Henry Spots Trouble... In Australia!
December 21, 2016
Thomas & Friends' major Australian broadcast network, ABC (Kids) was filed with a complaint against the Season 19 episode, "Henry Spots Trouble."
The complaint was filed back on 28th December 2015, and resolved two months later.
The complaint filed was as follows:
Three viewers complained that a character in an episode of the children’s program broadcast on ABC2 inappropriately referred to chickenpox as a mild disease that is nothing to worry about. The viewers also expressed concern that the episode conveyed an anti-vaccination message.
The complaint is equally wrong and right. While the episode does say "Chicken pox is nothing to be scared of... Most people get it when they're young and get better very quickly." This was of course entirely meant to rid children the fear of the disease, and to lower its seemingly dangerous nature. But, it also may be inferred that it implies chicken pox to be always and quickly curable, and very mild. This is only true to some extent, though. And vaccination is always preferred. Does this dialogue imply that vaccination is not necessary? It is entirely up to the viewer to decipher.
ABC, did not want to take any serious complaints further, and so cancelled its future airings, with the response:
The ABC advised complainants that the program was produced in the United Kingdom, where vaccination against chickenpox is not compulsory. The episode was produced with the intention to deliver a humorous story about a hypochondriac train jumping to the wrong conclusions, and was in no way intended to make a statement about vaccinations. However, as the character’s statement did not align with the Australian Government Department of Health’s Immunise Australia Program, the ABC decided that the episode was not suitable to air on ABC Kids and undertook not to broadcast it in the future.
This is quite a debatable issue.
This move is quite controversial among Thomas fans. What do you think? Vote in the poll below:
Visit the ABC page.
All we know for sure is, we won't be seeing "Henry Spots Trouble" in Australia, any more. At least not on ABC.
The complaint was filed back on 28th December 2015, and resolved two months later.
The complaint filed was as follows:
Three viewers complained that a character in an episode of the children’s program broadcast on ABC2 inappropriately referred to chickenpox as a mild disease that is nothing to worry about. The viewers also expressed concern that the episode conveyed an anti-vaccination message.
The complaint is equally wrong and right. While the episode does say "Chicken pox is nothing to be scared of... Most people get it when they're young and get better very quickly." This was of course entirely meant to rid children the fear of the disease, and to lower its seemingly dangerous nature. But, it also may be inferred that it implies chicken pox to be always and quickly curable, and very mild. This is only true to some extent, though. And vaccination is always preferred. Does this dialogue imply that vaccination is not necessary? It is entirely up to the viewer to decipher.
ABC, did not want to take any serious complaints further, and so cancelled its future airings, with the response:
The ABC advised complainants that the program was produced in the United Kingdom, where vaccination against chickenpox is not compulsory. The episode was produced with the intention to deliver a humorous story about a hypochondriac train jumping to the wrong conclusions, and was in no way intended to make a statement about vaccinations. However, as the character’s statement did not align with the Australian Government Department of Health’s Immunise Australia Program, the ABC decided that the episode was not suitable to air on ABC Kids and undertook not to broadcast it in the future.
This is quite a debatable issue.
This move is quite controversial among Thomas fans. What do you think? Vote in the poll below:
What do you think about the "Henry Spots Trouble" Australian Broadcast cancellation?
(Poll Closed)
Prominent Vote: "I'm Not 100% Sure, but Wrong Move."
Visit the ABC page.
All we know for sure is, we won't be seeing "Henry Spots Trouble" in Australia, any more. At least not on ABC.
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