James Bond icon's 'masterpiece' comedy handed huge trigger warning

One much-loved comedy series starring a James Bond favourite has been handed a "violent" trigger warning as streaming services crack down on graphic dramas. Roger Moore fans woke up to a surprising alert when they tuned in to the comedy series The Persuaders! on ITVX this week. The early 1970s show follows the lives of two wealthy, vastly different playboys (played by Tony Curtis and Roger Moore) as they reluctantly form a partnership with retired judge Fulton to solve cases that the police cannot. 

The equally matched men were often seen working on dangerous cases while soaking up the sun in various Mediterranean backgrounds. In one episode, the award-winning actor is seen carrying a pistol, while another episode was deemed "violent" when the two characters engage in an on-screen scrap.

The two episodes slapped with fresh trigger warnings show the pair partying in the south of France before they stumbled across the body of a drowned professional swimmer. As they delve into the case, the duo visits the palatial home of reclusive businessman Lanny Koestler, where they are forced to fight off gangster henchmen.

It's there that the investigators learn that the swimmer's wife, whose husband was cheating on her, was the real mastermind behind the brutal slaying. The gripping episode contains two fight scenes, one in the back of a car and another on the edge of a cliff, as Moore and Curtis fend off the bad guys.

Meanwhile, in another episode, viewers watch Moore's character fight off a home invader, smashing him through a table in the process. Despite the trigger warning, guns only appear in the episode when characters Danny and Brett race on the back of jet skis, and once more when their friend Peeko Rayne (Annette Andre) is threatened by gangsters.

Following the unexpected changes, ITV told The Sun: "Programming that contains potentially sensitive or distressing themes, content, or language has carried appropriate warnings since our launch. We regularly review our catalogue to ensure the right guidance is in place for viewers."

Despite the new trigger warning, viewers continue to love the show decades on, with one user gushing: "One of the best detective series ever. Maybe it's out of nostalgia, maybe it's because I've grown up with the series, but whichever way I choose to look at it, I come to the conclusion that The Persuaders was and still is one of the best detective/ adventure/ action series ever created."

Another agreed: "Never before have I seen on-screen chemistry like that between Roger Moore and Tony Curtis in The Persuaders. Both actors fill their roles perfectly, and more besides. Whoever teamed up these guys also needs credit. This show is an absolute masterpiece." A third chimed in with: "This is probably the best British TV series of the 70s. Moore, at his elegant best, and Curtis play off each other brilliantly."

After delighting viewers in this comedy role for two years and starring in the detective series The Saint in the early 1960s, Moore went on to play James Bond in 1973. He went on to portray the fictional British spy in seven films until he stepped away from the role at 57 in 1985.

But the James Bond comedy isn't the only TV show to be slapped with a trigger warning this year. The legendary children's TV show, Captain Scarlet, was handed a trigger warning in an "over the top" crackdown after showing a character using a plastic gun.

The show sees the puppet character, voiced by Francis Matthews, as he battles against the Mysterons, a race of Martians who attacked Earth. Set in 2068, the "indestructible" captain of the global security agency Spectrum has to race against the clock to stop the Mysterons from recreating replicas of humans.

The series, which is aimed at children, is said to feature 'violence', with viewers needing to prepare themselves for explosions, which are largely just recordings of fireworks. A source told The Sun: "Bosses are clearly scared of worrying even the most sensitive of viewers to these shows.

"But slapping warnings on children's series with the most basic and realistic special effects feels over the top. To pick on Captain Scarlet seems to indicate they are operating a zero risk policy, but it's hardly a Tarantino movie."