God made you special (VeggieTales)

The makers of VeggieTales signed with NBC to make a new Saturday morning cartoon which began airing two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the network did what most networks do when dealing with Godly material... they cut it out.

VeggieTales is a show that was created by BigIdeas Productions in the 90's made with computer animated vegitable characters. It was designed for children but made with enough adult humor to attract all ages. It has had a growing fan base since it was created. So when a show was introduced to be aired on national television it was a great success for the veggie crew.

According to NBC the show was edited to "comply with the network's broadcast standards".

"Our goal is to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view," she said.

When I first heard about VeggieTales coming to tv I knew there would be a catch. More importantly though is that I thought that once again a good show caved to peer pressure and money and allowed their position to be comprimised. I was glad to read this:

"VeggieTales" creator Phil Vischer, who was responsible for readying episodes for network broadcast, said he didn't know until just weeks before the shows were to begin airing that non-historical references to God and the Bible would have to be removed.

Had he known how much he'd have to change the show — including Bob and Larry's tagline, "Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much," that concludes each episode — Vischer said he wouldn't have signed on for the network deal.

"I would have declined partly because I knew a lot of fans would feel like it was a sellout or it was done for money," he said, adding that "there weren't enough shows that could work well without those (religious) references."

I don't know what is going to come of all the uproar but I hope that NBC will allow the shows to air the way they were meant to air.

"What struck me and continues to strike me is the inanity of ripping the heart and soul out of a successful product and not thinking that there will be consequences to it," said L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council. "The series is successful because of its biblical world view, not in spite of it. That's the signature to `VeggieTales.'"

Marks said the network is "committed to the positive messages and universal values" of the show and expects "VeggieTales" to continue airing.

But Bozell isn't satisfied.

"If NBC is so concerned about that four-letter-word God, then they shouldn't have taken `VeggieTales'," he said. "This just documents the disconnect between Hollywood and the real world."

Link
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VeggieTale Censorship Stirs Controversy at NBC