TV-MA rated scifi shows in the USA

[Christopher]

^That is my biggest fear with this move to Starz, that they'll Spartacusize it and make it unnecissarily explicit. And I'm saying this as someone who has enjoyed Spartacus, but IMO Torchwood works fine just the way it.

I find that a surprising reaction, given that Torchwood is already a lot more adult and graphic than any non-premium-cable US show, with lots of violence, explicit profanity, sexual situations, and nudity (all male, alas). I can't imagine it working on anything other than a premium channel in America.

 

[Bob Karo]

Didn't a couple X-Files episodes get TV-MA ratings for violence. The one with the inbred family in Mayberry?

 

[JD]

^That is my biggest fear with this move to Starz, that they'll Spartacusize it and make it unnecissarily explicit. And I'm saying this as someone who has enjoyed Spartacus, but IMO Torchwood works fine just the way it.

I find that a surprising reaction, given that Torchwood is already a lot more adult and graphic than any non-premium-cable US show, with lots of violence, explicit profanity, sexual situations, and nudity (all male, alas). I can't imagine it working on anything other than a premium channel in America.

Yeah, I agree. I've just felt that they never really went overboard with it, and I'm hoping Starz doesn't change that.

 

[Aeolusdallas]

What sci-fi TV series have gotten TV-MA ratings by any cable channels? (Obviously we wouldn't have seen TV-MA on network television).



TV-MA
(Mature audience — unsuitable for audiences under 17)
A TV-MA rating means the program may be unsuitable for those below 17.

the pilot episode of the CBS police drama Brooklyn South made this series the first network TV series to display the rating.

according to Wikipedia.

I started this thread since in the past I started a couple of threads about Trek series with TV-14 ratings in the USA after the TV Parental Guidelines system went into effect in January 1997 .

VOY - most violent episodes (& TV Parental Guidelines rating system)
ENT - most violent episodes (& TV Parental Guidelines rating system)

I'm not talking about shows that were rated TV-14 in USA but actually rated TV-MA.

Probably most of the HBO and Showtime ones, I imagine True Blood certainly is, and sounds like Game of Thrones probably is

The first season of Stargate was on Showtime and had nudity.

 

[Christopher]

The first season of Stargate was on Showtime and had nudity.

Only the pilot had nudity.

 

[T'Girl]

Only the pilot had nudity.

Debatable it didn't really need it, meaning it added nothing to the scene it was in, nor anything important to the pilot. I wonder if it was a requirement - request on Showtimes part?

Although Bandera full nakee butt in that scene, well ...

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Only the pilot had nudity.

Debatable it didn't really need it, meaning it added nothing to the scene it was in, nor anything important to the pilot. I wonder if it was a requirement - request on Showtimes part?

Although Bandera full nakee butt in that scene, well ...

Given that they never pushed that envelope after that episode, that they've removed the nudity from "special edition" cuts, I'd say it was almost certainly a network request. Other Showtime programs like The Outer Limits and Jeremiah, even stuff like Total Recall 2070 had nudity, sometimes rather shoehorned in.

 

[Christopher]

Yes, it was at the network's insistence -- they wanted their shows to have adult content you couldn't show on free TV in order to justify charging premium fees for it, or something like that. Brad Wright was against it (at least for this show, if not for his previous show The Outer Limits), and after the pilot he put his foot down and wouldn't include any more. And as stated before, Wright removed the nude scenes from his re-edit of the pilot movie a couple of years ago.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Which makes me sad; that was a good nude scene.

 

[O'Dib]

I recall seeing a First Wave episode overseas that had some sexy content, which apparently got cut for the U.S. broadcast.