Late 80's Early 90's Unreleased Titles/Seasons (1 Viewer)

[Frank Soyke]

Some of the remaining distributors (Shout/WA) have, of late, been shifting their focus to releases of this period (1987-1995). Shout (Sisters, early Nick shows, etc) and WA (Growing Pains, Spenser) seem to be aiming at a different, and understandably younger demographic and shifting away from the older stuff.

While personally my own favorite time period to collect is from about 1963-83, there are a number of shows (both stalled and unreleased) from the late 80's early 90's years I would like to see get an initial release or a new life. Here are a few and what I know about them from previous threads and discussions:


1) Midnight Caller - A Warner property. They have gone on record previously stating they have no plan to release this show. Too bad Warners is not big into licensing as this quality show seems to fit nicely in the Shout wheelhouse.


2) Coach - Universal did 4 erratically released seasons and then stalled it apparantly for good. Would really like to get the other 5 at some point.


3) Dear John - CBS owns it and there has never been as much as a whisper of this show being even considered. Shame.


4) Head Of The Class - Often asked about on the WA message board, the answer is always the same. Music rights. Doesn't sound like they are much interested in paying for them, on this show anyway.


5) A Different World - Urban Works did the first season ages ago and that was it. it surprised me at the time as minority focused series seemed to be a big sell for many distributors. I mean, we even got a release of the little known That's My Mama around the same time. Unfortuantely for this quality show, it's association with Cosby and his current massive legal problems will probably keep most distributors far away from this having anything to do with it at present.


Would do ya'll think about any chances on the above? How about others you might want to see from that time frame?

 

[MatthewA]

The Golden Girls has been complete for years, but neither Disney nor any of its licensees have even tried any of the other shows connected to it. No Empty Nest, no Golden Palace, not even Nurses which ran three years. Despite their big hits, they actually had a lot of flops during this era: The Ellen Burstyn Show, Nutt House, The Torkelsons, and one of Carol Burnett's two attempted comeback series. Those will likely never be seen again, but once in a while you see them do an out-of-left-field release. But it also seems Blossom has some very special music problems keeping the rest of it unavailable. I'm surprised Shout! couldn't manage to get anything other than All-American Girl out of them; perhaps they just wanted that show. The Disney/Anchor Bay deal gave AB the rights to release 1985's Wildside, the very first Touchstone-branded series that collapsed on ABC up against The Cosby Show, Family Ties and Magnum P.I., on VHS but not DVD.


As for the actually released shows Frank mentioned, that season 1 box set of A Different World was nothing but syndication cuts. That's My Mama, which was essentially a Screen Gems show in Norman Lear drag, was a mix of mostly cut episodes and a few uncut ones; since there were only two seasons, they decided it was easy to just let it out and be done with it. At least they finished that, which is more than I can say for 227; twice as much time has passed since the season 1 release than the show was even on in the first place. And who knows whether Amen, its Carson Productions-owned sister show, will ever see the light of day on disc.


Since Warner Archive seems to be committed to finishing Growing Pains, I'm surprised they haven't at least tried Just the Ten of Us. When the girls became a singing group, anything they sing will have to be paid for, though. Living Single has been stalled for quite awhile, but I'm not sure if that's another music rights-plagued show or not. And if they can actually settle the legal issues surrounding Valerie, I'd be impressed.


From Mr. Belvedere and Small Wonder* to Anything But Love, neither Fox or the people they license their shows to can seem to finish anything from this era other than Doogie Howser MD and In Living Color, but their treatment of the latter was nothing short of horrendous; they cut practically every note of music from season 2 onward! And that one cartoon show that's still on the air that began during this period? That's now stalled on DVD, too! And The Tracey Ullman Show that launched it is still, sadly, MIA. And though it's earlier than the other shows, I still must ask, where is Trapper John M.D.? And that's just the shows they made themselves; where are the rest of Newhart and St. Elsewhere? Olive should at least ask what it would cost to finish them, since they finished King of the Hill.


Dear John will probably come out from anyone but the people who actually own it. Maybe Shout!, Olive or VEI will want to take a crack at it someday.

*The unreleased seasons of the latter, without Edie McClurg and with Alice Ghostley and the redone faux-R&B theme song, are playing on Antenna now.

 

[Dave Lawrence]

From Frank's list:
Coach - I read earlier this year that a revival is in the works and Craig T Nelson is on board. Maybe the new series will prompt further releases of the original series. Not a series I'm interested in, but I'm surprised the whole thing isn't available by now.
Dear John - Supposedly, Antenna TV intends to run this at some point; probably next year. I'd like to see it released.
A Different World - The Cosby connection is probably enough to prevent further releases, although it's the only Cosby-related series I still see showing up on TV in reruns.

