Bette Midler

I am watching the Bette Midler ep right now in syndication. George runs BM over at the plate but he does not touch the plate and the umpire called George safe. The other team could have got the ball and tagged him out.

Paul Valenti

Sein999999 wrote:

Not if the umpire had already called George safe. Of course, he shouldn't have made a call at all, as the play was incomplete. He should have waited until George either touched the plate or the defensive team had gotten the ball and tagged him, and then called George safe or out. Once he called George safe, though, the play was over. It wouldn't have done them any good to get the ball and tag George.

I was never satisfied with how that was played up too. It's just so blatant that George checks Midler like a hockey player would check another guy into the board.

A more believable stunt would have been to have him slide feet fist hitting Bette's legs so she loses her balance and falls on her face. Then there would be more amiguosity as to wheter George intentionally hurt her or whether it was an accident (of course it was an accident on the real show, but a mean accident at that).

Also, how come the catcher and the umpire wear helmets and protective gear but the hitter does not? I think it's like the law or something that hitters have to wear helmets. Even in softball you wouldn't want to take a ball to the head.

-Chad'z

another thing: did anyone notice that Jerry sounded like he had a nasal cold the entire episode? I kept waiting for him to hack up phlemgm every two seconds.

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<SNIP> Yes, from the more recent showings of "The Understudy" it does look like that George ramming of Bette was "accidental". However, that version has some scenes edited from the original broadcast (which I just happen to have recorded for my Bette archives). While most of those cut scenes involve Krammer's interactions with Bette Midler, there was one scene at the softball game that seems to set-up what was to come. In it, George goes up to Jerry on the pitchers mound, complaining about her batting stance at home plate. George then goes on to suggest that Jerry deliberately fire a pitch directly at Bette in the hopes of injuring her, a move that he (wisely) rejects.

If one takes this (as well as the hostility Bette and George were shown having towards each other) into acccount, it makes the ramming look much less like an "accident". The twist, though, is that even though Jerry had no part in George's act, because his girlfriend benefited from Bette's injury he was implicated as well.

Carl

Contributing to a discussion of "The Understudy," Carl added: <<<< However, that version has some scenes edited from the original broadcast (which I just happen to have recorded for my Bette archives).>>>>>

A guy with "Bette archives"? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

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[email] wrote:

Right, that was done for the dramatic effect of having the audience know that Jerry did not intentionally hurt Bette or have her hurt. It showed us he was not a Galoolly (however it is spelled?)

Again, misunderstood but blamed for the act.

Carl:

on the pitchers mound, complaining about her batting stance at home plate. George then goes on to suggest that Jerry deliberately fire a pitch directly at Bette in the hopes of injuring her, a move that he (wisely) >rejects. Carl

Damn! You mean I missed some scenes. Cynthia is getting mad. I loved the scenes between the 2 of them ( I am a huge Bette fan too). Which ones were cut out? CAn you describe what we missed who only saw the syndicated version?

Cynth

Raining900 wrote in message news:[email]...

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As I had mentioned in my Usenet post, four scenes from original broadcast of "The Understudy" are not present in the syndicated version of the same show. I had mentioned the first cut (where George suggested that Jerry aim a pitch directly at Bette); these are the other three:

1. Cut #2 involves Kramer's search for a pineapple Italian ice for Bette Midler. Its original placement was between the scene at home plate where George mocks her film "Beaches" and the song "Wind Beneath My Wings"while she was at bat, and the scene in the restaurant where George's father tells Elaine about his affair with a Korean woman. The scene occurs just outside Central Park, and it has him going to three sidewalk vendors in short order, without success. Considering how far inside the park the softball game seems to be, it appears that he has covered quite a distance.

2. As it is now, the end of the first scene involving Bette and Kramer in her hospital room has her smiling after he gives her a complement. Originally, after that moment Kramer offers to manicure Bette's nails for her. It ends while he is filing one of her nails and talking about "The Price is Right" host Bob Barker, while she is skimming through a magazine.

3. The fourth cut occurred after Kramer prevented George, Jerry, and Genese (sp?) from seeing Bette in her hospital room so they could apologize for the other day's "incident" (George mentioned that they were going to see hospital security to get in, but considering what happened earlier with the cab driver, they likely got thrown out of the building <GRIN>). The scene that originally followed has him back in her room, where he begins to get nervous about that confrontation. Kramer then decides to take her to the one place he felt was safe; after which he is shown rolling Bette and her bed out of the room, much to her chagrin. This was apparently meant to set-up the final scene of the show (right after the credits), where Jerry is about to enter the door to his apartment, and is momentarily halts when he hears Kramer and Bette singing from the apartment across from him.

By the way, I believe that the scene on the pitcher's mound where George talks to Jerry about Bette was cut from NBC's rebroadcast of that episode, but I am not totally sure about this.

Carl

Thanks for all this description of what we missed. Just makes me all the more furious that they cut up all these works of art. Now THAT's something Jerry should have insisted on in allowing syndication (or is that up to NBC). I mean if artistic values are so important to him, why not insist on the full, uncut show? Cynthia (still pissed off that he allowed no spin offs.)

What is a syndicated version. Here in the UK we only get the real thing - late but without adverts. 5 years late.

After a show has been on the air for a long time, it is "syndicated". That means any TV station can buy the series and show the reruns whenever they want. A syndicated show can run on a different network and different time than the "official" broadcast. Syndicated shows can also run even after the show is off the air. For example, Seinfeld's official airing in the USA was at 9:00 Eastern time on Thursday nights on the NBC network. Even though it is now off the air, it is still shown in syndication on different networks 5 or 6 days a week, at varying times, usually during the evening or late at night.

-Jen

Why is watching TV so complicated in the USA. Mind you we got a fifth channel last year - Channel 5. The one before that was Channel 4. We pride ourselves in our imagination. It is also worth noting that Seinfeld is never shown before 11pm on terestrial TV, on BBC2. Should that be Channel 2... Ms. K wrote in message ...

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