BSA Decisions Ngā Whakatau a te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho

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Summary

The episode of the animated series The Legend of Prince Valiant, broadcast on Channel

Two at 4.00pm on 4 February, involved the attempted assassination of King Arthur. He

was saved by his cousin who was stabbed but survived.

A B Evans of Dunedin complained to Television New Zealand Ltd that as the episode

involved excessive violence in a realistic setting, it breached the standards designed to

deal with violent programmes.

Arguing that the episode involved excitement rather than violence and that it was set in

an historical context, TVNZ declined to uphold the complaint. Dissatisfied with TVNZ's

decision, A B Evans referred the complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under

s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting Act 1989.

For the reasons given below, a majority of the Authority declined to uphold the complaint.

Decision

The members of the Authority have viewed the item complained about and have read the

correspondence (summarised in the Appendix). As is its practice, the Authority has

determined the complaint without a formal hearing.

AB Evans complained that the broadcast of an episode of The Legend of Prince Valiant at

4.00pm on 4 February breached standard V18 of the Television Code of Broadcasting

Practice. Under the heading Protection of Children it reads:

V18 Cartoons must avoid excessive violence, especially those featuring

humans and human-like creatures and depicting realistic story lines as

opposed to clearly fanciful or farcical themes.

AB Evans considered that the standard had been contravened as, in a programme with a

realistic setting, it had shown a person being stabbed (apparently fatally), the blood-

stained knife, and a knife being held at another person's throat.

TVNZ explained that the series was based on the principles of peace and love and, in the

episode complained about, King Arthur had been saved from assassination and that the

whole scene referred to lasted only 33 seconds. It also maintained that King Arthur was a

well-known figure of folk-lore, that picture books would carry more violent images than

had been contained in the animated programme and that swords and knives were the

weapons used to combat wrong-doing at the time. It argued that the episode contained

excitement, rather than violence, and furthermore, that good always won in the end in

the series.

When the complaint was referred to the Authority, AB Evans wrote that TVNZ's

explanations were unconvincing. In response, TVNZ stated the comparisons were valid in

an age when television had become the current method of story-telling.

In assessing the complaint, the Authority first considered whether the cartoon series

"featured humans and human-like creatures" and, secondly, depicted "realistic storylines"

as opposed to fanciful themes. It accepted humans were featured in a series that

contained an element of fancifulness. It also acknowledged that it would be inappropriate

to apply an adult's definition to distinguish between realism and fancifulness. Accordingly,

as the theme was not unambiguously fanciful, it decided that the realism requirement in

standard V18 was met by the programme.

Proceeding to consider whether the episode contained "excessive violence" the Authority

unhesitatingly accepted that the episode contained an underlying theme of violence.

However, it was divided on whether the violence was "excessive".

The majority believed that the violence was stylised and although based in an historical

mythical era where raids on enemies were an integral aspect of the lifestyle, there were

relatively small amounts of explicit violence.

During the full 56 seconds of the sequence complained about, the knife wielding assassin

accidentally stabs King Arthur's cousin who, in order to save the King, has leapt through

the roof. While backing off, the assassin is confronted by Prince Valiant who punches him

to the floor and, while holding a knife at the assassin's throat, extracts the motivation

behind his actions. During the sequence, the cousin's arm is bandaged, his identity as the

King's cousin is revealed to Prince Valiant and his companion and Prince Valiant has

informed the assassin that he will spend the rest of his life in a dungeon.

The majority considered that it was noteworthy in determining the complaint to record

that the specific violent incidents were interspersed with explanations and other mon-

violent activity to maintain the flow of the story-line. The majority considered that the

series, in view of its theme and historical references, might have shown more frequent use

of knives and swords – which almost certainly would have breached the prohibition on

"excessive" violence. However, as that was not the case with the portrayal shown, it

concluded that the violence portrayed in the episode of The Legend of Prince Valiant

complained about was not excessive.

