• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

TV Language

J

John-Summers

Guest
This is off the topic of radio, but I have a question about British television. I have enjoyed many British sitcoms (beyond the usual ones you find on PBS stations.) Lately I've been watching "The Thick of It" on Hulu. On that show, and on several produced by the BBC and other companies, the language is, shall we say, salty. One character somehow uses the F word at least two or three times in every sentence. You would never hear that kind of language on American TV outside of cable, so here is my question: Are these shows on actual broadcast TV in Britain, and is rough language accepted by the viewing public? And if it is, how long has this been accepted? I can't see that ever happening in this country.
 
Sorry, no idea if you're still reading, but I've only just seen this.

Generally speaking you will only hear the 'f' word on British television after 9pm, but after that, yes it's pretty much open season.

I'm not familar with the DVDs you mention, but I would expect they are exactly same as that which was broadcast.

As for how long this has been accepted, probably only in the last 20 years or so. Things were more conservative before that.
 
John-Summers said:
This is off the topic of radio, but I have a question about British television. ... One character somehow uses the F word at least two or three times in every sentence. You would never hear that kind of language on American TV outside of cable, so here is my question: Are these shows on actual broadcast TV in Britain, and is rough language accepted by the viewing public? And if it is, how long has this been accepted? I can't see that ever happening in this country.
Click to expand...
John-Summers, are you the ghost of Mary Whitehouse? In any case BMR is correct - 9pm is considered to be the "watershed". Is rough language accepted? Depends on the audience, the programme and the context. How long has it been going on? Ever since the word "bloody" (as a curse) came into use on the BBC Television Service. Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction"? What is there to see - Benny Hill showed far worse in the 1970's & 80's and his show was on the air *before* the watershed.

But when it comes to violence, that's a different matter. Apparently Americans are OK with the WWE shows, showing guys whacking each other over their heads with metal chairs. In the UK, they're censored for violence - cutting away to the audience during periods of contact.

I don't think Broadcast American TV will have as coarse language aired as you would find in Europe, and forget about naked bodies!

As for the late Mary Whitehouse... her spirit lives on with a number of pressure groups aimed at "cleaning up TV".
 
Yes 'mediawatch' http://www.mediawatchuk.com/about-us/ is the direct successor to Mary's pressure group.

I think you are right, the UK audience is more willing to accept 'bad' language, but less willing to accept violence than the US audience.

As for sex/nudity, I think we are both more conservative than many nations on mainland Europe.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom