This weekend, I had a marathon of the 60s sitcom "Family Affair" on in the background. Not surprisingly, almost all the episodes were "G" rated. But one episode was actually rated "PG". What other TV shows to you had a surprisingly strong (or weak) content rating.
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Unlikely content ratings
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When Boomerang (Cartoon Network's sibling channel) ran 1972's Wait Till Your Father Gets Home a good while back, it aired in the wee hours as it had some rather frank adult themes, enough to warrant a TV-PG rating. They gave it a TV-Y7 rating.
Buzzr, the all-classic game show diginet, gives Match Game and Tattletales a TV-G, when their material clearly warrants TV-PG which they had on their Game Show Network screenings.
Buzzr, the all-classic game show diginet, gives Match Game and Tattletales a TV-G, when their material clearly warrants TV-PG which they had on their Game Show Network screenings.
A lot depends on the network a show is on, and who is determining the ratings. Deal or no Deal had a PG rating on new episodes on NBC but the repeats on CNBC were TV 14. On TV Land some episodes of Roseanne were rated G. While that might be right for some episodes the ones that had more sexual content should have been at least PG.
Also the ratings on TCM don't always make sense because of the content. I've seen TCM give movies that were rated PG in theaters a TV-MA rating because of PG rated language. It happened with Back to the Future, for one example.
Also the ratings on TCM don't always make sense because of the content. I've seen TCM give movies that were rated PG in theaters a TV-MA rating because of PG rated language. It happened with Back to the Future, for one example.
Power Rangers (2017) movie aired on Nickelodeon and Syfy with a TV-14 rating while TBS aired it with a TV-PG rating.
Dark Shadows which aired on Syfy (then Sci-Fi Channel) gave the series a TV-PG rating when the series started getting tv ratings but there were a few episodes that the network gave it a TV-14 rating.
Dark Shadows which aired on Syfy (then Sci-Fi Channel) gave the series a TV-PG rating when the series started getting tv ratings but there were a few episodes that the network gave it a TV-14 rating.
Back in the days of Disney having the rights to syndicate seasons of the BBC's Doctor Who, they managed to put a "TV-PG" rating on a grotesque 2006 episode about a future virus; In the show, viewers could easily see bodies with leprosy, deformities, etc., and they were all in glass tubes. Whoops! Disney let that season finish out, but they never syndicated Doctor Who again.
ABC will put a TV-PG rating on the cleanest Disney movies.
On the other hand, when Fox did some special program honoring Barbra Streisand and someone used the P-word (one of George Carlin's seven) it was still TV-G.
When "Roc" went into syndication every episode I saw was TV-G except one mentioning orgasm. That one got a TV-PG.
A documentary on 9-11 was given a TV-PG on CBS even with several uses of the F-word.
"Scared Straight" was the most extreme TV program ever, with language that had never been used on TV (lots of uses of the F-word and everything else) and unspeakable descriptions of what happened in prison. UPN years later rebroadcast it with updates and gave it a TV-14.
On the other hand, when Fox did some special program honoring Barbra Streisand and someone used the P-word (one of George Carlin's seven) it was still TV-G.
When "Roc" went into syndication every episode I saw was TV-G except one mentioning orgasm. That one got a TV-PG.
A documentary on 9-11 was given a TV-PG on CBS even with several uses of the F-word.
"Scared Straight" was the most extreme TV program ever, with language that had never been used on TV (lots of uses of the F-word and everything else) and unspeakable descriptions of what happened in prison. UPN years later rebroadcast it with updates and gave it a TV-14.
Don't remember the episode name, but did see a scene where Buffy (the late Anissa Jones) is shown taking a bath. Not even remotely suggestive, but maybe they didn't want to take any risks.
I think some networks set the ratings according to the individual episode, but I think others just take the easy way out and give the entire series one rating. For example MASH is almost always rated PG regardless of what network it's on.
When Andy Griffith was on Netflix, it had a content advisory for "frightening content", unless I missed an episode where Barney was off his rocker, I can't see anything remotely frightening on that show.
Actually I think it was the episode where Aunt Bea inadvertently got a job working in a peeler bar, thinking she was going to "perform" in a "cabaret theater".
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Wow, Netflix! Now what happens, since I've watched this show for decades?š³š I'd bet anything that aligns with their views are not "frightening content"
There was the time a man brought a large gun with him when he went to visit Andy after getting out of prison. That was a scary episode. The man thanked Andy for what he did, saying he turned his life around. He knew Andy liked to hunt and brought him a rifle. Andy showed how big something was and the deputies thought he was holding his hands up because the man pointed the gun at him.
I do. If a show that is normally TV-14 and has really adult content has a TV-PG, I know to expect it to be a cleaner episode. Even "Dynasty" sometimes has a plain vanilla TV-PG. Or a superhero show might have a TV-14 meaning things are going to be really bad.
I do remember when the ratings first came out fox gave Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place a TV-14 rating. On Soapnet they gave them a TV-PG rating.
The 1977 movie Smokey & the Bandit originally had a PG rating when it was released. In recent years on airings on cable/satellite outlets, it has been branded as TV-MA. Similarly, 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail and 1978's Grease were each a PG and has since been given TV-14 on TV screenings.
Now there's some ratings inflation.
I still think Judge Judy should (have/be) a TV-PG instead of TV-G. Her demeanor and trademark insults do not earn a general audience rating...especially with divisive defendants.
I also believe Family Feud needs to be upped to TV-14. Too many sexual surveys, too many sexual answers...and thus, too many moments where Steve Harvey stares at a contestant in aghast. Not appropriate for a PG anymore.
I also believe Family Feud needs to be upped to TV-14. Too many sexual surveys, too many sexual answers...and thus, too many moments where Steve Harvey stares at a contestant in aghast. Not appropriate for a PG anymore.
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