No Quinn Martin shows (2 Viewers)

[David Von Pein]

I am glad I am not alone in thinking David Janssen's "The Fugitive" (1963-1967) was (and still is) a show to be treasured. From the acting, to the characters themselves (Kimble, Gerard, The One-Armed Man, and the great guest stars, including the only recurring/returning guest star {not counting the One-Armed Man or Richard Kimble's sister, Donna} -- Eileen Heckart's "Sister Veronica" -- who appeared in three episodes), and right on through to the incomparable music of Peter Rugolo -- "The Fugitive" reached a zenith of TV stature that I do not think has been surpassed since it aired in the '60s.

All four seasons of "The Fugitive" will come to DVD. It's inevitable. Of that I have no doubt whatsoever. Because it's simply too good to remain out in the cold for too much longer.

And, IMO, there's added incentive for Paramount to release every season (eventually), because it's in the last season that the studio can promote the fact that "The Judgment" (the final 2-part episode) was, at the time, "the highest-rated TV show in history". Seems to me that blurb, alone, would be an excellent selling point.

This thread gives me another chance to spew forth my Ultimate Dream DVD Set For "The Fugitive". I'd love to have the following set. Wouldn't you? (Somebody call Paramount...quick!) .......

"THE FUGITIVE" MEGA DVD COLLECTOR'S SET THAT WOULD SURELY BANKRUPT PARAMOUNT STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT -- BUT, WHAT THE HECK! AT LEAST THEIR LAST DVD SET WILL BE A WHOPPER AND WILL FEATURE THE BEST TV DRAMA IN HISTORY!

 

[JimmyWilson]

Correction: It's quite obvious YOU DON'T need them; but a helluva lot of other people DO.

Never claimed MANNIX was a QM production (Link & Levinson/Bruce Geller). Just responding to one's mention of the show in an earlier post. However, MANNIX was a trendsetting show in the whole entire private detective TV genre and one of the first. Joe Mannix was the original cop fighting the system and going it alone and doing it his way. Mike Connors did a wonderful job for 8 highly successful seasons (1967-1975).The series had plenty of action scenes also as Mannix was a street-wise cop. Over the years some have claimed that it was the most "violent" series of all the TV detectives class. Mr. Mannix was always portrayed in terrific style, both clothes and cars, and carried it all off with an air of ultra-smooth coolness of character. The show also had the greatest, jazziest TV Theme Music and action-packed opening credits to boot! Long Live Joe Mannix! .......Now to get MANNIX released on DVD!!!!!.........

 

[Charles Ellis]

Warner Bros. owns The FBI- it was produced there by Mr. Martin, and reruns can be seen every Friday night on the American Life cable channel- right now they're in 1969 episodes. It is surprising WBHV hasn't done anything about testing the waters for the release of a show that lasted nine seasons and has a Who's Who of screen legends from various generations doing guest spots. During the past few months, I've seen shows with Gene Tierney, Harrison Ford, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Viveca Lindfors, Billy Dee Williams, Ed Asner, and even "Gilligan" vets Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson! And all of the shows were filmed in color, too! So- why no DVD release??

 

[Sylvia*ST]

I am lucky enough to get the American Life TV Channel now--Oceanic Time Warner added it in August of 2005, a few months after my friend's cable (Adelphia in Los Angeles) dropped it. Despite the incredible goodies on the channel, their method of showing them are terrible.

Originally, they had 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye and SurfSide 6 all on one night. Now only 77 plays weekly, the others are monthly (along with Bourbon Street Beat). Considering these early Warner's shows have never run in syndication, this is insufficient. At this rate, it will take nearly four years to complete the 77 run, 11 years and 3 months to complete the Hawaiian Eye run, and 6 years to complete the run of SurfSide 6 (which, oddly, has held up the best of all of them). In this 51st anniversary year for Warner's TV, they will never release these shows on DVD because nobody under 60 remembers them.

On topic, American Life is running The FBI, but where it used to run four episodes every Friday night, it now shows only two episodes of this fine QM show per week. Extrapolating, based on approximately 30 episodes per season, there are at least 240 episodes, which will take 2 years and some months to finish.