Other shows from the late-80s/early-90s:
L.A. Law - Stalled. It's Fox, so probably hopeless.
Picket Fences - Stalled after 1 season in Region 1. It's Fox, so more Region 1 releases probably won't happen. There is an Australian release of Season 2, so I have hope for the remaining 2 seasons (just not for Region 1).
Murphy Brown - Stalled. Too much music to ever get a full release.
New York Undercover - With all the music that was used, I doubt it would ever be released. Even if it did, it would probably be heavily edited.
Roc - Probably too much music.
Duet/Open House - Aired on Fox; produced by Paramount; 4 seasons between the 2 shows but still probably not enough interest.

The John Larroquette Show - Ran 4 seasons but was never a mainstream hit, so I'm not surprised by the lack of a release. (But I'd like to see it.)

Mr. President - Forgotten 2-season comedy with George C Scott and Madeline Kahn. I wish; but probably too obscure.
Amen - There were numerous scenes with singing, especially in the church. Maybe music issues are preventing a release?
Cosby - I used to hope for a release of his 90s CBS sitcom with Madeline Kahn. Never going to happen now thanks to his real life issues.

Matthew mentioned Empty Nest. I don't know what the deal is with that show. Seems like an obvious candidate for release, but so far nothing.

There are some other short-lived shows I'd like to see from that era, but I don't ever expect, including The Nutt House, The Powers That Be, Pacific Station, The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, and Women of the House (which actually was announced at one point from Mill Creek but later shelved with no reason given that I ever saw).


ETA: Almost forgot about Evening Shade, another show that stalled after a Season 1 release. Wish someone would complete it.

 

[MatthewA]

The 90s Cosby is on Hulu along with a lot of other Carsey-Werner shows, hits and flops alike. They've got all of Cybill, which is on disc in the UK but not here (and how is it that they can get less one-sided music licensing agreements?), and all or most of A Different World in what seems to be network-length versions.

 

[Frank Soyke]

It's just amazing to me that so much stuff quality stuff pre 2000 is languishing in vaults when the MOA now days by the distributors is to rush out a DVD set of single hack show that airs one season and gets axed.... As a current example...

C'mon, Cristela, are you kidding me? Yeah, cause that deserves a release more than Lou Grant, Ben Casey, or Peyton Place just to pick three randomly of the MANY quality shows left stalled or unreleased

 

[MatthewA]

Anything to make as much of a return on their investment as possible, I guess. "Deserve" doesn't enter into the equation.

 

[Kasey]

I am surprised MPI hasn't put out the dreadful LIFE WITH LUCY by now; not that I'd buy it, but they seem to have been on a roll with all her TV specials that this one seemed inevitable, but then it's owned by Aaron Spelling I believe.


THE GOLDEN PALACE is another show I would have expected to be out considering how well the parent show sold and the broad demographic it has. Very surprised Shout hasn't grabbed it yet.

 

[LeoA]

I believe that the Coach revival was cancelled.


Newhart, Coach, and Major Dad are three 80's shows that I'd liked to see completed. One hasn't even seen a single release to date despite running four seasons and enjoying some success (And occasional syndication).

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Matthew, That's My Mama was a Columbia Pictures Television production. And I believe it was the first show they produced, after they absorbed Screen Gems.


Season 1 had the CPT Pretzel with Screen Gems music, and Season 2 had the same logo, but the music now sounded like it was played on an organ.

 

[Frank Soyke]

Honestly my main reason for wanting to see A Different World is for the later seasons where Patti Labelle played Dwayne's mom and was always at war with Whitley's mom played by the georgeous Diahann Carroll. Since Fox are such deadbeats and are going to continue to keep Julia in the closet, despite it's historical significance, Dynasty is all I really have at this point.

 

[bmasters9]

Matthew, That's My Mama was a Columbia Pictures Television production. And I believe it was the first show they produced, after they absorbed Screen Gems.

It was one of the first. Police Woman started its run in 1974-75 (it would go for four seasons, the last one being 1977-78; by this time, the Sunburst would be representing CPT).

 

[Darby67]

Amazing Stories which ran from 1985-1987 just barely makes Frank's cutoff and I would love to see a complete second season release, but if that's not feasible I would buy a complete series release even though I already own the first season.


Darby

 

[Flashgear]

A lot of great shows already mentioned...I'd be absolutely thrilled to have MIDNIGHT CALLER and FRANK'S PLACE (Tim Reid from WKRP and a mostly African American cast in a very charming and funny comedy drama set in New Orleans).

 

[MatthewA]

Frank's Place was going to come out a few years ago, but CBS/Paramount realized they couldn't cut as much music as they wanted and not leave huge gaping plot holes. Same deal with Gary David Goldberg's Brooklyn Bridge.

 

[bmasters9]

Only half of the series has been released, so wondering why Shout won't release the last two seasons of this show?


Probably low sales of the first two seasons perhaps?

It could be exactly that-- I think it's the same problem with that as what has plagued L.A. Law (not to leave out that the picture quality on L.A. Law has not been the best).

 

[David Rain]

I dobut that the Cosby connection has anything to do with ADW not being released. It's been years since the first season came out. I'm guessing it didn't sell and that was the end.

 

[Konstantinos]

Beauy and the Beast is my most wanted series from that time frame!

I hope it happens!