"In Some Ways, You and I Are Very Different Edits"

It is often the case that there will not be one definitive version of a television show. The episode might change between broadcasts; maybe there was a complaint about the content, leading the powers to be to edit out the offending material, or even change it completely. This is obviously more common in animated shows where it's easier to change the content, and The Simpsons is an obvious example.

The DVD Companion at The Simpsons Archive is a good, uh, companion for this sort of thing. But here's the interesting thing, and the point of this article: in the UK, America's favourite family is broadcast on two different channels. Sky 1 has been the digital broadcaster since 1990, whilst the terrestrial channel of choice was the BBC from 1997 until 2004, and then Channel 4 from 2004 to the present day. And sometimes, when there are two different versions of an episode, the digital and terrestrial broadcaster will be given different copies!

Here's a list of all the known cases of that happening.

7F06 Bart the Daredevil
7F14 Bart's Dog Gets an 'F'
As per the DVD Companion, when these episodes were first shown in the US they were heavily edited so the "Do the Bartman" and "Deep, Deep Trouble" music videos could be shown in the half-hour timeslot. Sky used to show these edited versions; I'm not sure exactly when they received the uncut copies, but they did at some point. Curiously, their copy of "Daredevil" included the Bartman music video, but their version of "Bart's Dog" didn't have the one for "Trouble"! The BBC and Channel 4 have always shown the full-length, unedited versions (minus any censorship cuts they made themselves, of course).

NB: The Archive doesn't have a list of cuts made to produce the short US version of "Bart's Dog", but you can see them here.

8F07 Saturdays of Thunder
This is similar to the above - the original broadcast was heavily cut so Fox could air the music video for Michael Jackson's "Black and White" when it was first shown. (The full story is MUCH more complicated than that, and it's well worth reading its entry on the DVD Companion to find out about it.) Again, Sky originally showed the abridged version but switched over to the 'uncut' one at some point; the BBC and C4 always used the latter (again, barring their own cuts).

2F02 Sideshow Bob Roberts
The original US broadcast of this episode had a clouds-to-driveway opening. The US repeat substituted a unique title sequence that goes from the clouds directly to the television (also seen on the DVD). I can confirm with the evidence of my own eyes that the BBC and Channel 4 both use(d) this ultra-short opening; I don't know which version Sky had, or has. However, it appears that Sky's premiere of this episode was inbetween the US premiere and repeat, so it would be very interesting to know which opening it had when it first aired!

3F07 Marge Be Not Proud
The censors at Fox took issue with Don Brodka's line about a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose, and it was never heard on their channel (although it did appear in US syndication and in Canada). Sky's version was also missing the line at first (it may have been reinstated since), although it's not clear if their copy was one edited by Fox and already missing the line, or if it did initially have the line but they took issue with it themselves. This cut was not made by the BBC or Channel 4, in any event.

4F12 The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
There are two different couch gags for this episode. The first is the Sergeant Pepper's parody one, and the second is the Flintstones one (but with the Sergeant Pepper's audio). It is believed that the Flintstones one was a change made for the episode's US network repeat (because with this episode, the show surpassed the Flintstones' record of 166 episodes) - this is not confirmed, but it fits with all the information we know.

Sky definitely used to, and possibly still do, air the copy with the Flintstones couch gag. (Similar to "Sideshow Bob Roberts" above, their premiere was before the episode was repeated in the US, so which version was used for its UK debut would be of particular interest.) However, I believe the terrestrial channels use the Sergeant Pepper's gag - meaning Sky were given a copy of the second Fox broadcast, but the BBC and C4 were given the first broadcast (if true). Confirmation of which copies are currently in UK circulation, as well as which copy the BBC used to have, would be welcome. (A US viewer who happened to catch the Fox repeat and can definitively say which couch gag was used there would also be nice, but I'm not holding my breath.)

BABF21 Treehouse of Horror XI
Here's a curious one. When Channel 4 first premiered this episode, they used a version in which the "THE SIMPSONS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL XI" title card and the "Created by / developed by" credit screens had both been blanked out. This is believed to be something done for overseas broadcasts so foreign-language broadcasters can put their own translations in, although quite how C4 ended up with this copy I've no idea. (Confirmation of if they still use this version would be welcomed.)

