Channel 5 (UK) gets complaints after screening Watership Down on Easter Sunday

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**angelofvengeance**

Soo who remembers that delightful "children's " movie Watership Down? Well some bright spark thought it would be a good idea to screen it on Easter Sunday for the kids in the UK this year. You're welcome, kids! Enjoy the nightmares!

The U-rated 1978 film Watership Down would be classified PG were it released today, the new head of the British Board of Film Classification has said.
BBFC director David Austin told BBC Radio 5 live its violence was "arguably too strong" for it to be rated U now.
He added the film also contains language that would be "unacceptable" in a film rated U under 2016 criteria.
His comments followed complaints over the film's content after it was aired on Channel 5 on Sunday.
"Well done to whoever at Channel 5 decided that Watership Down was a nice Easter Sunday afternoon film to show," wrote one tweeter.
Based on the novel by Richard Adams, the animated film tells of a group of rabbits who leave their burrow in search of a new home.
Their quest brings them into contact with a battle-scarred rabbit called "General" Woundwort, as well as a gull called Kehaar who tells another character to go away using an expletive.
The BBFC continues to receive "one or two complaints" each year over its content, which includes scenes of rabbits fighting, being throttled and gasping for air.
The film - which features the voices of Sir John Hurt and the late Richard Briers - received a U rating on its initial release for its "very mild language, mild violence and threat".
According to Austin, though, "standards were different then". "The film has been a U for 38 years, but if it came in tomorrow it would not be," he continued.
For it to receive a different rating, however, it would have to be re-submitted to the BBFC - something Austin said would only happen if the title was acquired by a new distributor who wished to re-release it.
According to BBFC guidelines, a U-rated film "should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over" while a PG may feature scenes "unsuitable for young children".
A spokesman for Channel 5 said the broadcaster would not be commenting on the issue.

**Wulfmar**

Makes a change from the bland, passionless cartoons produced these days.

I grew up with cartoons that had evil characters, terror, fear, peril and danger. Where characters would actually die.

From what I've seen of today's cartoons, all the bad guys are just bullies because they are misunderstood or something mean had happened to them. By the end, everyone is friends and it's wretch worthy. When you talk to your friends children to feign mild interest in what they're watching you end up terrified yourself by just how all-inclusive and 'safe' their cartoons are.

You get the same parents wringing their hands in angst over Roald Dahl being edgy with it's mild horror.

**Sigvatr**

You can't show Watership down to the upcoming generation, they can impossibly stand anything that is offensive or thought-provoking in any way. Watership Down is not a safe place!

**angelofvengeance**

Oh I agree, I just found it amusing how shocked these people were when this was broadcast lol.

**General Kroll**

How are parents not aware of what watership down is? It's a great book and film. We shouldn't be Molly coddling kids, yeah sure it's pretty damn scary in places. But it's good for kids to learn how to deal with being scared.

**DutchWinsAll**

So where does the Redwall series stand in all this?

Because that series was a huge part of my childhood, and the line is pretty straight from Watership to that,

Then again in America, the lowest we go is PG, we don't have a U. So maybe a bit of cultural disconnect? I mean we have E, but that's for games.

After reading it a second time, I have to hope this is just some sensationalist BS where one person says something and then we should all be outraged.

**Frozocrone**

I saw this, a lot of parents took to Twitter after it aired.

I found it amusing that parents had the capability to complain on a social media platform but lacked the ability to use a remote to change the TV channel.

I also find it amusing that it still has a U rating after 38 years.

**Wulfmar**

DutchWinsAll wrote:
So maybe a bit of cultural disconnect?

Its all true... sadly here in the UK we appear to have a chunk of the population suffering from a mental disconnect. I expect they're the same ones who voted for the destruction of the education system and NHS and support the Conservatives public assets grab that's going on

**SirDonlad**

If the NHS was properly funded these people would have had their spines re-inserted by now.
Through the rectum by a really clumsy and impatient doctor.

**Relapse**

Next year it should be double billed with , "The Plague Dogs".

