ROYALS BAR SATIRICAL SKETCHES ABOUT WEDDING

Any television network, anywhere in the world that has been granted rights to cover the royal wedding on Friday is barred from using the wedding footage in any drama, satirical sketch or any similar entertainment program, the London Independent reported today (Thursday). The ban has put a crimp in plans for an “alternative commentary” that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation had planned to offer, hosted by the country’s super-irreverent comedy group The Chaser. The ABC announced today (Thursday) that it has canceled the program, which was to have been broadcast on a secondary network, ABC2, saying that it was “surprised and disappointed” by the prohibition. Julian Morrow, a member of The Chaser, told the Independent, “For a monarchy to be issuing decrees about how the media should cover them seems quite out of keeping with modern democratic times… but I suppose that’s exactly what the monarchy is.”