TV broadcasters have become the new, unappointed, censor! Along with the worrying effects!
Please note, the answers given to the ‘virtual interview’ questions in this exposé/article, are (by and large) in the ‘Public Domain’. See the TRUTH’s editorial page (the link to which can be found on the main contents page) for more.
Whereas another article looks at the effect of 20 minutes of ad breaks per hour, in particular, the effect that an ad break can have on a film (missing dialogue for one), this exposé, one that, in the main serves as a warning to parents of children, examines the cuts that broadcasters make to films, in some cases to sacrifice part of the film, equal to ripping pages from a book, in order to include one or more additional advertisements, including the BBC.
To understand things fully, prior to the BBFC (British Board of Film Classifications) introducing a 12 certification, there were three age restricted classifications for cinematic films, as:
PG. The only rating I have is the current one. What PG meant at the time was: Parental Guidance should be exercised. In other words, a parent should either be present while a child watches the film, or a parent should view the film first to see for themselves if it is suitable.
At the time, several PG rated films included strong language. ‘Dragnet’ included some nudity and the use of a knife and rice flails, previously cut from the 18 rated film ‘Enter the Dragon’. ‘Memoirs of an invisible man’ had one inclusion of strong language and ‘Sophie’s Choice’, as this scan of its video sleeve confirms, was given a PG rating, despite being littered with the profane word for sexual intercourse and one inclusion of an offensive alternative for a woman’s vulva.
The first of the two Batman films starring Michael Keaton as the dark Knight, saw the introduction of 12 rated films. Subsequently, films like ‘Sophie’s Choice’ were reclassified:
With the release of the first Harry Potter film and ‘the Lord of the rings: The fellowship of the ring’, both classified PG, their cinematic posters included this notice: ‘Suitable for anyone aged 8 years.’
I’ve searched the internet for a copy of the posters. So far, without any luck.
Well, I’ll be! I just this minute tried one final search and came up with something similar to what I was looking for. Note the wording for PG rated films: ‘Everyone can watch…’ That means, anyone of any age can watch a PG rated film!
The ‘R’ in R18 classified videos and DVD’s (see above), signifies that the films are ‘Restricted’ to sale in licensed sex shops.
30th August 2002 And the BBFC have decided to do away with the 12 rated classification, by allowing children of ANY age to watch 12A rated films, which, in effect, is less than that of the PG classification (see above), owing to the fact that the parent or guardian accompanying them to a cinema will be watching a film that may contain: strong language, nudity and sexual-/violence with a young child below 12 years of age!
That, in effect, saw a return to the directive of ‘AA’ films by the censor as they were known in the 1960’s prior to the establishment of the BBFC, meaning that, someone aged below the classification was permitted into the cinema provided they were Accompanied by an Adult. Similarly, the ‘A’ in 12A rated films means the same for children younger than 12.
The contradiction, however, is this: 12A cinematic and 12 DVD are exactly the same. And yet the 12 classification states quite clearly: ‘Suitable only for 12 years and over'!’
As to how that impacts on TV broadcasters? In a TV interview with the head of the BBFC, they stated that, the reports as to why a film and episodes of TV series that are available on video and DVD are given their classification are kept locked up. That means, when a TV broadcaster elects to broadcast a film before its watershed, they are very much on their own, in the dark, regarding what would need to be cut in order to make an 18 rated film suitable to be broadcast after the 15 rated watershed of 9pm (see below).
In 1999, the TRUTH sent a letter to the Broadcasting Standards Commission (the only governing body of the BBC) and the ITC (responsible for non BBC broadcasting channels), pointing out the fact that uncut versions of films were being shown too early for their classification, despite the fact that both the Radio Times and TV Times listed them as being the ‘cut for TV version’; misleading to say the least.
The Broadcasting Standards Commission failed to comprehend the letter ‘word for word’, by asking for the same information again before they could consider the complaint. In other words, they had little concern or interest in what the TRUTH brought to their attention.
The ITC, on the other hand, were slightly more helpful:
Note the specific wording of ‘C’ in relation to ’18 rated films: ‘NO 18 rated version (film) should start before 10.00pm.’
The ITC were made aware of at least two 18 rated films broadcast by Channel 5 after 9pm, despite what it says in ‘C’. Clearly, Channel 5 and other broadcasters, then, since and even now, have the same attitude as a sexual predator who thinks ‘NO’ means ‘YES’.
