A Banned Episode of “Peppa Pig” Accidentally Aired on Australian Tele Again

Yes, you read that right: There is a banned episode of Peppa Pig, in Australia at least.

Let’s begin at the start.

In 2012, an instalment of the beloved animated children’s show Peppa Pig was pulled from the ABC after causing a near-riot. Well, not a riot, exactly. It received one complaint.

The ep, titled “Mister Skinny Legs”, shows Peppa’s dad suggesting “spiders are very, very small… and they can’t hurt you”.

This inspired a viewer to complain that the episode—which first aired in 2004—was “inappropriate for an Australian audience because it said that spiders were not to be feared,” according to the ABC’s incident report.

(It’s worth noting Peppa Pig is produced in the U.K., and not Australia, where almost all arachnids and insects are specifically designed to maim humans and pigs alike. Here are some proper safety tips.)

The ABC agreed with the complaint and deemed the episode “unsuitable for broadcast in Australia and… restricted from being aired on the ABC’s television networks.” They also went ahead and took it off their online platforms too.

But Peppa, that rabble-rouser, would not be silenced.

According to The Guardian, the episode re-aired on Nick Jr., the children’s Foxtel channel, on August 25, 2017.

A Sydney mother reportedly complained to the channel, but says she was told by Nick Jr. that the episode wouldn’t be pulled because “Mister Skinny Legs” himself “did not look real”.

Eventually, Nick Jr. told media it would be excising the episode from its rotation, despite standing by claims the “overarching message of the episode is about respecting all creatures.”

If you’re now overcome with curiosity about the episode in question, you can watch the highly controversial excerpt below.

That is, IF YOU DARE.

Extreme caution is advised.

Photo: Entertainment One