Was TNG considered a "family tv show" at the time? And anyway, what does "family tv show" mean?

What censors?!?

You’ve never heard of the FCC?

Its from the FCC that the idea of the watershed comes from, where nothing considered “indecent” can air before 10 PM or after 6AM, for the safety of children. Though the FCC got really strict in 1987-88, with an outright ban on indecent martial, regardless as to the hour it was aired. And it wasn’t until 1992 that the watershed returned, at midnight, before returning to 10PM in 1993.

This matters because that is the context that TNG was being produced. This strict oversight covered most of TNG’s run. The chilling effect the FCC had coincided with TNG’s premiere. Which might explain why they abandoned the original idea of Geordi as a gay person.

But delving further into some of the shows provided in your list, specifically episodes which dealt with LGBT characters and themes, it can be reviewed to see if the scheduling of these shows had any effect on LGBT presentation/representation.

Quantum Leap (NBC)
“Good Night, Dear Heart”, March 7, 1990 (Wednesday, 10:00 PM)
“Running for Honor”, January 15, 1992 (Wednesday, 10:00 PM)

Designing Women* (CBS)
“Killing All The Right People”, October 5, 1987 (Monday, 9:30 PM)
“Suzanne Goes Looking For A Friend”, April 9, 1990 (Monday, 9:30 PM)
“Toe in The Water”, September 23, 1991(Monday, 9:30 PM)
“The Lying Game”, May 7, 1993 (Friday, 9:00PM)
*enters syndication in 1991-92 at 10AM time slot

21 Jump Street (FOX)
“Honor Bound”, November 8, 1987 (Sunday, 7:00 PM)
“A Big Disease With A Little Name”, February 7, 1988 (Sunday, 7:00 PM)
“A Change of Heart”, January 15, 1990 (Monday, 8:00 PM)

American Playhouse (PBS)
“Andre’s Mother”, March 7, 1990
“Tru”, 1992

Doctor, Doctor (CBS)
“Torch Song Cardiology”, December 18, 1989 (Monday, 10:30 PM)
“Accentuate the Positive”, January 8, 1990 (Monday, 10:30 PM)
“The Terminator”, October 25, 1990 (Wednesday, 8:30 PM)

The Fanelli Boys (NBC)
“Pursued”, September 19, 1990 (Wednesday, 9:00 PM)

The Golden Girls (NBC)
“The Engagement”**, September 14, 1985 (Saturday, 9:00 PM)
“Isn’t It Romantic?”, November 8, 1986 (Saturday, 9:00 PM)
“Strange Bedfellows”, November 7, 1987 (Saturday, 9:00 PM)
“Scared Straight”, December 10, 1988 (Saturday, 9:00 PM)
“Ebbtide’s Revenge”, December 15, 1990 (Saturday, 9:00 PM)
“Sister Of The Bride”, January 12, 1991 (Saturday, 9:00 PM)
“Goodbye, Mr. Gordon”, January 11, 1992 (Saturday, 8:00 PM)
**series premiere

L.A. Law (NBC)
“L.A. Law”**, September 15, 1986 (Monday)
“The Venus Butterfly”, November 21, 1986 (Friday, 10:00 PM)
“Fry Me To The Moon”, December 4, 1986 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“The Accidental Jurist”, February 23, 1989 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“Outward Bound”, May 10, 1990 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“Smoke Gets In Your Thighs”, November 15, 1990 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“He’s A Crowd”, February 7, 1991 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“Speak, Lawyers To Me”, April 25, 1991 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“Since I Fell for You”, May 16, 1991 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“Do The Spike Thing”, October 31, 1991 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
“The Nut Before Christmas”, December 19, 1991 (Thursday, 10:00 PM)
**series premiere

Law & Order (NBC)
“The Reaper’s Helper”, October 4, 1990 (Tuesday, 10:00 PM)
“Silence”, April 28, 1992 (Tuesday, 10:00 PM)
“Manhood”, May 12, 1993 (Wednesday, 10:00PM)
“Mayhem”, March 9, 1994 (Wednesday, 10:00PM)
“Pride” May 24, 1995 (Wednesday, 10:00PM)
“Deceit” March 27, 1996 (Wednesday, 10:00PM)

Married…With Children (FOX)
“The Dance Show”, October 21, 1990 (Sunday, 9:00PM)
“Lez Be Friends”, April 28, 1997 (Monday, 9:00PM)

Doogie Howser, MD (ABC)
“Vinnie, Video, Vici”, October 23, 1989 (Wednesday, 9:00PM)
“Spell it M-A-N”, January 6, 1993 (Wednesday, 8:30PM)

Party of Five (FOX)
“Something Out of Nothing”, November 7, 1994 (Monday, 9:00 PM)
“I Declare”, January 22, 1997 (Wednesday, 9:00 PM)
“Here and Now”, January 28, 1998 (Wednesday, 9:00 PM)
“I’ll Show You Mine”, May 5, 1999 (Wednesday, 9:00 PM)

I can keep going if you want. But I think the point is understood.

