ATTN JMS: Censorship on Sci-Fi?
Steve Fenwick
other broadcasters found no need. For example, during a recent airing of
"Space: Above and Beyond", the word "ass" was deleted by muting the
entire audio track. Similar treatment has been given to other,
relatively mild words during other programs; indeed, Sci-Fi seems to cut
sections of scenes to avoid a "naughty" word.
Is there any indication what treatment B5 will receive in the cutting
room at Sci-Fi at the hands of their S&P people? It would be a shame to
ruin some fine, dramatic scene by muting the audio track at an
inopportune moment, or worse, cutting parts of scenes entirely.
Best regards,
Steve
--
Steve Fenwick ab...@w0x0f.com
Mac Breck
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Lets hope not. I'd rather they just put a warning up front, and let it go
as written.
I doubt there's any place where we could let our feelings be heard in time
for it to affect the broadcast, or if anything we said would affect what
Sci-Fi does, even if they heard us.
Mac
Mena Ryan
>
> The Sci-Fi Network has, IMO, a bad history as applying censorship where
> other broadcasters found no need. For example, during a recent airing of
> "Space: Above and Beyond", the word "ass" was deleted by muting the
> entire audio track. Similar treatment has been given to other,
> relatively mild words during other programs; indeed, Sci-Fi seems to cut
> sections of scenes to avoid a "naughty" word.
I think that they have gotten a lot better. Just watch Farscape and
listen to it carefully. Unless they just don't understand Australian
accents that is...
One of the things that used to annoy everyone at the Highlander
newsgroup was the way that USA had edited everything they could,
including that ever-popular B5 word 'hell'. When they broadcast the
show on Sci-Fi, they apparently used the same tapes. The few times that
they aired "Highlander: the Raven" it didn't get *too* badly cut. UPN
didn't bother to edit them at all, BTW. The only thing that I noticed
that they cut was when Nick (the mortal cop/hunky guy) called someone a
"little prick". They have gotten seriously better from when I saw them
blur out a *male* Frankenstein-esque gross looking monster's nipples in
an episode of a show that I can't remember the name of now. It may have
been "Monsters". Remember when cable shows were considered to be
risqué? When did they get more conservative than the networks? :\
Steve Fenwick
<mena...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Steve Fenwick wrote:
> >
> > The Sci-Fi Network has, IMO, a bad history as applying censorship where
> > other broadcasters found no need. For example, during a recent airing of
> > "Space: Above and Beyond", the word "ass" was deleted by muting the
> > entire audio track. Similar treatment has been given to other,
> > relatively mild words during other programs; indeed, Sci-Fi seems to cut
> > sections of scenes to avoid a "naughty" word.
>
> I think that they have gotten a lot better. Just watch Farscape and
> listen to it carefully. Unless they just don't understand Australian
> accents that is...
> One of the things that used to annoy everyone at the Highlander
> newsgroup was the way that USA had edited everything they could,
> including that ever-popular B5 word 'hell'. When they broadcast the
> show on Sci-Fi, they apparently used the same tapes. The few times that
> they aired "Highlander: the Raven" it didn't get *too* badly cut.
I get *really* grumpy about editing for content, especially badly done
edits (muting soundtrack or cutting scenes). "*Too* badly cut" to me
means any cut at all that is not designed in by the writers, producers,
and directors. Even at that, the presenter should put up the usual
"edited for content"--not showing that notice is deceptive.
If I want to watch edited junk, I can always rent at Blockbuster. Oh,
that's right, I never do...
Mac Breck
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Fenwick" <ab...@w0x0f.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 11:22 AM
Subject: ATTN JMS: Censorship on Sci-Fi?
I just saw "The Thing" (1982 ver.) on the Sci-Fi Channel, and it doesn't
look good. It was shown at 9PM and they muted swear words everywhere. I
turned it off, and was tempted to watch my DVD instead.
B5 is going to air at 7PM. I HOPE they don't mute the dialogue, and instead
just put up warning messages at the beginning and at the breaks.
I wish there was a email address for the Sci-Fi Channel so we could tell
them this. Snail mail would never get there in time (Yeah, I know, like
they'd even listen.).
Mac
Mac Breck
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Mena Ryan" <mena...@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: ATTN JMS: Censorship on Sci-Fi?
Steve Fenwick wrote:
>>
>> The Sci-Fi Network has, IMO, a bad history as applying censorship where
>> other broadcasters found no need. For example, during a recent airing of
>> "Space: Above and Beyond", the word "ass" was deleted by muting the
>> entire audio track. Similar treatment has been given to other,
>> relatively mild words during other programs; indeed, Sci-Fi seems to cut
>> sections of scenes to avoid a "naughty" word.
> I think that they have gotten a lot better. Just watch Farscape and
> listen to it carefully. Unless they just don't understand Australian
> accents that is...
They muted the hell out of The Thing last night. It was positively
distracting.
> One of the things that used to annoy everyone at the Highlander
> newsgroup was the way that USA had edited everything they could,
> including that ever-popular B5 word 'hell'. When they broadcast the
> show on Sci-Fi, they apparently used the same tapes. The few times that
> they aired "Highlander: the Raven" it didn't get *too* badly cut. UPN
> didn't bother to edit them at all, BTW. The only thing that I noticed
> that they cut was when Nick (the mortal cop/hunky guy) called someone a
> "little prick". They have gotten seriously better from when I saw them
> blur out a *male* Frankenstein-esque gross looking monster's nipples in
> an episode of a show that I can't remember the name of now. It may have
> been "Monsters". Remember when cable shows were considered to be
> risqué? When did they get more conservative than the networks? :\
Maybe it's rising political pressure.
Mac
Jms at B5
>just put up warning messages at the beginning and at the breaks.
And just FYI, that's 7 Eastern, it's 4:00 Pacific time.
jms
(jms...@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)
Michael J Wise
> And just FYI, that's 7 Eastern, it's 4:00 Pacific time.
And 1pm Hawai`i time. No more getting up "In the Middle of the Night"
(I work the late shift) to get my daily fix.
Aloha mai Nai`a!
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