PTC Warns Families About Graphic Content in Netflix’s The Witcher

LOS ANGELES (January 14, 2020) – The Parents Television Council is warning families about the graphic content found in Netflix’s The Witcher, a new fantasy drama based on a book series and video game that is being compared to HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Using filtering data from VidAngel, the PTC found that across eight episodes of the first season of The Witcher, viewers would hear 207 instances of profanity; witness 417 scenes of violence; and be subjected to 271 instances of sex, nudity and other sexual content – around 100 instances of adult content per one hour episode.

“While families might be drawn to a fantasy-themed TV show, The Witcher is decidedly not family-friendly given the new data highlighting the explicit content viewers can see. From frequent nudity to graphic violence, The Witcher is certainly comparable to Game of Thrones with respect to adult content, most of which appears gratuitous. We hope that Netflix and other streaming services come to realize that needless explicit adult content isn’t usually what viewers seek,” said PTC Program Director Melissa Henson.

“Netflix should also offer content filtering options for families who might be interested in watching The Witcher – but without the adult content. That’s a win-win solution for families and for Netflix, and crucial to Netflix’s long-term growth strategy.”

Read more at the PTC’s TV Watchdog Blog.