Star Trek - banned by the BBC

Onslow

Dedicated Member
Not sure if anyone here has seen the episode "Miri" (kids, "bonk-bonk" etc.) from the original series. I found this tidbit on Wikipedia which I though was interesting.

BBC ban

Following the first screening of "Miri" on British television in December 1970, the BBC received a number of complaints regarding the episode's content. The quantity and nature of the complaints were never made public.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the BBC chose not to include the episode in repeat runs of Star Trek. Three other episodes from the series were also excluded: "Plato's Stepchildren", "The Empath", and "Whom Gods Destroy".

Fans writing to the BBC to complain about the ban during the show's repeat run in the mid-1980s, its fifth showing altogether, received a standard reply: "There are no plans to screen the four episodes because we feel that they deal most unpleasantly with the already unpleasant subjects of madness, torture, sadism and disease. You will appreciate that account must be taken that out of Star Trek's large and enthusiastic following, many are juveniles who would watch the programme no matter what time of day the series is put into the programme schedules." However, the ban was finally lifted for the BBC's next showing of the series in the early 1990s. In 2020 it was also shown in Britain on the Horror Channel.


Frightful indeed!
 
I remember the BBC banning Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax, it did a great favour to the song because everyone went out to buy it to see what the fuss was about. It went straight to number one on the charts and did very well for mediocre song, all thanks to the BBC.
 
I remember U and Gold , UK Gold at the time, refusing to show Hobbo's first episode the repeat runs when they reached his two series began at Series 30 episode 2 . When I asked they said it was a Christmas episode and the audience did not wish to see Christmas episodes at the time the repeats aired . How wrong could they be on both fronts subsequently they relented and did show it.
 
I remember the BBC banning Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax, it did a great favour to the song because everyone went out to buy it to see what the fuss was about. It went straight to number one on the charts and did very well for mediocre song, all thanks to the BBC.
To a lesser extent the same happened with Jasper Carrotts Funky Moped, the BBC made it his best seller!
 
Back
Top