# When did the Basic Cable "Fuck" Wall get Broken? Regular use on SyFy's The Magicians. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2018, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456 "2018-01-12T12:01:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/41 "2018-01-15T03:10:24Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > Not so obvious for some. At the time, Republican Rep. Tom Coburn of **Oklahoma** said the airing “should outrage parents and decent-minded individuals everywhere” and “I cringe when I realize that there were children all across this nation watching this program. They were exposed to the violence of multiple gunshot head wounds, vile language, full frontal nudity and **irresponsible sexual activity**.” Ah yes, Oklahoman children, who year-in and year-out have a teen pregnancy rate in the top-10 in the nation, should never be allowed to SEE iresponsible sexual activity, lest they get ideas! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/42 "2018-01-15T05:01:25Z")
My recollection (in answer to the OP), is that the show that really made a “thing” out of saying “fuck” on cable without reservation was _Deadwood_. I recall watching that show (which was an HBO original series) early on during its run (2004 to 2006), and being quite annoyed with the fact that the writers apparently thought anyone and everyone in Deadwood, South Dakota must have said the word about every third word. Not sure if cable had any shows on it before that which consistently used “fuck”, but I don’t recall any. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/43 "2018-01-15T06:44:11Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > My recollection (in answer to the OP), is that the show that really made a “thing” out of saying “fuck” on cable without reservation was _Deadwood_. I recall watching that show (which was an HBO original series) early on during its run (2004 to 2006), and being quite annoyed with the fact that the writers apparently thought anyone and everyone in Deadwood, South Dakota must have said the word about every third word. > > Not sure if cable had any shows on it before that which consistently used “fuck”, but I don’t recall any. I recall the word “cocksucker” the most from that show. Before _Deadwood_ premiered, HBO had other shows like _OZ_ and _The Sopranos_ that both used the word “fuck” a lot. And starting in the 70s, they ran George Carlin performances uncensored. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/44 "2018-01-21T03:19:11Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I also remember when the “JFK” movie was shown on network TV, and a very foul-mouthed character had the word “frig” spliced in. :dubious: Um, hello, that word means exactly the same thing. And shit means the exact same thing as poopie, so? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/45 "2018-01-21T03:20:44Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I recall the word “cocksucker” the most from that show. Before _Deadwood_ premiered, HBO had other shows like _OZ_ and _The Sopranos_ that both used the word “fuck” a lot. And starting in the 70s, they ran George Carlin performances uncensored. Not to mention all the uncensored, uncut R rated movies!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/46 "2018-01-21T03:23:18Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > About 2 minutes ago somebody (accidentally, I assume?) just dropped a f-bomb on SNL. I seem to remember some bruhaha in the 80’s before I ever saw the show, about host Carol Burnett saying “penis” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/47 "2018-01-21T11:30:07Z")
…and Vickie Lawrence saying “asshole.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456/48 "2018-03-10T16:23:58Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > I seem to remember some bruhaha in the 80’s before I ever saw the show, about host Carol Burnett saying “penis” I think that was Mary Tyler Moore, in 1988 IIRC. There had been a sketch the week before that used the word 28 times. MTM pretended to be disapproving, but ended the monologue by breaking character and announcing “Elvis Costello’s penis is here tonight!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-basic-cable-fuck-wall-get-broken-regular-use-on-syfys-the-magicians/806456.md?page=2)