Coro Street shocks Lianne

Claire Trevett in the Herald reports:

Television has become so raunchy that even Coronation Street is no longer acceptable for children’s viewing, says Labour MP Lianne Dalziel.

She said the “Adults Only” television watershed should be moved to 7.30pm as 8.30pm no longer reflected the content of the shows broadcast.

Ms Dalziel put her request to the Broadcasting Standards Authority at the commerce select committee yesterday.

She said she had watched Coronation Street as a child when Ena Sharples ruled supreme, “and I would have to say its content at that stage was unremarkable”.

“The most raunchy part of it was Elsie Tanner having a divorce. But there was no question around parents being able to be sure about what their children were watching.”

Ms Dalziel said she had seen the British soap opera recently after years of not watching, and “was shocked”.

Oh please. Coronation Street is hardly shocking. Californication is shocking maybe, but not Coronation Street.

And good luck trying to enforce kids not being able to watch TV after 7.30 pm.

At the end of the day, it is up to parents to decide what they do or do not allow their kids to watch. The BSA may have a role in making sure accurate information is provided to parents on the nature of a show or episode, so that parents are making well informed choices.

The future, when it is all digital, should be that parents can program their TVs to not show shows with violence or sex over certain levels, like one can do on Sky boxes.