At least Cannon, Barnaby Jones, The Fugitive and Streets of San Francisco were syndicated until the dreaded "paid program" took up the off hours of every broadcast and cable channel. But every QM series, especially The Fugitive, should be available on DVD. These are real quality TV shows, with good writing, directing and acting.

TV Land shows only sitcoms. We need a drama/action adventure classic TV channel badly. I just got the Sleuth channel here, which is good, but it's showing only Universal TV shows (i.e., The Equalizer and Miami Vice), not surprising as it's owned by NBC-Universal.

 

[Steve...O]

If you saw these shows in syndication in recent years consider yourself lucky. Not all areas of the country got these. I had hopes that Encore Mystery might pick up some of these, but it has never happened. Ditto with Hallmark which is big on mystery type shows (albeit severely edited).

I had high hopes for Sleuth Channel, but after realizing that it airs 15 episodes of Miami Vice every day my enthusiasm waned (only a slight exaggeration). Where's Rockford, MacMillan, McCloud, etc?

Steve

 

[Jeff#]

He only fought the system during the first season when he worked for a computerized detective agency called Intertect. When Joe became an ordinary private detective in the second year, it was just like so many other crime series. Ironically it was Howard Stern, who discussing old TV once described Mannix as the "Mike Douglas of private eyes". The comment meaning that Joe looked and dressed a lot like easygoing talk show host Mike Douglas, which made him very unlikely to be a private detective. (By the way, Mike is working on a DVD release of his old shows, including a week's worth from 1972 co-hosted by John Lennon and Yoho Ono).

But the best thing about MANNIX was the split-screen opening credits made popular in mid 1960s movies before it premiered such as the James Garner film "Grand Prix" and Steve McQueen's "The Thomas Crown Affair".

 

[Harry-N]

Jeff# wrote:

And don't forget the fabulous theme music by Lalo Schifrin!

Harry

 

[Jeff#]

As someone who was born when Mannix was starting its 2nd season, I have an appreciation for both old and modern series from almost all eras.

I don't like big band music though, because what was popular in the 1930s and 40s which is a little too dated for me. I don't consider the 1960s and 70s Schifrin Mannix themes (which I also enjoyed) as "big band".

 

[Harry-N]

Sorry Jeff, I didn't mean to imply that Lalo Schifrin's MANNIX theme had anything to do with 30's/40's big band music. I was merely pointing out the generational differences and lamenting the fact that one generation often doesn't give a hoot about the previous generation's entertainment choices. That's a pure generalization and certainly there are big exceptions.

The fact that the QM shows have been ignored for so long has unfortunately relegated them to the category of the forgotten. But, perhaps like THE TIME TUNNEL has done, they might just grab a few younger viewers should they ever surface.

Harry

 

[JeffWld]

There were 240 episodes of "The FBI". Unfortunately, American Life has only bought a limited package of the series, which leaves the later seasons MIA.

 

[Phyll]

I think the fact that we are still talking about these shows is a good sign. Personally, I love all the shows mentioned but my favorites were Mannix and the Fugitive. Don't you think the Fugitive would be a big hit? I mean I think young people would really like it too. I think it has the magic that Superman has to draw people into the show. And me personally, I think Mannix is a wonderful show. Mike Conners is totally cool in the role. I really liked the FBI too. I would watch every time it was on. Does anybody know how to contact Paramount to let them know about the Fugitive. I think they could make some bucks off of it. What they should do is come out with a new version of the movie and then put the show out at the same time. I thought the Fugitive was way ahead of its time too. The stories were well written and it was well acted. What more could a person want in a show? I miss good tv.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Interesting reading...I have a nephew who's 25 yrs old that likes the original Dick Van Dyke Show, which surprised me greatly. I'm one of the few 'Boomers that's into '40's Jazz. "you never know"

1. The Invaders
2. The Fugitive
3. The Untouchables
4. Twelve O'Clock High

Ditto for me, Mike

I'm also another big "Mannix" fan. I guess I "need" it too

 

[Jeff_HR]

I'd buy it, despite being TOO OLD for the studios who are trying to sell DVDs. I guess my 1300+ DVD library doesn't mean much to them.

