To sometimes wonder what my mum was thinking?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

I was born in '91 to give you an idea of just how young I was.

She used to let me stay up and watch murder shows with her like Jonathan Creek and Midsomer Murders I'd actually go into my primary school the next day and discuss the previous nights episode with the dinner lady who also watched MM! I have an 11yr old and I wouldn't dream of letting her watch either of those shows! She'd also record stuff like South Park and Stressed Eric etc (she watched them herself so she knew full well what they were like!) so we could watch them in the mornings.

There is a particular episode of JC that gave me nightmares for years, I man had (I think) been trapped in a cellar which flooded and he drowned. I still remember the moment they opened the door and he was at the top of the stairs with his arm outstretched, and he was all yellow and waxy looking 🤢

It's only recently that I've begun to wonder what on earth she was thinking! I'm not sure if there's even any point asking her because she'd probably get all defensive and tell me I was attacking her parenting 🙄

Also the one with the football (?) and the electric pylons.

Proper scar you for life stuff.

My granda died when I was 7.. and I remember him buying me the Jaws VHS.

I also remember watching Bad Girls, South Park and Jonathan Ross.

Strangely I remember freaking out when they found Trevor Jordache in Brookside, Google tells me this was 1995.

I was 5.

I also vaguely remember the lesbian kiss on Brookside which was 1994.

Shamelessly reading for the nostalgic tv programmes and the public information films. I get what you are saying OP, but every child is different. We were quite strict with tv / films for our daughter (now 21) but that was mainly because someone showed Hocus Pocus in the infants room of the after-school club. Both she amd her two best friemds were terrified, and a lot of the others upset. But she's watched Midsomer and JC with me from about 7/8; usually fell asleep before the end of MM given the length of the episodes.

I grew up in the 70s and 80s & loved all the 'big' shows like Starsky & Hutch, Cagney and Lacey, Tales of the Unexpexted etc. The thing that actually traumatised me and which has given me a lifelong phobia is the things in Dr Who that start with D. It's so bad that I can't even type it - which is absolutely idiotic, as they're not Beetlejuice! Also Day of the Triffids which someone else mentioned - and The Tripods, which was a kids show, dramatisation of a book and some of that was far worse than JC - kids heads being shaved, control device surgically attached then being taken off to serve the aliens in their 'cities' as slaves until they died , usually within 6 months. Lots of death and hardship although I actually loved the book. Jaws spooked me, we live on the coast so would go to the beach regularly. I think there must have been a film about a tsunami or that had one in (possibly Krakatoa?) as I remember being worried one year about how low the tide was.

Biggest treat growing up was watching Hammer and later the old B-movie horrors from the 50s that were shown from 11pm; mum & dad would come home from the pub, I'd get in from a babysitting job and we'd all sit watching them to wind down.

If it worries you, maybe discuss with your mum? You could say you're trying to negotiate TV with your 11-yr old and were womdering how she did it?

My Mum had a thing about the occult. Lots of unsuitable books, Denis Wheatley, lots of ghost hunter factual stuff. I was allowed to read what I wanted. I am scared of the dark for many reasons, but that didn't help.
Although the book that traumatised me was Let's go Play at the Adams. Read it whilst babysitting, it was awful.

Oddly, I was far more robust as a child. Once I had children of my own, I lost the ability to watch anything horror related.

Quantum leap? Loved that show

Meh,I was born in 1973 ,so was a child in the 70,s / 80,s I remember watching all kinds of stuff not really suitable for kids because we only had one tv and we watched what my parents watched ,I'm not sure midsummer murders and Jonathan Creek is the stuff of nightmares though.

"Fight against the sadness, Artax!" It's my favourite film but seriously heart wrenching.

My Girl was the other that still destroys me (I definitely related far too much to Veda). "He can't see without his glasses!" 😭

Oh god! You've brought back awful memories! The idea I could be the one to kill my mum if I didn't wear a seatbelt scared me shitless (but then my grandparents had me sit on a cardboard box in the back of their work van...things weren't so clear cut in the 90s 😂)

It's just what happened back on 'the day'

I spent the first 5 years of my life travelling in the footwell of our car, never realising I was a ticking time bomb loose cannon! 😅

@BadNomad I also went to the tip in the footwell because there wasn't enough room because of all the stuff. I don't know why I wanted to go to the tip so much 😂My mum can't remember this at all. I think because it sounds so absurd now she can't quite believe she did it.

JC used to absolutely terrify me. I remember one episode where there was a gorilla that was high from licking stamps, and at some point it was hiding in the airing cupboard. I was so frightened of being on our landing at night after that. I must have been 9/10 ish, certainly primary school.

Im.not surprised you freaked out ,he was buried under the patio ,after physically abusing his wife for years and sexually abusing his daughters ,his wife and oldest daughter poisoned him buried him under the patio
Brookie,certainly had some sensational storylines!

Midsomer and Jonathan Creek are pretty tame - the former is often repeated in the daytime.

If you'd said Cannibal Holocaust that'd be a different matter.

Brookie had some good hard hitting storylines at first, before it became sensationalist. Sheila's rape, that was a difficult watch.

Yes the first ten years were the best ,I remember the soap bubble Damon and Debbie ,when Damon was stabbed to death😥

That was awesome! I was born in 81 and grew up watching the originals (Vic and Bob were okay but nowhere near as good). I guess the show was so good it got re-run a lot.

And OP, I grew up on horrors. Never phased me one bit. My kids love a good scary movie too. We've not long finished the earlier Alien and Predator films. Next up is AVP and Prometheus.

@ByTheGrace Oddly, I was far more robust as a child. Once I had children of my own, I lost the ability to watch anything horror related

Oh my goodness, yes me too. Used to love watching horror moves on my own, then I had kids, I hate them now and can't watch them

Children's TV used to be on from 3ish until about 5pm. After that was family viewing time, and after 9pm was adult time. Programmes from 5-9 pm were supposed to be watched as a family. Many series had children content and content aimed at adults that went over children's heads. And pre internet I think a lot more went over children's heads.

Possibly, I did watch a few of them although I was more of a Blake's 7 / Hitchhiker's Guide fan watched Blake's 7 again recently, Avon really was gorgeous

OP, I’m completely with you.
As they say, you parent they way you wish you were parented.

A couple of boys in my DD’s y3 class played CoD.

Remember how many parents allowed their primary-aged children to watch Squid Games?

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose

The one where a boy looked up at a fireworks display and tiny flake of hot , fl,oated down into his eye scared me! I still don't look up at fireworks! Same as Byker Grove and paintball injuries, always wear the goggles.

It is impossible to predict what children are bothered by. Parents also make mistakes. I don't think those programmes were the most inappropriate things, and the first couple of series of South Park were tame compared to the latest ones but a lot of the nuance would go over a childs head I guess. Is there a reason you couldn't let your mum know you didn't like them?

aw. I had it on DVD at 14 and watched it more than once. It was split across two DVDs because it’s so long. Great film.

That Jaws thing was shocking AF. I saw it for the first time a few months ago and was like wtf?! Definitely not suitable for children. Teething problems (no pun intended!) I guess in the earlier days of age certification..

I do not think jaws is particularly frightening.