Why Did NBC Clean Up Its Bloody Grimm Posters?

The posters for NBC’s Grimm depict two men kneeling beside a shrouded body. It’s a disturbing image — but not as disturbing as the show’s original posters, which are far more sexual. Why did the network decide to switch.

Here’s the old poster. A reader noted that it features “a bloodied, ravaged, (sexy!) female victim. Two men hover over her as a beast lies in wait in the foreground. It all cries sexy, beastly rape.”

In the new version (top), the body is almost fully covered, the sheet is unbloodied, and the exposed feet no longer look particularly feminine. In general, it seems like a good choice — with apologies to Law & Order: SVU, it’s not like TV needs more sexualized dead ladies. And the new posters illustrate what the show’s about without resorting to the disturbing juxtaposition of bare legs and bloodstains. Was this a conscious decision by NBC higher-ups, or merely a coincidence? Did the old poster inspire complaints? We’ve contacted NBC reps for comment, and await their response.