Home Alone 2's shocking omission: UK viewers outraged as iconic electrocution scene zapped from festive broadcast
1:03 PM EST, December 27, 2023
"Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" are two beloved Christmas films traditionally aired by television stations annually during the festive season.
The love for "Home Alone" crosses borders. Despite the ever-growing list of new Christmas films yearly, viewers remain loyal to "Home Alone". Some enthusiasts even know the movie by heart and can instantly detect changes made by the broadcaster.
In the UK, ITV aired the second part of Kevin McCallister's adventure, portrayed by Macaulay Culkin, on Christmas Eve, but with a critical scene omitted. This missing scene involved the villain Marv, played by Daniel Stern, stumbling onto a trap set by Kevin in the deserted house. Marv gets electrocuted, and for a short while, a scorched skeleton appears on the screen.
Online users quickly noticed this humorous moment's absence. Criticisms poured in on the platform (formerly Twitter): "What the hell, ITV? Cutting out the funniest scene from 'Home Alone 2', where Marv gets electrocuted down to his skeleton?", "I thought I was dreaming when I noticed it was missing. I don't understand why it wasn't shown", "Seriously, if ITV thinks it's too early to showcase the film's best gags for two hours, then they shouldn't bother airing it at all".
ITV has yet to respond to viewer complaints or explain their perceived censorship of this holiday classic. Interestingly, a similar incident occurred a few years ago when Canada removed a cameo by Donald Trump from the same film while he was running for the U.S. presidency.