Mark Hamilton
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Mar 16, 1999
- Messages
- 122
THE CRITIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYY!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYY!
Here's a question, can anyone speculate as to why it is taking so long between releases of All in the Family? It was 11 months between seasons 1 and 2.I speculate that this is because that's how Columbia feels like releasing them. As you see from the list below, there's really just no rhyme or reason that you can nail down as you how/why Columbia releases classic TV discs the way that they do:
- 11 month intervals: All In The Family {2 seasons}
- 8 month intervals: Dawson's Creek {2 seasons}
- 9 month intervals: The Jeffersons {2 seasons} (at that rate expect to know soon if S3 is announced for 2/04)
- 6 month intervals: Mad About You {2 seasons} (between 1 & 2...#3 unannounced through 8 month period ending 12/31/03)
- 6 or 8 month intervals: Sanford & Son {3 seasons}
I think that in the end they simply aren't WORRIED about a particular pattern (like "every 6 months" or "every year" or whatever). I think they just devote the resources they need to for each production project on the basis needed, and try not to do anything on a "rush priority" basis that would jack up the costs of the set (note how much cheaper they are on TV sets compared to other studios...saving money in the production process has to be a big part of that; not paying extra to book, say, the services of a remastering lab on a "priority" basis probably costs less than telling them "when you get around to it", you know what I mean?).
Also notice that the above's a very short list of titles that are "recurring" so far. Other series - like Larry Sanders Show, Charlie's Angels, S.W.A.T., Good Times, and Soap - have had a S1 release but haven't been blessed with the announcement of a S2 yet.
Meanwhile, Columbia is about to bring even more S1's your way: Forever Knight, Married...with Children, The King of Queens, NewsRadio, Dilbert, Cyborg 009, Barney Miller, and (since Time/Life is already selling it) presumably What's Happening? also.
Not to mention 1-offs like The Critic, The Tick, Jim Henson's Storyteller, My Big Fat Greek Life, etc. And all the various Best-Of releases like Designing Women, Steve Harvey Show, and Greatest 70's Cop Shows. And all that kid-vid programming, too (theres a LOT of that).
Summary: Columbia's keeping VERY busy with a lot of different projects, trying to appeal across a wide spectrum of consumer interest. They are trying to keep prices low in the meantime. On that basis, they are not trying to stick to any particular schedule, just trying to get out acceptable product on a cost-effective basis whenever it can be brought to market. In the meantime, they are trying to stay quiet about their future plans so that they don't end up "breaking promises" when consumers hear "February" and it turns out to be March or April. The result of that last policy is consumer uncertainty - like yours - that the project is even being worked on.
And who can blame you? After all, it's going on a 2-year period since Larry Sanders S1 was announced, and still no official studio discussion of whether or not there ever will be a S2. By now it would be nice if they just came right out and say "it's dead due to poor sales" (like Fox pretty much did about The Mary Tyler Moore Show). Instead we're left to speculate and get worried about our favorite TV shows and when/if we'll see more of them on DVD.
Am I the only one that thought Barney Miller was a great show.Nope. I think it's a great show too, especially the Fish and Yemana years. One of the best final episodes ever - no hype or nine-month long countdowns, just a brilliant, touching half-hour farewell.
Yemana: Then Fish runs in the alley and he leaps over us like one of those, what do you call those things in Africa that run and leap in the air?
Detective Ron Harris: Slaves.