Music clearances on DVDs: Still a problem with newer TV series, or not? (1 Viewer)

[Hollywoodaholic]

We all know the problems with music clearances on Classic TV DVD releases. DVDs didn't exist when the music was initially licensed for broadcast of these programs, and it's now a challenge to retroactively get clearances. Hence, shows like Northern Exposure, WKRP in Cincinnati, Happy Days, and on and on, feature substituted music or songs that often diminish the show's original impact. And we know it's also true for score music cues on shows like The Fugitive or My Three Sons, etc.

My question is ... Is this still an issue for newer TV series released on DVD? I know that HBO gets clearances for DVD releases, so The Sopranos and Six Feet Under maintain orginal songs. But is this true across the board for newer shows released? I would assume (perhaps incorrectly), that DVD releases are all accounted for in the music licensing contracts for series today.

One specific example I have in mind is the show Life On Mars airing currently on ABC. The 70's music is carefully picked and is ubiquitous to the show, and heavy on David Bowie. The most recent episode featured Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz" and, contrastly, Judy Garland's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." In fact, the entire episode was themed around the Oz song. But is this going to survive to the DVD? It can't possibly be the same or make sense without it. And, knowing substitutions were made would definitely affect my possible purchase of a DVD release of the series.

What's your experience buying newer TV series on DVD relative to maintaining the original music? Shows since 1997, when DVD sales took off. Is the music intact? Is this an issue anymore? Or is it still happening?

 

[Gary OS]

I don't buy new show dvds at all, so this is probably a paux pas on me for even attempting an answer. Having said that, I'm pretty sure that newer shows have the legal issues hammered out ahead of time so that dvds can use the music. There may be some rare examples where this is a problem, but I'm pretty sure they've got that settled now legally. It's just a matter of securing the rights ahead of time for home video distribution.

Gary "good question" O.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Most of the time, not always. It's kept Cold Case from appearing on DVD, for instance.

 

[WillG]

The first season of "My Name is Earl" had music replacements on the DVDs

 

[The Obsolete Man]

My Name Is Earl, a relatively popular modern show, is said to have music alterations for DVD.

Dawson's Creek, a fairly popular show, lost it's theme song, and a lot of music within the episodes because of music rights.

King of the Hill DVDs stopped at season 6. Low sales aside, some have theorized that music rights were another reason the later seasons never made it to DVD. If that's true, I don't know, but the claim is out there.

Those are A few examples, but I would guess that if a Show uses popular music, unless it is extremely popular or the rights are hammered out ahead of time, the show will have music problems on DVD.

 

[Bob Hug]

Say what you will about them, but Universal spent the money to get a huge amount of original pop music for its "Miami Vice" releases and still managed to keep the selling prices for the sets within reason.

 

[Jon Martin]

I don't think that was the case. The few cases of music in the show that I remember were intact.

I think it is more of a case of Fox not liking Mike Judge (see also OFFICE SPACE and IDIOCRACY).

 

[Walter C]

I would have wondered the same thing with Chuck, but then I remembered, it is from Warner, which almost never has any music replacement.

 

[Corey3rd]

They don't hate him that much. He makes a nice chunk of change for them with King of the Hill's syndication action. I know plenty of producers who wish their studio/network hated them enough to keep their show in production for 13 1/2 seasons

 

[Ethan Riley]

Beverly Hills, 90210, now working on its SEVENTH dvd release, has almost all of its original music replaced. That's just the way things work I guess. But, I wonder, if the current 90210 series will have ITS music replaced when the dvd comes out later this year?

 

[Jon Martin]

Sure, but they don't advertise the new episodes, on the East Coast used to air new episodes "already in progress" after football, and give up on releasing the DVDs halfway through. ABC was said to be in talks in picking up the show since it was still popular after Fox dumped it.

KOTH is one of the better shows on the air today, and it doesn't get the respect it deserves from Fox.

Maybe now that Cartoon Network is airing it every night it will start getting more attention.

 

[Charles Ellis]

I still can't get over how the folks at Cold Case continue to shoot themselves in the foot year after year over this issue. They're missing untold millions in DVD sales because of this, and the fans suffer as a result. Worse yet, in a way they're enabling piracy of their own show!

 

[DeWilson]

But the upside it's attactive for syndication and cable sales because it ISN'T out on DVD!

 

[MatthewA]

I wonder if Beavis and Butt-Head fans upset about that show's DVD treatment (with Judge's approval and involvement) took it out on KotH, whose extras came to a grinding halt after season 2 and switched to flippers. I remember someone here calling the post-S2 DVDs "worthless".

And if they don't want it, let Shout! Factory have it.

 

[LCD22]

Music substitutions won't be an issue when it is released on DVD.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ml#post3508099

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Thanks, Chris, for that information! It's nice to see a show that took a proactive approach toward clearances for DVD, knowing how important it would be for the texture of the show. I wonder if Swingtown did the same thing?

Perhaps a soundtrack cd is inevitable, like The Sopranos would do. The song choices for LoM have been more quirky and not the obvious 70s hits that get overplayed.

Most series today feature the requisite last-few-minutes-of-the-show song. My wife watches Brothers & Sisters, which does this. My most memorable example of this was on The Shield, when the principals were staring at a mountain of money they stole from criminals and Live's "Overcome" played over. And, of course, Miami Vice and Michael Mann pioneered this whole trend.

Anyway, thanks again for passing that link info on.

 

[Derek Miner]

I heard that Swingtown did a lot of sound-alike re-records of the hits of the era, so they probably have most things worked out.

 

[LCD22]

You're welcome, Wayne.

The same is also true for "October Road" from "Life on Mars" showrunners Scott Rosenberg, Josh Appelbaum, and André Nemec, which has all of its music intact on the first season DVD.

 

[Mike*SC]

Yes, some recent shows still have to change music for DVD. Of course, things have changed since the days before the notion of home video rights was even a consideration in negotiating music clearance. But broadcast rights remain the driving force, and while any producer would hope to get all the rights at once, sometimes that's simply not possible. Often music is cleared just days before an episode is aired, and if a music publisher is being prickly, just getting the song cleared for air is all you can do. (This is especially true on a newer show with no DVD track record. You just worry about the problem in front of you, and hope the show is successful enough for an eventual DVD release where the music will have to be revisited.)

Sometimes, the network will want a current song to be included in an episode, and offer to pay "breakage" (that is, they'll pay some share of the price, or even all of it) to clear it. But the network makes no money from a DVD release, so they won't be paying for that.

So the issue remains, though it's changed a bit.

While I'm at it, let me point out that Fox does not dislike Mike Judge, though Mike Judge dislikes Fox.

 

[AnthonyC]

Not to get too off topic here, but does anyone understand why KOTH went to flippers after season 2 rather than single-sided dual-layer discs? Never made any sense to me.

Paramount pretty much includes the "Some music may be replaced" disclaimer on every release, no matter how new the show is. Everybody Hates Chris has some replacements IIRC.