Putin scenes cut

Russian TV has cut an episode of South Park that portrayed Vladimir Putin as a desperate leader of a bankrupt nation.

The 2X2 channel dropped scenes from last week’s showing of the 2005 episode Free Willzyx, in which the schoolboys call the Prime Minister to try to see if he will launch a whale into space.

The cartoon Putin becomes exciting at the much-needed money it will bring, before finding out the boys – who call Russia a ‘Third World’ country – cannot raise the $20million needed.

Channel spokesman Andrei Andreyev confirmed the scene was cut, but would not tell reporters from the Associated Press news agency why.

Russia's broadcast regulator, Rosskomnadzor, insisted they ‘never interfered wit ediptiral decisions’.

But the Kremlin does have a record of clamping down on anti-Putin material; forcing the satirical puppet show Kukly off air in 2002for lampooning the leader.

And last year prosecutors warned that by airing the South Park episode Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics, 2X2 promoted religious hatred – although that warning was overturned by a Russian court.

Here is the scene cut from last week’s show:

Published: 14 Jul 2009