Steamy scene on ‘Home and Away’ deemed too raunchy for Kiwis

SYDNEY - A steamy scene in Australian soap opera ‘Home and Away’ has been ruled as being too “raunchy and sexually charged” for New Zealand by an industry watchdog.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority found the scene, featuring adult characters Martha and Liam in an episode that aired on March 24, breached broadcasting standards, as it has a G rating and airs at 5.30pm.

In the scene, Liam, played by Axle Whitehead, and Martha, played by Jodi Gordon, were filmed kissing as he took off her bathrobe, leaving her dressed in only her bra and pyjama bottoms.

He then leans back on a table as she straddles him before being interrupted by another character.

The watchdog said the scene was inappropriate for a predominantly children’s timeslot.

It concluded New Zealand’s network TV3, which broadcasts the show, had shown “disregard” for its G classification and the television guidelines.

“In our view, the scene was raunchy and sexually charged and went well beyond the level of sexual activity that should be included in a G-rated programme,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted the BSA as saying.

TV3’s broadcaster TVWorks argued that as long as references to sex did not go into any detail and visual portrayals were limited to kissing and other initial indicators such as the removal of a robe, child viewers would not be alarmed or distressed by such scenes.

It said that the program had screened in a timeslot that was not considered to be predominately children’s viewing time on TV3.

TVWorks maintained children’s viewing time on TV3 was between 3pm and 4.30pm on weekdays and that ‘Home and Away’ was broadcast in a line-up of programs aimed at an older G audience.

But the BSA has stood firm on its decision.

“There is no distinction between children of different ages within the G classification; all G programmes must be suitable for unaccompanied children of any age,” it said. (ANI)