The hit show Happy Days managed to avoid Canadian TV censorship. A national broadcasting panel yesterday upheld programmers’ right to rerun an old episode of the 1970s sitcom even if “it is highly unlikely it would be produced in today’s environment.”.“There is no doubt that viewed with today’s lens there are moments that could make viewers feel uncomfortable,” wrote the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. “But these juvenile comments and jokes were a sign of the times.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, the ruling come over complaints against CHCH-TV of Hamilton, Ont. that airs classic television episodes as after-school daytime programming. Happy Days, a sitcom depicting idealized 1950s-era family life, originally aired for 11 seasons on the American ABC network..Complaints targeted an August 22 rebroadcast of a 1974 episode in which friends Richie and Potsie discuss high school dating with girls who “want to French kiss,” another character Mary Lou complains a gym teacher “tried to grab my sweater” and the boys question whether “someday an Eskimo could become president.”.Formal complaints to the Standards Council said the episode was “extremely sexist,” “demeaning to women,” “extremely racist” and perpetuated “stigmatization and marginalization of our Indigenous (sic) peoples.” Wrote an unidentified viewer: “Being a retro show does not absolve your responsibility. It was wrong then and it is wrong now.”.The Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code Of Ethics states TV managers “shall ensure their programming contains no abusive or unduly discriminatory material or comment which is based on matters of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or physical or mental disability.”.The Standards Council acknowledged old TV shows “may no longer be suitable in this day and age” but added: “The Council has stated many times it is not a censor board.”.“The episode of Happy Days at issue was originally aired in 1974 which was 48 years ago,” wrote the council. “At that time the program was considered comedic content for the entire family.”.“Broadcasters sometimes have a hard choice,” wrote the council. “Continue to make some of this beloved content available and risk offending or facing complaints such as racial or gender stereotypes, or remove the content or take steps to provide context such as adding disclaimers to highlight content that may cause offence or may not be suitable for all family members.”.“Sometimes the removal of such content has generated negative public reaction since it is seen as a form of censorship,” added the panel..CHCH-TV apologized. Management said future Happy Days reruns would be broadcast with a Viewer’s Discretion warning that content may be offensive.
