http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_(1994_TV_series)#Censorship
I hadn't known about this until earlier this year. Some are decent points, including not saying kill and death. But what i think is the most... I guess, random to say the least, is this:
QuoteSpider-Man was not allowed to harm any pigeons when he landed on rooftops.
:huh: ... What sad is the fact that someone beleived this was justifiable. Shouldn't that go without saying? I'm fairly certain spider-man isn't pigeon bowling every night.
I seem to remember a lot of violence, despite a lack of punches. Of course, nothing can compare to the insanely awesome beatings dished out on Spectacular Spider-Man. It's ridiculous in some situations the things Pete goes through that should leave him dead. I love that show, even more than TAS.
I always noticed the lasers though, which made it feel too scifi. Though the whole series had some insane tech levels, so I guess it fit even though I realized the real reason as a kid.
The act of removing the World Trade Center from cartoons is ridiculous. Even worse was that FOX stopped showing the syndicated episode of The Simpsons where Homer is trapped between the two towers and has to pee. Really one of the all-time best episodes. What exactly does pretending the buildings never existed accomplish?
even though the show had ridiculous amounts of censorship, I'm still amazed at what they pulled off regardless. It's still one of my all time favorite shows and the reason why I ever became a super hero fan.
What makes me upset though, is how they felt the need to censor the show even MORE after 9/11. ANY episode even remotely resembling an air craft crashing into a building was removed. Punisher and Kraven mentioning the WTC parking garage bombing; Chameleon crashing a helicopter into a building; Green Goblin sending his glider into a building... I mean, c'mon, really? SO unbelievably stupid.
But yeah, I remember the pigeon thing. It still makes me laugh. I still wish this series was out on DVD though.
BS&P can come up with some weird mandates. There's a whole list of really notable ones in "Batman: ANimated" by Paul Dini & Chip Kido.
Some quick samples before I go to work:
QuotePg 19: BS&P says Bane picking up Robin by the head is too easy for a kid to copy with a pet or smaller kid.
QuotePgs C97, C99, and C124-125: Baby-Doll can't bash Batman in the face with Mr. Happy Head
QuotePgA28: Network says no to Batman slugging Torchy in the gut with his fist. Kicking him, striking him with his whole arm or some such is okay
QuotePgs C97, C99, and C124-125: Baby-Doll can't bash Batman in the face with Mr. Happy Head
That is one of those episodes I cant believe got made... when you talk about Adult (guts and boobs) vs Mature (drama and ambiguity) I think that ep was well in the mature category.
Yeah, the not actually shooting people with guns thing I can understand. but, most of the stuff is leftovers from the Comics Code Authority.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on April 29, 2009, 12:30:09 PM
BS&P can come up with some weird mandates.
The BS&P (Broadcast Standards & Practices) is what made one of my other favourite childhood shows, ReBoot, what it was. They would always joke about it. For instance, according to BS&P, you couldn't show a character jumping through a window, so in one episode, Bob used Glitch to "BS&P" through a window, transferring himself from one side to the other without breaking it. After ABC stopped airing the show, they were able to beef up the action.
I always did find the lasers in Spider-man a bit weird, but it somehow worked, for the most part. Now when a police officer whipped out a laser pistol, I though "Huh?" but for the most part I just went along with it.
One neat scene in Spiderman they actually played off the fact that nobody used actual firearms. Tombstone wanted to set somebody up to look like a criminal, so he issued people guns with 2 triggers an actuall trigger you squeeze with your finger, and a remotely activated trigger. that concept works much better with futuristic hardware than real guns.