Ab Fab on Blu? (1 Viewer)

[darkrock17]

Why hasn't this iconic series gotten the blu treatment yet? I know there are some British series that can't be converted to this format, but I would easily think that this one could though. I mean who wouldn't want to see Eddie and Patsy in glorious HD?

 

[Malcolm R]

There's a feature film coming out this month. If there's no tie-in with the later video release of that film, there's likely no chance.

 

[B-ROLL]

Why hasn't this iconic series gotten the blu treatment yet? I know there are some British series that can't be converted to this format, but I would easily think that this one could though. I mean who wouldn't want to see Eddie and Patsy in glorious HD?

from WikiPedia
Original network BBC2 (series 1)
BBC One (series 2 onwards)
Picture format 576i (4:3 SDTV)
(1992–96)
576i (16:9 SDTV)
(2001–04)
16:9 (1080i HDTV)
(2011–12)
Audio format Stereo
(1992–2005)
Dolby Digital 5.1
(2011–12)

(only the newer stuff 2001 + might be worth putting on Bluray unless to save space for the earlier ones )

 

[darkrock17]

There's a feature film coming out this month. If there's no tie-in with the later video release of that film, there's likely no chance.

I'm surprised that WB didn't do a tie-in re-release to begin with. I mean who doesn't want a $15 voucher off to see the film?

(only the newer stuff 2001 + might be worth putting on Bluray unless to save space for the earlier ones )

There's a lot of other series that are 4:3 on blu already, so I don't see why not this one.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm surprised that WB didn't do a tie-in re-release to begin with. I mean who doesn't want a $15 voucher off to see the film?

I get the impression it's not going to be a wide theatrical release, so it may not have been worth the marketing expense.

Maybe later they can include the movie in a box set marketed as the latest "absolutely everything" AbFab set.

 

[darkrock17]

I get the impression it's not going to be a wide theatrical release, so it may not have been worth the marketing expense.

Maybe later they can include the movie in a box set marketed as the latest "absolutely everything" AbFab set.

The movie already doing well in the UK, the US/Canada doesn't get it until July 22nd. I was thinking the film might get added along with the series, but the film is being distributed by Fox and WB has the distribution for the series, so they'd have to come some agreement to do that.

 

[B-ROLL]

The movie already doing well in the UK, the US/Canada doesn't get it until July 22nd. I was thinking the film might get added along with the series, but the film is being distributed by Fox and WB has the distribution for the series, so they'd have to come some agreement to do that.

Other than the Tonys I haven't seen any ads for it ...

 

[BobO'Link]

There's a lot of other series that are 4:3 on blu already, so I don't see why not this one.

Most likely because it was produced primarily on video tape and wouldn't benefit from a transfer to BR, even though later seasons *were* produced in WS although in SD.

Other 4:3 series that *have* seen BR releases were produced on film. For example, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone (except for a few experimental episodes shot on tape), Star Trek: TOS and TNG, and The X Files were all shot on film. While it was shot on film, TNG was posted on video tape which is why it saw a significant delay for a BR release. They had to go back and reprocess all the visual effects for BR as well as re-edit the series - a major undertaking.

 

[classicmovieguy]

The first three series (or seasons) were probably done on videotape and those would not look as optimal on Blu-ray.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Most likely because it was produced primarily on video tape and wouldn't benefit from a transfer to BR, even though later seasons *were* produced in WS although in SD.

Other 4:3 series that *have* seen BR releases were produced on film. For example, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone (except for a few experimental episodes shot on tape), Star Trek: TOS and TNG, and The X Files were all shot on film. While it was shot on film, TNG was posted on video tape which is why it saw a significant delay for a BR release. They had to go back and reprocess all the visual effects for BR as well as re-edit the series - a major undertaking.

A couple of other 4:3 series that were produced on film and have seen Blu-ray releases are THE HONEYMOONERS: CLASSIC 39 EPISODES and the BATMAN '66 TV series.

I'm afraid others are correct in stating that the AB FAB's simply aren't worth an HD upgrade due to the relatively low native resolution of all but the most recent (Post 2010) series.

Sadly, too many series from the '70s to the '00s (Pre HD era!) that were shot on video suffer the same fate! MR. BEAN is another series that was finished in the SD format (At 576i), although some sequences were quite obviously filmed initially! Even assuming whatever raw film from that series might still be extant, my assumption is it isn't likely considered worth upgrading the "Whole Bean" to HD for!

CHEERS!

 

[David Rain]

If Ab Fab was primarily (or totally) produced on videotape then you're not getting a blu-ray. Sorry, sweetie darlings!

 

[AndyMcKinney]

from WikiPedia
Original network BBC2 (series 1)
BBC One (series 2 onwards)
Picture format 576i (4:3 SDTV)
(1992–96)
576i (16:9 SDTV)
(2001–04)
16:9 (1080i HDTV)
(2011–12)
Audio format Stereo
(1992–2005)
Dolby Digital 5.1
(2011–12)

(only the newer stuff 2001 + might be worth putting on Bluray unless to save space for the earlier ones )

I think you meant to say only the stuff from 2011 and later, not 2001, as the 01-04 stuff would still have been in standard definition (albeit widescreen).