2

This series was released as TV-MA, however I think the story should be available to a younger audience. One scene when Lorca gets a needle in the eye would probably traumatize a child for life against ever using a pair of binoculars or a microscope. They also have a gratuitous smattering of profanity.

What is available to share this story with a general audience? Maybe a comic book that follows this same plot line? Maybe a PG animated version?

Note: I’m not looking for new stories, I’m looking for the same episodes we saw in the release.

Improve this question
0

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
14

At this point there appear to be no plans to release a TV-PG version of Star Trek Discovery. The showrunner makes it clear that the "tonality" and "totality" of the show rely on a more adult theming than previous Star Trek shows.

It is TV-MA because it is rated for that which is most potentially challenging for a family. We are pretty dedicated to being able to watch the show with our families. Having said that, in [“Context Is for Kings”] we had some swirled up bodies. They were not entirely palatable to my ten-year-old daughter. So, it is those kind of reasons.

We are very thrilled about the new boundaries that are offered to us by streaming, but not because we can do a lot of sex and violence. It is because we can do more serialized storytelling. We can do deeper, more emotional stories. On occasion if those take us into territory that feels a little bit more risky than would typically be seen on network TV, we just stamp it [with TV-MA]. It is always stamped for the most extreme. It is Star Trek, so for us that means we want to be able to have your whole family talking about it after.

EXCLUSIVE: Goldsman Explains Episode 9 Switch And Why Star Trek: Discovery Is TV-MA

When the show was broadcast on network television (on CBS) it went out at 8.30 pm, unedited, complete with masses of dead bodies and occasional f-bombs. So there's no help there.

That all being said, there's a strong possibility that it'll get a TV=PG edit in the future, when they want to syndicate the show overseas (at approx episode 88-100, usually) or when they want to show the show earlier in the day.

Improve this answer
7
  • 1
    Different countries will have different times of the evening that programs like Discovery won't be allowed to be shown before as is. If they did do a PG edit then I believe that many countries would then allow it to be shown at any time of the day (the PG edit not the 18 edit)
    – SpacePhoenix
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 23:36
  • 1
    @SpacePhoenix - It's common for different countries to edit shows to fit with local customs and for length (due to also advertising breaks).
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 23:38
  • 1
    @Valorum I travelled around Namibia a few years ago and happened to watch a couple of movies on the local networks there - profanity? Fine. Use of the Lords name in vain? Dubbed, bleeped or removed. It was quite surreal.
    – Moo
    Commented Sep 30, 2019 at 2:06
  • 4
    @Moo Well, bleeping profanities and hiding nudity is one of the american weirdnesses. The cultural standards differ widely; few people find reasonable profanity, nudity or sexuality offensive where I'm from. It was often quite weird watching US TV shows and movies, with all their careful avoidance or bleeping, and such frequent breaks (I remember Mythbusters felt like half of the show was "next time we'll return to X!" :)). And as soon as you move to "adult" territory, it's way overblown, as if there was something cool about profanity :D The american approach seems to be spreading, sadly.
    – Luaan
    Commented Sep 30, 2019 at 7:25
  • 5
    @Luaan Agreed - sometimes, with American shows, it feels like they spend more time recapping what happened before the last break (and previewing what will happen after the next break) than they do presenting the actual content between the breaks!
    – Chronocidal
    Commented Sep 30, 2019 at 7:54
10

While not technically a "release", VidAngel is an online service that allows users to connect to a number of streaming services that they already subscribe to* and filter out types of objectionable content (e.g. language, violence, sex, disturbing scenes) that they wish to avoid in shows they want to watch.

The service lists Star Trek: Discovery as one of the shows it is able to filter, although it appears to only be through Amazon Prime or CBS All Access (rather than through Netflix, where it is distributed internationally). To clarify: you have to already subscribe to these services in addition to VidAngel; this is not a pirate service that allows you to get access to something you haven't bought.*

Star Trek: Discovery "The Vulcan Hello" — VidAngel

Star Trek: Discovery "Battle at the Binary Stars" — VidAngel

As you can see in the screenshots above, there are a number of filters that are available on a per-episode basis, so there is very fine-grained control over what sort of content you want included or not. Your account can also be set up to exclude certain types of content by default for all future episodes you watch.

So while you have to do a bit of work to set up the filters, you can create a version of Star Trek: Discovery that is tailored to exclude the sort of content you don't want younger viewers to see.

* See their FAQ on "Is VidAngel Legal?", in which they describe why they believe their service is legal. That said, there is an ongoing legal battle with regards to VidAngel. Disney sued it for violating copyright and creating unauthorized derivative works. VidAngel filed a countersuit saying that they were not doing this because providing the means for user-requested censorship is permitted as part of the Family Home Movie Act of 2005. As things currently stand, the legal battle is ongoing and VidAngel has agreed to not include any content from Disney. You can read the latest on the legal battle here.

Improve this answer
11
  • 10
    @Valorum On what basis do you say that it's an illegal content provider? You still have to buy CBS All Access or Amazon Prime in addition to its service. I've indicated that there is an ongoing lawsuit, but my understanding is that the jury is still out on it. For reference, here is their FAQ where they say they're legal.
    – Thunderforge
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 22:20
  • 2
    Saying you're legal doesn't make you legal! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VidAngel#Studio_lawsuits
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 22:24
  • 3
    @Valorum And I'm still not sure why you think this is an illegal content provider. The lawsuits are currently being appealed and are ongoing.
    – Thunderforge
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 22:27
  • 2
    This site certainly seems to be of dubious legality, bumbling along from court loss to court loss, periodically claiming bankruptcy and attempting to find loopholes that will allow it to violate people's copyright for profit.
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 22:53
  • 10
    Perhaps we could ask about VidAngel's legality on Law.SE? Legal experts are not the target audience of SFF.SE, and I'm not sure the comments section is the best place to debate it. Regardless, my answer stands, and I disagree with your assertion that they are an illegal content provider (and thus I believe it does not violate site guidelines and is is therefore an acceptable answer for this site). You can downvote if you like.
    – Thunderforge
    Commented Sep 29, 2019 at 23:02

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.