007 Thanksgiving hack-a-thon on Sci-Fi channel

On Thanksgiving Day, the Sci-Fi Channel was the latest U.S. cable network to feature a James Bond marathon. Sci-Fi showed Pierce Brosnan’s first three efforts, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World Is Not Enough. The problem: Sci-Fi apparently thought it should treat the Bond movies like a Thanksgiving turkey and cut them up.

Had Eon Productions Big Kahuna Michael G. Wilson been watching Tomorrow Never Dies on Sci-Fi he’d have no doubt been disappointed. The scene with villain Elliott Carver having a video conference with various confederates was hacked out entirely. So much for MGW’s biggest Bond appearance.

Even worse was what Sci Fi did to The World is Not Enough, Desmond Llewelyn’s farewell to the series. In the middle of Llewelyn’s final scene, Sci Fi cut away just after John Cleese “demonstrates” a gadget. A viewer would miss the touching finale to the scene, which begins with Brosnan/Bond asking, “You’re not retiring anytime soon — are you?”

And, of course, we won’t even talk about what they did to the end titles. Echh.