Chinese Government Bans Television Time Travel

When it comes to time travel, the only obstacle greater than harnessing 1.21 gigawatts could be getting past the Chinese government.

China's State Administration for Radio, Film & Television has issued new protocol that essentially puts the brakes on all fictional time travel in the media.

According to The New York Times, a statement from the Chinese government (linked to here in Chinese) explains that characters traveling back in time "lack positive thoughts and meaning" and that a program's portrayal of time travel can "casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation."

Several media outlets suggest that the concept of time travel has become increasingly popular with Chinese audiences, with characters often being transported back to ancient history.

Some bloggers, however, claim that the new guidelines have been lost in translation. According to one Gamma Squad writer, "The true purpose of the ruling seems to be to discourage the misrepresentation of historical figures in films and TV shows, including in time travel movies."