“The Big Bang Theory” is no stranger to removed scenes. In fact, one of the pilot episode’s scenes aged so badly that it was removed from syndication by creator Chuck Lorre. Still, while the CBS sitcom isn’t generally known for its adults only content, it does know how to play naughty on occasion. In fact, one particular scene of the show got a little too frisky for British advertisers, and as a result, it was removed from the UK version of the episode in question (via The Mirror).
The scene takes place in “The Big Bang Theory” season 10, episode 7, titled “The Veracity Elasticity.” It shows Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) in BDSM gear, with the former chained to a St. Andrew’s Cross. The shirtless Leonard is wearing a leather harness and a collar, while Penny is decked in a corset with a somewhat revealing neckline and a fetish cap. The costumes are quite far removed from the show’s usual fare of Green Lantern shirts and peculiar turtlenecks, and while the whole thing is played for laughs, the carnal implications of this sequence are quite clear.
As such, while the scene isn’t going to fool anyone into thinking that the show has suddenly started exploring a radically different genre, it’s not all that strange that some UK advertisers — who, after all, were unlikely to expect such moments in the usually very family-friendly sitcom — started clearing their throats and raising their index fingers as soon as they noticed. As a result of this, the BDSM scene had to be cut away from the UK version of “The Veracity Elasticity.”
A Big Bang Theory dream sequence that ended up on the cutting room floor
One reason why the scene was likely so easy to remove from the episode is that it’s a dream sequence. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) spends much of the episode struggling with the concept of leaving his longtime bedroom behind as he’s moving out of the apartment, and grows seriously concerned when he realizes that the rest of the gang are planning to repurpose the room.
The scene is Sheldon’s worries manifested. He wakes up in the middle of the night to check out the bedroom, only to hear techno music playing. When he opens the door and enters, he sees Leonard and Penny in the aforementioned scenario and the whole room has been turned into a red-lit adult playground complete with brick walls, human-sized cages, and assorted BDSM paraphernalia. When a panicked Sheldon inquires about the situation, the pair gleefully greet him and inform him that the room has been turned into a sex dungeon. Cue Sheldon waking up screaming.
Considering the show’s usual tone, the dungeon scene’s removal from the UK version of “The Veracity Elasticity” is hardly on par with the absurd censorship of “The Big Lebowski” for TV or China banning “Back to the Future” for supposed subversive messaging. Regardless, British fans may have found it confusing to find the show’s flow abruptly lurching forward due to the removal.
“The Big Bang Theory” is currently streaming on Max.
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