'Buffy' Rates Worst Show for Families
 

I got a laugh out of this one!

From the AP:

http://imgfarm.com/images/ap/thumbna...0821154242.jpg

(AP) Sarah Michelle Gellar is Buffy Summers in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

By DAVID BAUDER

NEW YORK (AP) - A parents group applauded broadcasters Wednesday for embracing more family-friendly programming in prime-time, yet scolded television's two most popular shows for being among the raciest.

Both NBC's "Friends" and CBS'"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" made the Parents Television Council list of the 10 worst shows in prime-time.

Little-watched "Doc," a Pax TV drama about a country doctor who moves to New York City, was named the best show on television by the conservative watchdog group for its "uplifting and inspirational" themes.

After years when it was considered unhip, there's been a slight movement toward more family-friendly programming in prime-time, with ABC and the WB network lately making it a priority. ABC has blamed its recent ratings trouble partly on a decision to move away from that audience.


"It definitely is a heartening development," said Melissa Caldwell, the PTC's research director.

UPN's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was rated the worst show in prime-time, with the PTC condemning it for graphic violence and sex, and an element of the occult.

The group criticized TV's most popular comedy, "Friends," for basing much of its humor on sexual references or situations. The PTC said the show, which also featured two unmarried characters having a baby this spring, was inappropriate for its 8 p.m. time slot.

Jennifer Aniston's Rachel character gave birth in the season's final episode.

"I'm not really sure why it passed without much discussion," Caldwell said. "But it's certainly not a good role model, especially considering how popular the show is with teenage viewers."

"CSI" was criticized for dealing graphically with themes of incest and sadomasochism. The show has had a meteoric rise in popularity, often besting "ER" as viewers' favorite drama.

Four WB shows - "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,""Reba,""Smallville" and "7th Heaven" - made the PTC's list of best shows for families.

But "Gilmore Girls" - a WB show that was created specifically through funding provided by advertisers interested in family-friendly programming - was left off the list. Caldwell said her group was concerned about some of the mother's relationships in the show.


I didn't realize "CSI" was so popular with the kiddies! :D

it has lesbians, satanic worship, witch craft, vampires.. but of course. :p

eh. who cares what is good for the kids.

Not to mention lots of running with pointed sticks.

yeah, thats bad for the kiddies to see. don't want them poking there eyes out. :p

Yea, that's why they have the warning at the beginning of the show. Those losers want us to watch all the lame milksop shows so they can let the TV babysit for them. It's called parenting and they don't want to have to do it full time.

I'm thrilled shows like Buffy and Angel are on the air. They can piss off.

Isn't it a big jump to assume that a person can know someone's parenting methods from reading the shows they feel aren't family-friendly?. :) It's possible that the PTC just wanted to highlight shows that parents could watch with their children without having to be worried about certain "mature" situations popping up during the show.

Did you notice Sabrina was on the GOOD show list?

Is "Doc" the one with Bill Ray Cyrus????

Personally, if I had kids I'd rather them act like Buffy than have a mullet.

They left off one of the cooler family related drama's
Once & Again. I guess that was a just a little to
real life for them.

I can understand some complaints about Buffy.
Mainly being in the 8 pm time slot.
Where as Angel is/was on at 9 pm.

CSI ??? is a mystery to me why it was even mentioned.

Because it deals with death in a sometime graphic manner every week, as well as drigs, alcohol and occasionally sex related murders.....I dunno, maybe.

As much as the trend here is to rush out and bash this organization, I'm not going to join the mob. I'm with Static Cling here. It's not like this organization is calling for these shows to be pulled off the air, its simply evaluating the shows based on there content and putting the information out there for any interested individual.

Just cause you're a fan of the show doesn't mean you should get in a tizzy, you are obviously old enough to handle the themes of the show and should go on with you day having ignored this press release.

I don't really care for CSI.

Buffy, and I think Angel, have warnings in front of their shows. What more do they need?

Believe me, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they were or have taken steps to get Buffy off the air.

</small>
Don't tell my heart, my achy breaky heart... :D

MAYBE this organization isn't trying to get the shows pulled off the air-- but many similar far-right organizations ARE. Plenty of them think that NOBODY should be allowed to view any type of content not acceptable to a child (such as Capalert feels about movies). And even this one, I'm sure, would like to see the shows that they don't like moved out of Prime Time.

wasnt smackdown on the list one year. btw, this is why its rated tv14, not for kids.