The TRUTH also contacted the Culture secretary, Chris Smith:
Just as Pilot washed his hands of what happened to Jesus, all three of the above washed their hands of the protection of children from films that were and are unsuitable for their age.
Sometime ago, the United Nations drew up ‘The UN Convention of the rights of the child.’ Article 1 reads as follows: (definition of the child) Everyone under the age of 18 is classified as a child.
Channel 5. When you originally broadcast films, you elected to give them a different classification to that of the BBFC?
Channel 5: ‘That is correct. C = Caution, A = Adult.’
The first time you broadcast the first of the Rambo films, ‘First Blood’, which is rated 15 by the BBFC, what classification did you give the film?
Channel 5: ‘C = Caution.’
You subsequently changed it after that. What to and why?
Channel 5: ‘A = Adult. Despite the BBFC’s classification, it had one use of the C-word.’
Clearly, then, you felt that the film should have been given an 18 rating by the BBFC?
Channel 5: ‘Yes.’
So, in effect, not only did you feel that the BBFC were and are incompetent, but you saw yourself, in respect of ‘First Blood’ and, more recently, ‘Scream 4’, as the new, unappointed, censor?
Channel 5: ‘Yes.’
It is worth pointing out that the BBFC has also given other films that include the ‘C-word’, as Channel 5 referred to it, a 15 classification.
Channel 5 has broadcast at least two 18 rated films before the 10pm watershed and in violation of the ITC’s directive of ‘NO 18 rated version should start before 10pm on any service.’ While it’s not clear as to why the BBFC gave ‘The Long Kiss Goodnight’ an 18 rating, it is crystal clear why ‘The Money Train’ was given an 18 rating. It was also one of the films the TRUTH mentioned to the ITC.
There now follows a transcript of what Bill Maher and his talk show guests said about the concerns of ‘The Money Train’ on ‘Politically Incorrect’ after the film was screened in the US:
Abbreviations used: BM (Bill Maher), CC (Congressman Chris Cox), AT (Alex Trebek), PG Peri Gilpin (Roz character from Frasier).
BM: ‘I wanna talk about this movie, Money Train, because erm it’s caused another political controversy. It seems like every couple of months there’s a movie that depicts some violence, and some borderline wacko gets a very clever idea to imitate the stuff that went on in the movie, and it’s happened, somebody in Brooklyn, lit a, what do they call that place wherever the…’
Slash (from Guns and Roses): ‘Isn’t it where you get change to get your tokens…’
BM: ‘The token booth. Lit it on fire…’
Slash: ‘Cos that got someone stuck inside the turnstile. It’s like, well, how did they manage to hit anyone human going through the turnstile that happens to work for the…?’
BM: ‘No, but, I mean, the thing about this is that guy is trapped.’
Slash: ‘In there.’
BM: ‘In that booth.’
PG: ‘You also hear that, that booth is equipped to put out fires. They think that they disengaged that alarm or that mechanism, because they were smoking in there. Did you know that…’
AT: ‘Why were they smoking in there?’
BM: ‘But the question is, I mean, Bob Doyle, I think, jumped on this again, and as he always does…’
Slash: ‘Wait. For one, wait. This Bob Doyle guy, right, because I know…’
BM: ‘And ah, most people, when Joel does that jump on him, I happen to think that he really has a point. Janet Reener has made the same point about media violence and I don’t know much about what’s going on in Washington with this, but I do know, I go to college’s, I play there, I talk to some of the college students, and not just students. Ah. Kids today, you know, they don’t follow, as a rule, their clergy. They don’t look up to their teachers. They’re not that thrilled with their parents. But, music, movies, television…’
Slash: ‘Video games.’
BM: ‘Video games. That is where they take their cue.’
AT: ‘It’s always been that way, though, Bill. We live in a violent society, now, much more than was the case in the past…I have freedom of choice and the same is true of the people who have made those films, the kinds of films that depict a lot of violence. We can go to see them! Or we can stay home and not patronise those films.’ Audience cheers and claps in support.
The contentious scene from the film, is when a character named ‘the Torch’ squirts a flammable liquid through the opening of a token booth, thereby covering a female coin teller. He then threatens to set her alight if she doesn’t hand over the money. When she does as he asks, he sets her alight all the same. When she says, “I gave you the money,” he replies, “I’m not in it for the money,” before throwing a lighted match on the floor, igniting the flammable liquid in front of her and ultimately the coin booth teller.
Channel 5. At what point in the film does that scene commence and end?
Channel 5: ‘From 20.41 to 21.45. Over 1 minute.’
