For a group that has the word "television" in their name, they sure do seem to have a lot of problems with it.
The Parents Television Council is calling for advertisers to boycott Dexter, saying that CBS didn't do enough editing of the show when they broadcast the Showtime drama on its own network last Sunday night. The PTC says that CBS broke their promise when they said they were going to edit the show to network standards and that "depictions of violence were barely altered from the Showtime network original format."
I didn't see it, so I guess I have to ask hardcore fans who watched both the original Showtime episode and the episode that CBS put on. Were they different? Was there a lot of editing done or was it just superficial? Was there blood and violence in the CBS version as the PTC says?
The advertisers on that first episode were Burger King, Macy's, Capitol One, movie studios, and others. I have to say, even though I didn't see the episode, I'm sure that creepy Burger King spokesman is probably more scary and off-putting than anything that you could see on Dexter. At least Dexter talks and has facial muscles that move.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-21-2008 @ 3:28PM
Oreo said...
What time is it on? I'll make sure to watch it now.
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2-21-2008 @ 6:12PM
Liz said...
10:00PM on Sunday I think this is one of the best show I seen so far...
2-21-2008 @ 3:35PM
David said...
Are you kidding me? Not only was it heavily edited (the only blood shown was the ubiquitous cut cheek that is an intrinsic part of the Dexter ritual, and later there's some blood on his clothes as he's cleaning up), but it's on at 10pm on a Sunday night. KIDS SHOULDN'T BE UP LATE WATCHING TV ON A SCHOOL NIGHT! Can someone please tell me how I can boycott the PTC?
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2-21-2008 @ 3:39PM
Patrick said...
"Was there blood and violence in the CBS version as the PTC says?"
Given that blood and violence are already a common occurence on numerous primetime shows, that's not really the issue. More likely, the censor types are questioning "how much?" Anyway, I can't wait to see what they'll say once they reach the second season and realize that there's even more killing and Dexter continues to become scarier.
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2-21-2008 @ 3:41PM
Joey Geraci said...
The PTC has always been a joke. Ignoring everything they say is the best possible policy.
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2-21-2008 @ 4:06PM
Oreo said...
Kind of like what we do with the FCC?
2-21-2008 @ 4:36PM
Joey Geraci said...
Under a Republican administration, Hellz yea!
2-21-2008 @ 3:49PM
Elf said...
To the PTC anything short of an hourlong drama featuring a happy family sitting at a table while discussing lessons they've learned from the bible is considered violent and obscene.
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2-21-2008 @ 4:33PM
Urkel said...
This is exactly why I hate Dexter on CBS. 2 seasons they stayed under the radar and had huge success in cable with nobody complaining. They air one episode on CBS and suddenly we've got groups organizing boycotts and making a stink.
They really should have just kept the show on cable because the direction it's going now will have writers having to weigh in people like this, editing swears and watering down the very things that make this show so edgy.
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2-21-2008 @ 4:08PM
dan said...
I have absolutely no time for this organisation. If there's any group which angers, scares or saddens me more Al-Qaeda it's the moanings of these puritans.
The only good thing is it will hype up the show no-end. Good work.
PS I have no problem with a website that informs parents etc but the PTC has taken this approach to the extreme.
PPS I'm sure th
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2-21-2008 @ 4:09PM
dan said...
I have completely forgotten where that sentence was going :)
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2-22-2008 @ 9:46AM
Deadsquirrel said...
Here's the thing. Anything that the PTC says I shouldn't watch, I do. If it isn't good enough for them, then I know it's something I want to watch. So thanks, PTC!! You are helping grown adults decide what to watch by being mentally stunted.
So what percentage of humans on this earth are children? And why should I suffer because some douche bag parent isn't smart enough to figure out kids shouldn't be up past 10 on a school night? Do they bring there kids to Vegas and let them watch as they screw a hooker? Without the PTC around, how are they suppost to know any better?
Parents, please get the hell away from my right to see a naturally occuring human fluid known as blood. Guess what I think I'm old enough to decide what I want to watch without your pathetic attempts to Disnify the world.
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2-21-2008 @ 4:44PM
MB said...
Isn't there a button on their remote that says up or down of the channel or better yet, an off button? I remember "sneaking" looks at some of the shows my parents watched after I went to bed, but I was also taken back to bed & told not to do it again ... when are parents going to take responsbility for THEIR children instead of the "village" doing it for them?
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2-21-2008 @ 5:14PM
Fandango said...
I'm not an American so I'm not sure what all this means. With Dexter on CBS, will the writers have to tone everything down for the third season? Or will there still be the original and the edited versions?
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2-21-2008 @ 6:03PM
Jon Carpenter said...
Fandango, I highly doubt this will matter to the writers, The show is written for Showtime and is aired on Showtime. I'm thinking the second season of Dexter might not make it to CBS just because of the violence and nudity. The DVD's for it will probably be out by the time they finish airing the first season on CBS so they'll just tell people to buy the DVD's then get showtime when the third season comes on.
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2-21-2008 @ 6:04PM
John said...
Why don't these IDIOTS just worry about raising their own kids and monitor what they watch as opposed to forcing the rest of us to go along with their alleged morals. I'll start watching 'Dexter' now just to prove a point.
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2-21-2008 @ 7:32PM
ac said...
What shows does the PTC want us to watch? I'll boycott those.
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2-22-2008 @ 3:45AM
Brent McKee said...
Mostly reality crap - or more accurately really crappy reality. Shows like "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?", "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", "Don't Forget the Lyrics", and this week "American Idol". It is extremely rare when a scripted show is called the "Best show of the week" on the PTC's website.
2-21-2008 @ 6:20PM
Karen said...
You must be joking. I mean, a Parents Television Council should be concerned with what is appropriate for children, right? So, tell me how on earth ANY show about a SERIAL KILLER is going to be appropriate for television, no matter how little blood and violence they show? What the hell kind of parent says, "I'm going to gather the family around the boob tube and watch this drama about a SERIAL KILLER; CBS promised the violence wouldn't upset the kiddies!"
I mean, I know that the PTC is a bullshit organization filled with loonies, but how could anyone give any credence to a complaint as batshit crazy as this one?
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4-19-2008 @ 4:52PM
ufo said...
Actually, as a parent, I would have loved to have been able to watch this with my kid when she was in her teens (she's an adult now and chooses to watch TV shows only on DVDs ), but the issues this shows raises about morality and the consequences of our actions are something we all grapple with starting with our teen years. Columbine and other recent tragedies show us how too many are making bad decisions around these issues. Watching this show with your teen may actually end up saving lives!
The violence is portrayed in a much more responsible way than on lesser shows where we sometimes see dozens of people killed with no thought given to the consequences for survivors, the killers, or society in general. This show makes you think about all of that. It doesn't sugar coat any of it.
This is the only TV show I've ever felt moved to comment on in public forums. That makes it even better than the next best show on TV now -- Boston Legal -- something I thought impossible before I saw this show.