhampson5082]

Well said, wonderful explanation. It applied to many shows and did a lot to quietly educate the ignorant folks.

[@meisterlymanu5214]

it doesnt need explaining. Young folks today get it. They arent tadpoles.

[@lezbriddon]

@@meisterlymanu5214 Isnt it very strange then that these shows that highlighted the absurdity of bigotry and racism and would still carry that message to this day, are now banned vieweing on mainstream tv by these younger people (as tv executives) of which you speak.

[@meisterlymanu5214]

@@lezbriddon "replying to me in a funny way, Savage"

[@leafwinterborn295]

SPG is special patrol group, it was a branch of UK police forces. One was northern island RUC and one London

[@omwst1946]

SPG - Special Patrol Group: active in London through 60s and 70s. Meant to go in to situations local forces weren't up to: riots, demos etc. Trained to be very tough. Ended up with a lot of racist police who were basically thugs. Like the copper in this sketch. Also the Met (Metropolitan Police) as a whole had a reputation for being heavy-handed and corrupt. The SPG represented the worst of it.

[@brianjonesg8aso403]

Great to see you laughing at what is obviously a joke, and taking it in the context it was meant. I imagine you have seen "Love Thy Neighbour", it was a top show in the UK in the 1970s. BTW SPG was Special Patrol Group who, at the time, had a reputation for being racist.

[@andyhinds542]

A classic sketch from the era of 80s alternative comedy. Laughing aside, not a great deal has changed with regards to the police in London. In 1988, I was on my way to see some friends who lived in central London. I was 21, white and had long hair and leather jacket, so basically a typical 80s heavy metal fan. I had just walked outside an underground station when a police van pulled up, and several cops got out and stopped and searched me for drugs "because I looked like someone they were after". I wasn't arrested and they didn't find anything, but that kind of stop and search thing was out of order. When a young black man by the name of Stephen Lawrence was murdered by racists in London in 1993, the Met Police handled the case very badly due to institutionalised racism in the force. You can Google Stephen Lawrence murder.

[@BoBnotThat1]

Them fast dudes, thats was me when i played, their called wingers as the run down the wings of the rugby pitch. Its like a running back, you get the ball, and run, move just to get the other end.

[@SimonMcGrath-o8jk]

U guys haven't seen the irony of his name, PC. Savage. The series was called Not the nine o'clock news. Watch it guys and what's sad is here in UK this is starting to be real!!!

[@paulashe61]

PC Savage was a racist cartoon character from satirical magazine Private Eye.

[@philb2085]

I used to work with a racist old white guy that swore blind this sketch was about black people being too touchy and not about a racist cop?!?!?

[@dockaos924]

Who would have been thought this would become reality

[@reefermadnice]

it was reality then, check Blair Peach murder

[@daveadam435]

SPG. Special patrol group. He was promoted... And that's the joke. These people are not racist.

[@weswheel4834]

The use of the word 'coloured' (rather than 'black') shows the age of the clip as well.

[@BoBnotThat1]

Well its stupid to call a touch down a touch down when they don't even touch the ground 😂

[@mindurbusiness-b3u]

this is the UK today. hurty words? arrested. say bad things about rap1sts? arrested. praying? arrested.

[@ste1bro]

Can you provide one single instance where this has happened? If you mean the summer riots, those people were spreading hate speech and incitement to violence, a serious offence. You sound like Stewart Lee's "They throw you in jail just for being British these days" routine.

[@BoBnotThat1]

You do know American football came from England. 😂

[@simonhampson5082]

Most Americans come from somewhere else! As do most Brits!

[@zaedenuk]

Forget mr bean guys. Try Blackadder .

[@pamagnolia]

Crazy 😂

[@PhilipMarsh-cs9bx]

This comedy was making fun, sending up the SPG not the person in question. The SPG had a bad reputation and there was a lot of outcry from the public of racism and brutality, they were disbanded within three years. This was the seventies.

[@philshorten3221]

Special Police Group

[@neilwilson5785]

The SPG was a London Police group back in the 1980's who were notorious for being racist and violent. This comedy sketch is criticising this group.

[@maureen348]

This was made at a time when there were many comedies based on the bigot is the thick one showing, if you were prejudice you were thick. Watch Rising Damp from the beginning, it gets funnier as it goes along. We British are very thick skinned what ever our colour.