Allowing for a 5 minute ad break before that, and with a start time of 9pm, at what time did you broadcast the 18 rated part of the film?
Channel 5: ‘9.25 and 41 seconds (approx).’
So, over 30 minutes too early for an 18 rated film?
Channel 5: ‘Very much, on the basis of what you’ve indicated, yes.’
How many times did you broadcast the film, ‘the Money Train’, at 9pm?
Channel 5: ‘At least twice.’
Even if Channel 5 managed to insert all 15 minutes of ad-breaks permissible per hour before the start of the scene, it would still have been broadcast 24 minutes too early for an ‘18 rated version’.
UPDATE!
18 December 2021
On a similar note to that of Channel 5 above, Film 4, Channel 4’s dedicated film channel, went slightly one better.
Film 4. Did you ever broadcast a 12 rated film, uncut, before 7PM?
Film 4: ‘Yes’.
What film was it?
Film 4: ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’.
I can confirm that to be true, owing to the fact that I recently bought the 12 rated version (see cover below) from a local charity shop, and last night watched both films simultaneously.
Not only were both films identical in content, but Film 4 notified viewers of the next film, a 15 rated version of ‘Die Hard’, broadcast in Film 4’s renowned, ‘Film at 9’ slot.
In checking the date of the recording on my LG DVD recorder with Hard Drive, the ‘info’ reads 19/12/10. That means, since I didn’t buy my first DVD recorder, complete with Hard Drive, until 9 months later, the film was recorded straight to DVD.
Incidentally, there were 4 ad breaks during the film and 1 ad break after it. At 5 minutes per ad break, the film would had to have commenced before 6.50 PM (approx).
In checking amazon, there is a PG rated version with the exact run time as that of the 12 rated version. The only huge problem is, it’s the Blue Ray version, which, as anyone who bought the multi-format version of ‘Catching Fire’ knows, Blue Ray discs run at a slower speed, thereby making a 140 minute DVD film 6 minutes longer on Blue Ray.
Despite the guidance information on the film posters for the first ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the rings’ films, this is what appears on most video and DVD sleeves:
By far, PG rated films, in particular, those that are broadcast before, at or after 6pm, are more likely to be cut, while on 27th May 2019, the Paramount Network channel cut one of its own PG rated films, despite being broadcast as late as 11.30, 90 minutes after the 18 rated watershed. In essence, they cut the film for the purpose of a longer ad break rather than the films content.
To date, the only film I am aware of that was given a PG rating after the introduction of 12 rated films, despite the inclusion of 1 use of strong language, is ‘Picture Perfect’ starring Jennifer Aniston, while I still have the original uncut version recorded from SKY movies, which they rated PG despite the inclusion of strong language.
Believe it or not, while I have the proof in both cases, there are 2 versions of at least 2 films. Not the entire film, you understand, but one particular scene.
Channel 4/Film 4 was known for not cutting films. Whoever came up with that notion, couldn’t be more wrong in respect of three films broadcast by Channel 4. First up, is ‘Romeo must die’, a modern day version of ‘Romeo & Juliet’. Although Channel 5 and, more recently, the Sony Movie Channel broadcast Jet Li’s fight scenes uncut, compared to the cut version by Channel 4, the scene at the start of the film where two female dancers in a nightclub get erotic with one another was filmed differently. Only Channel 4 broadcast the explicit version.
Contrast that with the Channel 4/Film 4 version of ‘Bad girls’, a female western starring Drew Barrymore among others. Whereas SKY One broadcast the harder version of Barrymore’s debauchery, Channel 4/Film 4 broadcast a slightly different softer version.
For the third film, an entire scene was cut from a film and by Channel 4 after they broadcast it uncut and for the first time, while all other broadcasters have similarly cut the scene. The film in question is ‘Sleeping with the enemy’. Julie Roberts plays a young woman married to a controlling husband with a violent nature. The film has two sex scenes. The first one is acceptable, as noted by her facial expression, while the second one borders on domestic rape, again, noted by her facial expression. Snapshot 1 comes from the first scene while snapshot 2 comes from the second.
Would it surprise you to know that the first scene, the acceptable one, was cut from the film, thereby leaving in the more violent domestic rape scene. What does that say about the broadcasters concerns about violence towards women?
TV series. Far and away, the one area of TV broadcasting where the broadcaster disregards the BBFC directive, is TV series, in particular, those that are broadcast long after the box sets are available to buy and subsequently classified by the BBFC. Channel 5 has and currently still does, broadcast episodes of ‘Friends’ that have a PG and 12 rating between 4 and 5 pm, over 1 hour before the PG rating and over 3 hours before the 12 rating watersheds.
