When it was announced that the BBC would be cutting a gay sex scene from Torchwood, there was a mini uproar with echoes of homophobia being thrown around. However, the BBC defended itself by saying:
The UK and US versions of Torchwood are slightly different. However, these differences do not change the story in any way and the strong storylines are first and foremost to the series.
A couple of days later, it has emerged that the scene has not been cut but edited slightly:
For episode three of Torchwood, as part of the usual discussions between broadcasters and the production company, small potential edits in two intercutting scenes of gay and straight sex were discussed and made by production. This minimal edit makes little difference to the episode to be broadcast in the UK. Both scenes remain but run a few seconds shorter than the US version. In a later episode, a sequence of gay sex is important to the story and therefore both the US and UK will show the same version.
So has the BBC buckled to pressure? Or was it simply a little bit of misunderstanding?
So, the scene has been cut, and I bet I know which couple of seconds it was… can you?
Update (2025) – The original video is no longer available, so I have updated it with the scenes below. There is no sound, but I don’t think it’s required; you get the picture.
UK Version
After rewatching the scene, it appears that the UK version has had a bigger edit and removed the scene completely.
US version
So what are your thoughts after seeing the full scene? Should the BBC have edited the scene? Or was it okay as it was?
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Agree totally with the reply above.
I dread to think what the 7 seconds of scene was that the BBC cut. There is so much of our British TV that I don’t watch anymore due to sometimes what is blatant pornography. The Torchwood sex scene was one of them.
I am certainly not homophobic. I haven’t brought my girls or my Granddaughters up to be homophobic, but my 18 year old G/D said to her Mother (my daughter) last night, “don’t let Jess (15) watch the recording of torchwood this week, or if you do make sure you are ready to speed it up for a few minutes” she then explained why. She also added that even though she was in the room on her own at the time, it even embarrased her.
Barryman is quoted as saying that the scene is important to the story. What absolute rubbish. Panning away on sex scenes gives the impression of intimacy far more than watching a naked couple romp. Our TV now is de-sensitising us to violence and what should be love making.
Quite honestly I think the Torchwood scene will have an adverse affect and has done a lot of harm regarding getting people to accept homosexuality as normal.
The morals of this country has been going further down hill as the years go past. Kids are violent, love making is now just sex, and morality will soon be a thing of the past. One can still be accepting of peoples choice of sexuality and moral at the same time. Sadly our television shows do not put this point over.