What you told Breakfast The BBC has sold out to the gutter by intending to broadcast 'Jerry Springer - The Opera'. Derek Wilson, Bognor Regis Why should people object? They have a remote control and they don't have to watch Ian Grady, North West Read more viewers' comments on our Your Say page

Blasphemous

The show won the best new musical in last year's Olivier awards. It contains hundreds of highly offensive swearwords but has also caused anger because it includes a song by tap dancing Ku Klux Klan members.

It also been accused of being blasphemous because of a scene featuring a row between Jesus and Satan.

One MP has described the show as 'highly objectionable' and leading church figures have condemned the BBC.

Boundaries

The BBC has received thousands of complaints ahead of Saturday's programme which will be shown BBC Two at 2200 (GMT).

It forms part of an evening of programmes including biography and trivia about Jerry Springer and a look behind the scenes of the infamous chat show.

Springer Opera I judged that it would be impossible to censor or adapt the language without undermining the piece. Of course it won't be to everyone's taste and that's a risk you take when you broadcast serious work. Roly Keating, Controller, BBC Two BBC Television

The controller of BBC Two, Roly Keating, said that the programme will 'push back the boundaries of taste and decency', but the lobby group Mediawatch UK described the programme as 'pig-sty television'.

There have been more than 15,000 complaints before the programme has even aired, but a spokeswoman for the corporation said that many of these were part of an organised campaign.

Mr Keating added that it would be impossible to censor or adapt the language without undermining the piece.

"Of course it won't be to everyone's taste and that's a risk you take when you broadcast serious work."