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E.T. on UK Television
- Thread starter Vincent S
- Start date
Heal the World
New member
There's no way it was shown on tv in 83 because (for some strange reason) it didn't come out on video for about 5-6 years after it was released.
I have no idea when it first premiered on t.v or whatever though. - I just know it wasn't shown at least until 89-90.
I have no idea when it first premiered on t.v or whatever though. - I just know it wasn't shown at least until 89-90.
SCVroker7253
New member
Christmas Day 1990 on BBC1, if memory serves.
I only remember because I was away from home that Christmas and fell asleep just when it started!
I only remember because I was away from home that Christmas and fell asleep just when it started!
here to go
New member
According to IMDB, it says Video was released in 1996. Strange, if true, as the film was released in 1982
Yes that is correct. ET did indeed receive its tv premiere on Christmas Day 1990. It was quite a big deal at the time as it was actually the world television premiere. I think the USA were shpwing it on the same day but because they are five to eight hours behind the UK were first to show it.
Sweethunai
New member
Thanks very much for all the responses folks, I found it hard to believe that she had seen it at that time. I can only assume that it was some kind of tv show with clips of the movie (she was at her frienRAB and it was on in the background whilst they chatted).
!!Confused!!
New member
That date is wrong.
ET first became officially available on video around the same time as the first tv broadcast.
The BBC sought and received approval from Spielberg over the 3 edits they wanted to make to the film for the daytime broadcast.
Spielberg preferred the film with the edits and I believe at least 2 of them were incrporated into his 2002 bodgeup version.
He also prefers the heavily cut UK censored version of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom although thankfully he's not fiddled with that and the UK remains the only country to never have seen the complete version since it appeared 25 years ago
ET first became officially available on video around the same time as the first tv broadcast.
The BBC sought and received approval from Spielberg over the 3 edits they wanted to make to the film for the daytime broadcast.
Spielberg preferred the film with the edits and I believe at least 2 of them were incrporated into his 2002 bodgeup version.
He also prefers the heavily cut UK censored version of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom although thankfully he's not fiddled with that and the UK remains the only country to never have seen the complete version since it appeared 25 years ago
Go right to the bottom of the page for details of the cuts
http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=4155
Here's the details:
Cuts to a close-up of a heart being ripped from the chest and the subsequent self healing of the chest wound.
- The deletion of the line "Leave him alone you bastarRAB" when the Chinese kid is about to be whipped.
- Deletion of the Chinese Kid burning a guard's stomach with a flaming torch (and hence discovering an ability to heal).
- The sequence in which a Sacrifice Victim is being lowered into the fiery pit has been shortened and set to different music.
- Cut to the first 1s or 2s from the shot of his fall in order to delete the image of his head hitting the side of the cliff.
- The American decision to rate the film PG caused huge controversy in the US at the time. In fact, the controversy over the PG rating (which was seen by many as the MPAA caving in to Spielberg and corporate pressure) was largely responsible for the introduction of the PG-13 certificate.
- In the UK today, the UNCUT Version would now be considered as 12 or even 12/15 borderline. The PG version is still considered to be one of the stronger PGs ever certificated by the BBFC and has generated more complaints than most over the years.
http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=4155
Here's the details:
Cuts to a close-up of a heart being ripped from the chest and the subsequent self healing of the chest wound.
- The deletion of the line "Leave him alone you bastarRAB" when the Chinese kid is about to be whipped.
- Deletion of the Chinese Kid burning a guard's stomach with a flaming torch (and hence discovering an ability to heal).
- The sequence in which a Sacrifice Victim is being lowered into the fiery pit has been shortened and set to different music.
- Cut to the first 1s or 2s from the shot of his fall in order to delete the image of his head hitting the side of the cliff.
- The American decision to rate the film PG caused huge controversy in the US at the time. In fact, the controversy over the PG rating (which was seen by many as the MPAA caving in to Spielberg and corporate pressure) was largely responsible for the introduction of the PG-13 certificate.
- In the UK today, the UNCUT Version would now be considered as 12 or even 12/15 borderline. The PG version is still considered to be one of the stronger PGs ever certificated by the BBFC and has generated more complaints than most over the years.
One woman wrote to Entertainment Weekly complaining that Jurassic Park (a PG-13) should've been rated R. Maybe that's why most of the bits with dinosaurs killing humans happen off-screen (Samuel L. Jackson and Wayne Knight) or with the image blocked (Bob Peck) - plus when the lawyer gets eaten (the only time a human is killed onscreen in the whole movie) it's still slightly obscured by rain.
suave_house1983
New member
Why did it take so long for movies to make their way to TV sets in those days? Or was it simply because it was ET? But I dont remember blockbusters like Jurassic Park or Titanic taking so long.
