Doctors force censorship of Iranian hospital comedy

A popular Iranian hospital sitcom has been forced off air because it did not show doctors in a good light.

Tehran authorities have pulled Dar Hashiyeh after medical organisations complained about the way in portrayed profiteering administrators and skilled doctors.

Alireza Zali, head of the Medical Council of Iran, said: 'This so-called comedy, which is making fun of the doctors and is portraying them unfairly, has no benefit, for it neither results in reform nor gives the viewer any pleasure.'

He wrote to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, evoking the name of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his support of doctors as 'leverage'.

A planned protest at the broadcaster's headquarters claimed to be able to muster 7,000 supporters.

The Al Monitor website reports that scenes include a patient being handed an extortionate invoice for using the bathroom; a surgeon flirting outside an operating theatre in which a patient is about die; and a patient falling to pass out when administered cheap anaestethic.

It adds that the series was pulled after a secret meeting between the state-run broadcaster and officials from the Ministry of Health.

Dar Hashiyeh , created by established Iranian comedy producer Mehran Modiri, had been running nightly on Iran's Channel 3 - but was pulled after 27 episodes of an anticipated 90-episode run.

Here's an episode:

Published: 9 May 2015