Comedy Central "Cropping" Episodes?

[on:]

my DVR re-recorded some episodes i had recorded from a long time ago today, and i noticed something very strange.

one of the episodes was "War is the H-Word"

during the scene where everyone is training in the obstacle course or whatever, when lee lemon finishes first Zapp Brannigan says "Yes, he edged out my old mark by 2 seconds, and 16 minutes..." then he goes to slap lee lemon on the butt to get slapped in the face.

now as i remember, Zapp should have said "Yes, he edged out my old mark by 2 seconds, and 16 minutes. I do plan to finish someday Kiff"

why would they cut off literally 2 seconds of dialogue? what benefit would that have for anyone? other then maybe the fact that they know they are going to drive people like me crazy lol.

i saw a similar thing happen in another episode today. it was "Parasites Lost"

when they are escaping from the pollen attack in the nose, Zoidberg says they can escape through the nasal capillary into the sinus or whatever.

but the normal interaction between him and hermes saying "you usually don't know anything about human anatomy" where Zoidberg says "i saw it in a decongestant commercial... Soothing action action action..."

that interaction was completely cropped out! what is the deal with that?! its annoying to expect something to happen and see it has been cut out for no apparent reason 

[Reply #1 on:]

I think they've cropped all the episodes that they are airing currently. It's annoying, yes, but the syndication nets them money which will help future production.

[Reply #2 on:]

I still don't see why people are still complaining about this. Why are you watching Futurama on TV anyway? It (and every TV show ever) is far more enjoyable when watched on DVD (/blu ray/VHS/USB/whatever your home video format of choice) rather than on TV anyway. No ads and they still have all the parts that were cut for syndication. I mean, it's not like all the episodes (except for the most recent half season.) aren't readily available on DVD anyway.

Note: Syndication cuts happen to every show, not just Futurama.

[Reply #3 on:]

I mentioned this in the News thread in General, but yes it is true they are cutting seconds in each episode. I noticed this lately when it's been in sydnication on regular tv.

[Reply #4 on:]

I find it very annoying. I'm watching an episode and expect to hear the next line...and then it skips!!! 

[Reply #5 on:]

Hopefully that won't happen in the UK.

[Reply #6 on:]

I find it very annoying. I'm watching an episode and expect to hear the next line...and then it skips!!! 

Haha, I am exactly the same way. That's true dedication right there

[Reply #7 on:]

I haven't been watching any syndicated episodes, but I feel like I'd be the same way for at least half of the original run - the eps I've seen more than twice.

[Reply #8 on:]

Hopefully that won't happen in the UK.

Nah we just have to wait a year to get the episodes..

[Reply #9 on:]

You should have bought the Bender Head Collection when it was offered.

Come on, you didn't see it coming.

[Reply #10 on:]

I read this thread as "cropping" as in: Comedy Central were cutting off part of the image or zooming in on old episodes to make them appear to be 16:9.

It isn't cropping, it's trimming that you're talking about. Cropping implies that it's the same length but a portion of the image is gone. Trimming and cutting refers to what you're talking about.

::adjusts glasses in a nerd-like fashion::

[Reply #11 on:]

A nerd who checks his facts? That is unspeakable here!

Anyways, long time no see Binder. Nice to see a fellow user from the PEEL 1 days.

[Reply #12 on:]

Welcome back Binder!
Our most popular subject at the moment is boobs , in-case you want to know

[Reply #13 on:]

Isn't that the whole internet's most popular subject at all moments?

[Reply #14 on:]

No not on websites for kids..

[Reply #15 on:]

No not on websites for kids..

Yeah, it's penises on there.

[Reply #16 on:]

So your saying you go to those websites?

[Reply #17 on:]

Obviously you do too, if you can verify that they're not all discussing boobs.

[Reply #18 on:]

Hey! I had no idea people recognized me! Just checked my profile and I saw that I joined pre-9/11, about a week before. Up until the 10th it was a great week!

Also: boobs > penises, but balls = boobs

[Reply #19 on:]

I like your name

[Reply #20 on:]

Their only doing it on reruns, not new airing episodes. They do it due to their limited time.

[Reply #21 on:]

As a total Futurama nut, this was bugging me so much I bought the Bender head last week.    Just tonight I saw an explanation about syndication from DXC on the home page of CGEF.   

I guess if it has to be done, I'm glad it is the writers doing it and not the execubots at Comedy Central.

2 that I noticed:

- In Raging Bender, he says "See you at the fight" then they cut back to the PE building and he says "and then I said 'See you at the fight'"  The 2nd line is missing.

