View Full Version : 'Holby Blue' - a watershed question.....
percy toboggan
08-May-07, 21:33
I'm not sure if you got this tripe in the far north..anways...
I've been feeling a little detached from mainstream popular culture lately as I hardly ever watch things on telly that many others do.
So, with this in mind I sat down to watch 'Holby Blue' a 'new Police drama' which started at 8-00pm. I thought I'd give it a chance. I never watch the Bill, or similar.
At this hour I expect youngsters of eight years old and up might well be watching.
What I was presented with was first a Policeman maliciously & deliberately smashing the rear light of a private car parked on his estranged wife's driveway. A fine example to the youth. Then we had two young adults in a sexual clinch, semi-naked - we could only see the top halves and fair doo's no naked breasts were paraded. Then a condom was produced - admittedly it was wrapped. I supposed the average eight year old might have thought it some kind of sweetie , but I might be naive.
Then I rang the BBC to complain :eek: The third time I've ever done this. The first time was while watching the first ever 'Brookside' c.1985. I didn't watch any more. The second time has slipped my memory.
Surprise , surprise I got through to an actual person and he seemed to agree with me - although that might have been a tactic to shut me up.
I switched the programme off and tuned to Radio 4 - only to catch the tail end of 'Turning Right' a documentary on the modest, but perceptible rise of the British National Party. It was most interesting.
The two programmes are not connected in any way, and I only mention the latter to illustrate my usual choice of entertainment - ie. Radio 4/5.
Do we still have a watershed for the telly, I wonder? Does anyone else care?
Did anyone see this who is prepared to either publicly castigate me, or support me.? I would have no issues here if this had been screened one hour later, at 9-00pm. There has to be a cut off to adult programming and I think 9-00pm is entirely reasonable.
Percy, in Scotland we won't see this episode until Friday...at 9pm! So in our case the watershed won't be an issue....:confused
percy toboggan
08-May-07, 21:50
Percy, in Scotland we won't see this episode until Friday...at 9pm! So in our case the watershed won't be an issue....:confused
Right. Thanks for that. If you (or anyone else) happen to catch it please let me know if I'm barking up the wrong tree, or perhaps just barking???
It's another run-of-the-mill cop/hospital/medical series. Along with all the reality shows, cookery shows, stars dancing/joe public dancing, stars singing/joe public singing, Z-List Celebs/joe public stranded/shipwrecked shows, it's yet more crap on the TV.
DeHaviLand
08-May-07, 23:03
From what you've said Percy, it doesn't seem as if there was anything worth complaining about. Maybe Mary Whitehouse would have been offended, but I think we've moved on a bit since her day.
It will be interesting to see just how many complaints were received. I'm guessing you will be in a very small minority.
Gogglebox
08-May-07, 23:21
I watched it on satellite as the BBC Scotland wasnt great
I didnt see anything overly offensive in it
I certainly didnt think it was any worse than murders or fighting in Corrie or Eastenders etc
Unfortunately there is no watershed in real life so when they start showing knife crime, vandalism, drug related issues etc they are only showing what happens in the real world
Regarding the condom i would suggest that most kids either knew what it was or didnt so would not question it
THe watershed is an old fashioned thing that really should not act as a baby sitting service for parents. It would be expected that TV would get stronger storylines as the clock ticks around. Parents can stop their kids watching
If Holby Blue had been on at 9 pm would it have stopped kids watching it? Most have TVs in their rooms
Kids are far more savvy now a days thanks to Telly and Internet
Whether its a good thing is another conversation
As it happens Holby Blue was not bad, quite enjoyed it would probably switch it on another time
oh god i cant believe there is actually a thread on this..... if something offends u so much why on earth did u wait and watch the other parts that offended u aswell, im sorry but this is silly! you cant honestly blame these programmes for youths being violent sorry if i have offended people writing this[disgust]
please let me know if I'm barking up the wrong tree, or perhaps just barking???
Just barking, I'm afraid Percy!! :lol:
Its society that shapes tv programmes, not vice versa. :roll:
NickInTheNorth
09-May-07, 12:01
I for one agree with you in general.
I believe that broadcasters do have some responsibility for screening appropriate material at appropriate times. Theoretically yes there is still a watershed, but it is ignored mostly by the broadcasters, and justified by the same kind of crass remarks that have been posted in this thread.
Parents and society do have a joint role in protecting children from the worse excesses of modern life. Or at least graphic portrayals of it in our living rooms. TV is a bad influence and does impact on children's development, morally and socially.
Some sections of society condone drugs use, should we show people shooting up using veins in their groin because all the others are collapsed, or chasing the dragon?
Show what you like to an adult audience, or after a predetermined time. But some of us still believe in the value of raising our children to have some sense of decency. To my mind presenting illegal acts as normal life and acceptable at 8.00pm is irresponsible broadcasting.
To justify programme content by reference to East Enders is ridiculous.
But to see what is acceptable to a modern broadcaster simply watch some saturday morning childrens TV. The quantity of sexual innuendo is unreal!
The quantity of sexual innuendo is unreal!
This has always been the case - did you never watch the magic roundabout? It was always full of innuendo's.
Parents are responsible for what their children watch. Children may still be awake at 10 - for whatever reason, do you allow them to watch a horror movie?? I think not!!
NickInTheNorth
09-May-07, 12:23
my children watch TV with me in the room. Unfortunately I do not have a precognitive powers. Once inappropriate content has been aired I cannot undo it. I am not saying that TV should be censored, simply that responsible broadcasting should include a "watershed" before it should be expected that the content of programmes is ok for family viewing. After it should be down to the parent to make a decision based on a reading of details of the programme.