**Rootbeard**

"One or two complaints each year". Hmm...

Still, it does feel like we've gotten softer about movies in recent years. Hunchback of Notre Dame is only rated G, whereas the far lighter Frozen is PG. I mean, I'm not sure if the distinction makes any real practical difference, but it's still a touch odd that the film with hellfire and damnation and Frollo is NOT the one flagged as "hey maybe take the toddler to that other cartoon".

**Sigvatr**

General Kroll wrote:
How are parents not aware of what watership down is? It's a great book and film. We shouldn't be Molly coddling kids, yeah sure it's pretty damn scary in places. But it's good for kids to learn how to deal with being scared.

The current generation of parents is the second digital native generation who didn't grow up with the same media limitiations the older ones got. A lof of them don't know what WD is because their parents didn't know it either.

**Mr. Burning**

Wulfmar wrote:
DutchWinsAll wrote:
So maybe a bit of cultural disconnect?

Its all true... sadly here in the UK we appear to have a chunk of the population suffering from a mental disconnect. I expect they're the same ones who voted for the destruction of the education system and NHS and support the Conservatives public assets grab that's going on

Possibly labour or Green party activists too......this is fun.......

Social media allows the offended an echo chamber for their outrage. People could also change the channel but their main point is that it is being shown at all!

I can also use social media for my own nefarious ends though, I'll be hounding my bestie with clips from WD since he refuses to watch it. He could just block me but I'll just annoy him by playing the first few beats of Bright Eyes to him from my phone.

**Wyrmalla**

Hmn, I remember watching Animal Farm on the tv in the morning slot as a kid...

**Kilkrazy**

The Railway Children deserves a U. It's got no violence, no swearing and a couple of possibly scary scenes, such as when they stop the train going into the landslide. Bascially though, it is a classic children's story with nthing objectionable in anyone's imagination.

I can see that argument that by including swearing and violence, Watership Down deserves a PG. Interestingly, this would put it in the same category as Dr. No. That said, surely it's parents' responsibility to monitor very young children's media exposure.

**welshhoppo**

Feels like people complaining for the sake of complaining.

If you see something you think your child shouldn't watch, rather than picking up the pitchfork and torches, change the channel. Seriously, its almost as bad as giving a child an iPad to keep them quiet and then getting annoyed when they drain your bank account on iTunes.

**Breotan**

DutchWinsAll wrote:
Then again in America, the lowest we go is PG, we don't have a U. So maybe a bit of cultural disconnect?

What are you talking about? We have G for General Audiences, which usually means kid friendly fare like The Peanuts Movie and The Good Dinosaur.

**Silent Puffin?**

Sigvatr wrote:
You can't show Watership down to the upcoming generation, they can impossibly stand anything that is offensive or thought-provoking in any way. Watership Down is not a safe place!

Alternatively a cartoon about rabbits and misc animals will definitely appeal to small children and those same children are likely to be extremely upset seeing those little fluffy bunnies ripped to bits by dogs/other rabbits or suffocated or....
I was when I saw it in the dim and distant past and there is no way that I would let my son (who is 5) watch it for a good few years yet.

Its easy to be sniffy about it and saying that 'parents should know better', or rather bizarrely, 'grow a spine' but there is no way that film should be a U and its entirely possible that some people have never heard about the film so are unaware of its content. Its also entirely possible for people to complain after they have changed the channel (quite possibly to the sound of small children crying).

Not the best film to show on an Easter Sunday afternoon.....

This forum is starting to read more and more like a Daily Mail comments section.

**Wulfmar**

Yea thinking about it, maybe I am being a bit hard on people for not wanting to watch Watership Down on Easter Sunday

Let's watch something more wholesome like films about a Middle Eastern dude being flogged in the streets and having nails banged through his hands and feet onto a cross.

Sarcasm aside, I used to love Easter BECAUSE you got to see all the old epic films (including Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans as well as Ben Hur and Moses)

**AndrewGPaul**

The first two of those are probably less gory than Watership Down.

