Explosive drama: Matthew McNulty and Gerard Kearns in The Mark of Cain. Photograph: Channel 4
Should Channel 4 have postponed The Mark of Cain, a drama about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British troops, because of the ongoing tension over the captured service personnel?
I'm inclined to think it shouldn't, despite the criticism by some of the families about the timing of the drama.
Drama, stage, radio or television, is a way of holding a mirror up to the world and giving audiences insights into the human heart, the mind, politics, whatever, and has an important role to play in widening debate.
TV dramas have been cancelled in the light of current events before - and I think that's an over-reaction. Should a small group of people's sensitivities dictate broadcasters' decisions? I think not, however distressing it is for that small group of people.
The only reason for postponing The Mark of Cain would have been if the Foreign Office were urging Channel 4 to do so, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Lisa Marshall, Channel 4 commissioning editor for drama, told Jon Snow on Channel 4 News last night that she was talking to the Foreign Office but not seeking advice or guidance from them. Which to me suggests an admirable robustness and sense of independence.
Does this drama really have the potential to derail our relationship with Iran? Or is that an over-reaction? Publish and be damned, I say.
