A Joust Between Friends deleted scene

[BestTVever]

This is the episode where Dorothy gets a job at the art museum and Blanche gets jealous. I've seen it a million times on all various networks for decades. However when I bought the DVD series about 10 years ago, I discovered a scene that I never saw on the networks. Sophia shows up at the Art Museum and meets the boss Mr Allen and then turns to Dorothy and says "Is he gay?" in a mocking way and her antics were making fun of him. The line has a laugh track. These were the days on TV where just being gay was something funny. The irony is the boss was played by Reid Shelton who supposedly was gay and died and lived with his life partner.

Was the scene edited out because it just was mean? Or thrown on the cutting room floor for time constraints?

[bandonurse]

Hard to say what their motivation for deleting it was. I have the entire 7 seasons on DVD, and was delighted to see that the majority of episodes have at least brief, sometimes extended, scenes that we don't see on TV re-runs. Most of them having no controversial content that would explain their deletion.

It might have been chosen for deletion for that reason, but then why would they still show Blanche mocking the flamboyantly gay wedding planner in the episode where Sophia married Max? Her line "You're about ready to fly right out of here." always makes me cringe.

[boechsner]

Originally Posted by bandonurse

... Her line "You're about ready to fly right out of here." always makes me cringe.

His response: "Well, excuse me for living, Anita Bryant!!"

I love it and the perfect retort!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

This is the episode where Dorothy gets a job at the art museum and Blanche gets jealous. I've seen it a million times on all various networks for decades. However when I bought the DVD series about 10 years ago, I discovered a scene that I never saw on the networks. Sophia shows up at the Art Museum and meets the boss Mr Allen and then turns to Dorothy and says "Is he gay?" in a mocking way and her antics were making fun of him. The line has a laugh track. These were the days on TV where just being gay was something funny. The irony is the boss was played by Reid Shelton who supposedly was gay and died and lived with his life partner.

Was the scene edited out because it just was mean? Or thrown on the cutting room floor for time constraints?

In 1995, Bill Clinton signed the Communications Act, which changed the amount of time commercials could be aired, meaning half-hour shows that were made before 1995 would need to have two minutes edited out during reruns, to fit with the new standards. DVDs of series made before 1995 will have additional scenes that don't air during reruns on cable TV or on local channels.

[boechsner]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

In 1995, Bill Clinton signed the Communications Act, which changed the amount of time commercials could be aired, meaning half-hour shows that were made before 1995 would need to have two minutes edited out during reruns, to fit with the new standards. DVDs of series made before 1995 will have additional scenes that don't air during reruns on cable TV or on local channels.

Exactly! The entire Sophia scene gets cut in the syndication print of that episode and it amounts to roughly a minute and a half all by itself. From an editing standpoint, it's a nice easy cut and you are left with making a few more minor cuts/edits here and there to bring the 24 min episode down to roughly 22 mins.

[TVLegend]

The scene is new to me.

[JR1]

The TV Land and Hallmark reruns cut a good amount of sometimes-key material. Anyone who has not seen the uncut episodes are missing out on some gems.

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

In 1995, Bill Clinton signed the Communications Act, which changed the amount of time commercials could be aired, meaning half-hour shows that were made before 1995 would need to have two minutes edited out during reruns, to fit with the new standards. DVDs of series made before 1995 will have additional scenes that don't air during reruns on cable TV or on local channels.

When Bob Dole was running for president in 1996, he tried to sound the alarm on the Communications Act because it was good for networks but bad for consumers. He was pressured by some career politicians in the Republican party (I believe Trent Lott was one) because the networks had bribed Congress to support it. There was no opposition on the Democratic side because they had long ago been bribed into silence by the networks. For those of you around then, virtually nothing was said on CBS, ABC or NBC news shows about that law coming before Congress at the time. No need to guess why.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Babalu

When Bob Dole was running for president in 1996, he tried to sound the alarm on the Communications Act because it was good for networks but bad for consumers. He was pressured by some career politicians in the Republican party (I believe Trent Lott was one) because the networks had bribed Congress to support it. There was no opposition on the Democratic side because they had long ago been bribed into silence by the networks. For those of you around then, virtually nothing was said on CBS, ABC or NBC news shows about that law coming before Congress at the time. No need to guess why.

The Clintons absolutely sold out to Big Business, no doubt. I never voted for either one of those scumbags, and never will.

But the rest of what you've stated about "no opposition" from Democrats is absolute utter fiction. It was the Republicans who voted, unanimously, for this bill. Unanimous.