The minority was mainly concerned about the episode's violent theme and, emphasising

that the weapons used were realistic, argued that a low threshold should be applied when

interpreting whether the violence portrayed was "excessive" in programmes intended for

young children. Referring to the high degree of realism contained in the series (in

comparison for example to cartoons of the Road Runner genre), the minority was of the

opinion that the amount of violence contained was indeed excessive and, accordingly, that

the broadcast contravened standard V18.

For the reasons above, a majority of the Authority declines to uphold the

complaint.

Signed for and on behalf of the Authority

Iain Gallaway
Chairperson
30 June 1994

Appendix

A B Evans Complaint to Television New Zealand Limited

In a letter dated 27 February 1994, A B Evans of Dunedin complained to Television New

Zealand Ltd that the broadcast of The Legend of Prince Valiant on Channel Two at

4.00pm on Friday 4 February breached standard V18 of the Television Code of

Broadcasting Practice.

Arguing that the programme dealt with both actual and threatened violence in a realistic

cartoon setting, A B Evans said the programme included the portrayal of a stabbing, a

blood-stained knife and a knife being held at a person's throat.

TVNZ's Response to the Formal Complaint

TVNZ advised A B Evans of its Complaints Committee's decision in a letter dated 31 March

1994 when it reported that the complaint had been assessed under the nominated

standard.

The series, The Legend of Prince Valiant, it reported, was set in the era of King Arthur and

the Round Table and followed the exploits of Prince Valiant who became a Knight of the

Round Table. It continued:

The series is based on the principles of love and peace with all of the adventures

following the theme of keeping the kingdom ruled by King Arthur at peace, while

encouraging neighbouring kingdoms to do the same.

The episode complained about showed Prince Valiant and a friend searching for an assassin

who planned to kill King Arthur. The scene referred to involved the King's cousin leaping

through the roof and landing before the King to save him. While doing so he was stabbed

in the arm - but seen to get to his feet - and the blood stained knife was shown

"momentarily" as it was removed from his arm. Prince Valiant then held the knife at the

assassin's throat to find out why he wanted to kill King Arthur. The scene, TVNZ

explained, lasted 33 seconds.

Observing that the tales of King Arthur were a well-known part of folklore and that an

illustrated picture book would carry more violent images than the animated programme,

TVNZ said that the series, where good always won, was set in an era when swords, arrows

and knives were the weapons commonly used. TVNZ considered that the violence shown

was not excessive and that the episode featured excitement and, moreover, was not related

to today's environment.

TVNZ concluded:

Were the [Complaints] Committee to consider this programme too violent, many

classic stories for children ("Snow White" for example, with its

malevolent queen intent on murder) would be thrown into question.

While the committee respected your views on "The Legend of Prince Valiant" it was

unable to conclude that its broadcast was in breach of Code V18.

A B Evans' Complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority

Dissatisfied with TVNZ's decision, in a letter dated 26 April 1994 A B Evans referred the

complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority under s.8(1)(a) of the Broadcasting

Act 1989.

He listed six specific arguments.

1) A knife attack of the sort shown had no place in a programme intended for

children regardless of the brevity of the scene or the victim's recovery.

2) The references to illustrated picture books and folklore told to children were

irrelevant.

3) The comment about the weapons used in King Arthur's era missed the point of the

complaint.

4) The simplistic message that good always won was not a valid defence as, indeed, the

combination of realistic violence with unrealistic outcomes could make matters

worse.

5) TVNZ's opinion that the sequence involved excitement as opposed to violence was

clearly false.

6) The comment about classic stories was irrelevant to the point of absurdity.

TVNZ's Response to the Authority

As is its practice, the Authority sought TVNZ's response to the referral. Its letter is dated 27

April 1994 and TVNZ's reply, 2 May.

Because television was the twentieth century's method of story telling, TVNZ believed that

the reference to illustrated picture books and classic stories was appropriate.

Maintaining that the "particularly gentle animation" series contained many positive

messages but was set nevertheless at a time when swords and knives were used as weapons,

TVNZ said that the story dealt with truths cloaked in mythology and fantasy and that the

"action" sequences were not highlighted.

A B Evans' Final Comment to the Authority

When asked for a brief final comment, in a letter dated 16 May 1994 the complainant

maintained that the programme contained excessive realistic violence.