Restraining Order

摘要

They're finally washing Cart-man's mouth out with soap. And they're toning down slutty Samantha, too. Just as Congress is slamming broadcasters over foul language, producers are squeezing more money out of cable's most risque shows by selling them in syndication to broadcast stations and tamer cable networks. We've screened sanitized versions of Comedy Central's South Park and HBO's Sex and the City that syndi-cators are taking to stations to demonstrate they'll work on broadcast TV. It's clear, from what we've been seeing, that TV executives are trying to thread a slender needle, toning down language and other content without alienating fans or destroying the flavor that has made the shows such breakthroughs. HBO's funny, raunchy Sex and the City hits TBS in June and shows up on broadcast stations next year, too. Comedy Central's deliciously vulgar cartoon South Park is slated to bow on TV stations in fall 2005.