Is the b&w era of TV on DVD slowly coming to an end? (4 Viewers)

[LouA]

I have Home Run Derby, the three releases previously made available (baseball fans should have this!). It just seems weird that a company enters into the DVD market, in this case TGG Direct, seems to find a way to release a few shows that were never available (talking about ZIV here), then exits with a release like Home Run Derby. And, then, that's it. It all doesn't add up to me.
I don't mean to be critical of TGG Direct (or anyone), I'm just trying to make sense of it all, (If that is possible).
Meanwhile, let's hope Annie Oakley is a quality release.

Yes it was kind of perplexing. However I don't think their version of Home Run Derby was ever released. As someone else has mentioned TGG could still possibly release other ZIV shows in the future.

 

[LouA]

That was actually me. I had a contact by e-mail that seemed pretty friendly for replacement discs for Seahunt and Ripcord that had duplicate episodes. I asked them about future ZIV releases and their reply was that they didn't have the rights to anymore ZIV shows except for Home Run Derby. Since they have not released Home Run Derby yet they may have reconsidered that as this answer was from late last year. There answer seemed to imply that they currently did not have the rights for any more ZIV shows it did not say that they couldn't get the rights to more in the future so there is still hope. It probably all depends on how profitable the ZIV shows were for them.

Let's hope that TGG eventually decides to release some other ZIV shows. Lots of good ones left to choose from.

 

[LouA]

The complete Sgt Bilko has finally been announced for US November release by Shout Factory. Scratch off another of my grail shows!

 

[LeoA]

I wasn't too worried about that one since I figured it was a safe bet if the UK was getting it, but good news none the less.

I wonder what the quality difference will be like. The CBS Syndication Bible shows that it has 22 HD transfers available (Shouldn't it be all 34 season 1 episodes and/or 18 episodes from either the season 1 release or the 50th Anniversary Edition rerelease? Don't understand where the 22 came from).

Presumably, or at least I would hope so, they will use the best that's available even if some episodes are left noticeably nicer looking than others.

Ideally, CBS would be remastering everything for this outsourced release and for future syndication, but that's probably too good to hope for.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Annie Oakley - Further DetailsAmazon is now showing the artwork for this complete series October release.11 Discs. Extras include a one hour documentary on Gail Davis, episode guide + photo galleries from her personal collection. This might indicate VCI have sourced the prints from her daughter so they should be decent quality. The original pilot with a different boy in the part of Annie's brother is also included.Not top of anyone's list of old black & white shows awaiting release I am sure but an oasis in the monochrome desert at present.

I'll probably pick this up at somepoint. It's interesting to have a western with a female lead. One extra that won't be included is where she shows up as a shooter at the end of Alias: Jesse James. Lots of great western stars in that: .

 

[LouA]

Quoting Mark Twain - "News of my demise has been greatly exaggerated".

It's being reported that Synergy is releasing a 52 episode 4 DVD set of Mr. And Mrs. North.

 

[Dave Lawrence]

I was happy to read this week about the upcoming Bilko complete series release. It's not a show I'm interested in, but it's reassuring to see not only another B/W-era release on the way, but as a complete series set rather than by season, where there's the constant concern that it might stall before reaching the end.

A sign that there's still hope (however slight) for those not-yet-released B/W-era shows that I do have an interest in.

 

[Vic Pardo]

I was happy to read this week about the upcoming Bilko complete series release. It's not a show I'm interested in, but it's reassuring to see not only another B/W-era release on the way, but as a complete series set rather than by season, where there's the constant concern that it might stall before reaching the end.

A sign that there's still hope (however slight) for those not-yet-released B/W-era shows that I do have an interest in.

I'm not a big sitcom fan, but the Bilko show is easily the funniest sitcom I've ever seen. Just great writing and acting in every episode.

 

[Gary OS]

Surveying the release landscape, I was struck with how the upcoming schedule is similar to what we were seeing when I started this thread a couple of years ago. At that time I wrote:

I was just reading a couple of the threads here about how happy some were with the upcoming release schedule and it hit me that most of the excitement was about shows that ran in the 70's or beyond. Other than a few titles coming from Timeless (thank God for that company), and one or two coming from outfits like Shout, MPI or Warners, it looks like 50's and early 60's TV - my favorite era of television - is slowly coming to a close. Shout in particular has really swung toward 70's material... [and] 80's shows.

Gary "at least my wallet is getting a well-deserved rest" O.

