MovieChat Forums > Chicago Hope (1994) Discussion > Discovery Health edits grumbling

Discovery Health edits grumbling

posted 21 years ago by tonytower
12 replies | jump to latest

(apologies in advance for nerdishness)

Darned Discovery Health.

I started rerecording CHICAGO HOPE last week on my DVDR to replace my old off-network VHSes. Quality will be MUCH better newly off-broadcast than from dubbing down EP VHS recordings from 199whatever.

However, once I edited out commercials, the Discovery Health versions seemed mighty short. The pilot wasn't too bad (42-43 minutes), but the second episode was 39! I figured a few minutes here and there wouldn't matter - besides, maybe it was time-compressed.

For laughs I started running my new DH record against my old CBS one - Episode Nine, where Camille drops the heart in surgery and, traumatized, ends up sleeping with Nyland. The two versions stayed in sync throughout the whole first act I watched, and through most of the second. However, when the show went to commercial at the end of that act, it went one scene early. When I came back from commercial, the DH record was two or three scenes (approximately 6 minutes) further into the show than it should have been. . .

And they entirely cut Camille waking up next to Nyland!

Oooookay. That's annoying. Especially since it's a plot point in the next episode, "The Quarantine." (also the best writing David E Kelley's ever done, IMO). Annoying.

Hmmmm. What to do? Before I can decide, I notice something odd about the DH version. It continues with the rest of the episode - including the scene when Adam Arkin remarks to Roxanne Hart that she "smells like sex." Well, in the CBS version, he's saying that with good reason. She'd just had sex. In this botched edit?

CAN YOU SAY NON-SEQUITER, YOU AD-SHOVELING HACKS?!?!?

>grumble<

So now I have to decide between lousy-looking, albeit complete episodes, or crisp nice-looking version of shows where the continuity editors were, apparently, monkeys.

I wouldn't care so much about the post-Mandy Patinkin episodes. I was just gonna keep clips from those anyway.

If they just put out an unedited Season One box set, I'll buy it and shut up. Until then...

>grumble<

[–] deb360 21 years ago

I had the same complaints when Lifetime was showing the reruns. There were scenes and pieces of dialogue I remembered from when it was on CBS and the Lifetime version had cut them out. Some were several minutes at the end of an episode. Probably for the same reason--more commercial time.

Yes, let's have the show on DVD with the full episodes (with lots of added features!). It should've been out long before now. I wonder what's holding it up.

deb

www.petermacnicolonline.com

[–] krazy_yankee 20 years ago

I have notice they have removed the teaser section as well. I was watching the episode where Laurie as for a divorce, that whole opening scene was missing. I too decided I had wanted to re-record the show but have given up since had been too condense for my taste

If life were only moments, then you'd never know you had one.

[–] IanDSmith 20 years ago

I just watched the wonderful musical episode again for the first time in years and was disappointed to see Christine Lahti's performance miming 'Walk Like A Man' was excised. I'll just have to wait for the day that this (along with every other David E. Kelley creation) comes to DVD.

[–] leob 20 years ago

In addition to editing, they seem to skip episodes. Holiday-related reordering aside, the episodes 99 and 103 were not shown and it is unclear if they will ever be shown.

[–] jennys1983 20 years ago

I'm not sure how much is being cut out of the ITV3 reruns, as the last time I saw the episodes was when they were originally shown on BBC1 after being first broadcast in America, but I do know from episode guides on websites that ITV3 are showing some out of sequence and missing some out completely.

It's really, really, *really* frustrating...

I didn't know er and CH started at the same time, mainly as I've never paid any attention to er, but I did like the references to it, like Aaron saying people have told him he looks like George Clooney and Billy saying he doesn't know who that is, and of course the advert for the hospital!

I tried watching er last year but it just couldn't hold my attention, but I'm hooked on CH and even miss it on weekends when they don't show it!

Roll on the DVD releases, pretty please...?

J

[–] CH300 20 years ago

I started watching Chicago Hope when Discovery Health Channel started showing it. (I came in really late, I think I missed the first 3 or 4 seasons) Now after reading about their "editing", I've started to suspect that scenes that I've never seen are missing. As an example, in Grey Matters, when Gina asks Aaron why he doesn't want anyone to know about them he says that he told her already. When? Was this a scene that was cut by DHC, or did it not exist and only a refferance is made ? Plus in some other episodes it seems like they cut the storylines a little short leaving an almost cliffhanger ending.
I won't know untill it comes out on DVD and I can watch it commercial free. :D

By the way, how tall is Adam Arkin ?

[–] jennys1983 20 years ago

I seem to remember reading he was 5'9", but since it isn't anywhere on imdb, maybe I just dreamed it.

[–] sheikh-yabooty 20 years ago

omg i'm sooo addicted to watching this on ITV3

i used to watch it on bbc but they stopped at the end of season 4, so yday and today were brand new episodes!
how excited am i waaahhhhhhh!!

but yeah, they are really badly editing stuff, plus they completely took out the episodes with the shooting at keiths sons school, tho they showed him buying a gun for protection in ydays ep. would be confusing if u didn;t know about the missing eps!

am dying for a dvd release!
we can get ally mcbeal here (to the person who said earlier) but even stuff like ER is quite far behind in release, so i doubt we will ever get a CH release. tho they did release series 1 of quantum leap last year, and how long ago was that on??!

btw is it wrong that i find Dr Shutt completely hot! and nice body on dennis today *drools* more topless scenes please!

[–] magicpowers 20 years ago

Shutt is HOT HOT HOT

Only users lose drugs

[–] sheikh-yabooty 20 years ago

he so is *swoon* and when he was half naked in bed with camile the other day, i nearly died and went to heaven!

Phillip: What's wrong with Jeffrey?
Aaron: He's having his period.

[–] dcfan_philfan 14 years ago

I hear ya on the Discovery H. editing...I recently started downloading all the seasons of CH after seeing Seasons 1 & 2 on Hulu & in one of the season one episodes there was a scene where Jeffrey was showering after surgery & it had a very nice & tasteful shot of him from the side (naked of course but it didn't show anything below the hips)...It was one of those "cold shower needed STAT" type scenes & on the downloads from Discovery H. they cut that scene out completely..I can't remember what the name of the episode was, but it went along with a scene where Jeffrey was angry with Camille b/c he saw her out on a date with another doctor (I think)

Anyway, I was soo disappointed, that was one of my fav scenes LOL

Kris

PS: If anyone wants the link to where I download CH, shoot me a PM

[–] 14 years ago

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