Sherrie Hewson has criticised ITV’s decision to add content cautions to older comedy series, saying she was never offended by programmes she appeared in and questioning whether warnings are necessary for decades‑old shows.
ITVX in recent months has placed cautions on a number of vintage comedies ahead of streaming, including The Office, Minder and Open All Hours, citing concerns such as "offensive language and sexual stereotypes" on some episodes. Hewson, who played Olive in a 1980s episode of Minder and has appeared in Coronation Street, Benidorm and Crossroads, spoke about the issue in an interview with the Daily Mail while announcing a partnership with the newly relaunched channel Great! TV.
"I was in all of those. I was never offended when I was in them," Hewson told the Daily Mail. She said it "never occurred" to her to be offended by the material and described current debates about offensive content as part of a wider, cyclical change in public attitudes. "Now we live in a different time now, and woke is alive and living out there. Everything is cyclical," she said, adding that while people should be mindful not to hurt others, there is the risk of curbing what writers create.
Hewson pointed to examples of older sitcoms that have carried cautions, saying she struggled to identify specific moments that would be offensive. "I was trying to think now what, what could have been offensive? I couldn't think of anything that was offensive," she said, while acknowledging a need to ensure programming does not cause harm. She described the situation as one that will likely evolve and return in different forms over time.
The comments come as Great! TV relaunched on Sept. 4 with a schedule emphasising classic titles such as Rising Damp, Murder, She Wrote and the Carry On films. The channel has promoted its appeal to older viewers and said it will feature a range of vintage dramas and comedies. Research cited by Great! and The Upper Third found that 66 percent of older television viewers said they prefer classic programmes to modern formats.
Hewson said she welcomed the relaunch and the channel's outreach to viewers aged 55 and older, calling that demographic "a big part of the community that feel as though they're forgotten on television." She described classic shows as evoking strong memories and cultural touchstones, and said programmes such as Benidorm and other light comedies provide audiences with nostalgia and familiar entertainment.
Asked about talk of a Benidorm reboot, Hewson said the cast had not been briefed. "We know nothing, I'm afraid. We're the last people to know," she said, while acknowledging continued enthusiasm for the series from viewers and high rerun ratings.
The debate over content cautions on vintage television sits at the intersection of historical context, audience protection and creative preservation. Broadcasters have increasingly added advisory notices to older material to inform viewers about language or depictions that reflect the social norms of earlier decades. Advocates for warnings say they provide context and allow audiences to make informed choices; critics argue they can retroactively cast condemnation on work created in different eras and complicate access to cultural history.
Hewson's remarks add a performer’s perspective to that debate, emphasising both the value she sees in preserving classic comedy and the tensions involved in reconciling historic material with contemporary standards. ITV and Great! TV did not immediately respond to requests for comment.