Amazing how things have come back around full circle. We were in this exact spot two and a half years ago, although at that time we did have Timeless, and to a lesser extent CBS, to bail us out with a few nice b/w series. But this time around both those companies seem to be really struggling to give us more than a few crumbs when it comes to vintage TV. Will we have any nice surprises between now and Christmas? Something like the first season of Our Miss Brooks from CBS? Or perhaps the long-awaited Rebel set Timeless has supposedly been working on for a long, long time now? Or maybe, just maybe, a season set of Ozzie & Harriet from Sam Nelson? Would it be too much to ask for us to finally get the final volume of Steve Canyon? That would be a nice Christmas treat. Maybe some news on the hinted at Death Valley Days? Warners will eventually give us some of the lesser known b/w titles, like The Dakotas. But it probably won't be till next year. Would it be too much to ask for another ZIV release from someone? Anything beyond the few scraps we know about right now? I hope so. But for the first time in a long time I'm honestly not sure what b/w title(s) we'll get next? History tells us something more will come along. And right now that's all I have to bank on. I trust it's enough.


Gary "not being as big a fan of 'Sgt. Bilko' as others here, that release doesn't really satisfy my b/w appetite - but as always I'm thrilled for the folks that have been looking forward to it" O.

 

[Jack P]

The Steve Canyon situation perplexes me. John has not sent out an update for six months now. I really think he got too carried away with looking for bonus content and should have just given us the final volume long ago.Now that Bilko is coming out, that just leaves "Burke's Law" (PLEASE!!!!!), "One Step Beyond" and the final year of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (plus the three hour long seasons) as the only stalled B/W shows I wish could get finished. I suppose I could also include "The Joey Bishop Show" which has one color year and two B/W years (one before, one after!) in this category as well.The nice thing when Warner releases a B/W title (or any title!) is that you always have the confidence of knowing it will get finished. So I'm looking forward to the rest of "Dr. Kildare" and any other title that comes from (and I am confident that over time there will be more).

 

[Gary OS]

Unfortunately for me, personally, the few b/w releases we are getting aren't the ones I'd prefer to see. I'd rather have some different WB b/w westerns, action/adventure & drama series than the ones that have been and are now being released. I'm hopeful we will see some of those next year. And Shout hasn't really gotten my attention with what they are concentrating on at the present. So on a personal level this has been a very lean year of collecting. But the bright side is I get to save some money.


Gary "still hopeful we get some unexpected b/w release that will excite me in the last quarter of the year" O.

 

[Ian K McLachlan]

The Timeless release that I most wanted to see and didn't was a full release of the Michael Rennie show The Third Man. Timeless released only 10 episodes. Anyone know why they didn't release more?

 

[LouA]

The Timeless release that I most wanted to see and didn't was a full release of the Michael Rennie show The Third Man. Timeless released only 10 episodes. Anyone know why they didn't release more?

I'm not 100% sure about this , but I believe that Third man is PD. If so, it may be a matter of Timeless not having prints to work from. I just got done watching the 2 disc Timeless set, and I agree it's a good show, worth having a larger release.

 

[Silverking]

I note Timeless is re-releasing 'M Squad, apparently with extras of other crime shows in which Lee Marvin appeared.No word of better transfers so I imagine it is the same as the previous release.As has been stated on this thread many times, the black & white era of DVD releases is drying up fast. I know we have 'Bilko' & 'Annie Oakley' to look forward to in the next few months , can't really include 'Mr & Mrs North' as I think all these have been out before on various PD labels After that I think we may see 'Gunsmoke'11 , the last B/W season before years end & I imagine Warners will continue to plod along putting out their various western series. I have always had my doubts about their detective shows & they may end up as streaming only.Next year 2015, it will be 50 years since colour became the norm for US television shows I believe. A couple of years later here in the UK. Therefore anyone who remembers first run broadcasts of monochrome programmes would be in their late 50's or into their 60's & 70's. Not really the target audience for DVD companies & shrinking fast. It could well be that the next few releases will be the very last b/w series to be released. Not for want of material, I could devote several paragraphs with shows I would like to see. As has been noted Timeless have changed (or been changed )so they no longer issue the older b/w shows, TGG, after a bright start with the ZIV shows, have never followed on & the major players, apart from Warners are not interested in this market.Usually there are a few rumours or whispers about the possibility of forthcoming shows, but for 2015 I have heard nothing. Sad but inevitable I suppose.

 

[Gary OS]

Well said, Silverking (Chris). I so wish there was some really strong indicator that your inclinations about 2015 were wrong, but we both know otherwise. Unless something very unexpected transpires shortly - like the start up of a brand new company committed to releasing vintage TV on DVD - I'm afraid we will have to be content with meager crumbs going forward.


Gary "it was a great ride while it lasted though, and I've got a lot I can watch from now till the day I die" O.

 

[Vic Pardo]

Next year 2015, it will be 50 years since colour became the norm for US television shows I believe. A couple of years later here in the UK. Therefore anyone who remembers first run broadcasts of monochrome programmes would be in their late 50's or into their 60's & 70's. Not really the target audience for DVD companies & shrinking fast. It could well be that the next few releases will be the very last b/w series to be released.

