People watching Sherlock on PBS - I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

[tzikeh]

PBS is slicing Sherlock to ribbons.

I strongly suggest you find a way to get your hands on the BBC-aired episodes.

Wow.

*winces at painful cuts*

Comments

[silveraspen]

... suddenly I am glad I stuck with the BBC version. Oh man. This cannot possibly be good.

[misachan.livejournal.com]

Dammit, are they? Guess I'll have to wait for the DVDs after all. Phooey.

[copernica3.livejournal.com]

Really? *pout* Thanks for letting us know.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Yeah, suck. I mean, they didn't make it bad, they just made it not-awesome.

[svilleficrecs.livejournal.com]

Huh. While I did notice a couple missing bits, I was honestly surprised that they didn't remove much. I'd still recommend the original, obviously, but as someone who's watched it at least a half dozen times, I didn't think the cut down was bad at all.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

It could've been a lot worse, agreed (I dread to think what they would've chopped out if it'd landed on BBCA's procrustean bed), though I'm still going to see if I can get the unedited versions on DVD.

[svilleficrecs.livejournal.com]

Unedited is definitely the way to go, no question. If you're US based, you might not have a choice on the edited version, if you go legit DVD. (and hells yes about BBCA. I still shudder when I think about the hatchet job they did on Life on Mars). I think I read something earlier today where they cut about 5 minutes out of Sherlock's hour. LOM lost more like 16 minutes.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

They cut the explanation for why the killer was killing. I think that counts as a major cut.

And they cut all kinds of fun exchanges and little character moments, as well. Suck.

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

so why was he killing?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

How much information did you get? Just the bit about the aneurysm? Did he tell anything to Sherlock at the very end of their scene together? What did Sherlock tell him about what he saw in his cab?

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Not surprised... Glad I have Internet and a region-free DVD player!

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Me too!

[ramblinsuze.livejournal.com]

I haven't finished watching it yet, but so far, it hasn't seemed too horrible. I'm betting that someone who hasn't seen it yet wouldn't notice. I'd still recommend the full BBC version (natch), but it's better than nothing! (unlike some of the BBCA hack jobs which are NOT worth it!)

Oooh! Excuse to use this icon! XDD

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

LOL! Yes, PBS just lowered the IQ of the whole street - which seems counterintuitive for them, no?

And they cut the explanation of *why the whole thing was happening* from the big confrontation at the end.

Um... hi? Explanation all gone?

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

Oh what the heck! Suddenly a confusion I saw elsewhere on my flist makes sense. ACK, PBS! #fail

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

Why would they do that?! PBS doesn't even have commercials or strict running time requirements! >:(

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

They do it because they have the Masterpiece Mystery! introduction credits, and then the host's introduction intercut with brief preview clips from the show, then the "this program was made possible by generous donations from things we pretend we don't do commercials for and yet just did," and then at the end they show previews for "next time on Masterpiece Mystery! - The Blind Banker" and a bunch of scenes.

[ahab99.livejournal.com]

But why can't they just append those things *without* cutting time out of the show itself? They don't have to, and often don't, stick to the hourly scheduling to which networks are so wedded.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

They do stick to the regular network scheduling--especially in primetime--in order to have any hope of competing. They wouldn't have enough extra stuff to stretch it to two hours, so they have to keep it 90 minutes.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

I didn't notice the cuts, frankly, and I've got the original on my hard drive, and seen it several times.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I've watched the original more times than I can count, and I did notice a whole bunch of cuts. Some of them character stuff, some of them dialog exchanges that help the story along, and then the big one at the end that explains the whole reason for the plot.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Oy. I feel more oblivious than usual! :)

[sethrak.livejournal.com]

Well, drat. I was all excited when I saw it on RMPBS's schedule last night, and set it to record.

Might watch it anyway; or might just wait til November, when the DVDs are available.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I figure if you watch it, there's plenty to enjoy, and then when you get the DVDs it'll be like *even better*.

They didn't make it *bad*, they just didn't let it be as awesome as it is.