D'oh! China Bans Bart from Prime Time

Mon., Aug. 14, 2006 2:30 PM PDT by

Quick, how do you say ay caramba in Chinese?!

China has officially banned The Simpsons and several other cartoon shows from airing during prime time to provide a boost to the country's ailing animation industry.

Per Guangzhou's daily Southern Metropolis News, the restrictions will apply to Homer and Bart, Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Warner Bros. 'toon gang, Mickey Mouse and his Disney cohorts, and the Pok?mon crew--and may even extend to the BBC's Teletubbies. The cartoons cannot be shown between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., when the bulk of the country's 250 million children tune in to China's Central Television..

While the new rules haven't gone into affect yet, the decision by Chinese regulators aims to protect homegrown fare like Journey to the West, which follows the adventures of the country's iconic Monkey King, and also help Chinese studios compete internationally.

The government action sparked intense criticism from newspapers, among them the Metropolis, which argued in an editorials that such regulations weren't the answer.

"This is a worrying, shortsighted policy and will not solve the fundamental problems in China's cartoon industry," the newspaper wrote. "The viewing masses, whether adults or children, will have no choice but to passively support Chinese products."

For President Hu Jintao's administration, such controls are a matter of national pride, especially given Western animation houses and the Japanese anim? industry routinely subcontract with Chinese animators as a cost-cutting measure.

The Metropolis also cited one survey that reported that 80 percent of Chinese tykes preferred Springfield's finest and other imported animation over domestic shows.

This isn't the first time that China has sought to fend off a foreign cartoon invasion.

In 2000, the communist government ordered broadcasters to cut down on the number of foreign animated series being aired. In 2003, Beijing sought to enforce a rule ensuring that 60 percent of cartoon content came from Chinese studios. And in February, officials prohibited shows that mixed animation with live characters in another act of protectionism meant to steer eyeballs away from the likes of Blue's Clues and Teletubbies, which rely on non-Chinese actors.

Reps for Fox, Warner Bros. and Disney declined to comment on the restrictions.

Despite the prime-time prohibition, The Simpsons and other foreign faves can air at other hours.

And ban or no, The Simpsons will get a measure of revenge. A big-screen version of Matt Groening's long-running animated comedy by 20th Century Fox is scheduled to unspool in theaters worldwide, including China, on July 27, 2007. Stateside, The Simpsons is set to kick off its 18th season on Sept. 10.

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