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Parents complain over airing of Watership Down on Channel 5


Watership Down: Parents Complain Over Channel 5's Airing of Adventure-Thriller on Easter, Report Says
https://www.facebook.com/channel5uk/photos/a.205245516161973.51556.155538241132701/1156714584348390/?type=3&pnref=story

I seriously wish parents like these would stop passing the blame on on to Television network bosses as to what they should and should not air. No doubt the film would have had a rating, and about the content. With it having a PG certificate there was no real reason it couldn't be aired at the time it was. No doubt there would have also been information about the movie online or in TV listings in magazines/newspapers. Monitoring what your kids watch isn't hard and doesn't take long if you know where to look!

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Personally I've never seen this film as a children's movie and still can't believe it's 'U' rated. Just because it's animated and about rabbits doesn't mean it's kid-friendly.
I agree as this film is almost 40 years old most people would be aware how gruesome this film is and that it includes swearing. However not everybody reads the TV listings prior to switching on the TV. If you're sitting with young viewers on Easter Day and you're just flipping through the channels then you may just stumble across something offensive by accident. The damage is already done so I can totally understand why parents would complain to the broadcaster. Channel 5 could've given "Watership Down" a more appropriate time slot. I don't necessary mean post-Watershed but how about in the evening? I'm not saying they should ban it - just be sensible with when you decide to televise it. Most of the fans of this film are adults who've grown up watching it anyway so what's wrong with them watching it later on in the day?
I'm an adult and yesterday I was switching channels whilst stuffing my face with chocolates and I also found a glimpse of the horrific scenes disturbing so I can see why parents with young children would be upset. People think they're being 'cool' or something calling this film a 'classic' and telling parents to "get a grip" but do these 'hippie' people actually sit with their own kids to watch it as a family? I doubt it! Maybe you don't mind showing this film to your kids but not every parent feels the same way you do when it comes to what their children should be exposed to. You can't go around saying people are just complaining for the sake of complaining. You only have a point if it's about the overly-sensitive parents who moan about "The Snowman" or "The Snowman & The Snow Dog". Those people need to get a life!
Anyway in terms good realistic animations about nature and wildlife I PREFER "ANIMALS OF FARTHING WOOD" :)

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Personally I've never seen this film as a children's movie and still can't believe it's 'U' rated. Just because it's animated and about rabbits doesn't mean it's kid-friendly. I agree as this film is almost 40 years old most people would be aware how gruesome this film is and that it includes swearing. However not everybody reads the TV listings prior to switching on the TV. If you're sitting with young viewers on Easter Day and you're just flipping through the channels then you may just stumble across something offensive by accident. The damage is already done so I can totally understand why parents would complain to the broadcaster. Channel 5 could've given "Watership Down" a more appropriate time slot. I don't necessary mean post-Watershed but how about in the evening? I'm not saying they should ban it - just be sensible with when you decide to televise it. Most of the fans of this film are adults who've grown up watching it anyway so what's wrong with them watching it later on in the day?
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But then who's fault is it for just flicking through the channels while they're kids are present. I mean let's take the example of Doctor Who which is a family TV show that air usually after 7PM on a Saturday evening, a time when young children can still watch it. I mean only just six years ago there was an episode involving vampires that one mother complained about because her young son was terrified involving one feeding off of a victim. It was very tame of course with it being a family show but what's not to say somebody won't turn over by accident with their kids. And ultimately children are scared by different things. I recall an incident when Sarah Ferguson who was then the Duchess of York had to take her two young daughters from a pantomime crying. This was due to scene involving the show's villain holding a dagger to a characters throat. None of the other kids were bothered or at least not to the extent they were. You can't account for what's going to scare or not scare a child. There's no reason why Channel 5 had to screen the show later, hell there's Disney movies that could be too scary for some kids.


I'm an adult and yesterday I was switching channels whilst stuffing my face with chocolates and I also found a glimpse of the horrific scenes disturbing so I can see why parents with young children would be upset. People think they're being 'cool' or something calling this film a 'classic' and telling parents to "get a grip" but do these 'hippie' people actually sit with their own kids to watch it as a family? I doubt it! Maybe you don't mind showing this film to your kids but not every parent feels the same way you do when it comes to what their children should be exposed to. You can't go around saying people are just complaining for the sake of complaining. You only have a point if it's about the overly-sensitive parents who moan about "The Snowman" or "The Snowman & The Snow Dog". Those people need to get a life!
Anyway in terms good realistic animations about nature and wildlife I PREFER "ANIMALS OF FARTHING WOOD" :)


It doesn't have to necessarily be bloody to be disturbing to a child. Let's take the example of the 1984 film Ghostbusters which scared the hell out of me as a 7 year old kid. I speak in regards to the scene with the ghostly Librarian. Then there's the more family friendly Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with the child catcher or even some of the Harry Potter movies. It's not a case of being "cool" or "hip" but asking parents that they take their own personal responsibility for not being more careful. You ultimately just can't account for what's going to to bother your child emotionally, ergo neither can TV networks. And as far as The Animals of Farthing Wood which was a Children's TV series, you must be aware of how intense that could be. I suspect it's why you mention it as it did feature some horrific deaths. With that in mind I'd wonder why now a film like Watership Down wouldn't be fine to air at at the slightly later time of 5:10 PM but Farthing Wood would be at the time it did after 4PM. on BBC1. Anyway, I don't think all parents who complain do so for the sake of it but there are some people who I think like nothing more than to find something to bitch about. It must be maddening for TV executives because try as they might, no matter what they do they can't please some people. Because what might be inappropriate for their kids for one person may not be for the next. In short parents just need to do their homework and personal accountability and stop using inane excuses like they were channel surfing. If you want to do that then do it at night when your kids are cosily tucked up in their beds or just don't complaining when you so and they suffer for your mistake.

