ITV bosses have been slammed by viewers for the placing of a trigger warning on a ‘Midsomer Murders’ episode.
The trigger warning is not what you might expect – not the quintessential ‘scenes of a violent nature’ – but rather, for ‘witchcraft’.
Added to a 2004 episode of the much celebrated UK crime drama, some viewers found the warning misplaced in a show where hundreds of other characters have faced far gorier deaths over the show’s 23 season run.
The episode in question is from series seven of the murder mystery drama and is entitled ‘The Fisher King’.
In it, residents of a fictional English town are plagued by a haunted Celtic sword which was uncovered during an archaeological dig.
As this scene begins on ITV’s streaming service, a trigger warning appears atop of the screen which states; ‘Contains several references to witchcraft’.
John Bentley (pictured), starred in ‘Midsomer Murders’ as DCI Tom Barnaby
The hit crime drama has been running for 23 seasons since first airing in 1997
The episode, which stars stalwart acting names such as John Nettles as the show’s main character, DCI Tom Barnaby, sees four characters murdered along with other references to Arthurian mythology.
Viewers ridiculed ‘nanny state’ execs to The Sun, with one asking ‘If witchcraft is now triggering, how will anyone at ITV deal with Halloween?’
The baffling trigger warning comes just a matter of months after ITV bosses received further ridicule for their use of warning labels on other episodes of ‘Midsomer Murders’.
In that instance, ITV slapped content warnings on the long-running series to ensure viewers were fully aware that the ‘Murders’ being carried out are not of the gentle sort, and that episodes may contain ‘violence’ and even ‘crime scene images’.
Stars of the show were among those to have ridiculed the move, pointing out that the name of the drama, which has been on air since 1997, and the titles of individual episodes, make it clear what will happen.
Anton Lesser, an actor who appeared as ‘Eddie Darwin’ in a 2003 episode of the show, commented on these warnings, stating; ‘I understand the good intentions of broadcasters who take care to warn of effects like flashing images.
‘But I’m surprised something like Midsomer Murders warrants a warning’.
When requested to comment on their latest ‘witchcraft’ warning by the Mail Online, ITV said; ‘Programming that contains potentially sensitive or distressing themes, content or language has carried appropriate warnings since our launch. We regularly review our catalogue to ensure the right guidance is in place for viewers’.
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