 

[Phyll]

Do the big studios think only people under the age of 32 buy dvds? How wrong they are!!! The Fugitive is a show that is just aching to be put out on dvd. I believe it would be a big hit too. The show is too good to keep buried forever. I let the young kids at work borrow my dvds of older shows and they just love them!!! I am not surprised. A good show is like a good song-it will never go out of style. It may look a little dated but sometimes that is even the cool part. Long live the Fugitive-may it come out on dvd in 2006!!!!!!!!! Give us a break Paramount!!!! And no syndication eps, messed with soundtracks or parts cut out for political correctness. We want the shows intact!!!! Where do we write to let them know what we want? It worked with the Mary Tyler Moore Show!! Maybe it could work with the Fugitive too!!!
What's the email address? Anybody know? We have to let Paramount know that the Fugitive needs to be out on dvd. If they would have started it two years ago, the entire series would have been out by now!!!

 

[Harry-N]

Sign the petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/080205/petition/html

Even if it doesn't do anything to get Paramount into action, at least it'll make you feel like you did something positive.

Harry

 

[michael_ks]

Thanks for posting the link, Harry. I just now added my name. I don't think the Night Gallery petition perked up the ears of Universal execs but maybe Paramount will take heed.

 

[RoyM]

I will add my voice here to say that I think it is terrible how so may of the studios neglect older "classic" TV (and films as well) on DVD.

One point that many here have touched on that I also don't understand is why the studios are so interested in catering exclusively to the tastes of the under-35 crowd, when in fact the over-35 crowd typically has more disposable income and often more recreational time in terms of either being retired or more likely being home on the weekends watching DVD's. It seems to me that would be the demographic you would most likely want to appeal to, especially in terms of TV on DVD sales, given the wealth of available material that would appeal to that market.

I attribute it to the fact (or theory on my part, really) that many studio DVD divisions are headed up by 20 to early 30-something year old "executives" who never saw these shows, or just simply assume since they don't like or wouldn't buy anything made before 1982, then no one else does/would either. It's clear to me that a lot of people making the TV-on-DVD marketing decisions for the major studios are just plain stupid, callow and/or short-sighted.

So there you go. End of screed...

 

[Jeff#]

I think maybe a lot of the series we haven't yet seen duplicated to DVD for sale to consumers is simply because the studios just haven't gotten around to them. There are so many other projects they are working on, so not everything can be done as we'd like.

That doesn't mean there aren't plans for The Fugitive already. After all, about 1/3 of the series was released on VHS more than a decade ago. So obviously the demand has already been proven and it still exists. I've wanted to get the 1960s Fugitive series on disc for years. And a great a show as it was, I wouldn't say it was "ahead of its time". The general concept was even based on Victor Hugo's classic story "Les Miserables". Barry Morse pointed that out in one of his intros to the videotape collection.

Not entirely. Several cable networks reran The Fugitive in the 1990s including A & E and WWOR, and to capitalize on the release of the Harrison Ford remake in 1993 even broadcast TV (NBC) had a black & white episode or two airing in prime-time.

Barnaby Jones and The Streets of San Francisco also were rerun on WWOR EMI Service in the 1990s. The original WWOR also had CANNON in the early 1990s.

Twelve O' Clock High was briefy shown on the FX channel in the 90s too.

 

[michael_ks]

This is what I've suspected all along, considering the lack of lavish attention paid to classic tv releases where box art, extras, transfer quality and digital compression/double-sided discs are concerned.

There are still only a handful of releases for shows pre-1974 that are treated with the care and respect they deserve. But the studios are slowly beginning to understand that 'boomers' will pay for a quality product, which bodes well for releases like "The Fugitive" in the near future. Compare "Time Tunnel" to "Lost in Space" or "Kung Fu" S2 vs. S1 (aspect ratio fiasco) and you can see how the major studios (perhaps Universal excepted) are gradually acknowledging the perfectionsists that we collectors are.

 

[Bert Greene]

The long wait for "The Fugitive" is getting downright painful. I'm naturally more resigned to such waits for certain other favorites, due to their sheer unlikelihood of ever making the dvd grade. But, good grief, "The Fugitive"... this is a classic; it's positively screaming for season-sets. If it's not to arrive soon, at least throw me "The Untouchables" or "The Invaders" from QM's stable, to tide me over.

Although not a QM item, I'd also like to see "Mannix" sometime. Especially that first season (1967-68), which seems to have been omitted from the syndicated package. I'd really love to see those.