Btw Just throwing it out there in terms of my feelings on Watership Down as a movie I'm most certainly not a fan of it. Actually, I find it to be highly over-rated by those who rave about it. Whatever the book it's based upon is like, I don't know as I've never had and never will have any intention of reading it but I'll just assume that the film is just a poor attempt at adapting to the screen.

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Typical pussy parents.

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Anybody (not just parents and children) should be able to channel-surf safely pre-Watershed especially on Easter day; which is typically a day families will spend time together. My point is not necessarilly about children anyway (I mean old ladies drinking a cup of tea while watching telly don't want to see those kind of images neither); it's just not an appropriate viewing for that time of day. I ended up watching Prison Break on Netflix anyway cos that's what I enjoy watching & I had no kids with me. I'm just saying if I had my 4 year old nephew with me and I put on the TV and the 1st thing I saw was a rabbit being viciously attacked I would be annoyed because there's no need for Channel 5 to be airing it at that time of day. Animals Of Farthing Wood was something I watched as a child and was sad in parts but nothing scarring. I just think if C5 are not going to censor WD as the violence is seen as integral part of the plot then they should've broadcasted it later on in the day ... not necessary 9pm onwards but a late evening time slot should be fine. You expect swearing and gore later on anyway so good parents would know to be cautious. This film is not for kids anyway and it's typically an older generation who enjoy it so I'm sure it wont be past their bedtime ;)(the average WD fan could easily watch it on YouTube anyway or put on DVD/ BluRay)

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Anybody (not just parents and children) should be able to channel-surf safely pre-Watershed especially on Easter day; which is typically a day families will spend time together. My point is not necessarilly about children anyway (I mean old ladies drinking a cup of tea while watching telly don't want to see those kind of images neither); it's just not an appropriate viewing for that time of day. I ended up watching Prison Break on Netflix anyway cos that's what I enjoy watching & I had no kids with me. I'm just saying if I had my 4 year old nephew with me and I put on the TV and the 1st thing I saw was a rabbit being viciously attacked I would be annoyed because there's no need for Channel 5 to be airing it at that time of day. Animals Of Farthing Wood was something I watched as a child and was sad in parts but nothing scarring. I just think if C5 are not going to censor WD as the violence is seen as integral part of the plot then they should've broadcasted it later on in the day ... not necessary 9pm onwards but a late evening time slot should be fine. You expect swearing and gore later on anyway so good parents would know to be cautious. This film is not for kids anyway and it's typically an older generation who enjoy it so I'm sure it wont be past their bedtime ;)(the average WD fan could easily watch it on YouTube anyway or put on DVD/ BluRay)


There's disturbing images on the news sometimes which might be inappropriate for you young children or might upset other people besides elderly women. Why aren't people complaining about that? Like I said, if you want to channel surf you're free to do so but wait until a later time or do it when you're kids are not in the room. Let's face it they don't always have to be in your living room and can be somewhere else. Hell, my parents used to make me and young brother leave the room if they rented out a 18 rated movie. And even old women I think shouldn't get so upset that a film like Watership Down should offend them so much. I think it's pretty condescending to think they couldn't just change the channel. I recall a time I rented out the remake of Halloween which I proceeded to watch with my ex-girlfriend and a pretty intense and nasty rape scene came up. My ex was upset by this but rather than ask me to turn it off she left the room. I didn't force or tell her do. She left of her own accord. The point is just turn over. Is it really so bad you're going to see what is a relatively mild scene which is not even real? And btw you couldn't be any more wrong about The Animals of Farthing Wood. which featured baby mice being impaled by sharp objects. That's pretty brutal for a children's programme. There was also a scene where two hedgehogs are run over and killed while attempting to cross the street. While not particularly graphic it was still pretty intense in terms of the emotional impact seeing these two cute, terrified animals being killed. It's not just about what is seen yo know but about what happens to a character the child becomes attached to which can be quite upsetting for them. And these are only two of six examples:

6 times The Animals of Farthing Wood traumatised us for life
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/feature/a778928/6-most-traumatic-moments-in-animals-of-farthing-wood/

As for the language in Watership Down if memory serves me correct it was brief and not frequent and needless to say it was mild. No different from what most parents still use in front of their children. I'd appreciate if it was something strong like the f word but not for something which I no doubt heard my parents heard, and believe me my parents aren't people are use really strong language regularly. Hell, I've seen both of them criticize the singer Adele for her frequent swearing which they find uncalled for.

