Small Axe

Courage, perseverance, love, hope, and standing up for what's right are all prominent themes. Despite being set in the 1960s-1980s, many of the issues in the series remain relevant today, including racism and police brutality.

Police brutality -- people are hit with batons, pushed, kicked, and held on the floor. Characters are shown bruised and battered -- and even hospitalized -- after being assaulted by the police. Police officer is pushed and has a handbag thrown at them. Character sexually assaults someone, before another character comes to their rescue. Cigarette is flicked in someone's face. Character is grabbed by the throat. A sharp instrument is held to someone's neck. Reference to domestic abuse. A police training exercise involves someone trying to hit people with a mallet. Character is hit with an iron bar. Child is slapped in the face. After wetting the bed, a child has the urine-soaked sheets forced into their mouth. A schoolchild is placed in a straitjacket after getting into a fight. An arson attack -- that resulted in multiple deaths -- is referenced, with black and white photos of the real-life incident depicting the aftermath. A riot involves bricks being thrown, cars set alight, and batons being used.

Racist language include "wogs," "coons," "negroids," "colored," "coconut," and "black bastards." Racist graffiti also depicts the "N" word and the racist slur "Paki." Also variants of "f--k," "c--t," "s--t," "whores," "twat," "bloody," "ponces," "nonces," "tarts," "wankers," "p---ys," "piss off," and "blasted." "Jesus Christ," "Christ's sake," and "God" are all used as exclamations. The derogatory term "micks" is used to describe the Irish.