EDITS
Topic: Erections
On DVD: In drama class, Spinner (Shane Kippel) has to act out a scene with Paige (Lauren Collins); he gets an erection in front of everyone. We can see the cause of Spinner's embarrassment before he runs out of the room. Paige's response: "That is why no one should ever wear track pants."
On the N: The visual has been edited out; we only see the faces of the laughing kids and a grimacing Spinner. Ms. Lindman: "Thinking about the N specifically, as well as U.S. broadcast standards, even through clothing, erect penises are things you do not see on basic cable or broadcast television."
Topic: Drugs
On DVD: In the Season 1 finale, Ashley (Melissa McIntyre) gives a party and takes Ecstasy; instead of spreading the happy, she alienates everyone. "Guys, where are you going?" she says to an emptying room. "Come on, it's a party!" But not until the fourth episode of Season 2 does she fully suffer the friendless consequences of her bad behavior.
On the N: The drug-taking and drug-fallout episodes were shown as a pair during Season 2. "We felt that the episode didn't really show enough negative consequences for her actions," Ms. Lindman said. "We chose always to air those two episodes together, so if you saw Ashley taking Ecstasy, you would automatically see the consequences of her decision." They were also sandwiched between public service announcements about drugs. "Those were to talk specifically about some of the dangers of drug use that we felt the episode didn't really get into," she said. Daniel Clark, who plays Sean, delivered the anti-Ecstasy warnings.
Topic: Date Rape
On DVD: In a two-part episode, an older soccer player from another school brings Paige upstairs during a party. She likes him, but she's uncomfortable, and asks him to "take it slow." Instead, he takes out a condom. She says no. He pushes her down, and begins sexually assaulting her. The camera goes to the window. Paige can be heard protesting: "I said no. Stop. Please. Dean, get off me. Stop, please. No."
On the N: The channel held the episodes until later in the season, when they could be shown with an episode in which Paige decides to press charges. The rape itself was edited so that Paige's pleading was lessened. "We made the decision editorially that you got the point of what was going on without necessarily having it drag out for quite so long," Ms. Lindman said.
Topic: Child Abuse
On DVD: In a two-part episode, Craig (Jake Epstein) is attacked by his psychopath father, who hits him, throws him against shelves and onto the floor and kicks him four times. Later, a despondent Craig plays chicken with an oncoming train and is almost run over.
On the N: The kicking is not shown. "It was kind of like the date rape one," Ms. Lindman said. "We felt that you could get the point that he was being badly physically abused by his father without the extended scene that Epitome had shot of that abuse." Later on the train tracks, Craig's near suicide is omitted. "We felt that was potentially imitatable behavior," Ms. Lindman said.
719. BROKEN WINGS
