Cleavage Furore

Episode 2 of the lavish historical drama The First Empress, which serialises the rise of Wu Zetian in the Tang dynasty, was pulled at the last minute, much to the annoyance of its legion of fans. The saga is produced by and stars Fan Bingbing, who has made Hollywood movies. The BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai found before and after footage of the censors' hatchet job. And yes, the cleavages have been edited out (CLICK). No chance of selling Strictly Come Dancing to the Chinese, Auntie. See the trailer and weep. The lavish sets and costumes put the Beeb's efforts to shame.