I cannot believe people are so insensitive to Mrs Pointon, she obviously loved her husband more than life itself to continue to care and love him through such a dreadful disease. She should be admired for trying to bring to people's attention this disease and showing how it can happen to anyone and everyone. I am full of admiration for her and hope that she manages to continue her life without the husband she so obviously loved.

S Flint, Bray, UK

What's all the outrage about showing death? It's about the only thing that is common to everyone on this planet. Why does showing someone close to death imply a lack of respect?

P Howland, Wassenaar, Netherlands

The article in the Times today about the TV row over 'faked' Alzheimers death. As a full time carer for an Alzheimers patient (husband) I found the article deeply depressing. This is a very cruel disease particularly for the carer and it is very lonely. I very much hope that this will not tip other carers into deep dispair. Please think very carefully before publishing this kind of material.

Susan Stinson, Egham,

Silly people. All they needed to have done was put up a caption after the 'final' shot saying the Mr Pointon died three days after this scene was filmed. That would have been honest and not taken anything away from it poignancy.

Tonywjones44, Grantham, Lincs

Barbara has my deepest sympathy and admiration. I knew both her and Malcolm many years ago at University and am appalled to find out through television about this tragedy in their lives. I am also appalled at the savage attacks that at this time particularly are being made on Barbara and the obviously exceptional film maker who worked for eleven years on this project.My heart goes out to the family and I hope that eventually they will see a positive outcome from this unwarranted debacle. Of course the state should be responsible for the care of people with such sad degenerative terminal illnesses. 'Out of evil comes good' - perhaps this suffering of trial by TV had to be necessary to achieve the goals that Barbara has been working for all these years.

Jennifer Gray, Coutures, France

Vote with your feet, switch this fly on the wall rubbish off

J Smith, St Helens, UK

A no win situation. If they showed the actual death then this is morally wrong for TV and if they did not but people assumed they did then that is misleading. Please get a life, the program will show what the family go through with this terrible illness which is mostly hidden from us and that is a very good thing.

Joseph Kellie, Edinburgh, Scotland

Mrs Pointon has lost her husband, to say that she wants her 5 minutes of fame is disgraceful. Alzheimers is a terrible disease that robs people of their loved ones long before they physically die, any highlight of this can only help towards finding a cure for the disease.

Kate, Pai, Thailand

Having seen an increasing dumbing down of television progs and an increasing disregard for honesty and truth in programming, this furore is just another example of the dumbing down of the media who will pursue anyone and anything in order to make a story. The programme makers have I believe made an insightful programme into the effects of alzheimers on the individual and family.... it matters nothing that he lived a few more hours or days, his death was not faked.... HE DIED! maybe not that minute but then...There is much rthat is rotten, banal and dishonest in televiasion programming today... this is not it...is there no-one able to make a sensible assessment.....

Sally Meredith, Axbridge,

In answer to Elise's questions, I am the "sick" kind of person that will watch this kind of film. The "Good" in this kind of film will hopefully educate people about the suffering and dreadfulness of such an illness as Alzheimers. Yes, we can all pretend that Alzheimers does not exist but for those people unfortunate enough to live with family or friends suffering from it, we can all hopefully learn a little more about the illness. So sorry for Elise that she does not want to be depressed by the illness, lets hope she will never have to witness friends or family suffering! Unfortunately, Alzheimers DOES affect many people whether they like it or not.

Karen Cook, Bury, UK

The showing of Mr Pointon's alleged death or his actual death serves no useful purpose to anyone except perhaps those with no moral code,but with financial interests.

The honesty of some television will, of course, manifest itself again when Jonathan Edwards presents the Christmas Service which was filmed last Easter - what a saving.

Rodney Barker, Gainsborough, England

I have not seen this documentary, but my wife and I looked after her father until he passed away, in fact I was holding him as he went. He too had Altzheimer's,and there must surely be people out there who could benefit from seeing this film, to simply edit the film to give the impression of death is far less ghoulish than keeping a camera set up for days or even weeks just waiting for the final act. I think it was very brave of the family to have allowed this documentary to be made, it is a terrible thing to go through for anyone and I feel sure that some will at least feel that they are not alone when they find themselves in a similar situation.
Death is part of life, it has to be faced eventually by us all,and I believe that 'Life' is a grand illusion, the ultimate virtual reality, from which we all return 'Home'. Personal experience has demonstrated this simple fact to me many times.

CLIVE BURGHARD Lancing West Sussex, Lancing, ENGLAND

My father died due to Alzheimer's 10 years ago, and he was treated with the utmost respect by all of the NHS he came into contact with, simply because he had, (as did Mr Pointon) a loving caring family who insisted that it be the case.

Unfortunately it is not true for all sufferers and I hope that this programme highlights this.

As for the pretence of "filming a death” Please!, M Jeffs & Mr Shalor, you may (as do we all) wish Alzheimer’s didn’t exist, but people need to be shocked into realising the pain this illness causes, and if this pretence attracts just one more viewer - then it is worth it!

