I know The Big Bang Theory gets censored for day-time showing and I’ve read people commenting about cuts to Friends. I think I just saw an episode of Psych with a curtailed scene, what on earth could there be in a show like Psych that would be so sensitive? The stuff cut from TBBT seems to be suggestively or explicitly sexual*, that sort of thing never comes up in Psych. The scene that got cut out was a confrontation in a Hell’s Angels bar, Shawn’s usual blabbing his way out of a hole. No violence that I can remember, and there’s no swearing on Psych. What were they cutting this out for?
Psych isn’t a kids show so why put in at a time of day that “requires” these cuts?
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen scenes truncated in other very innocuous shows** just how low is the bar for these cuts?
*…and quite often the punchline. The “daytime” version of TBBT is often very lame.
I don’t think they are “censored” so much as they are “cut for time” so they can shove more commercials in. You just notice if they cut a “juicy” part more than if they cut something that’s just exposition.
A show can have a certain number of instances of something before its rating gets bumped. The Psych ep. may have had n verbal threats, and needed n-1 to get a G rating, which the distributor or network wanted it to have. The scene that was cut may have removed that last one, and it was felt that cutting the whole scene was better than butchering it.
Daytime eps are shorter, though, because in addition to commercials, there are news updates, and things that require eps to be shorter.
That’s true. One of my favorite TBBT lines was cut from the “daytime” version of the episode The Bat Jar Conjecture. The guys are debating whether to compete in the university’s Physics Bowl:
Leonard: You need a four person team. We’re four people.
Sheldon: By that reasoning, we should also play bridge, hold up a chuppah and enter the Olympic bobsled competition.
Penny (enthusiastically): I want tickets to that, please!
Penny’s delivery of that last line cracks me up, and yet they cut it from the reruns. And there’s nothing suggestive or offensive about it.
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Daytime eps are shorter, though, because in addition to commercials, there are news updates, and things that require eps to be shorter.
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This is UK TV, I don’t think they’re as cavalier cutting for adverts as US networks. Psych has a running time of about 45 minutes spread over an hour there’s plenty of time for ad’s. It’s also on stupidly early in the morning, far from prime time, so a lot of the “ad’s” are just promo’s for other shows.
Here is something I noticed cut from TBBT…
Leslie Winkle and Howard are in bed, post <Sheldon>coitus</Sheldon>
Leslie Winkle has just told Howard no more nookie unless he beards for her at a wedding.
Howard: Mom! Rent me a tux!
<cut>
Howard’s Mom: Hey! What kinda sex are you kids having in there?
</cut>
It’s not hilarious, but it is the punchline. The daytime version has the audience/laughtrack in hysterics at the line “Rent me a tux”. Stoopid.
There aren’t set guidelines for what causes particular ratings, and unlike movie ratings they aren’t even given by an outside body, but by whichever network or channel is running the show.
Now, the channel might have some sort of “certain instances” rule of its own, but that wouldn’t be related to the rating.