- The infamous I, Roommate glitch where Hermes' mouth does not move when he says "We'll bill you for the couch" is not a glitch anymore!  Because he doesn't even say it at all!

Maybe we should consider it a challenge to find them all?   Crud, that might force me to fire up the DVR again.....

[Reply #22 on:]

We know they took the doll raping monkey line out of BBS.

[Reply #23 on:]

And that's one line I won't particularly miss.

They have probably done a fairly decent job at cutting. I mean, the two lines Spicy Weasel mentioned are funny, but they're not memorable or drop-dead hilarious.

[Reply #24 on:]

I'm not mad about the cropping, because there are so many funny moments that when you crop the episode it will take out at least one.

[Reply #25 on:]

The cropping messes up the routine...I don't know, like I said I've seen the episodes so many times that I know the script by heart, so last weekend when I was at leiapadme's place and we were watching the recorded episodes, when it would cut out a line it was kinda funny because all of us would come out with the line it missed.

[Reply #26 on:]

In AOI2 - The Prof's line below is cut.

Fry: Hey, I know that monkey, his name is Donkey.
Professor Farnsworth: Monkeys aren't donkeys. Quit messing with my head!

Bummer.  I like that line.

But I hope syndication will reach legions of new fans and clinch more seasons.   Oh yes, rich creamy seasons.   

[Reply #27 on:]

I wonder if Fox does this with other shows. Comedy Central seems to be rushed all the time. Some episodes start on weird margins.

[Reply #28 on:]

So I was just watching Cryonic Woman (hello UnrealLegend's avy) and they changed the career chip from Bender's human arm from Prime Minister of Norway to Chainsaw Juggler. Lol wtf..

[Reply #29 on:]

Heh, did Ipgee still welcome him aboard?

[Reply #30 on:]

So I was just watching Cryonic Woman (hello UnrealLegend's avy) and they changed the career chip from Bender's human arm from Prime Minister of Norway to Chainsaw Juggler. Lol wtf..

I read on the Infosphere it's because the Prime Minister of Norway recently died. Dunno how recent, but some may still find it offensive.

[Reply #31 on:]

If people find that offensive, then they shouldn't be watching the show.

And I believe he did, Tedward! They cut out a lot of good lines from that episode. Like the part about the skater kid's girlfriend lording it over Michelle with her fancy coyote hide...and that 2 second delay after Fry says "Oh, so it's a little safer than skateboarding" and he closes his mouth, and smiles briefly, and closes it again. It's the little stuff like that that makes the show great and pisses me off when they cut it for time

[Reply #32 on:]

Ah, here, Randi...

After the 2011 Norway attacks, in some syndicated re-runs of the episode, the career chip of the severed arm which Bender has scanned displays "Chainsaw Juggler" instead of "Prime Minister of Norway".

[Reply #33 on:]

That's ridiculous.   Political Correctness run amok.   Thank Zombie Jesus I have them all on DVD.

[Reply #34 on:]

I noticed one awhile ago in "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid" where the crew is getting all excited about the stupid things they're going to do and Bender yells;

"Hey everybody, let's go join the Reform Party!"

Which they changed to:

"Hey everybody, let's go join the Tea Party!"

I don't understand the point of "updating" jokes like this to make them seem more current. Some of the best jokes from old Simpsons episodes are even funnier because they're dated and make you remember something funny from when the episode was new.

[Reply #35 on:]

They used to change touchy stuff like that on Simpsons too, but updating lines? Yeah, I don't get that. The Reform Party even still exists!

Cuts I grudgingly get, but George Lucasing the old eps is kinda sad.

[Reply #36 on:]

That's okay, we'll hold onto our dusty old DVD collections, and claim that the new high-definition 3D re-re-re-releases of classic Futurama episodes are totally inferior to their original form. We'll be able to bitch constantly about how Bender shot first, and it was supposed to be Nixon's head in the jar, not George W Bush.

[Reply #37 on:]

I almost never watch Futurama on TV, so I haven't noticed many changes.

But when Bender's Big Score was on TV a few years ago I noticed that a few lines were changed or missing. 

[Reply #38 on:]

So I was just watching Cryonic Woman (hello UnrealLegend's avy) and they changed the career chip from Bender's human arm from Prime Minister of Norway to Chainsaw Juggler. Lol wtf..

Just watched it on Comedy Central on Comcast and it still had "Prime Minister of Norway".  What channel was it airing on in your area?

[Reply #39 on:]

I noticed the magic marker penis line and Amy's orgy line (when she has the costume on) were missing from Rebirth and In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela, but that was because it was on before 8pm...