Besides...death is the only thing that is guaranteed when you are born, what you do in between is what really important, we should all attempt to live life as the Pointon's did, lovingly and with respect!

My deepest condolences go to Mrs. Pointon.

Gilly, Huntingdon,

I would like to offer my support to Paul Watson. Well done, for maintaining his dignity, expressing himself so clearly and showing such sensitivity about his subject.He was treated disgracefully by Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 today.

anita hutchinson, Sheffield, England

I have no problem with showing Mr Pointon's death if appropriate to the nature of the documentary.

What I do have aproblem with is ITV gaining huge amounts of publicity over the last couple of weeks under what are basically fasle pretences.

At any time since this story came to prominence, someone from ITV or the production company could have tepped up and siad simply " Actually what is shown is his final passing into unconsciousness, he doesn't actually die on camera." But that wouldn't have got som much interest or so many viewers.

That duplicity is what is driving cynicism about TV companies at present.

Duncan, Knebworth,

This is the kind of documentary "or reallity TV" that I'm glad to see on television. I agree that TV can aid to educate and prepare people for such health problems and family issues

Mrs Yenny Clarke, Bristol, UK

What kind of sick people watches this?Or films this type of thing, for that matter? What good is there? Not enough depressive /depressed people around maybe??
"Just in case you were feeling happy today despite the news being bad as always, here is a documentary, about a real man dying and losing dignity , presented for your entertainment ; if you were feeling sad, this will confirm your opinion that we live in an unfair world"....
Bring back the gladiators,then, at least the system was honest. Not preying on innocent, helpless, people.
Please.

Elise Darchis, Oxford,

How can you condemn a woman you don't know as a heartless fame seeker untill you have seen the documentary? By all means question the morals of the programme itself, but these personal attacks are unfair and, I would suggest, will be proved unjustified.

C. Gorman, Glasgow,

I remember when there was a thing called respect, values and privacy.
All of which does not appear to have been shown
to a gentleman, who through no fault of his own, had Alzheimer's.
I dread to think how much lower a person can get than wanting to see and enjoy a person pass, what a sick society we live in and worse are those that make it available!!
Sadly that includes the family he has left.

NO IT DID NOT HAVE TO BE DONE

WENDY WEARN, ALICANTE, SPAIN

Sadly the earlier correspondents have no knowledge of Malcolm and Barbara before this news item. They've done a huge amount of campaigning on behalf of Alzheimer's sufferers over many years - this is just the finale. Whether you like to witness someone dying is another issue, but please do not lump them together with the YouTube society. Many sitting in their homes today are better off for their campaigns, but we still have a long way to go before the Government, DoH and NHS treat Alzheimer's sufferers fairly.

Sean, Dartford, UK

Everybody seems to be missing the point of why this documantary was made - to highlight the atrocious way dementia is handled in our society. Anybody who has been affected by the suffering people with Alzheimer’s goes through and those who care for them will appreciate this had to be done

Gina Jackson, Uxbridge,

I'm assuming that neither Sean Shalor nor M Jeffs saw the original programme regarding the Pointons' battle with Alzheimer's, broadcast some eight or nine years ago.

Had they done so, they would be in little doubt over how much Mrs Pointon loved and cared for her husband, and the devestating effect this illness had on their lives.

It is perhaps easier to pretend that conditions such as Alzheimer's don't exist, rather than confront them.

Rather than condemn the Pointons, I think we should applaud them for giving us an insight into a painful subject that many prefer to ignore.

S MacMichael, Oxford,

Having seen Mrs. pointon interviewed on television I disagree entirely with M Jeffs. Mrs. Pointon is clearly no fame seeker and displayed nothing but love and devotion for her husband throughout the years of his decline. This obsession with fakery is hollow in itself as producers will no doubt all have their own tales to tell of it as a means to an end in order to get the message across. In short it has been happening for years and to get worked up about it now is rather shutting a stable door after a horse has bolted.

Ian Wheaton, southampton,

I think they got the POINT across very well. WHO in this WORLD would want to see a persons last private moments.

Zoe , lancaster, lancashire

If I relinquish my television set, will I get a refund on my licence?
I know this is ITV, however the BBC is just as bad!

Lee, Dorset,

This is exactly the same kind of "entertainment" as the organised attacks on innocent people which are filmed and then posted on YouTube.

In our greed-based society, there are many individuals and corporations who will do anything at all for money.

Mr Watson and Mrs Pointon are a gruesome pair, pandering to to perverse death obsessions.

Sean Shalor, Coventry UK, UK

Is there no end to how low people will stoop for 5 minutes of fame. ITV, Mrs Pointon and the drama writer Watson have established they have no respect for Mr Pointon and everything they have represented about his death is a hollow lie.

M Jeffs, Bucks, UK