TV Show Cancellation Causes Uproar in Thailand
A TV cancellation has caused uproar in Thailand as fans of one of the country's popular shows lashed out after hearing the show would be dropped with immediate affect.
Thailand's Channel 3 announced last week that it would stop showing its popular prime time action drama "Nua Mek 3," saying that it had decided its content was "inappropriate for broadcast."
Fans have now demanded that the show, which only began airing on Dec. 14 and has been shown three nights a week, should have its final episodes aired rather than dropped mid-way through the series.
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The show focuses on a fictitious Thai prime minister, and raises questions of corruption, black magic, as well as manipulation tactics, according to The Associated Press.
The show only had two final two-hour episodes left to air, which were scheduled to be shown on Friday and Saturday last week. However, both episodes were dropped immediately by the channel, much to the anger of fans who had followed the show through from the start.
Thai media has speculated that the channel has canceled the show as it fears that the show's content may break the country's laws. Some fans have sparked rumors that the nation's government has leaned on company bosses to get the show canceled. However, officials have denied having anything to do with the termination.
Prime Minister's Office minister Warathep Rattanakorn has said, "Those who know best (about the issue) are the broadcaster, producers and related personnel," according to AP.
One unnamed executive has allegedly told NBTC board member Peerapong Manakit that the station feared the show's content violated Section 37 of the Broadcast and Telecommunications Operations Act, according to local media sources.
Section 37 of the Act states that there is a prohibition on the broadcasting of "content that seeks to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, threatens national security or morality, or constitutes profanity or causes severe harm to people's mental or physical health."