In fact, the only ones to vote 'no' on the bill were 16 Democrats and one Independent (Bernie Sanders). This is all on the record, and can easily be looked up by anyone.

Vote District Party Representative No MA 4th D Frank, Barney No MI 14th D Conyers, John No MN 7th D Peterson, Collin No MO 9th D Volkmer, Harold No MT 1st D Williams, John No NY 8th D Nadler, Jerrold Vote District Party Representative No NY 26th D Hinchey, Maurice No OR 4th D DeFazio, Peter No SD D Johnson, Tim No VT I Sanders, Bernie VoteDistrictPartyRepresentative No AL 7th D Hilliard, Earl No CA 13th D Stark, Pete No CO 1st D Schroeder, Patricia No HI 1st D Abercrombie, Neil No IL 9th D Yates, Sidney No IL 17th D Evans, Lane

[TVLegend]

Also, Hallmark also mutes “inappropriate” or “unsuitable” words like bitch, ass, etc.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

The Clintons absolutely sold out to Big Business, no doubt. I never voted for either one of those scumbags, and never will.

But the rest of what you've stated about "no opposition" from Democrats is absolute utter fiction. It was the Republicans who voted, unanimously, for this bill. Unanimous.

In fact, the only ones to vote 'no' on the bill were 16 Democrats and one Independent (Bernie Sanders). This is all on the record, and can easily be looked up by anyone.

Vote District Party Representative No MA 4th D Frank, Barney No MI 14th D Conyers, John No MN 7th D Peterson, Collin No MO 9th D Volkmer, Harold No MT 1st D Williams, John No NY 8th D Nadler, Jerrold Vote District Party Representative No NY 26th D Hinchey, Maurice No OR 4th D DeFazio, Peter No SD D Johnson, Tim No VT I Sanders, Bernie VoteDistrictPartyRepresentative No AL 7th D Hilliard, Earl No CA 13th D Stark, Pete No CO 1st D Schroeder, Patricia No HI 1st D Abercrombie, Neil No IL 9th D Yates, Sidney No IL 17th D Evans, Lane

Thats not really fair to say. The GOP sells out way more to business. In the 1980s the Reagan administration allowed advertisers to air louder children's commercials on Saturday morning to get the kids attention. Yes both sides do it but its a joke to think that if Dole was elected, he would have stood up to big business. The GOP takes way more money from big business. Unfortunately our founding fathers could never imagine Political Action Committees and cash would make our representatives sell outs.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

its a joke to think that if Dole was elected, he would have stood up to big business.

I did not argue that; I argued for the opposite. Bob Dole sold out and voted for the Telecommunications Act.

[Meilleur]

With these edits on television, some of the best lines get removed. The episode "Long Day's Journey Into Marinara" on TV Land ends up with some of the funniest lines edited out. When Dorothy invites her aunt Angela to stay with her, Sophia, Rose, and Blanche for a few days until she finds herself a new home in Miami, Sophia says to Dorothy, "Can I talk to you for a minute." On TV Land, the next 35 seconds gets edited out. What we don't see is Sophia scolding Dorothy for inviting Angela to stay with them even temporarily and telling Dorothy that Angela tries to take anything that is hers and tries to take over, followed by Angela stepping out wanting to check a label with her name on it for their mailbox, and then an indignant and furious Sophia saying to Dorothy, "Any more bright ideas, linguini for brains?!" and then immediately storming off.
Later in that same episode, Rose is looking for someone's piano-playing pet chicken that she was pet-sitting for, and the chicken had disappeared from the garage. Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia are all uncomfortable as they are about to start eating some fried chicken that Angela had cooked. The rest of that scene gets edited out.
What is missing is the following: Dorothy calls out to Aunt Angela, and asks her where she got this chicken. Angela calls out responding, "The garage!" [The audience wails and shrieks with laughter.] Completely serious, Blanche says somberly and a little upset, "I guess this means no live entertainment with dessert." Everyone thinks that Angela killed the pet chicken and cooked it.
Also missing from the same episode is Blanche entering the kitchen trying to get Rose to cheer up, and then saying something like "Count Bessie was a chicken! It's not as though she fried Doc Severinsen."

[BestTVever]

One of my favorite lines that is edited out is the episode where Michael marries the older black woman. Her parents are there and Blanche and Rose have mud on their face. After Rose assures them they are not really black, its mud on their face, she gives a speech and then asks everyone to join hands and sing a song.
She turns to Dorothy and says "Is she for real?"

Dorothy responds "Frightening, isn't it?" Dorothy's line is edited out