A television content ratings system determines the suitability of a television program for adults or children. Many countries have their own TV content rating system and each country's rating process may differ due to local priorities. Programs are rated by either the organization that manages the system, the broadcasters, or the content producers themselves. A rating is usually set for each individual episode of a television series. The rating can change per episode, network, rerun and per country.

For example, the TV content ratings system of the United States, also known as the "TV Parental Guidelines", was introduced on 1 January 1997. The content ratings are as follows:

TV-Y: The program designed to be appropriate for all chlildren, mainly those that are aged between 2 and 6.
TV-Y7: The program is designed for children aged 7 and above.
TV-G: Most would find the program suitable for all ages.
TV-PG: The program contains some material that parents would find unsuitable for children under 10.
TV-14: The program contains some material that parents would find unsuitable for children under 10.
TV-MA: The program is designed to be viewed by adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17.

There are four sub-ratings, which were introduced on 1 August 1997:
D: Suggestive dialogue (Generally not used for TV-MA)
L: Coarse language or Swearing
S: Sexual situations
V: Violence
FV: Fantasy violence (used for TV-Y7 rating)

As the rating increases pertaining to the age, the content matters generally get more intensive.

Nowadays, pretty much every scripted primetime show on the major broadcast networks is rated either TV-PG or TV-14 (mostly TV-14). Most premium cable series are rated TV-MA. Basic cable series can either have a TV-14 rating or a TV-MA rating.

About the content rating being set for each individual episode of a television series: For example, if somebody doesn't mind the fact that most episodes of a certain series have a TV-PG rating, but notices that just one episode has a TV-14 rating, he would get livid because he is worried that the content rating would not allow him to view that one episode. There may be less of a problem if a series that has most episodes rated TV-PG ends up having one episode rated TV-G.

So, I want to know, what certain SitcomsOnline Forum members think about the TV content ratings system? Do you pay attention to it or do you ignore it?

The system has more holes in it than Swiss Cheese. My biggest :angryfire Pet Peeve :angryfire is that it doesn"t include COMMERCIALS. The advertisers have NO REGARD as to WHO is watching their ads when they are aired. Ads for 'ED Pills" and other "Adult Products" are aired at all times of the days and even during children's shows! :eek: I no longer watch Broadcast or Pay-TV because of this, and refuse to do so until Congress AMENDS this law to INCLUDE COMMERCIALS!

I'm not hung up on them. I've watched R rated content since I was a toddler, If anything, I'm watching more PG content these days because of over exposure to violence.

Once you hit your teens, I think everything should be viewable, because you are only delaying the inevitable. Kids learn at an accelerated rate these days anyway.

When people over react to something, or give it mystery, you almost always want to check it out, something that will never change.

I don't notice the tv ratings because there are no children in my household. I was a Cablevision kid and there was no limits on what I could watch. I think once a kid hits 12 years old monitoring their viewing habits is useless.

The only people that pay attention to the content ratings are the fools of the PTC.

What would happen in an actor (or any person in general) wants to be a "PG Person"? It would mean he or she doesn't want to star in any films, television series, or video games that are R, TV-MA, or M, respectively. Therefore, the actor would have to be conscious about what content rating a project he is featured in would end up getting. Plus, he or she wouldn't have to swear much, engage in violence, or wear skimpy clothing in public. Also, a significant portion of his fanbase would be children aged between 4 and 12.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an actor being a "PG Person"?

Will Smith is an excellent example of a "PG Person".

Hearing Will Smith curse in films is weird, like it shouldn't happen. Mostly because we don't really hear it from him.

182455 These are the Canadian Ratings. The "Homemade DVDs" you get from those "Trading Sites" that have these labels are among the highest quality. :D

Will Smith is an excellent example of a "PG Person".

Hearing Will Smith curse in films is weird, like it shouldn't happen. Mostly because we don't really hear it from him.

Will Smith has starred in one or more R-rated films throughout his career, llike "Enemy of the State".

Will Smith has starred in one or more R-rated films throughout his career, llike "Enemy of the State".
And Bad Boys. I haven't seen it in several years, but I seem to recall him dropping several f-bombs in that film. I think the misconception that Will Smith is this squeaky-clean square comes from Emimem's "The Real Slim Shady."