Some shows were aired before 10 PM. Some after 10 PM. Some were doing this in the ‘80s, both before and during TNG’s run. And some shows were clearly safe enough to be airing on daytime tv in syndication. And whatever chilling effect the FCC’s strict regulations had on the producers (if it had any at all), it did not seem to stop a lot of other shows. By the late ‘90s shows with LGBT characters like Party of Five was going head to Voyager. But none of the major networks had a problem with it. And any show airing after 10PM is going to be dealing with serious matters, LGBT issues or otherwise.

Now, just because other shows managed to present LGBT characters and themes, does not mean that there not attempts to police the representation of LGBT. In NYPD Blue, for example, any LGBT characters still had to be presented in a chaste light, despite the show airing after 10 PM. While the heterosexual characters did not.

If you want to be technical about LGBT characters and representation, there are shows dating all the way back to the ‘50s related to the subject. Its TNG that has the first recognized LGBT theme episodes in Star Trek, “The Host” and “The Outcast”, and seemed to try to make amends for there being no gay characters of gay themed episodes from the start. Its actually TOS that has nothing to say on the matter, in either the tv shows or the movies. Both pre- and post-Stonewall Riots.

 

yet people also complain current generations are too sensitive

 

It depends on both the person, and the situation in question. For example, someone may be bothered by pornography, but they're not fazed at all by a violent movie or video game. We all process different input in various ways, and its always changing.

 

that's why we shouldn't make generalizations

 

Many here have said (rightly) what is suitable for the whole family is subjective.

However, there are situations in which we try to make this classification as subjective as possible, as in the case of streaming sites, so that parents can set filters on the users of their younger children.

So, these are the ratings for the various Star Trek shows, according to the TV Parental Guidelines (valid on for the USA)

• Star Trek TOS: TV-PG
• Star Trek TNG: TV-PG, then re-rated TV-14 (interesting!)
• Star Trek DS9: TV-PG (?!!?) - Netflix: TV-14
  
• Star Trek VOY: TV-PG, then re-rated TV-14
• Star Trek ENT: TV-PG (?!!?) - Netflix: TV-14

For reference:

TV-PG:
PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED
This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program may contain one or more of the following: some suggestive dialogue (D), infrequent coarse language (L), some sexual situations (S), or moderate violence (V).

TV-14:
PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED
This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14
watch unattended. This program may contain one or more of the following: intensely suggestive dialogue (D), strong coarse language (L), intense sexual situations (S), or intense violence (V).

This is interesting. My hypothesis is that the classification was initially taken lightly, because Star Trek TOS (and science fiction in general) was considered children's stuff. Then in hindsight perhaps it was understood that leaving a 6 year old child to watch "The Naked Now" or "Contagion" without supervision wasn't the best idea.

 

I really try my best not to, but if someone I'm chatting with begins insulting me, or the conversation we're having starts going in circles, my level of patience really starts to drop. Those kinds of situations are times when I'm truly thankful to be a Christian, because God's love and grace are so much more infinite than mine.

 

Yeah God might have infinite love and grace, but what he really needs is a star ship?

 

I think that quote gets misunderstood... Dr. McCoy was proceeding from the general understanding that God is omnipresent. And ergo, He wouldn't need a starship. So whatever that being in STV was, he was most assuredly not God.

Returning to @Skipper post, I'm not surprised TNG was PG, since most of it was. But whoever was rating ENT must have missed the stronger swearing, more intense violence, and multiple shots of Jolene Blalock's naked backside. That or they revised the standards at some point.

 

I was just having a friendly wind up there to be honest - definitely wouldn't read into it

To TV ratings - there were at least a few DS9 eps rated as 12 or older in the UK when they came out on video.

Noticeably TV at the end of the 90s and start of 00s began to allow more to go on and things relaxed so it seemed to just be a natural progression of society allowing more swearing or violence in their entertainment

 

God says 'Do not drag thy name into every thread please'.

 

So we should carry on right? Now if "Simon Says"...

 

Ok, I won't say "Oddish" in every thread.

 

Hey, don't blame me. I only went to Sunday School for one year. Total drop-out.

 

Agreed, and I'm glad the film made that point very clear.

 

I went for the majority of my formative years, and still rebelled for a time...so don't worry, you're in good company.

 

A product is not suitable for children just because there are no graphic representations of violence or sex. If there's a story where, I don't know, a pedophile kidnaps children to abuse them, I won't show it to a 6 year old just because you can't physically see the violence. Certain topics should be addressed with at least adult supervision. And even though I sound like a broken record, I wouldn't have let a child under 7 watch "Contagion," parental presence or not. So yes, at least for some episodes TV-14 is a very adeguate rating.

 

In Italy EVERY Star Trek tv show is rated "T" (suitable for EVERYONE!). I don't know if it's because everything science fiction here is automatically considered "for children" or our kids mature more quickly than their American peers.

 

I teach Sunday school, but that doesn't stop me from being ornery sometimes.

 

Generally speaking, I think all children should be protected as much as possible, and allowed to maintain their innocence as long as they can...especially younger kids. Our minds our just so impressionable and vulnerable at that stage, and being exposed to certain things may produce serious consequences.