Barrowman's Gay Sex Scene Cut by BBC

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

July 20 2011 3:30 PM EST

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Though it aired in the U.S., the BBC chopped a gay sex scene on Torchwood from U.K. broadcasts.

The scene, involving a romp between a bisexual alien-hunter (played by gay actor John Barrowman) and a hot bartender, was cut because it was too explicit, not because it was gay, according to BBC insiders. The scene already aired on the U.S. cable network Starz.

An anonymous show source backed up that claim, saying, "You can get away with scenes like that on American cable channels, but you can't on prime-time BBC1."

Britain's Metro, which reported the story, had an unfortunate use of words in its lead: "BBC bosses decided to cut the scene -- which was set to feature bisexual Captain Jack Harkness (John) enjoying a rendezvous with a hunky barman, and due to be broadcast just 20 minutes after the 9 p.m. watershed -- as well as another gruesome part of the show because the channel feared a backlash from viewers."

It's unclear whether Metro believed the sex scene was gruesome.