Just got an email from the Beeb - I have the Limited Edition S8 boxset pre-ordered from the BBC Shop, and apparently the release has been put back a week because of "a last minute classification change" for the finale that means that all the boxes etc. need to be reprinted.

Sounds like some seriously dark stuff goes down in the last episode, because IIRC the boxset was already a "12".

That means that Death In Heaven is officially the first episode of Doctor Who to ever be rated 15 (though Talons was nearly a 15 on its original VHS release thanks to the opium den scene I believe).

I highly doubt it'll be changed to a 15 rating, perhaps it's just the description for the 12 rating which needs changing.

Wasn't the Paul McGann movie originally a 15?

I thought it was a 12.

Don't have my old VHS tapes anymore, though, so I stand corrected if I'm wrong.

i think it was downgraded later on, but I vaguely recall it got it for the shootout scene at the start (which was cut on original broadcast in the UK)

Do we think this is a reaction to the Ofcom story? Not that they're necessarily changing the ratings, but they're waiting for an official statement before they send it to production?

Hope it's an 18...

That sounds vaguely familiar, actually...

Actually doing a bit of research (very bored tonight). It was cut so that it didn't get a 15 certificate. It was released as a 12 with the same cuts made for broadcast.

There's no chance Death In Heaven is a 15, the BBC wouldn't be broadcasting it pre watershed if it was. Presumably they've printed wrong label between whichever of PG or 12 it is.

I would say almost certainly Dark Water would be 12 though, the beeb may have been optimistically hoping for a PG.

Maybe it's 12A and they forgot the A?

That's a cinema only rating.

The BBC and other channels have shown '15' certificate films and TV shows before the watershed. Sky 1 showed The X Files in the morning (although cut) a few years ago and Clash Of The Titans (1981 version) was shown before 9:00pm.

Dark Water is more likely to be 12 rather than 15 and the same for Death In Heaven. I imagine the change in release time may be to do with politics rather than changes in certificate.

Apparently 'Death in Heaven' contains a rather racy love scene between Danny and Clara which earned it a 15 certificate.

Any 15 pre watershed would be cut. That happens of course, e.g. 5 have shown an edit of Stand By Me in the afternoon numerous times.

According to Doctor Who TV it has been changed from PG to 12 because of the finale.

This has annoyed me. was looking forward to getting this the same day as downton. Death cannot be avoided so i don't see the big problem. All these parents whinging shouldn't be letting them watch if they don't want them watching shows like this. death is a major theme in dr who and always has been. its about time parents stopped wrapping their kids in cotton wool

Well, I suppose it's better than sending them out early so people could watch the episode before it aired!

Since when do 'family shows' get a 15 rating?

.........bump.

It could be that the boxset was rated a 12 but the individual disc for the finale had a PG rating and needs to be reprinted.

Series 7 was certificate 12 overall but it was only disc 2 that was a 12. The rest were PG.

Actually my first thought as well. A cover story of a ratings change to hide the fact that they don't trust the dimwits in the supply chain not to leak it out early

A week delay, but no ones mentioning that it will be out less that 20 days after the air date. I remember having to wait 3-4 months for the full box sets before in the past. think that's great (although i might have prefer to wait till January and get the Christmas ep in there too.

Personally when i saw the official cover (which is just beautiful and eprfect for the series!) i was shocked at Pg being the certificate!

Listen, Time Heist, Mummy, Flatline, Dark Water and of coruse what will be Death in Heaven...contain really quite dark intense and dramatic themes for a "pg" certificate....Series 8 really has ensured the show has gotten over that barrier....genuinely chilling scary stuff has gone down this series.

So a 12 certificate overall is a definite....though i am surprised that the finale is the only one to be certified a 12 ...i have no iea what qualifies for what. But it makes sense for it to have a 12 ....series 3 and 5 i think are the only ones with pg as a box set overall....most years only one episode qualifies as a "12" in series 1 it was Dalek, series 2 was Tooth & Claw, Series 4 had Planet of the Ood, Series 6 had The god Complex, Series 7 had Angels Take Manhattan....

Death in Heaven and the rest of the series don't have any classification. The BBC (and ITV Ch4 etc) make their programmes, and time their broadcast according to guidelines set down by OfCom regarding suitability for families etc.

The BBFC are mandated to certify films and TV shows that are released in the cinema and on DVD. They have their own guidelines about what constitutes PG, 12, 15 etc. So in theory a broadcaster could make a programme that is shown pre-watershed that is rated 15 or even 18 by the censor, for example the BBC was chastised for the swearing that was broadcast during Live 8 (and again recently at the Big Weekend) but for Live 8 to be released on DVD with an E rating the swearing was cut out.