Alzheimer's row: ITV 'refused film-maker's plea to tell public that programme did not show death'

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ITV was accused yesterday of ignoring warnings that a documentary about an Alzheimer's sufferer contained a "fake" death scene.

Producer Paul Watson said the channel dismissed his request to issue a statement making it clear his programme did not show the actual moment the patient passed away.

But ITV insiders insisted Mr Watson had not told them that the man, composer Malcolm Pointon, actually died days after the supposed death scene.

Sources claimed Mr Watson made no attempt to correct publicity material he was sent for approval, which explicitly stated that Mr Pointon "passes away".

ITV executive chairman Michael Grade has now called in a leading law firm to investigate the latest embarrassing scandal for the beleagured industry.

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ITV's publicity material claimed the broadcaster would be airing the moment Malcolm Pointon (above with his wife Barbara) dies of Alzheimer's disease

The row blew up as it emerged that Mr Pointon actually died three days after the final scene in Malcolm and Barbara: Love's Farewell, which was billed as showing his last moments.

The documentary generated huge publicity for ITV because it would have been only the second time a person was shown dying on British television.

Yesterday ITV insiders said the show may now not be shown as a result of the revelations. Senior executives fear heads will roll because Mr Grade has taken a public stand over 'zero tolerance' for shows which deceive viewers.

After calling in legal media specialists Olswang for a "thorough but speedy" probe, Mr Grade said: "We need to discover why the film was originally understood to include the moment of death. This is a very serious matter."

He said he would publish the report and take "effective action as necessary".

The controversy descended into war of words yesterday with Mr Watson attacking ITV for turning down his call to set the record straight.

Producer Paul Watson said ITV dismissed his request to issue a statement making it clear his programme did not show the actual moment the patient passed away

He said he asked to put five words into the film "to explain absolutely that the picture you are looking at this moment is not of Malcolm's death; he did not regain consciousness and died some days later.

"They turned it down at that instant, but came back to me much later and said 'maybe it is a good idea and we lost time'."

He also denied he had approved the promotional material. But ITV later put out a statement saying Mr Watson had not contacted it about a clarification until four days after the show was first publicised.

Sources at the channel also claimed they had been given the impression Mr Pointon died minutes after the final scene. They found out the truth only when his brother revealed it on an Internet discussion board.

ITV has still come under fire for the time it took to come clean.

The channel was aware that the footage was not the death scene on Monday morning - but did not put out a statement until Tuesday lunchtime.

Publicity material released to the press by ITV had said: "The film ends when (Mr Pointon's wife) Barbara calls Paul, as Malcolm is about to die. In moving scenes, Malcolm is surrounded by his family and Barbara strokes his head as he passes away."

Mr Watson told a Press launch: "The death was the most peaceful shot, actually, of the film - the release, just sliding, slipping away."

But he has denied he was suggesting he filmed "a man's moment of death" and denied approving the Press release.

ITV's statement said: "We have begun a formal inquiry and until that is complete we are not prepared to comment in detail.

"However, it is correct that Paul Watson approached ITV on Monday to suggest a clarification in the film about the moment of death.

"When ITV did establish, later that day, that the death was indeed some days after the end of the film, we immediately agreed with Paul that a clarification needed to be made. ITV issued a statement the following morning."

An ITV insider admitted yesterday that, with both Mr Watson and Barbara Pointon claiming the programme showed her husband's death, they had been in an impossible position.

Yesterday, Mrs Pointon said the controversy was obscuring the real issue - the tragedy of Alzheimer's.

She said: "Paul filmed Malcolm's last semi-conscious moments - and those moments were the most precious to me because after that Malcolm slipped deeper and deeper into unconsciousness, into a coma, and he just faded away."

She admitted, however, that she may have inadvertently given the impression that the film featured her husband's actual death.

 

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