Desperate Housewives has not received quite the reception in China that it debuted to in the United States after broadcasters cut some of the sex and violence before airing the show on state-run television.

Hong Kong's The Standard noted that a direct reference to male genitalia was changed to a euphemism while some of the show's double entendres were left untranslated. Last year, the Chinese government banned foreign programs that promote "Western ideology and politics" or featured excessive crime and violence.

Carolyn So, a Hong Kong-based marketing coordinator for Buena Vista International Television, said that the Chinese broadcasters made the final edits to Crazy Housewives, as it is called there, to make it conform to their regulations. The Chinese-dubbed version of the show first aired Monday on CCTV8 with a schedule that would broadcast the entire first season in a week with three shows each night.

CCTV softened some of the language in translation. A dining room table sex scene was excised from the Monday night broadcast, though pirated DVDs of the English-language original episodes remain widely available in several Chinese cities.

"It made me laugh, but it was also embarrassing to watch...there was too much sex," complained 49-year-old Liu Zhichao

However, 23-year-old Meng Juan thought the show would be a hit with audiences her age. "I think a lot of young Chinese people will like this show," she said. "I can't guess what's going to happen like I can with Chinese television serials."

The original article is here.

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