ITV4. In the year 2000, Granada +, which subsequently became ITV4, broadcast two TV cop series, namely ‘The Professionals’ and ‘Miami Vice’?
ITV4: ‘Yes.’
The first of those were 50 minutes long and included three ad breaks instead of the original two when they were broadcast by ‘ITV Weekend’, meaning that you cut approximately 5 minutes from each episode. With ‘Miami Vice’, however, and I own the complete box set, the run times of the episodes are 46 minutes approx. Tubbs’ and Crocket’s main investigations centred around drugs, and yet you broadcast uncut versions of 12 and 15 rated episodes in the afternoon?
ITV4: ‘Yes.’
You also broadcast at least one 18 rated episode of Miami Vice, there being three titles on disc 5 of the box set, straight after the 9pm 15 rated watershed?
ITV4: ‘I cannot deny it. Yes, Granada +, as you say, broadcast at least one 18 rated episode of Miami Vice and 1 hour before the 18 rated watershed.’
Going back to ‘the Professionals’. By a process of elimination, the episode entitled ‘Weekend in the country’ was classified 12 by the BBFC and broadcast at 4.50pm, while the episode ‘Wild Justice’ was classified 15 by the BBFC and broadcast at 4.50pm as well. As already stated, ITV4 took it upon itself to cut both episodes. In checking what was cut from ‘Wild Justice’, the 15 rated episode, it’s noticeable that, none of the simulated hostage training was cut, while viewers wouldn’t have known it was simulated until afterwards. Cowley’s lunch with Miss Black was shortened, as were the ends of scenes. The scene where Bodie picks up Miss black after Kendo training was cut while Dr Ross’ background check on Bodie was also cut. Other insignificant cuts included part of Doyle’s terrain race, part of Billy’s first attempt of widow maker and Bodie’s descent after his successful, 2nd, attempt. Although the use of a knife by Billy, when he faced off against Bodie, was cut, not only was it too late in the episode to be of significance but, as mentioned above, the PG rated film ‘Dragnet’, included a fight with both a knife and rice flails. All of which confirms my point that the simulated hostage training at the very start, none of which was cut by ITV4, was enough to warrant a 12 classification, at the least.
ITV4 also broadcasts ‘the Sweeney’, which, from series one, is rated 15 by the BBFC and as early as 10.35am.
Although I recorded the two episodes at the time specified, ITV4 also broadcast the same episodes of ‘the Professionals’ the next weekday and as early as 11.40 am. In no way are those two hard hitting TV series suitable for anyone of any age to watch, that being a ‘U’ certificate, one that applies, in general, to cartoons.
Sky One. From 2000, you broadcast repeat episodes of the X-files from season one?
Sky One: ‘Yes, and before 3pm.
Thank you for that confirmation. I was about to ask at what time.
Despite the BBFC rating of 15 for season 1 and 18 for season 2, you apparently broadcast them uncut for what was a U certificate time slot; in particular, the episode entitled ‘Excelsis Dei’ from season two, which includes a use of the ‘F-word’, which you broadcast uncut?
Sky One: ‘Yes, while I have to say, Sky One overlooked that slip up.’
All of the mentioned ‘slip ups’ to quote Sky One, serve to underline the problem with TV broadcasters, specifically those who take it upon themselves to totally ignore the BBFC’s age restricted rating for films and TV series, not to mention that of the ITC’s directive as noted above.
Sunday, 8th September 2019. ITV2 broadcast the film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead man’s chest’ at 4.35pm. As will be noted from the BBFC certification and advisory notice, the content of which ran through the film, it was broadcast over 3 hours too early.
NB. The * at the end, relates to the film and not the Bonus Features.
On the same day, and at 6.40pm, 5 Spike, one of Channel 5’s spin-off channels, broadcast the original ‘Clash of the Titans’, rated 12 by the BBFC, while according to my TV listings magazine it was ‘PG’. Despite the fact that 5 Spike cut the scene where Perseus’ mother breast feeds him from the film, the advisory notice on the DVD reads: ‘Contains moderate fantasy violence’. None of which has anything to do with breast feeding.
It’s worth noting that, the original ‘Jason and the Argonauts’, another one of Ray Harry Hausen’s films about the Greek hero’s quest for the Golden fleece, is classified U, despite the fact that it also ‘Contains moderate fantasy violence’, that of the hero and his followers doing battle with Greek Titans as they are known, and just as in that of ‘Clash of the Titans’.
