Did Shortland Street drop the F-bomb?
SBS maintains no breach in this PG rated soap -but what do you hear?
- Published by David Knox
- on
Language, maybe…
SBS has denied an F-bomb was dropped in PG-rated Shortland Street earlier this week despite some viewers questioning the broadcast.
A scene in the New Zealand soap saw Nicole was angry because her mother has become a lesbian in an attempt to copy her and -to rattle her further -she’s taken up with her partner’s mother.
“Un -f***ing-believable!” Nicole declares.
The show airs with a PG classification on SBS VICELAND from 5:40pm weekdays.
An SBS spokesperson told TV Tonight, “SBS can advise that the series does not contain the word f***. The series does use the terms ‘frickin’ and ‘fudge’. The series is classified in line with the SBS Codes of Practice.”
But even accounting for a NZ accent, it’s quite difficult to clarify.
Meanwhile across the ditch the show has previously raised questions, following a scene which screened in December 2018.
NewstalkZB reported the Broadcasting Standards Authority viewed one scene “a number of times” and never managed to determine what they were hearing.
“In our view, the word used was not ‘freaking’. However, we were not able to determine whether the word used was ‘f***ing’ or some less offensive but similar sounding word,” the BSA said.
“Just as we found it difficult to determine what was being said, so we believe most listeners and viewers would have had the same difficulty. The diction of the speaker was poor and what was being said was said quickly.”
The producer of Shortland Street advised TVNZ that the word in question has never been used in an episode, due to the show’s 7pm timeslot.
NB: Kindly use a polite asterisk as required in your Comments!
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13 Responses
I had to take a second listen when I watched it live. Even though Shorty can be more loose with language than other soaps, I was pretty confident Shorty wasn’t dropping the F bomb. After a second listen I could hear it as “un-freaking-believable”, but it gave me an initial shock.
What shocks me is that is on Aussie TV. Had no idea lol. What turns me off the show is how indoors it is, not much outside filming going on. Unless that’s changed.
Doesn’t sound like the F bomb to me, and looking at her mouth it looks more like she is forming a “Fre” sound than a “Fu” sound. It doesn’t help that as she says the word theres another sound. (possibly the wine glass being taken out of the cupboard)
The dress is clearly blue, unlike the language in that particular scene.
This is the show that had the famous line of “Please tell me that is not your penis!”, and they are worried about something said rather unclearly?
yep! that’s the naughty F word. how can you not hear that…. and it is plain English!
SBS….. not good!
You all have forgotten what a Kiwi accent sounds like. “Un-fricking-believable.” I’s sound like U’s in NZish, remember? It’s the joke, and it’s also true!
Amazing when I see either the “F” word or f*** written we all know what that means, so either say it or spell it out!
Sounds like the f-bomb to me.
I had to listen to it twice, she definitely says freaking or frickin’ but if you heard it once on tv you’d be forgiven for thinking she said f***ing
Does anyone recall Graham Kennedy’s crow call?
You’ve got to be kidding, right?
It’s clearly “un-freaking-believable” without a shadow of doubt in my mind (or my ears). And I usually second-guess and question things, but there was no doubt even upon the first listen. I don’t know what anybody else is hearing here. Her accent isn’t even that strong for her words to be construed as anything otherwise.
And wouldn’t a set full of people, and the video/sound editor(s), producers, the NZ broadcaster’s classifiers, and in turn SBS’s classifiers have noticed if an F-bomb had been dropped?
Abso-freaking-lutely.
Doesn’t sound like the F word to me. Definitely sounds like ‘unfreakin’ believable’ to me.
It’s White and Gold all over again. I hear the uck, but am in no doubt it wouldn’t be.