Alien and Aliens TV Versions

[rockox]

Are there any fans of the original television broadcasts of Alien and Aliens here? I've been looking for them for years and haven't had any luck tracking them down. Does anyone know if we can view these anywhere, either online or on DVD?

Alien aired on ABC in 1984, with cuts made for violence and language. I saw this version enough times growing up that I'm still often surprised at what we see and hear in the theatrical cut.

TV intro: https://youtu.be/38nygqDOyV0?si=ArDyUNnw_hCApQZK

Aliens aired on CBS in 1989 as a 3-hour presentation, which famously was the first time the public saw any of the deleted footage which we'd eventually see in the Special Edition. This version also contained some cuts for violence and some hilariously bad overdubs for language.

TV intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5EJr3rb9Y

Apologies if this has been brought up before. I didn't see a topic for it.

[Acid_Reign161]

Are there any fans of the original television broadcasts of Alien and Aliens here? I've been looking for them for years and haven't had any luck tracking them down. Does anyone know if we can view these anywhere, either online or on DVD?

Alien aired on ABC in 1984, with cuts made for violence and language. I saw this version enough times growing up that I'm still often surprised at what we see and hear in the theatrical cut.

TV intro: https://youtu.be/38nygqDOyV0?si=ArDyUNnw_hCApQZK

Aliens aired on CBS in 1989 as a 3-hour presentation, which famously was the first time the public saw any of the deleted footage which we'd eventually see in the Special Edition. This version also contained some cuts for violence and some hilariously bad overdubs for language.

TV intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5EJr3rb9Y

Apologies if this has been brought up before. I didn't see a topic for it.

I have several TV broadcasts of Alien, Aliens and Alien 3, both USA and UK broadcasts with original commercials (I'll check once I'm home to see which ones I have)

One I'm missing that I'm looking to find was the first broadcast of Aliens I saw from UK tv back in the early 90s (the version I viewed repeatedly that got me into the franchise)- it was sponsored by Lady Lilets, had the marines (badly) dubbed for language (ie; "I say we grease this rat FAT son of a bitch right now!") and alternate music cues (or music from soundtrack in alternate scenes) to cover certain sound effects - in example, when Bishop is ripped apart by the queen, instead of the music you'd expect, the music from when Ripley drives the APC into the Hive was used (to cover the gargling sound)- the same music was used to cover Hudson's "mother f**ker" during the gunfight in operations. Also, an additional music cue from the soundtrack was used as the door opens behind Burke before he was attacked by a xeno (same cue that became background music in a level from the SNES alien 3 game).

EDIT; whilst this post is only concerning Alien movies, I'm also looking to find the ITV movie premiere of 'Predator 2' (sponsored by Diet Coke if I remember correctly?) from the Tyne Tees region that had technical difficulties every time the Predator showed up (and an apology in the mid-movie 10 o'clock news for it) 😂

[rockox]

I don't recall bits of the soundtrack being used to cover up sound effects or dialogue, but admittedly that was before I got into the soundtracks, so I likely just didn't notice. Super interesting, though.

I remember the "rat FAT son of a bitch" line from the CBS version, along with other gems like "we're in some real pretty STUFF now, man" and "we just got our BUTTS kicked, pal." And then lots of small removals like GOD from goddamn, OFF from jerkoff, SH*T from bullsh*t, that sort of thing.

[Whiskeybrewer]

I remember them just dropping the voice when Hudson was shooting all the Aliens in control, so it was just Gunfire and music

[BlueMarsalis79]

I actually genuinely prefer the CBS cut to all others of Aliens, censorship aside.

[SM]

Pretty sure I have broadcast versions of Alien and Aliens (SE) on VHS. They just cut f-bombs really. No violence cut from what I can recall. The only swear they missed was Drake's 'motherf**kers' just before his gun runs out. It was masked mostly by the gunfire.

I have a VCD version of Alien 3 where the Singapore censors cut out any mfs and the shot of all the blood going everywhere when Murphy gets diced.

[Wweyland]

Estonia showed a TV version since the 90ties, but it was the regular theatrical version, with subtitles (pretty well translated), and lots of commercials. No cuts otherwise, and even showed the full credits until the facehugger/egg opening sound.

[Acid_Reign161]

Estonia showed a TV version since the 90ties, but it was the regular theatrical version, with subtitles (pretty well translated), and lots of commercials. No cuts otherwise, and even showed the full credits until the facehugger/egg opening sound.

Now that's an interesting one! As the facehugger sound was only added for the special edition, and was never in the theatrical cut credits. 😃 I always find it interesting when TV stations have little bits like this; 'Dawn of the Dead' (1978) was a prime example - the BBC in the UK showed the Cannes film festival cut (listed as 'The Directors Cut') on two occasions with one or two edits.. but at the end credits, on the final "gong" of the mall clock, they had a little price of animation of the bald glowing (pulsating radioactively) zombie head from the poster, rising like the dawn. This animation was used in the early teaser trailers and TV spots, but was never in the film, the final "gong" is always usually a black screen.

So yeah, love that they added the facehugger sound! 😃

[Wweyland]

Estonia showed a TV version since the 90ties, but it was the regular theatrical version, with subtitles (pretty well translated), and lots of commercials. No cuts otherwise, and even showed the full credits until the facehugger/egg opening sound.

Now that's an interesting one! As the facehugger sound was only added for the special edition, and was never in the theatrical cut credits. 😃 I always find it interesting when TV stations have little bits like this; 'Dawn of the Dead' (1978) was a prime example - the BBC in the UK showed the Cannes film festival cut (listed as 'The Directors Cut') on two occasions with one or two edits.. but at the end credits, on the final "gong" of the mall clock, they had a little price of animation of the bald glowing (pulsating radioactively) zombie head from the poster, rising like the dawn. This animation was used in the early teaser trailers and TV spots, but was never in the film, the final "gong" is always usually a black screen.

So yeah, love that they added the facehugger sound! 😃

I would like to think I don't misremember this, but I had that TV version on VHS and remember "scrolling" specifically for that sound.

[SM]

I would swear up and down that I've seen a broadcast version where they correct the jump cut for Ash's head but alas have no proof.

[Wweyland]

I mentioned previously that the TV version had no cuts, but of course, it was the "fullscreen" Pan and Scan version, so the edges were cut.

[Acid_Reign161]

Finally got around to digging into the archive to see which TV broadcasts I have (and got a lovely surprise that 2 I was looking for I actually have and didn't even know! 😂 )

Anyway, here is the list:

Alien:

ABC US TV premiere 03-25-1984 WOC (same colour grading as Magnetic Video)

ABC US 01-21-1988 WOC (revised colour grading)

ITV UK TV 1984 WOC (air date unknown)

Aliens:

CBS broadcast version (KOIN CBS Portland, OR 03-14-1989) WOC

ITV WOC (air date unknown, but this is the version I was seeking, dubbed for language and featuring alternate soundtrack! It wasn't sponsored by Lilettes as the version I first saw, but is the exact same edit, so this is pre-1992)

Alien 3:
ITV (air date unknown, but it's early- suspect 1994ish) heavily edited and dubbed for language.

Predator:

UK TV WOC (air date unknown)

Predator 2:

ITV Movie Premiere UK (this is the version I was looking for (sponsored by Diet Coke) but interestingly, it doesn't have the 'technical difficulties' as I saw it as that night with the apologies in the mid movie news round, which means those problems were exclusive to the ITV tyne tees region)

The movies I have no air date for I can determine from the commercials/advert breaks and news broadcasts at beginning/end of recordings, I'll work those out later) 😊