DABF14 The Sweetest Apu
This episode had a chalkboard gag that was spliced into a 'direct-to-driveway' title sequence at the last minute ("I WILL NEVER LIE ABOUT BEING CANCELLED AGAIN", in reference to a 'controversy' where Matt Groening was quoted in a British tabloid claiming they were getting close to winding the show up). The version on the Complete Thirteenth Season DVD is unfortunately missing this. Channel 4's copy is also lacking it (I do not know about Sky), but curiously has (or had, on its first airing) the music and SFX for the version with the chalkboard gag playing over it!

As you can see, this list is still very much a work in progress. Here's a list of episodes with multiple US versions (check the DVD Companion for more information about the changes) where I'd like more information with regards to their BBC, Channel 4 and Sky broadcasts - please leave a comment if you know about any of these (or even an episode I've missed out):

The Telltale Head - extra dialogue, "lynch mobs" line (I see some evidence that Sky had the version with all of Bart's dialogue but missing the "lynch mobs" line, and the BBC had the other version that cuts out some of Bart's dialogue but has the "lynch mobs" line, but don't wish to jump to conclusions)
The War of the Simpsons - extra scene used in third US broadcast
Homer Defined - "butt/ass"
Lisa's Pony - version of Golden Slumbers used
Lisa the Greek - Super Bowl teams and venues used
Marge Gets a Job - Tourette's or rabies line used
Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily - Wicker basket from 'Pier 1' or 'Trader Pete's' (NB: Sky's premiere of this episode was before it had been repeated in the US with the replacement line, so it would be good to know which version it used then as well as what it used after the line changed in the US)
Team Homer - name on Homer's Oscar (NB: The changed Oscar was only seen in syndication in the US. This would suggest that all three UK channels have the Haing S. Ngor version, but I would like to know for sure - I have a theory that the changed Oscar with Don Ameche's name replacing Ngor was a change to the master tape that never got broadcast on Fox.)
The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace - version of Homer's "damn it" line (NB: This is another case of the episode airing in the US with the original line, premiering in the UK, then being repeated in the US with the changed line - info on Sky's original airing wanted again)
When You Dish Upon a Star - 'butt.com' or 'butt.butt' in chalkboard gag
Viva Ned Flanders - version of Homer's line about Marge's birthday (NB: This line was only changed because it caused a controversy on its first US repeat. Sky first aired this before that repeat, so it MUST have used the original line - did they change to the replacement line?)
Sunday, Cruddy Sunday - version of the Catholic Church line (NB: I have seen some suggestion that Sky had the edited 'church' line at some point and the terrestrial channels always had the full 'Catholic church' line, but would like to get this backed up by a reliable source before adding a section about it above)
Mom and Pop Art - hostages scene included or not
Treehouse of Horror X - version of 'fog lights' line
Saddlesore Galactica - version of The Distance used
Behind the Laughter - state the Simpsons are said to be from
New Kids on the Blecch - 'chinaman' or 'chinese'
Smart and Smarter - Simon Cowell's dialogue over credits used or not
Don't Fear the Roofer - Homer and Ray's dialogue over credits used or not
Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife - live-action opening or not, reanimated final scene
Rome-old and Juli-eh - scene in original US broadcast which was reanimated for repeats
Stop or My Dog Will Shoot - Rudy Giuliani scene present or not
Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind - version of Day after Day used
The Squirt and the Whale - two different chalkboard gags, one referencing South Park controversy
What to Expect When Bart's Expecting - two different chalkboard gags; as the original US one doesn't make sense if you don't know who Matt Lauer is, an alternative was provided for other countries

If an episode with known multiple versions isn't on this list, it's because I am reasonably sure or certain that Channel 4, Sky and the BBC if necessary all used the same copy (for example "Springfield Up!", which had to be shortened for its original US broadcast but C4 and Sky both used the full-length version). If you think I've missed something then please let me know.