Hello Endeavourists and welcome to new post. Once again someone at PBS has sharpened their knife and aimed it episodes of Endeavour. Like Norman Bates stabbing Marion Crane the editor’s knife is plunged in with no thought to the effect it will have on their subject.
I have been made aware that three scenes were excised form the episode in the USA; a scene at the very top of the episode with Bright and another involving Endeavour and Max and a third involving Dorothea Frazil.
The scene with Bright I believe was crucial in setting not only the tone of the episode but of the series. It allowed the viewer to understand the humiliation and downfall of Chief Superintendent Reginald Bright. Without it many scenes in the episode and in later episodes will not make sense and the context will be lost.
The second scene with Max and Endeavour is maybe not as important as the Bright scene but it is interesting in allowing us the viewer to see Max outside his usual environment of the morgue or dealing with dead bodies. The scene added a different dimension to Max and also the conversation is interesting and humorous. The scene in the British version was split in two with a scene with Fred and Ronnie Box so I have included that for extra context.
The third scene involves a press conference attended by Ms Frazil. This scene is important only in that it showed Ms Frazil and showed that Ronnie and not Fred is the officer asked to take part in such matters. It also showed how much Bright has been sidelined. I have included some of the Endeavour/Strange scene that preceded the press conference to give context to the press conference within the episode.
If anyone notices any others let me know and I will add them to this post. Enjoy.
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Thank you sooooo much, Chris, for posting these edited scenes for those of us across-the-pond!! That ‘commercial’ with Bright, and especially the ending with a darn pelican, was really rather heartbreaking to see the Chief Superintendent reduced to that. I am sure it was very humiliating for the supremely proud man that Bright is. And, as you said, showed starkly how far he had fallen from the last we had seen him (before the break-up of the team, of course). And, such a lovely scene with Max & Endeavour!! It was especially bittersweet to me when Max quipped, “Well, something has to be lovely” when Morse was admiring Max’s home setting in the midst of discussing missing children & murder. As the years go forward (in the series), towards the time that we all knew the older Morse (and Max & Strange), it saddens me to see how they all ended up — embittered, soured on life and just plain curmudgeonly each & every one of them! Also, sad to see Thursday’s family life rather shattered (especially with his daughter) and even he & Winn not having the warm closeness that they had at the beginning of the series. Dang, I’ve kinda depressed myself — shows how real these ‘characters’ have become to me! Again, thank you so very much for sharing this with us, Chris!! Obviously, those who make the decision on what to cut, have no idea of the meaning/context those scenes have to the entire series!! Now I’m gonna go watch the scenes with Endeavour & Max a couple more times!!!
I love your comments. Just the way I am feeling.
What I think is more telling is that the whole station was reduced to such poverty and reassignment, which I think now that I’ve seen the latest episodes, was an attempt to throw the brilliant team off the scent of the drug ring that killed Fancy.
The UK version of Endeavour 6 runs 480 minutes.
The US version of Endeavour 6 runs 360 minutes.
The US version is 120 minutes shorter than the UK version.
Figures taken from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
That can’t be quite right. 360 minutes is six hours. 120 minutes is two hours. 480 minutes is 8 hours.
Oh, ok, I see what you are saying. For all four episodes together. That now makes sense. Knew I was missing something.
Last night (21 June2019) I watched the Amazon Prime version of PYLON. It was advertised as being 123 minutes in length and it was. The Frazil press conference was included but 3 other scenes hereafter identified were not. The “missing scene” idea was new to me but it turns out it’s been around for quite awhile. In the IDMb comments section I found the following posted June 29, 2013 by a “Humble Mozart-Devotee’: “PBS edits 10-15 minutes out of each episode that they show on “Masterpiece Mystery. I am hésitent to purchase any version of “Endeavor Series 1 that does not say ‘Original UK Edition’ on the front of the DVD. Beware! You sure don’t want to buy the edited versions! These programs are so fabulous, There isn’t a single gratuitous instant in them that isn’t required to fully understand the story. Caveat emptor!”
That said, I did manage to find a PBS DVD of Endeavor Series 1 that was marked “Masterpiece Mystery Full UK.-Length Edition. (I bought it mainly because it was the only place I could find the original pilot episode.)
Like Winniegustafson, who wrote on March 2, 2019, “I hate it when they edit scenes . . . “ And now I’m wondering what I’ve been missing all these years. 😕
Here’s what I think I’ve noticed. If you buy the series from Amazon prime AFTER they’ve been broadcast on regular TV, when Amazon has them on offer awhile later, they are not edited. I did that last year and compared the Amazon ones with the PBS Masterpiece ones and found deleted scenes which Chris then posted. Now I’ve just checked Series One which I have in my Amazon library and the episode starts with the story right at the beginning and there are no commercials besides the opening credits. The episode runs 88 minutes. The same is true with the DVD of series 6 I bought from ITV – story begins immediately and runs 88 1/2 minutes taking into consideration the DVD set up. Confusing and frustrating! I think I will buy the DVD of Series 7 from ITV to be sure, if there is one.