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth elektra •<HR SIZE=1>Yea, that's why they have the warning at the beginning of the show. Those losers want us to watch all the lame milksop shows so they can let the TV babysit for them. It's called parenting and they don't want to have to do it full time.

I'm thrilled shows like Buffy and Angel are on the air. They can piss off. <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Truer words may never have been spoken.

das

I find it amazing that Buffy, while it deals with occult elements, also deals with real life issues thru metaphor. Watching the first two seasons on DVD, you see them dealing not only with normal high school problems, but also having to save the freaking world every week. Maybe the younger ones might get a bit frightened, but I definitely could see teenagers watching and learning from this show. One of the best things I've always thought about Buffy, is that every action has a consequence. As compared to Sabrina using witchcraft all willy-nilly? That's family friendly?

I think it's fine to speculate about what they think about television. But to think one can speculate about their parenting styles from their press release is ridiculous, IMO.

And incidentally, I love CSI and Buffy, and wouldn't watch Doc or Reba if you paid me.

Well, I guess it depends on how much you paid me. :)

Damn straight.

Then why should they publish what these shows are about? All they have to due it tune in, see the warning and preview the show before they let their kids watch it. People have made the comment in this forum that they never really had to pay attention to what was on the station Nick or Nick Toon. Until they aired a special they didn't think was appropriate. Well, you need to be paying attention a lot.

Huh. Didn't notice that Reba was concidered one of the best programs for families. Reba has a divorced mother with pregnant high-school daughter. Said daughter and "shotgun wedding" husband live in daughter's room. The ex-husband AND the woman who he cheated on his wife with (who is also pregnant) still hang around.

And THIS is "family friendly"?

Here's the top ten of the best and worst shows list (courtesy of AICN):

The “Best List”:
1. Doc
2. Touched By An Angel
3. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
4. 7th Heaven
5. Baby Bob
6. Smallville
7. Reba
8. Ponderosa
9. George Lopez
10. Bernie Mac

The “Worst List”:
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Off Centre
3. Will & Grace
4. Friends
5. Smackdown
6. Big Brother 2
7. CSI
8. Temptation Island 2
9. That ‘70s Show
10. Boston Public

BABY BOB??! what are these commies smoking

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth bedhead_75 •<HR SIZE=1>BABY BOB??! what are these commies smoking <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

While this list is pretty stupid, <I>Baby Bob</I> was probably the best family show on television last season. No, I didn't like the show, but for family programming it was superb. The whole concept was that aside from his ability to talk at a young age, Bob was an overwhelmingly "average" kid. He struggled with simple things like blocks that other kids his age had already mastered. And his parents had to learn that he wasn't some spectacle to be exploited, but a regular kid who needed their love and attention. It was the perfect show for family viewing.

das

While I can agree that the theme of Baby Bob was decent from a family friendly point of view, that talking baby was just too creepy for me to get into. You're right in that it made his tv journey very unique in that the show is from a baby's perspective, but from the couple episodes I caught it seemed paced very slowly or just off... What do they do with show when the kid starts growing older? Just keep dubbing his voice with that guy from Herman's Head?

<BLOCKQUOTE> • Quoth bedhead_75 •<HR SIZE=1>While I can agree that the theme of Baby Bob was decent from a family friendly point of view, that talking baby was just too creepy for me to get into. You're right in that it made his tv journey very unique in that the show is from a baby's perspective, but from the couple episodes I caught it seemed paced very slowly or just off... What do they do with show when the kid starts growing older? Just keep dubbing his voice with that guy from Herman's Head? <HR SIZE=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't get me wrong. Like I said, I didn't <I>like</I> the show. But in the category of "family friendly" it was pretty successful. It's the kind of show I'd recommend watching with young children, even if it wasn't very good in terms of overall quality.

das

Yeah, I thought about that one, too. (Someone told me about Reba... I swear, I've never watched it. :)) Apparently, this is okay, while Lorelai Gilmore's on-again-off-again with Rory's dad isn't. Whateva. Lorelai and Rory forever! :D