How did "Insane in the Membrane" even get greenlit?

[neatoman]

Seriously, how? Baxter doesn't bleed despite everything that happens to him, my guess is that it is either because they technically don't show blood or internal organs, internal organs aside from muscle tissue and the brain that is.

[CyberCubed]

It was actually this episode that caused 4kids to come down harsher on the writers/PL because Fox didn't want to air the ep (it later aired on Cartoon Network for the first time if I remember right), and this is what led to the lighter tone seen in Fast Forward afterward.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

It was actually this episode that caused 4kids to come down harsher on the writers/PL because Fox didn't want to air the ep (it later aired on Cartoon Network for the first time if I remember right), and this is what led to the lighter tone seen in Fast Forward afterward.

It aired for first time in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2006, and in the USA on 2 August 2015.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenag...ries,_season_4)

[superstaff]

Here's info on the episode about this from the wiki:

TMNT (2003) series producer Lloyd Goldfine sent in the following info regarding why the episode "Insane in the Membrane" did not air on 4Kids TV in the USA (it has aired in Australia, England and a few other countries):

"The final edited and mixed version of the notorious 'Insane in the Membrane' was deemed unsuitable for air by Fox Broadcast Standards and Practices. Apparently, in between the time the episode was written, storyboarded, animated and edited (all stages approved by Fox BS&P), and the time the show was mixed for air, there was a change of personnel in the Fox BS&P offices, and no one involved in the original approvals was still employed at Fox. Upon seeing the episode, they were said to be 'horrified' and that there was no way they could air the episode. I'm not sure I disagree with them - had there been BS&P comments earlier in the process, we certainly would have handled the show differently. But as it was approved at every stage, we went full steam ahead. In the end, I was told it was bad judgment on my part... so there you have it.

I believe this episode will eventually be available, but plans have not been finalized."

- Lloyd

I think this is one of the best episodes in the series, and I'm sure kids could have handled this. Geez.

I've seen parents take their kids to Watchmen, the Saw movies, the recent Nobody movie, etc. But this ep is too 'horrific' to air on TV?

[neatoman]

The episode is on Paramount+, right?

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by superstaff

I've seen parents take their kids to Watchmen, the Saw movies, the recent Nobody movie, etc. But this ep is too 'horrific' to air on TV?

I bet those parents had a blast watching Nite Owl plow Silk Spectre with their kids right next to 'em.

[ABrown]

I thought that the episode was kind of sad, with Baxter thinking of his mother. But it didn't feel that there was anything in it that prevented it from being airable.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I bet those parents had a blast watching Nite Owl plow Silk Spectre with their kids right next to 'em.

Lmao yeah but that the did. Parents don't care if cartoons actually showed Leo stab Shredder. But showing Leo plowing Karai, even if it's like in shadows or covered by blankets or whatever, that's when parents put their foot down.

[SaurusX]

Originally Posted by ABrown

But it didn't feel that there was anything in it that prevented it from being airable.

Admittedly, the body horror stuff was maybe a little too intense for the little tykes out there. Stockman was literally falling apart at one point.

[Teddygaming reviews]

A interesting fact is that Scott Williams said that this was his favourite episode and the flashbacks of the mum dyeing was based off his personal life.

[ABrown]

I've got eight year old twin boys. I don't see any reason that I wouldn't let them watch the episode. I'm pretty sure they see much worse in the video games that they play.

[Technogeek29]

my daughter sat with me to play RE8 pretty sure a Ninja Turtle cartoon would be the least scary thing she has seen. I've really only seen her afraid of the Ocean and that's mainly because she hates the waves knocking her down.

[D-ray]

It's 4Kids.
I mean, they censored things like onighiris in the Pokémon cartoon.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by D-ray

It's 4Kids.
I mean, they censored things like onighiris in the Pokémon cartoon.

Fox Kids UK were quite prone to censoring things. They refused to air the Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue episode, "Go Volcanic", because there was a gun in the episode, while ITV aired the episode with no problems. They didn't air the Time Force episode, "Full Exposure", either.

[sdp]

Originally Posted by D-ray

It's 4Kids.
I mean, they censored things like onighiris in the Pokémon cartoon.

4Kids was way stricter with their imported shows than with their own productions. Had 2k3 been an anime, exactly as it aired BUT had it been from Japan it would've been heavily edited.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by sdp

4Kids was way stricter with their imported shows than with their own productions. Had 2k3 been an anime, exactly as it aired BUT had it been from Japan it would've been heavily edited.

I think some parents may have mistaken it for Japanese, with all references to Japan and ninjas. Those who were 6 years old in 2003 and watched 4 Kids TMNT probably had parents who were born in the late 1960's or early 1970's, and did not grew up with the original Fred Wolf Turtlemania.

[The Turtle Terminator]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Fox Kids UK were quite prone to censoring things. They refused to air the Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue episode, "Go Volcanic", because there was a gun in the episode, while ITV aired the episode with no problems. They didn't air the Time Force episode, "Full Exposure", either.

I've always been curious on this: did anything from the 4Kids TMNT series get censored on For Kids/Jetix UK? I don't remember anything major being censored, but some of the demons/creatures and Splinter's fake out death seen in episodes like The Darkness Within feel like it would've been too extreme for the UK broadcasters at the time

As a yokel Chinese I was suprised a little bit even if I was like 14, 15 at that time, way older than 8 years kids

From a grow-ups view it is a solid ep in many ways.