In my household, every first run broadcast was in black-and-white until 1978--when I bought my first color TV! (My parents didn't have a color TV until I got a new one in the mid-1980s and gave my 1978 one to them.)

Still, since baby boomers are the ones who are buying most of the DVDs and other physical media these days, maybe we are the target audience for these companies.

It's too bad there aren't a few baby boomer hedge fund billionaires who happen to be fans of old TV shows who can start up a company and start licensing TV shows by the dozens from the networks and studios and give them proper distribution. Sadly, the type of people who become hedge fund billionaires are not the ones--like us--who were glued to the set when they were kids. They wouldn't know "Maverick" from "Mork and Mindy."

If I were a billionaire, I doubt I'd even care about old movies and TV shows, but if I were the person I am now and came into a billion I'd want to finance the restoration and distribution to the world of so many old movies and TV shows (and musical recordings) that I'd be busy until I died. I would simply buy up the rights to tons of things at exorbitant offer-that-can't-be-refused prices and make them available regardless of whether there was a sufficient market for them or not. Would I run out of the billion before I died? Depends on how many films and TV shows you can buy up the rights to in the time I have left. But in real life, when actual billionaires collect things, it's usually one-of-a-kind art objects that no one else can have. I mean, when Steven Spielberg was in contact with Orson Welles, he made no offer to finance any of his film projects or finish the filming of THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND. Instead he used his money to buy the sled from CITIZEN KANE and pestered Welles with questions as to how he got such and such a shot. Tarantino, at least, who is no billionaire like Spielberg, has actively worked to restore and distribute films to audiences.

Oh, well...

 

[Silverking]

Vic -I look forward to you becoming a hedge fund billionaire !!!

 

[LouA]

In my household, every first run broadcast was in black-and-white until 1978--when I bought my first color TV! (My parents didn't have a color TV until I got a new one in the mid-1980s and gave my 1978 one to them.)

Still, since baby boomers are the ones who are buying most of the DVDs and other physical media these days, maybe we are the target audience for these companies.

It's too bad there aren't a few baby boomer hedge fund billionaires who happen to be fans of old TV shows who can start up a company and start licensing TV shows by the dozens from the networks and studios and give them proper distribution. Sadly, the type of people who become hedge fund billionaires are not the ones--like us--who were glued to the set when they were kids. They wouldn't know "Maverick" from "Mork and Mindy."

If I were a billionaire, I doubt I'd even care about old movies and TV shows, but if I were the person I am now and came into a billion I'd want to finance the restoration and distribution to the world of so many old movies and TV shows (and musical recordings) that I'd be busy until I died. I would simply buy up the rights to tons of things at exorbitant offer-that-can't-be-refused prices and make them available regardless of whether there was a sufficient market for them or not. Would I run out of the billion before I died? Depends on how many films and TV shows you can buy up the rights to in the time I have left. But in real life, when actual billionaires collect things, it's usually one-of-a-kind art objects that no one else can have. I mean, when Steven Spielberg was in contact with Orson Welles, he made no offer to finance any of his film projects or finish the filming of THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND. Instead he used his money to buy the sled from CITIZEN KANE and pestered Welles with questions as to how he got such and such a shot. Tarantino, at least, who is no billionaire like Spielberg, has actively worked to restore and distribute films to audiences.

Oh, well...

I think many of us have fantasized about coming into lots of money and financing the release of our favorite "forgotten" Television Shows and Movies. I'd release Peoples Choice , Ray Milland Show, Charlie Farrell Show, among many others lost forgotten items .

 

[Rob_Ray]

I'd finance a box set of failed 60s sitcoms starring movie personalities familiar to baby boomers: Glynis Johns' "Glynis", "The Jean Arthur Show", "The Cara Williams Show", Juliet Prowse's "Mona McCluskey, "He and She" with Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss.

And once-popular sitcoms that mysteriously vanished like "Please Don't Eat the Daisies", "December Bride", "Our Miss Brooks", "Oh Susanna", "Love that Bob"

 

[Neil Brock]

Lots of I wishes and ifs here. Okay, well you can't just conjure up a fortune but instead of just posting things to people here that are all in the same boat, how about actually trying to do something about it? There's plenty of rich folks around. Why don't you try writing to Warren Buffet or Mark Cuban or any of these other well-known mega-rich philanthropists and make your case as to why they should do what you are proposing? Hey, Spielberg directed some of those crappy failed early 70s Universal shows, like The Psychiatrist. Why don't you write to him suggesting he initiate a box set of his early TV directing work. That's just one example. Anyway, not saying that something like that would work but it certainly would have more of a chance than just dreaming about it here.