On the point about Channel 5/5 Spike cutting the breast feeding scene, clearly, then, Channel 5/5 Spike feel that breast feeding should not be done in public, and, moreover, in front of anyone less than 12 years of age.
Detailed advisory notice for 'Bruce Almighty'
On a comparative note with that of the USA’s rating system. In the film ‘Last action hero’, the ‘Kid’, as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character, Jack Slater, refers to him, in an attempt to have Jack understand that he is a character in a movie, writes a word down on a piece of paper and gets Jack to read it out aloud:
Kid: Say this
Jack: Hey, grow up.
Kid: Just say this one word.
Jack: Is this another one of your movie proofs?
Kid: Maybe.
Jack: Kid, I don't wanna say it.
Kid: Say what? You can't. You can't possibly say it. Because this movie is PG13.
Despite evidence to the contrary, that of TV broadcasters seeing themselves as unappointed censors, by unnecessarily cutting films that are broadcast at an appropriate time (mostly for longer ad breaks), the BBFC has, to my knowledge, only made one notable mistake, and that was giving Alanis Morissette’s video ‘Jagged little pill, live’ an E = Exempt from classification rating, despite several uses of strong language, which, and since it was a film documentary akin to that of ‘In bed with Madonna’, should have been classified 15.
The blue six sided classification that sometimes appears on DVD covers and discs, on the other hand, beggars belief, as it indicates some PG films are equal to a 12A.
Update
March 1 2022
Over 2 months ago, I had cause to look out for and record 4 episodes of Columbo, an American TV series from the 1970’s, that is broadcast throughout most of Sunday on channel 5’s sister channel ‘5 USA’. The run times of each episode, 71 minutes and 90 minutes (approx), make them film-length.
Although I have the box-set of all 10 seasons, when I came to watch the first of those 4 episodes, again, the discs were notably faulty.
All but 4 discs have just 2 episodes of the TV series on them. What I discovered from the scheduling was, one or both 12 rated episodes where being broadcast too early. In one case, as early as 9am.
These first two scans show: 1, as much of the back cover of Season 2 Disc 3 & 4 as is necessary, alongside 2, Disc 4 itself, the 12 rated disc, in fact.
According to my TV listing magazines:
The episode entitled ‘The most dangerous match’ (90 minutes including adverts) was broadcast on ‘5 USA’ on: 19-12-2021 at 1-55pm, while the episode entitled ‘Double shock’ (90 minutes including adverts) was broadcast on ‘5 USA’ on: 13-2-22 at 1-35pm and 6-2-22 at 7-30pm.
This second pair of scans show: 1, as much of the back cover of Season 8 disc 2 and season 9 disc 1 as is necessary, alongside 2, Disc 2 itself, the 12 rated disc, in fact.
Again, and according to my TV listing magazines:
The episode entitled ‘Sex and the married detective’ (120 minutes including adverts) was broadcast on ‘5 USA’ on: 20-2-22 at 9am and 13-2-22 at 3-05pm.
Note, right from the start, the female lead is seen and heard talking about sex on a radio phone-in show. Furthermore, I recorded the 9am broadcast, which I still have.
The episode entitled ‘Grand deceptions’ (120 minutes including adverts) was broadcast on ‘5 USA’ on: 26-12-2021 at 5pm.
Additionally, while not having scanned the cover of the final disc, there only being 1 disc in the case, of the two titles, I know, for a fact, that ‘Columbo like the nightlife’ is the 12 rated episode, one that 5 USA’ broadcast on 28-11-2021 at 1-15pm.
To re-iterate what has already been mentioned: According to a TV interview with the BBFC, they do NOT make publicly available their reason as to why films, etc that are submitted to them are given their rating. Meaning that, TV broadcasters are pretty much in the dark as to what needs to be cut from a BBFC rated film etc, in order to be broadest before its designated watershed.
Note. The TRUTH has made TV Watchdog, ‘ofcom’ aware of the content of this update, directing them to read this article along with two other TV related articles.
Currently, the Advertising Standards Authority are the supersedents of the ITC. Despite the shortcomings of the ASA in the past, upholding a complaint about an advert for mobile phones that pointed out their usefulness for women, the TRUTH has made the ASA and ofcom aware of this exposé. That said, and on the evidence of the past (see above), the TRUTH will not be holding its breath with expectation of the ASA and ofcom reading, let alone investigating the above evidence.
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