was tmnt always "hero" in uk?
 

why was nunchukaus and the word "ninja" banned in the uk? and why couldn't they just blur out the nunchakaus and *bleep* out the "ninja"? instead of making mikey use a lamea$$ grappling hooke and ruining it for everyone else?

Same in Germany. Some decision-makers considered that "Ninja" and Nunchakus are inappropriate for a childish cartoon. But Katanas are not? Pretty much not comprehensible to me. But blur out and bleep would not be a better style in my view...

We have some many threads about this topic, was it really necessary to make another?

Fine...

The Nunchaku was already a weapon that was banned due the Bruce Lee hype way before TMNT. It's easy to make yourself which a sword isn't, and it's a weapon used to choke people and among other "street" weapons got banned.

So, the censor department or whatever in UK didn't just look at TMNT and go, "that's gotta be banned". Ninja in the 80's and 90's and even today is highly commonly mislabeled and synonymous with a person that kills people, seen as assassins. So it's not that unreasonable that some took offense to it and deemed it unsuitable for young children.

Was it a silly decision, sure. But hindsight is 20/20.

Sigh. Can I just point out that the censors in the UK certainly did NOT have the power "to make Mikey use a grappling hook"?? Seasons 2-3 (all we got on terrestrial TV) were suitably edited - no demands for a different weapon for Mikey were made.

The producers of the TV show (Americans! Gasp!) took a commercial decision to tone out the nunchaku in later seasons (which, by the way, were barely seen in the UK so if it was for our benefit, we're flattered, but it was pointless). No doubt international sales had a big part in that - but it ultimately came down to, as you guys say, the "almighty dollar".

As for "bleeping" the word ninja... that would be lame. As a fan of the Hero Turtles upon their debut, I never felt I was 'missing out' by having a slightly amended theme tune and opening titles.

The first movie retained the "Ninja" in the title, but still had nunchaku scenes edited out upon first release. Number II also had edits.

By the time of DVD releases in 2002-2004, all such cuts had been waived and the movies were released unedited here for the first time.

You guys are welcome :)

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Yes it was always called 'hero' in the UK and while the censors messed with the episodes in the UK it was the producer's decision to get rid of the nunchuks.