Most disappointing abandoned dvd series (1 Viewer)

[Gary OS]

Since others have resurrected this thread, guess I'll chime back in again with my latest series. Things have changed, and I'm going to use the latest info from the CBS Syndication Library as a guide as I take some guesses at shows that look to be restarted after long stalls, and put some others on the stalled list.

My most disappointing stalls/abandonments are:

1) Leave it to Beaver. This one continues to be at the top and will stay there regardless at this point.

2) Rawhide. All reliable sources indicate this series is no longer on the schedule for release - at least through the end of the year. That qualifies as a stall in my book. And it hurts - bad!

3) Big Valley. Fortunately I picked the entire run up via Encore Westerns a couple years back and have pristine prints, but it's still a bummer that Fox would stop, cold turkey, right in the middle of Season 2.

4) Dragnet. Jack has convinced me we at least need the 2nd Season for the marvelous Christmas episode. And I have to admit it was one of the best of all time (a repeat of the older series, but great nevertheless).

5) Flipper. My kids fell in love with this one, and the prints on that 1st Season set were as beautiful as any I've ever seen. This show needs to be completed.

6) Hazel. Don't understand the stall here after only one season release. Oh yeah, that's right - Sony property. Now I get it. :rolleyes

7) Green Acres. Just a shame they got over half way thru and then shut down.

8) Cheyenne. So many great WB b/w series that haven't even started, and one of the few they do release dies right off the bat. Shame on WB for that!

9) The Naked City. Pretty gritty cop show that I'd at least like to see a couple more seasons of, especially the 1st Season half hour episodes.

10) Walt Disney Treasures. Finish up Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox. Please!!!

On the plus side, some of the shows I originally listed as stalled have been picked back up ("That Girl", "Quincy", "VTTBOTS", etc). And I have the strongest of beliefs that others that have been stalled for some time are going to be picked back up, thanks at least in part to the CBS Syndication Bible. I feel confident we will hear something soon about "Have Gun, Will Travel", "The Untouchables", and more "Petticoat Junction" (although the last one hasn't been away long enough to be considered stalled anyhow).

Gary "not sure what to do with 'The Rifleman' - in one sense it's definitely stalled, but we keep hearing that a full release is just around the corner so I'm reluctant to include it in my list either way" O.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Nice post, Gary What? Sony's got a stalled show? (kidding)

Boy, you hit the target with "Big Valley" and "LITB". Those 2 me bad.

I'll go out on a limb and predict that Rawhide's not dead....I get the feeling that we'll see that one "rollin'" again.

I'll add:

BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON
FANTASY ISLAND
HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW


My list would be considerably longer without some recent surprise resurrections, Barney Miller, Matlock, Untouchables. Matlock may not be considered to have stalled but still glad to see S2 get here.

With Barney Miller getting a reprieve, there's no guessing what Sony's liable to do with TV/DVD.

 

[jdee28]

For me, without a doubt Rawhide. The first three seasons of the show are so strong, they really make you thirst for more. It's highly disappointing that more will not be forthcoming.

Second would probably be Naked City. It would have been nice to see this show released in complete season sets. It stinks to know that there are 39 half hour episodes as well as around 39 hour ones that I won't have a chance to enjoy in excellent picture and audio quality, as I do the ones they released.

Third might be the Streets of San Francisco. While not as strong as Hawaii Five-O, it does have a solid stories and excellent guest casts. It would have been nice to see it continue with stellar transfers all the way to completion.

 

[Charles Ellis]

My top five:

Here Come The Brides- this show ran only two seasons, and the show's fan base fought a long campaign to get Season 1 released. Come on, Sony- finish the job!
Dragnet 1968-70
The Big Valley
Green Acres
McMillan & Wife

Honorable mention: Hazel: the 1st season was B/W, but all the remaing seasons were in color, as it was one of the first sitcoms to be filmed in color.

 

[Gary OS]

Great points all the way around, Jeff. I guess with the resurrection of HGWT (I'm assuming it is coming based on the CBS Syndication Bible) anything is possible. What I'm hoping is that RAWHIDE will be revisited again not too far down the road.

I don't think you are off base putting THE UNTOUCHABLES on the stalled list. By most every standard it was stalled until the info showed up at the CBS site last week.

Gary "very nice news all the way around with those examples you gave, Jeff" O.

 

[JohnMor]

For me, it's All in the Family (so close and yet so far...), followed by Leave it to Beaver and lastly, Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

(This is with The Mary Tyler Moore Show recently removed from the list.)

 

[todd s]

SWAT
The Sentinel
Superboy
Jeremiah
Poltergeist
Amazing Stories
Outer Limits (new series)

 

[HenryDuBrow]

It was disappointing that "Who's The Boss?" got abandoned - even though I think the first season was the best anyway - I still liked it well enough till about 1987.

 

[Bob Hug]

I'd hazard a guess and say that unless this is licensed to an independent, you probably will not see any more seasons coming directly from Sony. The season 1 set was being sold new for just $3 at Big Lots stores late last year.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Henry,

That's one I forgot to list earlier. It's an 80's favorite of mine. Maybe....since Sony made us wait what, 4 yrs for Barney Miller S2? Anything could happen after that wait.

Bob, that Big Lots price says it all. That's cheap!

 

[Bob Hug]

I wouldn't be surprised if "Who's the Boss?" turns up at Big Lots again in the future. Big Lots has had major inventories (mostly theatrical films with the occasional television show -- mostly single disc, "best of" compilations, however) from Sony, MGM, and currently Universal. They are constantly bringing in new inventories every month or so, so it pays to check them on a regular basis, but it's really a better source for greatly discounted films than TV shows.

 

[MartinP.]

In the definitely would buy category:

Green Acres
All in the Family

***Happy to see all of the Green Acres mentions.
That needs to be re-booted! They need to release
more All in the Family instead of things like that
new Norman Lear 1st Season Box Set.

The Untouchables
Mary Tyler Moore

***I understand there's good news on these
two? But I do NOT want to buy Season 1-4 of MTM
again! Would buy 5-7 together.

Amazing Stories
Here Come the Brides
Hazel

***It is my understanding that the color seasons
of HAZEL are in extremely bad condition. The color
film stock used faded to red and is in bad need of
expensive restoration. You never know, but color
Hazel needs a benefactor!