Many complaints were filed with the Registrar of the BCCSA about the series Reaper broadcast by 
M-Net. The core of the complaints was that the film portrayed the Devil as involved in the life of a young man who had just turned 21. His parents had sold his soul to the Devil so as to save the life of his father. Now that he had turned 21 the Devil was claiming what was “rightfully” his. The young man would have the task to ensure that people who had escaped from hell would be returned. In each episode, we were informed by Ms Hornebo from M-Net, a different annihilation tool is made available to the young man. In the first episode, which is the subject of the present complaint, a hand-held carpet vacuum cleaner is provided by the Devil, who is personified by a neatly dressed man, reminiscent of a sleek modern-day dealer, who appears and disappears at will. The young man has no choice; if he does not co-operate, the Devil would claim his mother, who had pledged herself to guarantee the debt.
In applying clause 19 of the Code to the first episode of the series, the first question before the Tribunal was whether the film was “intended for adult audiences”. The film is clearly directed at adult audiences since it deals with a rather problematic issue: the selling of a child’s soul so as to save the life of the ill father – obviously based on the Faust theme. Added to that is the concept of the mother whose soul has been pledged to guarantee the “delivery” of the soul when the son turns 21. Of course the theme is molded into a comedy of sorts. The film, however, contains scenes of the annihilation of the “person” who has escaped from hell. It could be argued that this is not really violence but the result of film technique which has been applied since films like The Exorcist. Some DVD and Video Games also contain scenes of annihilation which are similar. Nevertheless the Tribunal is convinced that the serious underlying theme with its crude mixture of religious and evil undertones and reasonably explicit scenes of violence should not be screened before 20:00. Television is a medium which is readily accessible and despite the parental mechanism, which M-Net provides, it would be futile to argue that all parents would ensure that the block-out mechanism is continuously in function. After 20:00, on a sliding scale, more explicit material may be broadcast. Of course, each case will have to be judged on its own facts. There is no reason why certain lesser forms of violence may not be broadcast outside the watershed and there is no reason why broadcasters should regard this judgment as, in any way, departing from that approach. The present film is, however, of such a nature that the elements of violence combined with a crude mixture of religion and evil place it in an adult class. This does not mean that children of 13 and older would not be in a position to understand and enjoy the film. That is why a 13V age restriction and classification are appropriate.
In the result the complaint was upheld by the Tribunal. It is not necessary to issue a sanction. M-Net took precautionary steps in having one of its advisers who is very experienced in this field, look into the matter before the series was broadcast.
Some complainants have requested that this series be stopped by the BCCSA. This is not within the BCCSA’s powers and there is, in any case, no necessity for such a drastic step.