Just read the inside cover of season three’s DVD. Groening was complaining about how syndication is taking a lot of good parts out of Simpsons episodes, but doesn’t mention anything specific. Anyone remember some examples (from any season)?
The only one I can think of is from Who Shot Mr. Burns II. They removed both of Dr. Collossus’s scenes (!!!).
Not to hijack your thread one post in, because I think it’s a good topic, but when I read the title, I thought it was going to be about episodes you just never see in syndication. I watch the reruns almost everyday, at 6:00 and 7:30pm here, and I don’t remember the last time I saw the Michael Jackson episode. In fact, the more I think about it, I’m not sure I’ve seen it since it originally aired (or in the prime-time reruns). Has anyone seen this episode recently? Have I just happened to have missed it everytime it’s been shown? (Yes, I know it’s on the new third season DVD, which is one of the reasons I’m looking forward to getting it)
I saw the Michael Jackson episode about 3 weeks ago. I remember when that got so much hype when it was first aired.
I do, but this guide is a bit more complete than my memory.
The Atlanta syndication hasn’t shown the New York episode in forever, and they play The Who one practically once a month - ditto with most of the 2000-2001 season. I’ve been watching almost every episode for the last three years, and still haven’t ever seen the Van Houten divorce (but I know for a fact I missed it once).
Haven’t seen one of my favorite episodes (Hank Scorpio) in a while either.
I’ve noticed a lot of cuts in the Atlanta syndication. The opening theme’s been shredded, of course, but sometimes they cut out some major plot points from the episode.
In “Like Father Like Clown” which I was watching last night, my roommate observed that they cut the scene where Bart interrupts Rabbi K. during a bris when the episode shows in syndication.
And from the same epidsode (essentially from the same sequence) they show Lisa’s line “It’s a longshot, but that’s all I can do without learning ancient Hebrew” but leave out the pause afterwards and the follow up “Bart! I’m not going to learn ancient Hebrew.”
In one episode (can’t remember which right now), Homer is doing his whole “I’m making people haapeeee!” speech and then slams the door. He re-opens it and says “Oh, and in case you couldn’t tell, I was being sarcastic!” Syndication always cuts off Marge answering “Well, duh.”
Also, in the Sideshow Bob episode where he hypnotizes Bart into killing Krusty, there’s another one. He’s beating up the statue of Krusty with a baseball bat and Wiggum says, “It’s so great to see someone using a wooden bat!” and the scene cuts. In the original episode, he also adds, “These days, it’s all aluminum-this and George W.-that.”
What I’ve noticed is that they just shave off a couple of seconds at the end of scenes - unfortunately, they almost ALWAYS leave the set-up to a joke, but cut the punchline.
Don’t mind the hijack. I’ve got to say that I’ve only seen my favorite episode (Burn’s Casino) once in syndication, and I watch nigh every day.
They cut the Moe goes to Easter Island bit from the…well, damn. I can’t remember which episode. Apu gets married? So we got to see Moe in a t-shirt about Easter Island and not understand anything.
After “Who Needs the Quick-e-mart” song, Apu sings “I doooooooo,” Homer’s supposed to say “Awww, he lied in song. I hate that.” That last line always gets cut off.
[continuation of hijack] I don’t have TV anymore, but my boyfriend was just complaining to me the other day about how the Buffalo TV station shows the Michael Jackson episode way too much lately, like once every couple weeks. I guess it just depends on which city you are in. The episode I never get to see is the one where Homer keeps trying to eat this old, old sub and Marge keeps throwing it in the trash. [/hijack]
One of the more glaring cuts is when they are having a carnival at the elementary school. Bart dares Otto to turn up the speed on one of the rides, and one of the cars detaches itself from the ride and crashes into the school. This scene is cut. But later, Principal Skinner is making an announcement, and you can clearly see the wreckage behind him.
It’s from the Little Miss Springfield episode.
One of the cuts made was in the Simpsons Halloween Special (I forget year). It’s the one where Homer goes behind the bookshelf and goes into 3D-land. When Prof. Frink comes to explain the dimension, they always cut out his explanation, and the scene right after when they ask if anyone has seen “Tron” (?). Absolutely horrid. These sequences make up the greatest part of the skit. The CG was alright, but not that great. Cutting these jokes really ruined it.
In the Lisa the Vegetarian ep, there is a bit in the Fairtale town where Bart wrecks the train, and Paul Bunyan’s ax lops off somebody’s head… I don’t really remember this exactly, but I always know it’s missing when I see the ep without it.
I’m always bummed when watching the syndicated episode featuring Mr. Sparkle when Homer calls Japan from the library. In the original version Homer asks to use the phone, the librarian asks if it’s a local call, Homer says yes and proceeds to dial what seemed to be upwards of 20 digits. It’s a wonderful moment because he just keeps dialing, even after I expected him to stop twice. In syndication they leave the scene after he lies about it being a local call and again completely leave out the best part of the joke.
-wm
If you cut five seconds here and ten seconds there, you can fit in another commercial or two. That’s probably why they do this.
When Bart and company go to Knoxville for the World’s Fair, there is a bit where, while in the car, they are asking Bart a bunch of questions:
“Can we stop for ice cream?”
the scene cuts and you see them all eating ice cream
“Can we pick up that hitchiker?”
the scene cuts and you see the hitchiker in the back seat.
He then says
“Can we stop for ice cream?”
That bit has been cut out (I just saw the episode again last night), I would assume to teach kids that if they are going to drive while they are 9 years old, they shouldn’t pick up hitchers along the way.
I can think of two examples:
In the “Kidz Newz” episode, Lisa tells Nelson to take over for her while on the air so she can save Bart from an enraged Groundskeeper Willy. Nelson sits at the newsdesk, coughs, then sticks his hand underneath his armpit to make the “fart noise”. He then solemnly turns to camera two and repeats the gesture. In the syndicated version, they cut the bit where he turns to camera two, which totally kills the joke.
In the “Homerpallooza” episode, there is a scene where Otto - tripping on acid - looks down at his shoes. The scene looks all trippy and teh shoes say “We’re not here to hurt you Otto - we only want to have fun” (or something similar). This scene is totally cut in syndication, however it doesn’t make the rest of the show “lose” anything like the first example.
In the Bowling Team one, originally Mr. Burns confuses the check he wrote for “Bowling” for one he wrote for a procedure called “Boweling”. Later in the episode, Burns proclaims that he hasn’t felt this alive since his last Boweling. In Syndication, the first joke is removed, but the second remains, though it makes little sense without its counterpart.