[@fatfreddy4298]

I did not realise that white racial satire was still offensive ,I am sorry

[@ericolthwaite8923]

When did police Constables become Police officers?...there is a huge difference between the two

[@thomasmurgatroyd7103]

Special police group yes rember them well

[@SS-tc5mq]

Use gotta watch still game be warned you will need subtitles 😂🎉 xx

[@lezbriddon]

I dont think think in 2024 happens as much as its thought it does, we have a 'less white' police force now than in the 80's and I know I only have my local friends as a group to draw from but non of them are bothered by skin colour, but a fair few by religion, and i put myself in that group, you cant trust someone who can 'receive' unconditional godly foregiveness just for being sorry, its a get out of jail free card to be a monster....

[@paulzon]

The racist policeman was called 'Constable Subbidge', not Constable Savage.

[@ste1bro]

No, he's called Savage.

[@VaucluseVanguard]

This clip is nearly 40 years old. The SPG - Special Patrol Group -was a public order group in the Metropolitan (London) Police. Originally created to deal with football hooliganism, it gained a reputation for excessive aggression and violence. It also developed a reputation for racism when dealing with events involving the Afro-Caribbean community in particular. It was disband after members of the SPG beat to death a white man called Blair Peach. Peach was a New Zealander working as a teacher in London. Walking home fro work, he passed the edge of a riot involving members of the black community. Peach had long hair and a beard and looked like the typical white middle class leftie agitator. The SPG assumed he was one of those stirring up the riot and beat him up; he died from his injuries. An inquiry identified that the killers had come from one of two six-man SPG teams, but were unable to identify the guilty team because none of the 12 would cooperate with the inquiry. Consequently, no prosecution was brought. Each team was mounted in its own van. Police helicopters video footage from the riot was able to confirm that the killers came from one of the two vans, but not which one. It is for this reason all police vehicles, since the late 1980’s, in the UK have had a large identity code painted on the roof

[@rjjcms1]

Wasn't that a National Front rally,against which a counter-demonstration took place in which Mr Peach was caught up?

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

​@rjjcms1 Peach was a Socialist Workers Party & ANL member,a professional leftie. He wasn't "caught up" in the situation,he was part of it. Like today,middle class liberal lefties think they can stir up trouble with impunity. Unfortunately for Peach that wasn't the case.

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

"Peach had long hair and a beard and looked like the typical white middle class leftie agitator". That's EXACTLY what he was 🙄 He was a fully paid up member of both the SWP and the ANL. He was there as like all SWP & ANL protests were/are,to cause trouble and basically attack the police and members of (in this case) the National Front. No one knows who actually killed him.

[@josefschiltz2192]

I suspect that Reform would love to bring the SPG back - in some form - and that there would be a willing batch of volunteers from their voters.

[@zaftra]

Oh look a bigot, the irony.

[@gladiammgtow4092]

Mr Bean is 25 years old in this. He is now 69.

[@stuzo666]

Where are these people from I cant understand a word ? Can we have subtitles as I wanna see what they say and laughter at

[@BoBnotThat1]

Ask how only have messed up ears thats why some are wearing protection. Them nothing burgers of a helmet.

[@Anthony-mi7ob]

It was ahead of its time and sadly will probably still be very relevant when people like Trump have power.

[@Kerppu68]

Sadly still asleep while daily following the MSM narrative? "People like Trump" - you think things are decent now? Do you like Sleepy Joe or Kamala, or Keir Starmer the better?

[@candice3559]

Must be some 40 yrs old. But funny.

[@candice3559]

Special patrol group. Dealt with terrorism and things an pc can't deal with londons metropolitan estabulary.

[@garynicholls1448]

Coughing without due care and attention, now illegal thanks to COVID-19 Act.

[@ste1bro]

Ah yes, I remember the days before Covid when people *checks notes* enjoyed being coughed at. Do you know how mental you sound?

[@nw8000]

Cant understand a word they are saying??

[@tonycritcher3419]

Because you listen with an accent!

[@davidstone9786]

This group of individuals has no conception of British humour.

[@kaylabradshaw5972]

Guys, Fix your teeth.. It's literally so cheap.

[@Shoomer88]

Shame you won't be able to fix your personality. Seriously, what is wrong with you?

[@starrlarh]

It cost $1200 here. You can help with the bills 🫣😁

[@kaylabradshaw5972]

​@@starrlarh Come on man,,. Those are 2 grown men.. if It was just one, I'd pay for him. Plus dental hospitals do a lot of promotions, You can get a good deal or pay installmentally. I'm not even trying to be hater cuz I love what y'all do. But them teeth gotta get straightened.

[@margaretflounders8510]

How bloody rude@kayladradshaw5972

[@philtreman9944]

WTF ???

[@gladiammgtow4092]

Public convenience = Public toilet.

[@mcfcguvnors]

The name " Winston Kodogo" cracks me up

[@barryetheridge6639]

Its called humour

[@davejones2672]

The Irish cops are arresting Irish people for being "TOO IRISH" 😂