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For Sale Mar 28, 2026 at 5:49 PM

Broadcast TV Pushing the Furthest Boundaries

Posted by writtenin1981

About 20 years ago, we saw networks pushing further and further with language, sex, nudity, etc. But now, it seems like it has stalled out for a variety of reasons. Are any networks still pushing forward with trying to compete with streaming? Particularly when it comes to very strong TV14 or even TVMA material? I know CBS aired Yellowstone but, decided to edit it rather than put it on later and gamble on leaving it in tact. Any networks actually trying this or do you think there's any chance we see a revitalization of provocative material on more mainstream outlets?
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Immediate_Side_5942 Mar 28, 2026 +3
Family guy
3
Sloppykrab Mar 28, 2026 +2
Family Guy is a tame version of South Park
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ShaunTrek Mar 28, 2026 +8
South Park isn't on broadcast TV.
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Sloppykrab Mar 28, 2026 -5
It is where I live. It's on what we call "free to air".
-5
CollinsCouldveDucked Mar 28, 2026 +4
Well you don't live with the FCC then so it's not all that relevant to the conversation. Most countries don't have much in the way of restriction after a certain time at night (known as the watershed in the UK) I'm not sure where you are that south park is on Free to Air at this point though, maybe in it's heyday.
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Sloppykrab Mar 28, 2026 +1
>Well you don't live with the FCC then so it's not all that relevant to the conversation. Nowhere in this post does it mention the FCC. How am I meant to know it's American based? >Most countries don't have much in the way of restriction after a certain time at night (known as the watershed in the UK) Ours is 19:00 or 20:00, I can't remember. >I'm not sure where you are that south park is on Free to Air at this point though, maybe in it's heyday. Australia. South Park aired on one of our taxpayer funded channels up until Paramount bought a tv station here, now it airs on that channel and it's free to air.
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CollinsCouldveDucked Mar 28, 2026 +2
Probably the mention of American TV channels, American TV shows and American TV ratings. Why would where you live affect how South Park is produced and what content it contains (assuming your tv channel didn't edit it)? If you're only learning now that Family Guy and South Park are american tv shows then fair enough I guess?
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writtenin1981 Mar 28, 2026 -2
That is one that I've always thought got away with far too much and should have been put later in the night and given a TVMA rating. Fox is allowing a LOT of latitude with it because it's a cartoon.
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Immediate_Side_5942 Mar 28, 2026 +1
Oh gosh yea. I still watch it at night and it’s amazing wat they get away with. Pedophiles, handicap making fun of, racist comments, vulgar language. No idea how it’s been on for near 30 years. Guess bc it’s a cartoon . I love it though
1
writtenin1981 Mar 28, 2026 +1
A big part of it is the decline in network viewership. Fewer people watch and less people to complain. I do think it got several complaints when it first went on the air, however. But that was 25 years ago so I maybe misremembering.
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NBCaz Mar 28, 2026 +3
The Yellowstone eps on CBS were edited for content. And most only ran during the writers strike. Most of the networks now have partner streaming apps that they push. So there's not as much need to push said boundaries.
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writtenin1981 Mar 28, 2026
But doesn't it undermine the networks? Maybe it's just me in my bubble. Do networks not hurt themsleves by painting into a corner where they can't cross certain boundaries?
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NBCaz Mar 28, 2026 +2
They get the best of both worlds. If it undermined them, you wouldn't see them all continually pushing their streaming apps. Broadcast networks are becoming less and less of a thing. And they are smart enough to know that.
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Grunklsnort Mar 28, 2026 +6
Why bother spending more money for less viewership and fighting the FCC when you can charge less and do more with streaming while also reaching a broader audience who actually wants to see this kind of material?
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Sloppykrab Mar 28, 2026 +2
I learned the other day that The Rookie is rated TVMA in the USA, there's nothing mature about it. There's no swearing, no nudity, no gore like elements. How in the f*** did it get that rating?
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urgasmic Mar 28, 2026 +3
the rookie is tv-14 for me.
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Sloppykrab Mar 28, 2026
Maybe it was the latest episode. I had it to set USA metadata and it showed TVMA.
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muad_dibs Mar 28, 2026 +3
TV ratings largely depend on the content of the episode and not the entirety of the series.
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SnausageFest Mar 28, 2026 +2
I don't watch it, but I imagine there's violence and (fake) dead people.
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HotBrownFun Mar 28, 2026 +1
They used the word f***?
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urgasmic Mar 28, 2026 +1
i mean they own the streaming services now, so why would they? edit: althought streaming services might step back from boundaries because of ad plans.
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writtenin1981 Mar 28, 2026 +1
I am thinking we're already seeing that developing. Which stands to reason. The more people watch something the tamer things tend to get. "Game of Thrones" and "Yellowstone" both toned down significantly in correlation to the number of people watching. So, perhaps that is an X factor at play that I am overlooking. A great example is WWE on Netflix. When they went there it was believed that they would be given clearance to do a lot more things. Yet, within weeks, Netflix began censoring the replays of their shows and WWE is back to trying to mute out words at the behest of Netflix higher ups. Makes me think that as more audience comes in and more ad dollars come in, like you said, there maybe a bigger push to reign in everything as audiences grow.
1
moderatenerd Mar 28, 2026 +1
why bother when they cant afford to pay a four member cast to be in every episode together 
1
Hour_Specialist_4291 Mar 28, 2026
First seasons tend to be teasers they put on their network channel. If it’s a success and has a good following, they switch the second season the their subscription channel.
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Ok-Midnight5719 Mar 28, 2026 +1
Hannibal was maybe the last show of recognition to do it. I would welcome more of it.
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writtenin1981 Mar 28, 2026 +1
Hannibal was one of those shows that I thought had a lot of opportunities to push the envelope and always balked before really testing those waters beyond gore and violence (which is probably the one that needs to be pushed the least.) I've long thought a tier system would work great. 8pm keep everything PG. 9pm make things TV14 (and allow stronger stuff like "shit" to be said), and then 10pm TVMA should be allowed complete with all profanity, nudity, etc.
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HandbagsAtNoon Mar 28, 2026
Hannibal often did it in a corny/desperate way, like a stoner sketching bloody battles during high school math class. Carving ‘em right on the desk with a switchblade! With a pack of smokes tucked into his rolled up sleeve! He doesn’t fear detention!
0
wmike469 Mar 28, 2026
We can thank Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake for this
0
Dallywack3r Mar 28, 2026 +1
The average age of broadcast tv went from 30 to 70 in about ten years
1
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