Lucifer rescheduled for being too edgy on M-Net Edge (?!)

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Tashi
03 Feb 2016 14:13 Posted in Lucifer

A note that Lucifer's been relegated to Friday nights at 23h00 on M-Net Edge instead of Wednesdays at 19h00 as a result of complaints after its first episode. Also, the age restriction has been increased to 16.

Police procedural Unforgettable replaces it at 19h00.

This statement from the channel:

“Due to the perceived sensitive nature of its content, we believe Lucifer is better suited for late-night viewing,“ says Gideon Khobane, Channel Director: M-Net and M-Net Series. ”While M-Net Edge is the much-loved home of edgy, provocative and highly-acclaimed series, we continue to review our schedules to ensure that the content matches the timeslot”.

The trouble with it is that M-Net Edge is supposed to be edgy - the whole channel's supposed to be - so I don't think that shows should be moved around if they're regarded as "too edgy".

Surely everyone should know the tone of the channel and either avoid it if it's too edgy or use the DStv parental function with it? The channel shouldn't be reponsible for moving shows when it's clear what the channel is.

Timone
04 Feb 2016 15:34

Oh? Very interesting. I haven't started watching it yet, I'm stockpiling the episodes on the PVR. Now I really look forward to watching it!

(maybe after 5 episodes have accumulated)

Tashi
10 Feb 2016 13:10

True! it's a definite draw card. It's even reached a record number of complaints - 89 in total so far. More about it here: M-Net's devil show draws record number of complaints.

Citanul
10 Feb 2016 16:52

The problem with M-Net Edge is that not all the shows are all that edgy. The 19:00 slot tends to have things like Castle, White Collar, Unforgettable, Gotham and Person of Interest, so it's almost like that's the safe zone and they only show the edgy stuff after 20:00. Which kind of makes sense, as 19:00 is seen as "family time" and so maybe it's not the worst idea to hold back the more provocative stuff for a little bit later in the evening.

But if that's been a deliberate decision, then it wasn't a particularly good idea to put Lucifer on at 19:00. Using the usual criteria (sex, nudity, violence and language), Lucifer may only warrant a 13 age restriction, but surely anyone with a bit of common sense would have realised that putting it on so early in the evening was going to cause problems?

So I do think it's partly a problem of M-Net Edge's own making in that they're not exclusively showing edgy stuff and if they weren't showing family friendly shows at all then the timeslot wouldn't have been as much of an issue. But I think people would have complained regardless, purely based on the name and basic premise of the show without knowing what it's actually about - essentially a police procedural featuring a female cop with an unconvential partner, who is this instance happens to be amoral and the ability to get people reveal their secrets to him.