Btw I first saw Watership Down as a child in the early 80's and it didn't really bother me. As a matter of fact, as I said before the movies Ghostbusters and Return to Oz which both freaked me the hell out! And the latter even more so that former was intended to be of family viewing.

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Well I watched it as a child, and despite finding some moments creepy I still loved the film. As I bet many others did. Also I read the author of the book made it up as part of his children's bedtime story.

If these pussy parents don't want their kids to see it, turn over the channel. No need to ruin it for the rest of us.

Kids have to learn not everything is rosy and sweet.

What makes me laugh is you get channels like Channel 4 showing Hollyoaks which airs at around 6:30 and has content such as rape, violence, murder, and all sorts of sickening things yet that is allowed. But this beautiful film gets complaints. I bet the same parents who complained about this film watch trash like that.

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Well I watched it as a child, and despite finding some moments creepy I still loved the film. As I bet many others did. Also I read the author of the book made it up as part of his children's bedtime story.

If these pussy parents don't want their kids to see it, turn over the channel. No need to ruin it for the rest of us.

Kids have to learn not everything is rosy and sweet.

What makes me laugh is you get channels like Channel 4 showing Hollyoaks which airs at around 6:30 and has content such as rape, violence, murder, and all sorts of sickening things yet that is allowed. But this beautiful film gets complaints. I bet the same parents who complained about this film watch trash like that.


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Well said. Normally these people who complain about film classics are the ones who happily watch all the trash soaps on tv which promote violence, rape and the social degradation of humans. This film is a classic always have been always will be.

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I remember seeing around 8 or 10 on HBO and I loved it, but it sort of disturbed me too, considering it was the first 'cartoon' I ever saw with somewhat 'realistic' blood in it. When I was able to rent this some years ago (when we still had rental shops.. -sigh) I saw it again as an adult... and fell in love with all OVER again, then FINALLY read the book, which oddly enough did not have ANY of the spiritual qualities the movie has... I really want my kids to see this version of Watership Down, because it IS so good. And all good movies 'deal with death'. My 7 year old LOVES Harry Potter and the Jurassic Park movies... he should be ok with this I'd think. I think he doesn't like seeing 'violence' because he'll barely want to watch G1 Transformers with me... anyway... but the point is... it seems hard to find on DVD (and I buy a friggin' 25¢ Ring Pop with my OWN money now-a-days...if I wanted to) and I'd LOVE for my kids to see this on cable some how... the characters the voice acting, the animation... yeah, I may not have quite sat through the movie as a kid, myself... but this movie I seem to have a real soft spot for... and many kids really need to see this movie for various reasons.

Some of the best and greatest classics deal with death. Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, the Narnia series, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and plenty more. We really don't have enough movies that praise hard work, sacrifice and the results thereof.


3rd generation American from a long line of Gottscheers... it was Drandul, dude!

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The irony here is the fact that the majority of your ilk are whining about other people whining. It's not your job to dictate what kids should learn, "when" they have to, or how their parents should handle them. You can't combat what you believe are parents with over-entitled egos with your own. Life teaches us all in due time at different times; you don't have to flip on a bloody cartoon (the opposite of realism regardless) to be schooled. What kids (and adults) can take varies. My mother and myself personally love the film's concept, but violence and gore with cartoon animals is not something she chooses to watch on her private time (has nothing to do with her being a pussy; she's seen more drive bys and rapes than the majority of kids her age), so the age isn't always a factor here.

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The irony here is the fact that the majority of your ilk are whining about other people whining. It's not your job to dictate what kids should learn, "when" they have to, or how their parents should handle them. You can't combat what you believe are parents with over-entitled egos with your own. Life teaches us all in due time at different times; you don't have to flip on a bloody cartoon (the opposite of realism regardless) to be schooled. What kids (and adults) can take varies. My mother and myself personally love the film's concept, but violence and gore with cartoon animals is not something she chooses to watch on her private time (has nothing to do with her being a pussy; she's seen more drive bys and rapes than the majority of kids her age), so the age isn't always a factor here.


And if parents learned to take some accountability we wouldn't have to. It's also not parents job to dictate when other children can/should watch TV before a certain time before the 9 0' clock watershed. They are the one's in control of their own children's viewing habits after all. The buck stops with them. We also can't wrap children too much in cotton wool and know for sure what is going to frighten or disturb them. You say as much yourself that what kids can take varies. The Harry Potter movies which are generally intended as family viewing could be pretty dark and intense. And they were were after all adaptations of books intended for children, although they gained a fan following among adults. True, what we can all take varies but you know what? What's to not to potentially upset or disturb an adult after 9PM when they're channel surfing?

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If kids see something on TV that they shouldn't, surely you don't suggest it's the parents fault for telling them to go watch TV, just so they don't have to deal with whatever is on the kids' minds?

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If kids see something on TV that they shouldn't, surely you don't suggest it's the parents fault for telling them to go watch TV, just so they don't have to deal with whatever is on the kids' minds?


But different kids get upset and scared by different things. You can't predict or know for sure what's going to. What a child shouldn't see can be individualistic to that child.

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Ugh. Cotton wool parenting.

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