It can’t be much fun working for a kids TV network these days. Kids are more sophisticated and worldly than they have ever been so finding the right balance between what they find entertaining and what is actually suitable for them cannot be an easy task.
Recently the UK channel CBeebies, which is aimed at pre-school children – was blasted by parents and the press alike when it decided to air an episode of popular show The Tweenies in which one character – an older gent in charge of kids – dressed up like shamed personality Jimmy Savile. Sure the programme had been filmed in 2001 way before Savile’s fall from grace as an alleged child abuser but the argument was made that the episode should have been destroyed and never seen the light of day again. This was an almighty cock up for the BBC but in truth an oversight caused by human error.
Over the years there have been loads of examples of inappropriate images appearing in kids TV shows, many that would easily go by unnoticed by a young audience but are glaringly obvious to any adult with half a brain. So, because we love to spot gaffs and because we’ve half a brain, here’s our list of 7 infamous inappropriate images in the history of kids TV.
7. Naked Thundercats
Remember the Thundercats? Of course you do. You probably also remember that they wore clothes right? Well not in the original movie ‘Exodus’. In fact not only do the two small children – Wilykit and Wilykat – appear naked so does Panthro, Tygra and Cheetara! But at least Panthro remembered to wear his belt, eh?
There’s no real explanation to why they appear sans clothes especially after they managed to get dressed for the entire series but it’s truly one of those moments where you realise as an adult that things were very very different when we were kids. Naked Thundercats would be the same as having Spongebob walk around with his ‘junk out of the trunk’, so-to-speak on modern kids TV.
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12 Comments
“Don’t look where I’m pointing!”/”I like boys now!”
The Simpsons Movie gets even funnier with each repeat viewing.
Had to laugh at the article title :D
Where’s Pee Wees Playhouse?
Sometimes thought people can go a bit far with it, like in Finland or Denmark, Donald Duck was banned because he doesn’t wear pants, but then again it’s what you think is appropriate attire for animals that matters
The two-part episode Beauty And The Breast from CITV sitcom My Parents Are Aliens definitely deserves a spot on here. Both parents go through a sexual identity crisis with alien foster mother Sophie becoming more masculine and alien foster Brian becoming drastically more feminine. He transforms his appearance so he has breasts and spends most of the second episode in drag, there are jokes that subtly imply he’s having a period, and his foster son Josh accidentally drinks his breast milk.
Very funny but wildly inappropriate for a kids show.
Was it actually called Beauty and The Breast? Amazing!
Yep. Off the top of my head, here’s some dialogue I vaguely remember that I’m amazed got in there at all.
Josh: You let me drink your…
Brian: Booby juice? It’s done wonder for your complexion.
Lucy: I don’t believe this. My foster father got his first bra before I did.
Mmmm, booby juice
Actually their lack of “clothing” is explained in the series. They are no longer on their home world so their fur won’t be protection enough and their clothing is armour of sorts. Still kind of weird though
All i’m goin to say is Big Cook, Little Cook or any other tv show on CBBC. They’re all inappropiate if you watch and liisten to al the jokes included
You’re spot on on that one, Okamido. Be careful Ben.
I about died at number four. I wanna ask whoever did that just, “Really? Really man?”
Number three just confirms all along that everyone in the children’s entertainment/PSA business are nothing but a bunch of talented stoners.
And Thundercats? Dude everything from the 80s! Back when you get away with anything!!!!!