This might be faulty memory kicking in here, but I’m vaguely remembering that the Sci-Fi Channel (pre-SyFy days, pre-Battlestar Galactica reboot) used to intermittently show the original versions in rare marathons, post Special Editions. I can’t verify that though, and I really might be remembering it incorrectly, but I think it happened?

I also believe the Special Editions were still being shown at some outlets even after the 2004 DVDs had come out. Now, of course, everything is the 2011 blu-ray versions, but for awhile there I vaguely remember it being kind of a crapshoot as to which version you were going to be watching if you caught it on television with the commercial breaks and everything. Was it the SE’s? Was it the DVDs? The only real consistency was that no matter who was showing it, they were definitely cropping it, whether it was to 4x3, or 16x9.