George R.R. Martin Says Network Censors Ruined An Early Ron Perlman Character

George R.R. Martin's name is now synonymous with HBO's "Game of Thrones," the beloved fantasy series based on his "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels. Once upon a time, though, Martin was a writer on CBS' "Beauty and the Beast" series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, and let's just say the latter isn't as wild as "Game of Thrones."

In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Martin recalled CBS' censors demanding that Perlman's character, Vincent, aka the Beast, be likable. They didn't want viewers to feel disturbed or offended by the show's content, whereas Martin wanted to add a ruthless edge to the monster.

"The Beast killed people. That was the point of the character. He was a beast. But CBS didn't want blood, or for the beast to kill people. They wanted us to show him picking up someone and throwing them across the room, and then they would get up and run away. Oh, my God, horrible monster! [Laughs] It was ludicrous. The character had to remain likable."

Martin's literary work has inspired some of the most disturbing TV scenes of all time, so it's unsurprising that he wanted to make a darker "Beauty and the Beast" series. Be that as it may, he still had positive experiences for the most part.

George R.R. Martin's aforementioned comments might make it sound like he had a negative experience working on "Beauty and the Beast." That couldn't be further from the truth, however, as the author and screenwriter is happy with how the series turned out overall, despite its lack of monstrous violence.

"I loved the show. Like any show there were high points and low points, but for the most part it was a great show to work on," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "I learned a lot. I like to think I contributed a lot. We were nominated for a bunch of Emmys. It was a good show. I'm proud of my association with it."

Martin noted that working on "Beauty and the Beast" taught him lessons about the TV game that he's carried into subsequent on-screen projects like "Game of Thrones." Martin might have tried to push the envelope on "Beauty and the Beast" at times, but it helped him accept that writing for network television means having to compromise one's creativity.