**Rosebuddy**

Silent Puffin? wrote:
Sigvatr wrote:
You can't show Watership down to the upcoming generation, they can impossibly stand anything that is offensive or thought-provoking in any way. Watership Down is not a safe place!

Alternatively a cartoon about rabbits and misc animals will definitely appeal to small children and those same children are likely to be extremely upset seeing those little fluffy bunnies ripped to bits by dogs/other rabbits or suffocated or....
I was when I saw it in the dim and distant past and there is no way that I would let my son (who is 5) watch it for a good few years yet.

Its easy to be sniffy about it and saying that 'parents should know better', or rather bizarrely, 'grow a spine' but there is no way that film should be a U and its entirely possible that some people have never heard about the film so are unaware of its content. Its also entirely possible for people to complain after they have changed the channel (quite possibly to the sound of small children crying).

Not the best film to show on an Easter Sunday afternoon.....

This forum is starting to read more and more like a Daily Mail comments section.

I haven't watched this film at all and hadn't heard of it until I was in the late teens or so because I'm Swedish but every single time I have heard it mentioned by various English-speaking audiences it has always been as something that terrified them when they were small. Many still found it disturbing.

So, yes, this does indeed sound like something that small children shouldn't watch which it's rating and status as an Easter bunny flick doesn't seem to accurately convey. And, yes, most of the replies so far belong in a comments section somewhere.

**Wulfmar**

Yea I kinda went off at a tangent thinking about Easter movies and strayed into a Ray Harryhausen theme. I went and got the Argonauts DVD out the dvd shelf and am about to watch it as I don't think this lab report is going to be written any time today

**Kilkrazy**

Presumably people are fooled by the fact it's about bunny rabbits into thinking it will be all fluffy and cuddly.

I think I was about 10 to 12 when I read the book, which was shortly after it was published. It's a fairly adult book in terms of the themes covered; disease, violence, dictatorship, internecine warfare, religion, sex and death. There's friendship, loyalty, courage, healing, democracy and positive things too.

It didn't give me nightmares, but I think anyone younger than eight might well find it disturbing, so a PG certificate (Parental Guidance) would be appropriate.

British TV actually doesn't use BBFC ratings though we have the concept of the watershed at nine p.m. after which there is swearing, violence and sex.

**IGtR=**

Surely a responsible parent can give the movie title a cheeky wee google or even bing it before watching it?

Having watched movies with people that are triggered by stuff/ don't want to see gore etc just go to IMDB or whatever and find it out. The internet isn't just for whining on social media.

But then what do I know, I'm not offended by my own negligence and failing to check whether my kids would get upset

**Silent Puffin?**

IGtR= wrote:
Surely a responsible parent can give the movie title a cheeky wee google or even bing it before watching it?

Without a very good reason why would you do this for a film about cartoon rabbits on a Sunday afternoon?

**welshhoppo**

Silent Puffin? wrote:
IGtR= wrote:
Surely a responsible parent can give the movie title a cheeky wee google or even bing it before watching it?

Without a very good reason why would you do this for a film about cartoon rabbits on a Sunday afternoon?

The same reason you always try everything first before giving it to a child. The human centipede isn't about an anthropomorphic talking centipede you know.....

**Wulfmar**

That just killed me Welshhoppo xD

**Silent Puffin?**

welshhoppo wrote:
The human centipede isn't about an anthropomorphic talking centipede you know.....

Neither is it a cartoon that was screened on a Sunday afternoon.

**IGtR=**

Silent Puffin? wrote:
IGtR= wrote:
Surely a responsible parent can give the movie title a cheeky wee google or even bing it before watching it?

Without a very good reason why would you do this for a film about cartoon rabbits on a Sunday afternoon?

I dunno, maybe feeling in any way that you have some responsibility towards your child. Or you know, just don't check and be angry afterwards?

Takes like a minute to do and potentially avoids a nasty suprise.

**Silent Puffin?**

IGtR= wrote:

I dunno, maybe feeling in any way that you have some responsibility towards your child.

I can tell that you aren't a parent (or if you are you are a new parent).