Question Regarding Editing for U.S. Broadcasts

[Snaploud]

The Sci-Fi Channel used to edit out part of the doctor who broadcasts (for timing reasons, I suppose). I watched the pilot episode of the new season on BBCAmerica and caught a glimpse of the same episode on BBC America a week later. I noticed that part of the episode was cut on the latter broadcast (particularly a line in which the Doctor asked the Atraxi if the Earth had violated any Atraxi laws).

So, what's the story? Is BBCAmerica showing the first broadcast uncut and later broadcasts cut?

 

[The Lensman]

They cut alot out of the rebroacast...off the top of my head:

Amelia looking out the window to see the crashed Tardis

the grappling hook coming out of the Tardis

the bacon, beans and bread sequence

Amy talking about her Aunt and the Doctor's responses

when Amy remarks that everyone says they'll come back, the Doctor looks at her and jumps down into the Tardis

Amy getting dressed and packing her suitcase, running outside and sitting on suitcase

Amy saying that Amelia hasn't lived there in 6 months

the "we have backup coming we're safe \ we DON'T have backup coming and *thats* why we're safe" bit

Some of the man and dog bit is gone

Some of Rory's bit with the lady Doctor

The Doctor saying "I'm worse than everybody's aunt! That's not how I'm going to introduce myself"

The Doctor proving himself to the science leaders by sending equations...he just flashes his psychic paper

The scene when Amy locks the Doctors tie in the car is gone....when he sez the "20 minutes and the world burns..." bit, they just run off to get Rory taking pics

When the Doctor says "I'll let my best man explain" there's no pause and "Jeff...you're my best man / it's your bedroom"....They cut to where Jeff starts to explain

There's no mention at all of the Pandoric or Silence Will Fall....kinda surprised THAT got cut

The bit on the roof with the alien is shorter

When he runs to the Tardis and leaves Amy behind again

When Amy enters the Tardis and he asks "any passing remarks? I've heard them all" she walks in, cue music, and then she says she's in her nighty


It was horrible. Many of the little moments that really made the episode for me were gone and it suffered for it. The cuts made it feel like a standard Tennant ep and you totally lost the whole "he just regenerated and he's all wonky because of it" vibe....which is a big part of the ep!

 

[The Wormhole]

^^All those scenes were in the version that broadcast on Space in Canada.

EDIT: Misunderstood that the original airing was the full version of the episode and that it's reruns that are being hacked up on BBCA. Still, even the reruns on Space are the full episode.

 

[Snaploud]

Well, I guess it's a step improved (versus the Sci-Fi channel) that we are (probably?) getting the uncut versions for the first airing, but it's annoying that the rebroadcasts are being so butchered. Is it set that we're going to keep getting the uncut versions during the first broadcasts on BBCAmerica?

 

[cardinal biggles]

I wasn't even aware that they were being recut for broadcast. I usually just catch the episodes On Demand, where they're announced as being a "BBC America Director's Cut."

 

[Marc]

^^All those scenes were in the version that broadcast on Space in Canada.

EDIT: Misunderstood that the original airing was the full version of the episode and that it's reruns that are being hacked up on BBCA. Still, even the reruns on Space are the full episode.

just a pity the bastards stuck 30 mins of ads in the program.

 

[Cutter John]

Then they bitch when US fans bittorrent the episodes.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

I noticed that too. So many of the little moments that I loved in the first broadcast were missing when I saw it on the rerun. That's terrible. Practically a crime. I'll just have to make sure I always catch the first broadcast of the episodes then, if the reruns are going to be so badly mangled.

 

[The Lensman]

I'm guessing that on the first night of airing, the eps are uncut....I watched "The Beast Below" at 11pm CST, so I'm assuming nothing was cut. That's how it seemed to be last week for the premiere anyway.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I noticed that too. So many of the little moments that I loved in the first broadcast were missing when I saw it on the rerun. That's terrible. Practically a crime. I'll just have to make sure I always catch the first broadcast of the episodes then, if the reruns are going to be so badly mangled.

Whenever I see an episode as being 60 minutes long in my TV listings, I automatically assume scenes are being cut out to allow 20 minutes of commercials within that hour.

 

[ATimson]

Whenever I see an episode as being 60 minutes long in my TV listings, I automatically assume scenes are being cut out to allow 20 minutes of commercials within that hour.

Seeings as how the series 5 episodes after "Eleventh Hour" have all run short, that's not a necessarily-valid assumption.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Most older programs in syndication get butchered pretty good as well. If the above list is accurate, it's definitely sucks to cut out lil Amy packing her bags getting ready for the Doctor to return.

 

[23skidoo]

Reading the rerun edits to Eleventh Hour (which are as bad as the travesty that was the CBC broadcast of Journey's End - I mean, cut the food sequence and you lose half the point of the episode) you have to wonder why they're even bothering with a repeat showing. No one's going to watch something so bastardized. They'd be better off showing an infomercial.

With syndicated programs it's been this way for years, but the general attitude was "they're just reruns, who cares". More recently the attitude has become "if you want the full episodes, buy the DVDs, or if you're in the US, go to Hulu." In fact I'm amazed we're not seeing ads with just such messaging during reruns. For example, if BBC America were to run an ad during Eleventh Hour Cutdown saying "Want to see the full episode? Go to bbcamerica.com or buy Season 5 coming to DVD and Blu Ray on September whatever" that might actually be logical.

Alex

 

[Cutter John]

^ Thats the same logic networks use to justify plastering ads and animated promos all over the screen during shows. Bastards.

 

[Snaploud]

The U.S. had to settle for cut broadcasts when Doctor Who was on the Sci-Fi Channel. At least we have the option for uncut episodes on the first airing... Again, though, I assume it's uncut. Nobody has confirmed it for me.

 

[Valin]

I wasn't even aware that they were being recut for broadcast. I usually just catch the episodes On Demand, where they're announced as being a "BBC America Director's Cut."

Even though I've been DVRing the BBC America versions, I've been watching the OnDemand versions (for the first two episodes, so far). Not only is it the uncut version, but the music isn't so loud that you can't hear the dialog.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Whenever I see an episode as being 60 minutes long in my TV listings, I automatically assume scenes are being cut out to allow 20 minutes of commercials within that hour.

Seeings as how the series 5 episodes after "Eleventh Hour" have all run short, that's not a necessarily-valid assumption.

Actually, it very much is if it a story originally ran for 75 minutes during its first broadcasts as was the case with both "The Eleventh Hour" and the four Tennant specials. They even did that with the Torchood "Children of Earth" miniseries (they were reedited to 60 minutes later).

 

[Stevil2001]

^ "The Eleventh Hour" was 60 minutes on its original UK broadcast. But all subsequent Season n+1 episodes have been about 42 minutes, which as Andrew pointed out, would require no cutting to fit a BBCA timeslot.

 

[C.E. Evans]

^^^
Which doesn't mean anything when it comes to editing those particular longer length episodes for the U.S. broadcasts. 60 minutes on the U.K. broadcasts will be 75 minutes on the U.S. broadcasts. When they're trimmed to 60 minutes, it's a given that edits were made.

 

[Stevil2001]

Oh, I misread your post-- I thought you mean 75 minutes on original UK broadcast.