Bring 'Em Back Alive Bad News (2 Viewers)

[Wiseguy]

Nah, it wasn't until the late 80's that it became commonplace. V was shot and edited on film and that ended in 1985. The A-Team also ended in 1987 and was edited on film. Dallas switched over in their 1987-88 season.

However, as far as I have seen, M*A*S*H was the first filmed series to not change its title when going into syndication in 1979. Rockford Files and Happy Days both also went into syndication the same year (and Laverne & Shirley a couple of years later) and had their titles changed until the network runs ended.

 

[ScottRE]

However, as far as I have seen, M*A*S*H was the first filmed series to not change its title when going into syndication in 1979. Rockford Files and Happy Days both also went into syndication the same year (and Laverne & Shirley a couple of years later) and had their titles changed until the network runs ended.

that's certainly possible, I don't have enough info to confirm or deny it. I just used to chuckle as a kid:

Happy Days Again!
Laverne & Shirley & Company
Emergency One!

I don't recall the syndie name of The Rockford Files, though.

 

[Wiseguy]

that's certainly possible, I don't have enough info to confirm or deny it. I just used to chuckle as a kid:

Happy Days Again!
Laverne & Shirley & Company
Emergency One!

I don't recall the syndie name of The Rockford Files, though.

Jim Rockford, Private Investigator

Ironside was "The Raymond Burr Show"

Marcus Welby, MD was "Robert Young, Family Doctor"

 

[MartinP.]

Marcus Welby, MD was "Robert Young, Family Doctor"

And the Australian version: "Marcus Wallaby."

 

[AndyMcKinney]

By "suitable masters", the whole "edited on film vs. edited on tape" thing doesn't really matter as much when there's no budget for restoration. Yes, Bring 'Em Back was edited on film, but it wasn't exactly a rerun staple (it might have had a run on basic cable), so any copies used for 1980s syndication would likely have been transferred to (now) outdated tape formats.

It's likely that Sony would not have been willing to pay the costs of going back to the film prints in the vault and remastering them to high def (or even to a new set of NTSC tapes). If there were any 'off-the-shelf' elements at all for this show, they're likely 1980s-era videotapes or 1980s-era 16/35mm prints (with any/all dirt, fade, or other degradation on them that the studio would not have been willing to clean).

They probably expected Network to pay for new masters (or remastering) and with a 'niche' show like this, it wouldn't have been worth their while to take that big a financial risk.

 

[bmasters9]

Here's the major reason why I would like Bring 'Em Back Alive on DVD-- the marvelous (IMO, anyway) end-title track (here on episode 11, "To Kill A Princess" [OAD Sat. Jan. 8, 1983 on CBS; at the 43:53 mark])...

 

[Pmprod7]

By "suitable masters", the whole "edited on film vs. edited on tape" thing doesn't really matter as much when there's no budget for restoration. Yes, Bring 'Em Back was edited on film, but it wasn't exactly a rerun staple (it might have had a run on basic cable), so any copies used for 1980s syndication would likely have been transferred to (now) outdated tape formats.

It's likely that Sony would not have been willing to pay the costs of going back to the film prints in the vault and remastering them to high def (or even to a new set of NTSC tapes). If there were any 'off-the-shelf' elements at all for this show, they're likely 1980s-era videotapes or 1980s-era 16/35mm prints (with any/all dirt, fade, or other degradation on them that the studio would not have been willing to clean).

They probably expected Network to pay for new masters (or remastering) and with a 'niche' show like this, it wouldn't have been worth their while to take that big a financial risk.

Yes- I always thought that Fabulous Films had done the funding for the good masters of all the other old shows they have been putting out on DVD and Bluray : Magnum P.I.--Miami Vice--Knight Rider etc. that they got from Universal.
I don't know about the Tales of the Gold Monkey prints because those aren't up to par as we can see those don't look as remastered as others.
But that's what makes me angry at Sony when FF is willing to put a good show like this on DVD or Bluray putting the limelight back on this show and they would rather let it rot in the vault and not be seen in good form again.
I wonder if there was a way the public (fans) could convince Sony that they want to see BEBA on DVD/Bluray to make them confident to go back to the original film masters.

 

[bmasters9]

Bumping this up: here is, more or less, the complete series of Bring 'Em Back Alive on YouTube (I say more or less because quite a few have no audio on the opening titles, some have no audio on the end titles, and others do not have the CPT logos of the time):