Booo, they really cut out important storytelling bits! I’m only getting them from chance references in he commentaries, thank goodness for those!
The press conference scene is intact in the PBS version of PYLON.
But not for all parts of the US it would seem, Sheldon. I’m just going by what American friends have told me. It appears that some states get the complete episode and other US States don’t. All very strange.
Well, that’s just bizarre. Maybe I’m losing my mind and the others aren’t, eh wot ?
Confirming my PBS broadcast included the Frazil press conference scene; curious to know how some regions did not. More upsetting the very first Bright Pelican scene was taken out (Why?!?) and the Morse/Max scene. All Max scenes are priceless.
I’m wondering whether there is an actual “PBS version of PYLON” here across the pond.
I watched PYLON on WJCT in Jacksonville, Florida and “missing” Scenes 2 and 3 were included. One was not?
Thanks Chris once again. I think at least most of the press conference we saw. The garden scene was delightful but could be considered a bonus. But the scene with Bright and the Pelican is crucial on many levels. Can’t imagine how they left it out.
The other thing that zipped by really fast was the poster with Colin on it. To me at least unless I missed something it just flicked on the screen and then off again.
One more excised scene, Chris – the Mick Haynes (bus driver) interview by Morse, which I found fairly crucial for Morse finding the shortcut the girl took from the bookmobile to her home. Why else would he be wandering in that specific area? I made an earlier comment under a different email address but I didn’t see it posted. Hope this comment gets posted.
He interviewed the bus driver?
If you read Chris’ review of the ITV broadcast, he includes an outtake photo of the actors in that scene. Unlucky for the actor playing Mick Haynes if he’s trying to get an American SAG card – if the scene is cut, I don’t think it qualifies (unless he already has his card, then my point is moot).
Thanks Edwina, I will add that to a new post about missing scenes.
The bus driver scene was included in the one Jacksonville, Florida PBS channel I watched.
Upon reflection, it was pledge week here and perhaps they just omitted the opening Pelican scene because they wanted the time to plead.
Gah! It seems regional PBS stations has discretion on the edits, which makes it really frustrating. Who, then, is the final arbiter? I wonder if PBS negotiated with ITV in advance as to which scenes per episode can be edited out per their broadcasting needs. Hmmm…
As with Series 5 I’ve noticed that the scenes most often cut are ones involving more interpersonal scenes especially with Max. Some were most dramatic as between Fred and Win. I’ve a mind to write to PBS because I’m sure this is done with other British shows that I watch, i.e., Grantchester! Not that it would change anything but just to let them know that someone, who could be a donor, is displeased.
I was very disappointed that the screenplay had Thursday disgrace himself in beating severely, judging by the injury to his right hand, the formerly convicted “perv” with the camera at the playground who appeared in only one scene.at the police station. Once again, he struck another character towards the end of the episode. I appreciated the running theme of this latest series in showing how the former station crew has been demeaned and disrespected, except it seems with Strange who has retained a higher position than the rest. But for Thursday to stoop to the tactics and bullying of Box is truly an aspect of Thursday we haven’t seen inn the earlier seasons.
I’m in the USA, and I’ve always purchased the Endeavour Blu-rays, not only because of the best HD quality, but especially because the PBS versions are always cut by several minutes, whereas the Blu-ray contains the original UK length versions. UNTIL NOW. The Season 6 Blu-ray contains the shortened PBS versions on the disc too! Same thing with the Amazon Video. If you look at the length of those for Seasons 1 through 5 it’s always the full approximately 90 minutes. But for Season 6 it’s only 83 minutes. It seems there’s no way for us to get the full versions here. Very disappointing.
Chris, the secne between Endeavour and Joan where she calls him a prick is really good and I think necessary to understand what is going on between them. Could you post that and also the way they presented the last episode, Deguello was horrendous. You don’t know if Max is ok…you don’t really get a true sense of the ending or closure
Here in the states PBS cuts all the episodes down to 123-124 minutes
Hi Lucinda. That scene was in the Apollo episode. It can be found here, https://morseandlewisandendeavour.com/2019/06/25/scenes-missing-from-the-us-version-of-the-endeavour-episode-apollo-series-6-episode-2-plus-musical-differences/
I don’t think there is much we can do about PBS edits. But does anyone know the best entity to complain to about edited versions being put on home video or streaming versions you pay for? No good reason those should be edited at all. Just laziness on their part.