DESMOND Morris was at the centre of a media-driven sex controversy almost exactly 20 years ago.

The Purton-born zoologist, childhood friend of Diana Dors and great-grandson of Adver founder William Morris, sparked national tabloid outrage with a programme called The Human Animal.

Or rather, a single episode of a six-part series called The Human Animal sparked national tabloid outrage.

The other five, with titles including The Language of the Body and The Immortal Genes, covered subjects such as tribalism, culture and learned behaviour and attitudes.

In other words, they were the sorts of subjects that had already been fascinating meat and drink to Morris for many years.

It was the fifth episode, Biology of Love, which made headlines.

A month ahead of the series July debut, we ran a story headlined: “Morris defends TV sex scene.”

We wrote: “Zoologist Desmond Morris is breaking new ground with a new TV series exploring human behaviour.

“One programme in the series will feature a couple making love – filmed from inside the woman’s body using a minute camera.

“Purton-born Dr Morris’ new series – called The Human Animal – will investigate all aspects of human behaviour including body language, human origins, city life, childbirth and cultural activities.

“But it is the focus on sex which is expected to grab the most attention.

“Dr Morris is ready for criticism from morality campaigners, but says the sex scene will not be shown in a salacious way but as a piece of biololgical education.”

As things turned out, the scene in question would barely have been identifiable for what it was, were it not for the commentary.

It’s worth remembering that in the Britain of the 1990s there was a peculiar double standard when it came to sex and television. While Dr Morris’ programme grabbed headlines, there was relatively little outrage over programmes such as Naked Elvis, a quiz in which men dressed as the King stripped, and Carnal Knowledge, in which a pre-fame Graham Norton guided couples through a sex -oriented version of Mr and Mrs.

Dr Morris’s first brush with controversy had been many years earlier, and came courtesy not of national tabloids but his home town newspaper.

Even today, not many people realise that Dr Morris is an acclaimed surrealist painter in addition to being a scientist, author and broadcaster.

His work, sometimes compared to that of Spanish master Joan Miro, features intricate forms he refers to as biomorphs, but when the 19-year-old unleashed them on Swindon in 1948, many locals weren’t ready.

His exhibition prompted bewilderment and letters to the Adver, none of them complimentary.

C Gough from Headlands Grove wrote: “I wonder how many more times art lovers in Swindon will be fooled and annoyed by being invited to see an exhibition of paintings such as now mock us from the walls of the corridor leading to the Borough Free Library.”

RL Bradshaw of Beatrice Street wrote: “How much longer are the people of Swindon to be insulted with what I consider to be nightmares masquerading as art?”

The readers of 2014 can decide for themselves by visiting www.desmond-morris.com.