Crocodile Dundee: Britain’s Channel 5 airs heavily edited, ‘woke’ version of classic Aussie movie

TV viewers have voiced their anger after key scenes deemed to be politically incorrect were cut from the classic Aussie movie Crocodile Dundee.

British television viewers have voiced their anger after a heavily edited version of the iconic Australian movie Crocodile Dundee aired in the UK and removed some of the best-known scenes.

The 1986 hit movie starring Paul Hogan, who plays Mick the crocodile poacher and Linda Kozlowski as journalist Sue Charlton, aired on Channel 5 on Boxing Day but nearly 40 years on after its release much of the movie has been edited out.

Paul Hogan in the 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee.

Viewers rushed to social media platform X to post their fury at the movie being severely cut to remove what some may argue are politically incorrect scenes, with one viewer venting: “How to ruin a film … Crocodile Dundee on @channel5_tv is unwatchable due to editing.

“Half the scenes make no sense. Bloody awful woke crap”.

One of the film’s most well-known scenes, involving a transgender woman named Gwendoline, was removed.

While another viewer posted: “On a slightly different note, saw Crocodile Dundee over Christmas and so much was edited out (all the funny bits) it was almost not worth watching”.

Among other scenes viewers complained about being edited out of the film that aired at 5.15pm local time included Gwendoline, who is transgender, in a New York bar that Crocodile Dundee approaches and then subsequently grabs in the groin area.

Another scene in which Crocodile Dundee asks driver Gus about his heritage was cut.

One viewer wrote on X: “We watched Crocodile Dundee and they cut the entire scene where he figures out the lady in the bar is very special … Totally cut out!!”

We watched crocodile Dundee and they cut the entire scene where he figures out the lady in the bar is very special... Totally cut out!!

— Rikirikiroo 🐭⛅❤️ (@rikirikiroo) December 28, 2024

Another scene which focuses on race when Mick asks the limousine driver Gus about his heritage and if he’s part of an Indigenous tribe was also scrapped and viewers complained.

Hey @channel5_tv you should be embarrassing at the cutting of Crocodile Dundee. All the best bits were missing!

— Project Universal 🙂🎢 (@ProUniversalUK) December 26, 2024

Crocodile Dundee was made on a budget of $10 million and was aimed to appeal to an American audience but its success took off and it went on to become a worldwide hit.

In 1986 it was the highest-grossing film of all time in Australia and there were two versions of the film, an Australian version and an international version.

While it was a box office smash it did attract complaints by some critics over its portrayal of Australians as being rough around the edges.

Just last week the crocodile that starred in the movie, Burt, a 5.1 metre, 700kg crocodile died while at Crocosaurus Cove, an aquarium and exhibition space in Darwin.

It was estimated the crocodile was more than 90 years old.

On Crocosaurus Cove’s Facebook page a message was posted that read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Burt, the iconic Saltwater crocodile and start of the Australian basic Crocodile Dundee.

“Burt became one of the most recognised crocodiles in the world”.

Originally published as Crocodile Dundee: Britain’s Channel 5 airs heavily edited, ‘woke’ version of classic Aussie movie