Horror movies on network television
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 1:18 pm
Our culture is much more open and permissive than ever, but in some ways, we're more conservative. I was talking to somebody recently about how the broadcast networks used to air horror films in the 1980s. Not just reruns of campy '50s thrillers, but actual scary stuff. Like, the mama-effing 'Exorcist' was aired during primetime. Can you imagine the outcry today if CBS wanted to air this on a Friday night?
More theatrical movies in general aired on the Big Three back then, obviously, but it still surprises me how big horror used to be. I remember seeing 'The Omen,' 'The Fog,' 'Carrie,' and the camp classic 'Alligator' on random Friday and Saturday nights. I kind of miss the days when I could turn on an over-the-air channel and stumble upon just about anything, especially late-night.
While researching 'The Exorcist,' I read that the line 'Shove it up your ass, you f--got' was changed for the television version. The edited line was 'Shut your face, you f--got.' Ha! So, they redubbed the line but left the gay slur in there. So, we've made some progress since then.
More theatrical movies in general aired on the Big Three back then, obviously, but it still surprises me how big horror used to be. I remember seeing 'The Omen,' 'The Fog,' 'Carrie,' and the camp classic 'Alligator' on random Friday and Saturday nights. I kind of miss the days when I could turn on an over-the-air channel and stumble upon just about anything, especially late-night.
While researching 'The Exorcist,' I read that the line 'Shove it up your ass, you f--got' was changed for the television version. The edited line was 'Shut your face, you f--got.' Ha! So, they redubbed the line but left the gay slur in there. So, we've made some progress since then.