It’s been over a year since China’s favorite comedy show The Big Bang Theory was banned from broadcast to the bitter disappointment of Chinese viewers. But as of July 22, Big Bang will be back.

The Big Bang Theory has become the first show to be approved under new regulations that heavily restrict the broadcast of Western television shows. Sohu Video has again snatched up the sole broadcasting rights to what had been their most popular show.

The Big Bang Theory had been a smash hit among Chinese viewers, racking up 1.3 billion hits on Sohu. The show was so popular that Sohu paid to bring actor Johnny Galecki to China for a national promotional tour.

That was until last September, when the State Committee on Films and Broadcast Media, (formerly known as SARFT), issued strict restrictions that required every imported show to be registered and approved for public broadcast resulting in a number of Western programs being cancelled. Following the ban however, the show continued to be newsworthy in China and remained immensely popular.

There has never been an official explanation as to why The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, NCIS, and The Practice were banned. However, SARFT has said that some of these shows failed to be approved due to content that “hurt the nation’s honor and interests, and encourage teenagers to break laws and spread violence, eroticism, gambling and terrorism”.

One criticism of the new regulation is that since shows must be submitted for review as a complete season, the process may take up to half a year to complete, thus encouraging piracy among viewers who don’t want to wait.

Although Chinese viewers were happy to see the return of The Big Bang Theory, according to netizens, the SAFRT initiative to restrict Western shows has been largely ineffective:

But we’ve already watched it.

What use is the censored version? Anyways, I’ve already watched the original version.

Praise be to great Sohu! (Although I’ve already watched it).

You’ve finally arrived! It’s so fortunate that I never gave up on you!

I’m not going to watch it! I’m not going to help support the system that puts you under restriction! It’s fine if you’re able to control things yourself!!!

Did you really think we’d wait until the show had been reviewed and verified before we watch it?

It’s too late. I’ve already switched to 2 Broke Girls.

It has always puzzled me: Why does Masters of Sex continue to be broadcast, but The Big Bang Theory gets pulled from the airwaves?

Have we been waiting for the official Chinese online version? Hee hee! SARFT, you’ve got to be kidding yourselves.

What a pity. I’ve kept up with the show’s US broadcast and have already finished watching it!

The Big Bang Theory should never have been prohibited from broadcast. I don’t know what kind of defect or problem the people who broadcast shows in China are suffering from.

After being pulled from broadcast, the show’s executive producer, Chuck Lorre, expressed his objection to the ban. After a number of sarcastic remarks, Lorre said, “The overlords of 1.3 billion people are afraid of our sitcom. Exactly what we were going for!” We don’t know if Lorre will revise his statement now that his show is back on the air, but we’re sure that newly reviewed and approved The Big Bang Theory won’t have any more dialog like this:

Sheldon:
They called it the greatest thing since the Communist party. Although I’m pretty sure the Communist party made them say that. I like China. See, they know how to keep people in line.