G (General) Very mild impact overall. Suitable for all ages. No coarse language, no adult themes, nothing scary or suggestive. Think family-friendly kids' shows.
PG (Parental Guidance) Mild impact. May contain very mild coarse language (e.g., "bloody" or "bugger" sparingly), mild themes, discreet sexual references, or mild violence. Recommended parental guidance for children under 15—some content might confuse or upset young viewers.
M (Mature) Moderate impact. Recommended for mature audiences 15+. Frequent coarse language (e.g., "fuck", "shit", "cunt" in context), moderate adult themes, sexual innuendo/references, implied sex or nudity, moderate violence. Not suitable for under 15 without a strong context justification. This is where most edgy satire, swearing-heavy comedy, and mature roasts land.
MA 15+ (Mature Accompanied) Strong impact. Restricted—under 15 must be accompanied by an adult (or not view at all in many cases). Strong coarse language (heavy/frequent swearing), strong sexual references or implied activity, strong themes (including disturbing or confronting satire), strong violence. Higher than M but not fully explicit.
These ratings are based on the Free-to-Air TV Australia Industry Code of Practice (for commercial TV) and aligned guidelines from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), ABC, and SBS. They draw from the Australian Classification Board (ACB) principles under the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, but adapted for TV broadcast. Consumer advice (e.g., "Coarse language, sexual references, mature themes") is mandatory for M and MA 15+ to explain the triggers.
For your Aunt Ara roasts (heavy swearing like "fuck"/"bullshit", satirical adult innuendo, mature themes on hypocrisy/censorship/generational beef):
M rating — Moderate impact from frequent coarse language and mature themes. Consumer advice example: M – Coarse language, sexual references, mature themes.