Crime and rape TV shows ‘give people ideas’ Sir Ridley Scott he said.

Speaking after its launch Gladiator IIsequel to the 2000 Oscar-winning film starring Russell Crowe, Sir Ridley called for more “clean storytelling” and an end to the spate of rape and murder scenes.

Sir Ridley said the entertainment was naturally “a bit warped” but that it was too often “abused”.

A 2016 US study of 17 popular television shows found that 70% of episodes included violence, accounting for 2.3 seconds of every minute aired.

Asked if society had really moved on from the days when people watched gladiators fight to the death, he told the Sunday Times: “Well, the problem is that we feed off of it. We are the inventors of our own death. The entertainment is, to a certain extent, a little twisted.

“Not all – some have a good voice. But often the voice is abused. And what happens to the good, clean stories? What if there’s another TV show about a girl found in the woods who’s been raped and dead for 25 years? Stop. It gives people ideas.”

Midsomer Murders ‘Trigger Warning’

It comes after a series of “trigger warnings” were placed on British TV shows by broadcasters, including warning Midsomer Murders viewers that episodes may contain violence. ITV introduced the warnings on its streaming service, ITVX, which shows the first 22 series.

Former stars of the series ridiculed the move, with the series featuring 388 murders, 423 deaths and 250 attempted murders in over 140 episodes.

1980s sitcom Terry and June, BBC drama Call the Midwife and Shakespeare plays are among other shows to receive content warnings.

Theatergoers have also been warned of potentially disturbing content in Shakespeare’s plays, prompting criticism from actors such as Dame Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Sir Ian McKellen.