Uncut Version To Be Screened (Press, 23 August 1982)

John Mortimer's play "A Voyage Round My Father," which previously had a lesbian scene cut for its television airing in New Zealand, is set to be rescreened in its entirety. The announcement was made by the director general of Television New Zealand (TVNZ), Mr A. W. Martin, who indicated that the uncut version would likely be shown in the summer television season. He expressed that after viewing the play in full, he believed the original cuts were not entirely justified. Mortimer, the English playwright, strongly condemned the decision to censor the scene, which featured two women kissing while fully dressed, stressing that it was vital for the audience’s comprehension of the play. In his defence of the appraisers at TVNZ, Mr Martin acknowledged that they face challenging decisions regarding public taste and decency, noting he had not seen the edited version prior to its airing, and that materials were only brought to him when the appraisers felt uncertain. The cuts to Mortimer’s play occurred around the same time the corporation upheld a complaint regarding a homosexual scene in another production titled "Facing the Sun," which was found to violate the Broadcasting Act's taste and decency standards. Mr Martin asserted there was no inconsistency in deciding to allow the rescreening of Mortimer's play, claiming that the earlier play presented a more explicit portrayal of a homosexual encounter. In the previous year, TVNZ appraisers reviewed 5,834 programmes, censoring 96 for unacceptable language, 151 for violence, 74 for weapon portrayal, and 47 for sexual content, with six programmes being completely rejected. Opposition Labour’s shadow minister for broadcasting, Mr J. L. Hunt, denounced the cuts made by the Broadcasting Corporation to notable television productions as "cultural vandalism." Hunt specifically cited the censored scenes from British series "Brideshead Revisited" and "A Voyage Round My Father," arguing that the director general should intervene to restore the original content. He referred to "Brideshead Revisited" as a significant cultural work of considerable artistic merit and asserted that viewers should be trusted to form their own judgements on such productions. Additionally, Hunt criticized those advocating for the cuts as "narrow-minded" and accused TVNZ of yielding to a puritanical minority. He called for the corporation to stand firm against this "lunatic fringe." In defending the original cuts, Mr Fabian, head of programme standards, claimed the kissing scene would have left audiences with an unpleasant impression, expressing surprise at the desire among some viewers to witness such content on television. Mortimer subsequently wrote to New Zealand newspapers, arguing that the excisions undermined crucial elements of his play.

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