An article on censored TV shows on DVD
06-21-05 | 09:10 AM
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An article on censored TV shows on DVD
When does complete-and-uncut mean chopped-and-trimmed? Fans of TV DVD are finding out.
As the genre mushrooms, it seems more series sets include not episodes as they originally aired, but shorter versions cut for rights issues, content concerns or, more often, increased commercial time.
"Chappelle's Show" and "In Living Color" came out on DVD minus some musical performances, while "Family Guy" eliminated a Hitler chant and an airport scene after the Sept. 11 attacks. Viewers noted shorter syndicated episodes on releases for "Too Close for Comfort," "ALF," "Charlie's Angels," "Soap" and "Little House on the Prairie."
Trims have become so pervasive that the authoritative Web site tvshowsondvd .com started an "alterations list" where fans post omissions they've found, now covering more than 350 titles.
Devotees may spot cuts easily, but "the people that work on these sets are not huge fans," says TV Shows on DVD founder Gord Lacey. "They can't sit down and go, 'Oh, there's 20 seconds missing from that scene.' They're relying on properly labeled master tapes," which aren't always accurate. "They've got so much TV product coming out now, I think they're just rushing a bit."
Some distributors who do pay attention have started to label DVD changes, which Lacey says buys them a measure of goodwill with fans. Box notations alerted disc buyers that the second season of "My Favorite Martian" included four syndication prints; the first season of "Profiler" deleted an episode (where music couldn't be cleared) and the third season of "Married With Children" had a substitute theme song.
As the genre mushrooms, it seems more series sets include not episodes as they originally aired, but shorter versions cut for rights issues, content concerns or, more often, increased commercial time.
"Chappelle's Show" and "In Living Color" came out on DVD minus some musical performances, while "Family Guy" eliminated a Hitler chant and an airport scene after the Sept. 11 attacks. Viewers noted shorter syndicated episodes on releases for "Too Close for Comfort," "ALF," "Charlie's Angels," "Soap" and "Little House on the Prairie."
Trims have become so pervasive that the authoritative Web site tvshowsondvd .com started an "alterations list" where fans post omissions they've found, now covering more than 350 titles.
Devotees may spot cuts easily, but "the people that work on these sets are not huge fans," says TV Shows on DVD founder Gord Lacey. "They can't sit down and go, 'Oh, there's 20 seconds missing from that scene.' They're relying on properly labeled master tapes," which aren't always accurate. "They've got so much TV product coming out now, I think they're just rushing a bit."
Some distributors who do pay attention have started to label DVD changes, which Lacey says buys them a measure of goodwill with fans. Box notations alerted disc buyers that the second season of "My Favorite Martian" included four syndication prints; the first season of "Profiler" deleted an episode (where music couldn't be cleared) and the third season of "Married With Children" had a substitute theme song.
06-21-05 | 09:18 AM
#2
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With the exception of "Family Guy," none of those examples could be considered "censorship," even if we use your loose definition. And the Family Guy cuts were "self-censorship" on the part of the series creator.
Semantics aside, I agree that it's best to get everything uncut.
Semantics aside, I agree that it's best to get everything uncut.
06-21-05 | 09:47 AM
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Originally Posted by darkside
Not sure why censored gets used in place of edited so often.
06-21-05 | 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Groucho
And the Family Guy cuts were "self-censorship" on the part of the series creator.
06-21-05 | 10:09 AM
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From: New York, NY
Originally Posted by wendersfan
"Censorship" is a hot-button term that gets people's attention. "Edited" is too bland, even if it's more accurate.
I think a more appropriate term than either in most cases (not Family Guy's, that's pretty much straight-up censorship, no matter who made the cuts) would be "altered."
06-21-05 | 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by The Third Jake
The problem also stems from multiple meanings of the term "edited." It's certainly too bland by half. Pretty much everything you can buy on a disc has been edited--it's not just fed straight from the camera to your TV.
I think a more appropriate term than either in most cases (not Family Guy's, that's pretty much straight-up censorship, no matter who made the cuts) would be "altered."
I think a more appropriate term than either in most cases (not Family Guy's, that's pretty much straight-up censorship, no matter who made the cuts) would be "altered."
Hey, btw, I brought the '95 yearbook into the office for co-workers to giggle over. Good stuff.
DJ
06-21-05 | 12:56 PM
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From: New York, NY
Originally Posted by djtoell
This is pretty funny. Earlier, I resisted an attempt to post a "Countdown to The Third Jake's Mandatory Appearance in a Censorship Semantics Thread." Awww, now I wish I had.
Hey, btw, I brought the '95 yearbook into the office for co-workers to giggle over. Good stuff.
DJ
Hey, btw, I brought the '95 yearbook into the office for co-workers to giggle over. Good stuff.
DJ
So what in the '95 yearbook caught your co-workers' fancy? Anyone I know?
06-21-05 | 12:59 PM
#13
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Originally Posted by The Third Jake
So what in the '95 yearbook caught your co-workers' fancy? Anyone I know?
DJ
06-21-05 | 01:12 PM
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From: New York, NY
I know that feeling. It's kind of funny how grudges and ill will can sometimes persist even when we don't feel particularly connected to the people we were ourselves at the time.
Anyway, that's clearly not a discussion for this thread. But it's been a while since I've looked at my yearbook. Maybe I'll take a little stroll this evening.
Anyway, that's clearly not a discussion for this thread. But it's been a while since I've looked at my yearbook. Maybe I'll take a little stroll this evening.
06-21-05 | 01:48 PM
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From: Right now, my location is DVDTalk, but then again, you should already know that, shouldn't you?
What a depressing article (especially when folowing its lead to research at tvshowsondvd.com)...I knew about certain travesties like QUANTUM LEAP, but now I've found there are issues with many shows I want, like LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, SANFORD AND SON, MST3K and WILL & GRACE...what a bummer...I had no idea the problem of these type of faulty edits and the like was so pervasive...
06-21-05 | 03:29 PM
#16
Is it because on some of the older shows they didn't preserve the originally aired copies like they did the copies for syndication? Just curious. No comment in the thread either on how this affects DVD sales. I imagine it has an impact. While I doubt the majority of buyers pay attention to websites like tvshowsondvd and dvdtalk and others, I would wager that a show could stand to lose 20% of it's potential audience if they edit the programming at all. Of course, that's just a guess, but I know people on sites like this one and others who say they won't buy sets because they are edited differently than they originally aired.
I just wonder if that means one day we will see season sets of Little House on the Prarie: Uncut and Uncesored.
I just wonder if that means one day we will see season sets of Little House on the Prarie: Uncut and Uncesored.
06-21-05 | 03:33 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by calhoun07
I just wonder if that means one day we will see season sets of Little House on the Prarie: Uncut and Uncesored.
(if you buy George Carlin's "you are all diseased" cd, you'd see why.
06-21-05 | 06:14 PM
#18
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Falc04
"Time Compressed" would be a better description....
06-21-05 | 06:18 PM
#19
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Falc04
"Time Compressed" would be a better description....
