The 60s classic kids’ show had a warning about violence and weapons.

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons has been hit with a warning (Image: ITVX)
Yet another classic children’s TV show has been hit with a trigger warning in an ITV crackdown – all because it shows a character using a plastic gun. The 1960s sci-fi show Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, which is available to stream on ITVX, has been slapped with a message warning viewers about violence.
Viewers tuning in to the programme on the streaming service were greeted with a content warning regarding the “use of guns”, as the lead character, a marionette, brandishes a plastic firearm. The programme chronicles marionette character Captain Scarlet, voiced by Francis Matthews, as he fights the Mysterons, an alien race from Mars that has launched an assault on Earth. Taking place in 2068, the ‘indestructible’ commander of the international security organisation Spectrum must work against the clock to stop the Mysterons from producing human duplicates. The production utilised marionette figures, equipped with magnet-operated mouths, employing the identical method as creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s other successful programmes Thunderbirds, Stingray and Joe 90.

There was a plastic gun in the series (Image: PA)

Comprising 32 episodes, the programme, which originally aired in 1967, was incorporated into the streaming platform as part of the broadcaster’s initiative to present beloved series spanning from the 1950s to the present day.

It is the second kids’ show to be impacted by trigger warnings recently. In the past few weeks, fans noticed that BBC’s Brum had also been impacted. 

The programme, which originally aired on CBeebies back in 1991, is still available to watch on iPlayer – but before fans tune in, they are hit with a message.

The much-loved children’s show followed Brum, a sentient vintage car, as it got into low-key adventures around Birmingham. Created by Anne Wood and Frank Beattie, the TV series ran for 66 episodes in total, from 1991 to 1994 before a revival in 2001 to 2002.

Posting to Reddit, one viewer asked: “What the hell did Brum do?” They shared a screenshot of the small, intelligent car with the warning over the top of it. The message from BBC read: “This series was originally aired in the 90s and early 00s and may reflect the language and attitude of the time.”

Fans jumped in the comments with witty responses. One wrote: “Always knew he was a wrong un.” Another added: “The 90s and 00s being seen the same way as the 70s were in my childhood hurts.” Someone else wrote: “I really hate that this warning exists.”

However, following comments from fans, the broadcaster has since confirmed that the warning was added by accident. A spokesperson said: “The label was added in error and has been removed from Brum on BBC iPlayer.”