In the BBC's defence though, they probably showed the version of the OMWF episode that was cut in the States when it was repeated.

And the BBC on a late Friday night always shows uncut versions of Buffy episodes (which is more than Sky do) so I wouldn't be suprised if the full version was shown tonight.

Simon | December 20, 16:04 CET

It did actually seem that the BBC had cut quite a bit more and really disrupted the flow of the plot.

It seems that the decision to show the short version was because of a mis-communication between the Cult team and the Acquisitions team at the BBC. It seems to have been sorted and the fuller version will be on the late night repeat. (amazing how they managed to 'buy' the longer ep in less than 24 hours... Not that I'm being a cynic or anything!)

Mara | December 20, 19:45 CET

It ain't censorship if they're just editing for time... it's just editing. It's only censorship if they're editing for content.

jsnell | December 21, 00:02 CET

Well, they definitely have edited episodes for content in the past. In 4x10 - Hush for example, a couple of funny but I guess potentially "offensive" hand-gestures were edited out...

milov | December 21, 02:08 CET

All back in with the 12.55am Friday repeat, as you'd expect. I do know that the BBC's policy is always to edit 'Buffy' strictly for content, and not for time. (And they do show the 16x9 HDTV version, which is nice.) But I bet Mara's right, and they bought in the syndicated early-evening repeat from the US rather than doing the cuts in-house.

(And I don't see it as censorship, either: it's not so much 'editing for time' as 'editing for the 6.45pm time-slot', which is less heinous, IMO, than cutting just to fit the schedules.)

holgate | December 21, 07:30 CET

Uhm... There were offensive hand gestures in "Hush"? ..OH! When tied up Spike gave the british equivalent of the finger to Xander. I'd forgotten about that! LOL! Yeah I guess that would be taken more seriously in the UK. Funny how here in the states we can't see someone's middle finger without it getting fuzzied out, but the british equivalent is ignored by U.S. censors. Is it exactly the opposite in England, or does the middle finger get censored as well?

Anyway, in OMWF there was absolutely nothing offensive. In fact the full version is in my opinion some of the best work ever to come out of Mutant Enemy. Some find it corny, but I personally can't find a flaw. It's a brilliant sendup to all of twentieth century western music. From stage musicals and burlesque which were popular in the first half of this century, to the many genres of poprock of the latter half, Once More With Feeling looks back on everything which preceded it with affection. I do hope the UK populous gets a chance to see it in the way in which it was intended, and accepts it like a well-intentioned holiday card from the other side of the pond.

ZachsMind | December 21, 07:39 CET

When tied up Spike gave the british equivalent of the finger to Xander

Don't remember if they actually did cut that one... I was thinking about a particular gesture Anya showed Xander (grossing out Giles and Spike), as well as Buffy's ambiguous "staking-motion" during Giles' slideshow. Both weren't in the BBC broadcast.

milov | December 21, 14:57 CET

It wasn't just Spike giving hand signals to Xander.

Anya invited Xander to do the more literal and enjoyable interpretation of Spike's gesture with her.

ironclad | December 21, 14:59 CET

Why hasn't anyone mentioned that Spike's hand signal was in the opening title sequence for over a season -- and in the 6.45pm showing no less.

Saw the extended 'Once More...' last night. What a magical piece of television. Anyone (and I mean people I actually know) who has the audacity to say that 'Charmed' is better should be made to sit down and watch that episode over and over.

Not picking, but how was Sweet able to use 'The Bronze' as his base of operations? Is this a night club without a management? Why wasn't someone there trying to open it? And why didn't Xander get more than a few bermused glances for summoning the demon when said demon had caused a few deaths by spontanious combustion ... are the Scoodies suddenly above the law? Or should I be tuning next time?

feelinglistless | December 21, 19:31 CET

You have to suspend belief----it explains why people suddenly and spontaniously burst into song, in musicals (like the Sound of Music or Singing in the Rain, which always confused me as a child), so why worry about a few crispy bits of extras? ;)

The Lady Pele | December 21, 20:20 CET

I suppose because in the past, although obviously the series demands that suspension, it has still made a good fist of keeping its own continuity -- actions had consequences of sorts. In the earlier parts of the series, The Bronze was still a very public place -- last night it was just a set. Its use last night seems to be part of an ongoing trend towards the erosion of Sunnydale from being a normal place were demons live in the underground to a demon infested nightmare were humans have misfortune to live.

feelinglistless | December 21, 21:55 CET