With respect, the programme was described by OP as a 'police drama' - gone are the days of 2 bobbies strolling down the street twiddling their thumbs because no crimes are being commited. I would fully expect a police drama to involve vandalism and crime - which I would choose to avoid if I had children in the room. OK, I may not expect it to show an officer causing the vandalism, but yes, I would expect it to show some level of violence/vandalism. Also, I do not take Percy's description of the sex scene to be above PG level. My assumption of the watershed is that after 9pm is classed as 15+ (in relation to film) and pre 9pm to be of PG level - parental guidance.
With respect, the programme was described by OP as a 'police drama' - gone are the days of 2 bobbies strolling down the street twiddling their thumbs because no crimes are being commited. I would fully expect a police drama to involve vandalism and crime - which I would choose to avoid if I had children in the room. OK, I may not expect it to show an officer causing the vandalism, but yes, I would expect it to show some level of violence/vandalism. Also, I do not take Percy's description of the sex scene to be above PG level. My assumption of the watershed is that after 9pm is classed as 15+ (in relation to film) and pre 9pm to be of PG level - parental guidance.
I'm with you 100% on this henry20.
My children's TV watching was based on a) when a programme finished -before or after bedtime and b) how appropriate the content was likely to be.
With three children each three years apart, we did have to consider what was suitable for each and use our common sense about it. This sometimes meant that programmes aired well before 9pm (the News for example) was a no-no for family viewing.
The Radio Times has a little icon showing programmes that are ideal "family viewing", although I must say there are precious few of these shown at present.
None of us spent all that much time watching TV anyway. Often the TV wasn't switched on until the kids were in bed. But my feeling is that it's the parents' responsibilty to oversee their children's viewing.
Got to agree with henry20 and angela, i know the watershed is 9pm, but anything after 8pm is more PG, as for an unopened condom on show..... take a walk around a supermarket, they got them on the shelves for sale,so its not like they are not going to see them.
percy toboggan
09-May-07, 20:22
oh god i cant believe there is actually a thread on this..... if something offends u so much why on earth did u wait and watch the other parts that offended u aswell, im sorry but this is silly! you cant honestly blame these programmes for youths being violent sorry if i have offended people writing this[disgust]
Listen up.
I was not 'offended' I seldom am. I was 'annoyed' can you grasp the difference?
I was commenting upon the time it was transmitted.
Did I blame t.v. for making 'youths violent' ? No
Did I suggest that to see a copper maliciously damaging a car might be a bad influence? Yes.
It would take someone with more in their armoury than you to 'offend' me.
Annoy me?? That's different....remember? You've succeeded.
percy toboggan
09-May-07, 20:24
Got to agree with henry20 and angela, i know the watershed is 9pm, but anything after 8pm is more PG, as for an unopened condom on show..... take a walk around a supermarket, they got them on the shelves for sale,so its not like they are not going to see them.
Problem is they might be encouraged to use them thinking they're a precaution. In my experience they are no such thing. They tend to shred after about an hour offering no protection against anything.
Spring Flower
09-May-07, 21:27
never saw the programme being discussed but i was recently annoyed by a children tv programme. i got the kids ready for bed and we sat down to watch CBBC for 15 minutes before bed-time. It was 1830 hours on CBBC [ie childrens channel]. I went to get their supper ready and came back to children on the programme calling their teachers disrespectful names, children sticking tongues out to the teacher and making rude noises [not in a joky way!]. I had to stand in front of the tv before turning it over to Cbeebies. Why on earth would a children's programme show children being disrespectful to teachers in this way.
Needless to say CBBC is not going on again![evil]
DeHaviLand
09-May-07, 21:31
Problem is they might be encouraged to use them thinking they're a precaution. In my experience they are no such thing. They tend to shred after about an hour offering no protection against anything.
Lmao Percy, maybe you just need to take things a bit easier.
They tend to shred after about an hour offering no protection against anything.
Possibly Percy, but they dont make them out of goats bladders any more,!!!!!:D
Problem is they might be encouraged to use them thinking they're a precaution. In my experience they are no such thing. They tend to shred after about an hour offering no protection against anything.
i didnt watch it as i thought it was obvious it was going to be cack.
as per the above statememt about the condom, it is better to use that than nothing at all!
percy toboggan
10-May-07, 17:38
....Why on earth would a children's programme show children being disrespectful to teachers in this way.....
A very good question. It needs to be asked of the various youngish programme makers who seem to pull the strings at the BBC. I'd guess these people are little more than vaccuous airheads desperate for ratings to keep their inflated saleries which you and I pay for. Accordingly anything tacky, loutish or generally seen as controversial seems to get the green light.
What is happening is a clear erosion of boundaries and moral guidance - or just a lack of good manners and taste - which is bound to rub off on impressionable youngsters who watch this unsatisfactory cack.
I don't care what anyone tells me, children ARE influenced by things they see on television. To deny this is to display a lack of common sense.
Someone said (I paraphrase) 'telly is only reflecting real life' . The truth is of course that this is nonsense. For 99.9% of people 'real life' consists of a daily routine that is a million miles from entertainment. Television - especially drama needs to be anything but. Of course at later times it can reflect the seemier , more unpleasant aspects of life, but why oh why is there so little imaginative feelgood programming that shows characters in a positive and uplifting light?
From the few times I watch soap operas there seems to be much snarling & unpleasantness and these are often aired even earlier than 8-00pm.
percy toboggan
10-May-07, 17:41
get a grip[disgust]
If that's a reference to my opinion on condoms and a guide to alternative arrangements then it's mildly amusing and you surprise me.
If it's merely a short attempt at a pithy put down after my combative retort to your original garbage I'll bear your sentiments in mind.
Briefly.
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