Another big run series is reportedly on the way (1 Viewer)

[Steve...O]

Life of Riley used to run on the old CBN network so I don't think that qualifies as "long unavailable". Ditto to Lassie which is still syndicated.

Death Valley Days is as good a guess as any given the Encore Westerns outlet.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Wide World of Sports?

 

[Susan Nunes_329977]

Some episodes of Lassie have been out on DVD, so it can't be that show.

I'll bet it's Death Valley Days.

 

[smithbrad]

Some episodes of Lassie have been out on DVD, so it can't be that show.

I'll bet it's Death Valley Days.

Just depends on how far you want to take that reference. Death Valley Days has shown up on some DVD compilations sets. If its is backed by someone like Encore (similar to Virginian) then I could see it happening since they would want a package of episodes to be available at one time for broadcast. However, if this is mainly for a DVD release then one might question the ROI of a multi-season release of something this obscure.

 

[Mark Collins]

Peyton Place went into general syndication as a series in 1976 along with the first months of Barnabas on Dark Shadows. PP then went into syndication again for the first 2 years only on the USA network in the 80s. The Romance Channel began to air the entire run only once which began 2/14/97 and ended in 1998.

Peyton Place could be the show. Shouts DVDs were good compared to what people have bought on line. Shout admitted when they released PP it was not the best restoration. If I can get PP with the same quality we received from Shout in a complete series release I will be very very happy. No extras no movies just the show in a bare bones release and at a price all fans can afford.

I know PP is the dark horse here. I will keep my fingers crossed for all the rest of the shows mentioned.

 

[Kasey]

Longshot but Battle of the Network Stars perhaps? I'd be in for that.

Would love this but it's a clearance nightmare, unless they edit it heavily. Not only do the actors all have to be cleared, they used lots of popular music of the time in the slow-motion replays going into commercial breaks ("Celebration", "Upside Down", "Isn't She Lovely", etc.). My recordings from ESPN and TRIO will have to suffice, sorry to say.

 

[Ejanss]

I guess the same thing would apply to 70's game shows. I've always wondered about a GSN set of the complete Storybook Squares, but that's not likely to happen.

(And don't say "Longrun series" when you've got a Hazel avatar, that makes me nervous...)

 

[Susan Nunes_329977]

Death Valley Days is a lot of things, but it is NOT "obscure."

 

[LeoA]

For prime time tv shows with huge runs, its decades long absence has made it one of the most unknown major series from back then. Lots of classic tv fans out there that have never had a chance to see it.


Definitely not obscure though.

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

I'm thinking of YOU BET YOUR LIFE, all 11 seasons with the one, the only, GROUCHO!!!! You know, Groucho Marx.

 

[Neil Brock]

DEATH VALLEY DAYS

Massive Series, not see in a couple of decades!

452 Episodes!

Surprised it took that many posts for someone to zero in and get it. When I said unavailable in any form, I didn't just mean home video but broadcast as well. Lassie and a lot of the other shows mentioned have aired plenty and recently. Only other guesses that I thought were pretty good were Dragnet and The Lineup, both of which haven't aired anywhere in decades.

All I'm hearing is that they made an exclusive deal and its being digitized. Now it could be just a cable deal or could be both cable and DVD. Your guesses are as good as mine.

 

[jimmyjet]

thanks neil,

how common in the past have there been cable-only deals ?

 

[smithbrad]

Death Valley Days is a lot of things, but it is NOT "obscure."

No, not based on its accomplishments, or in a forum such as this filled with hobbyist; but to the majority of the general public it is, in my opinion. For all the effort that they appear to be expending on it, a straight DVD deal wouldn't seem like the best option. Which is why I made the caveat that if it is true then I could see an entity like Encore behind it, like they did with the Virginian. I hope it is Encore because then it would be an easy capture.

 

[Jack P]

My congratulations to those who want to see this come to them and hope they will enjoy it when it becomes available. Meantime, my bank account is happy!

 

[jimmyjet]

hi jack,

does that mean that you arent interested in the show ?

 

[jimmyjet]

No, not based on its accomplishments, or in a forum such as this filled with hobbyist; but to the majority of the general public it is, in my opinion. For all the effort that they appear to be expending on it, a straight DVD deal wouldn't seem like the best option. Which is why I made the caveat that if it is true then I could see an entity like Encore behind it, like they did with the Virginian. I hope it is Encore because then it would be an easy capture.

hi brad,

what did encore do with the virginian ?

 

[Gary OS]

My congratulations to those who want to see this come to them and hope they will enjoy it when it becomes available. Meantime, my bank account is happy!

We part ways here. My bank account will NOT be happy, but the western fan inside me will be!!! Yippee!!


Gary "even if only a season or two of this is cleaned up and released I'll be excited" O.

 

[Charles Ellis]

You'd think with Reagan having been President and all it would have been put back into syndication and home video by now. Also, a lot of big names (including future stars in early roles) made guest appearances on Death Valley Days. Was there a rights issue preventing its release? Who actually owned the show- the Borax people?

 

[Jack P]

hi jack,

does that mean that you arent interested in the show ?

Not a bit of interest in it. Westerns have never been my favorite genre and while I've come to like a number of titles, it's been very selective and with the completion of "The Big Valley" and "Maverick" imminent my days of blind buying any new westerns are over, especially one as massive as this. (I'll make an exception only if Warners releases "The Alaskans")

 

[Steve...O]

You'd think with Reagan having been President and all it would have been put back into syndication and home video by now. Also, a lot of big names (including future stars in early roles) made guest appearances on Death Valley Days. Was there a rights issue preventing its release? Who actually owned the show- the Borax people?

Good question on the rights issue/hold-up. President Reagan's time on this show was relatively brief; he hosted 64-65 which was a dozen years into the run. I looked at the imdb cast lists for a sampling of shows. It does look like a nice representation of familiar character actors who graced 50s TV. Perhaps not household names, but familiar faces. I look forward to seeing this on Encore and hearing about any potential release.

Interestingly, Gene Autry and his Flying A Productions have a credit on this show. No idea how extensive their involvement was, but the Autry estate does have a good track record of maintaining his legacy.