ET was very much a special case. It was actually released on video in the UK in 1990 after Universal had sold the TV rights to the BBC. I suppose they thought they needed to make their money quickly, so the premiere wasn't quite the event the BBC expected it to be.
The time spent for premieres to reach TV varied a lot in the "olden" days. I remember Batman being shown on christmas day 1991. Now that was fast! It only came out in the summer of 89. The use of the BBC1 ident was cool as well, see link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFaahwwzhw4
The time spent for premieres to reach TV varied a lot in the "olden" days. I remember Batman being shown on christmas day 1991. Now that was fast! It only came out in the summer of 89. The use of the BBC1 ident was cool as well, see link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFaahwwzhw4
This is Me <3
New member
Pfft, from that to this... look at ET now... being splashed all over ITV 2's schedule whever it has to give The Mummy tapes a rest before they completely melt. How times change!
Mrs. Rocchi
New member
IN the early days of tv there was a rule that said films needed to be 10 years old before they appeared on tv.
By the 70's it was 5 years then in the 80's it became 3 years.
The explosion of movie availability via Sky Movies from 1989 and a bit earlier via movies on video for a tenner changed the entire lanRABcape of films and how we saw them.
Prestige films often took a while to appear on tv.
The Bond films were 13 years old before they got a tv broadcast .
Gone with The Wind was nearly 40 years old and The Sound of Music was at least 10 years old before they appeared on tv.
These days the only films that still get restricted access are the Star Wars films and the classic Disney films like Snow White etc.
The Disney films never get shown on tv and the SW movies are let out every so often .
Even though they are readily available on dvd this restricted screening practice somehow allows the films to maintain a kind of prestige status .
Blockbusters like Jurassic Park etc get shown so often they are almost throwaway films because you know they will appear again very soon somewhere
By the 70's it was 5 years then in the 80's it became 3 years.
The explosion of movie availability via Sky Movies from 1989 and a bit earlier via movies on video for a tenner changed the entire lanRABcape of films and how we saw them.
Prestige films often took a while to appear on tv.
The Bond films were 13 years old before they got a tv broadcast .
Gone with The Wind was nearly 40 years old and The Sound of Music was at least 10 years old before they appeared on tv.
These days the only films that still get restricted access are the Star Wars films and the classic Disney films like Snow White etc.
The Disney films never get shown on tv and the SW movies are let out every so often .
Even though they are readily available on dvd this restricted screening practice somehow allows the films to maintain a kind of prestige status .
Blockbusters like Jurassic Park etc get shown so often they are almost throwaway films because you know they will appear again very soon somewhere
Thanks, thats very interesting.
From Wikipedia:
Films not yet televised
As of 2008, there are still three classic Disney films that have never been shown on television at all in their entirety. They are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, and Song of the South. Though it has been re-released to U.S. theatres several times,[9], and the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and Tar Baby segments have been shown on television, Song of the South has never been released on VHS or an authorized DVD in the U.S., due to the company's unease over the portrayal of Uncle Remus, a key black character in the film. No reason has been given for the withholding of the other two films for telecast. Several segments of Fantasia have been shown on television on the Disney TV program, notably The Sorcerer's Apprentice, as well as the uncensored Pastoral Symphony, but never the entire film from start to finish. And as with Fantasia, several segments of Snow White have also been shown on television, but never the whole film.
I seem to remember Aristocrats on Five only getting a premiere several weeks back too.
From Wikipedia:
Films not yet televised
As of 2008, there are still three classic Disney films that have never been shown on television at all in their entirety. They are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, and Song of the South. Though it has been re-released to U.S. theatres several times,[9], and the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and Tar Baby segments have been shown on television, Song of the South has never been released on VHS or an authorized DVD in the U.S., due to the company's unease over the portrayal of Uncle Remus, a key black character in the film. No reason has been given for the withholding of the other two films for telecast. Several segments of Fantasia have been shown on television on the Disney TV program, notably The Sorcerer's Apprentice, as well as the uncensored Pastoral Symphony, but never the entire film from start to finish. And as with Fantasia, several segments of Snow White have also been shown on television, but never the whole film.
I seem to remember Aristocrats on Five only getting a premiere several weeks back too.