I don't pay attention to the ratings.However they should not have ratings for any TV show made before let's say the early 1990s.Most,not all but the majority of TV programs made before the early 1990s are pretty much suitable for anyone to watch.In other words 20+ years ago the networks did not allow anything too graphic on TV,for the most part at least.

About rating commericials.It's ironic that these ratings were introduced in 1997,about the same time I think American television advertising was Totally De-Regulated. This of course paved the way for many American television stations to become the commercial filled messes they are now.

I found out yesterday that I am a "Zero TVer" This is someone who either does not own a TV at all or some who has a TV but only has it on while playing a game or watching a video, It is estimated there are 5,000,000 of us across the fruited plain, and GROWING. :D

I am all for "warning this may contains subject matter not suitable for viewers". As least I have a choice whether to watch or not. The show could be about how cremation works which could be something I would pass on.

I could imagine the TV content ratings administration actually throroughly inspecting a TV show's episode and its content before applying the content rating to that episode.

A few days ago, I noticed that three episodes of Impastor, a new comedy that airs on TV Land, have a TV-MA rating. One of those episodes was the pilot, titled "Genesis". I think it is odd for TV Land to air TV-MA-rated programming. Anyone's thoughts on this?

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) uses the TV Parental Guidelines to rate films not covered by the MPAA's film rating system, which went into effect for films released after October 1968. As that network, or the film's distributor, rates the films on the TV Parental Guidelines rating system instead of the MPAA's, some conflicts will occur between the two ratings systems: For example, a film rated MPAA G will earn a TV-PG, and an MPAA PG-rated movie could be given a TV-14, or even a TV-MA. This was a result of the content in the MPAA's ratings system. Most G-rated movies back in the late 1960s and early 1970s have content equivalent to PG and PG-13 today. And some movies rated PG in the 1970s would earn at least a PG-13, or even an R, under current ratings standards.

FX is similar; That channel gives a lot of PG-13 movies a TV-MA, even though TV-MA is equivalent to R.

pXdbYxF8Y50

This could be of interest to someone who has lost all faith in the so-called "TV Parental Guidelines".

Here is a good reason to see the TV content ratings as "irrelevant": An old broadcast-TV show that had been TV-PG on linear TV (like All in the Family and Charlie's Angels) is now TV-14 on SVoD platforms like The Roku Channel and Tubi.

When the Television Contents Ratings system debuted in the 90's this new system brought a whole new image in the way people watched TV and I think this new ratings content system hurt TV in general because this new system meant that we would soon see a new image in TV. You might remember when The Simpsons did an episode of when Maggie Simpson learned violence from the Itchy And Scratchy Show which resulted in Marge Simpson along with other parents wanting to ban The Itchy And Scratchy Show but then they made the show have a non-violent image. And when you look at the general picture kids really don't learn violence and profanity from a TV show and they grow up normal in life. I grew up with a grandfather who used swear words all his life and I used to use swear words when I was little because I learned it from my grandfather and I turned out alright and I never ever did anything violent or learn anything violent from a TV show. But when the TV content ratings debuted I think parents were afraid of it just like the Parental Advisory label debuted on music albums because they were afraid they would damage children forever. When you get the general picture many shows are rated TV-G and even classic sitcoms on METV are rated TV-G too and the only classic shows that are TV-PG on METV are the crime dramas. But you can also blame the 90's TV system Kids And Family for doing this to TV because parents wanted family-friendly content and even today family oriented sitcoms and shows are gone from TV. But this marked an advancement that would change TV in the future years to come

Same Content, Different Rating (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SameContentDifferentRating)

This page on TVTropes details sources of potential frustrations over movies whose TV Parental Guideline ratings do not match their original MPAA equivalents, and a TV show's episodes having a TV-PG rating on one channel/platform and a TV-14 rating on another platform despite zero edits for content whatsoever. That sounds like grounds for you to stop trusting, and just flat-out ignore, the so-called TV Parental Guidelines altogether.

LAFF considers itself too cool to rate anything TV-G. One of their most popular shows Home Improvement is TV-G for a large portion of the episodes, yet every single one of them gets a TV-PG. Stations airing The Andy Griffith Show and The Cosby Show have given them all TV-PG ratings, nothing PG about them usually (except Bill Cosby's personal life but that is another story).