Quincy, M.E. - Season 1 Question (1 Viewer)

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

While Universal Studios itself claims the official first season of Quincy, M.E. (1976-83) are of the four 90-minute TV movies that aired during the NBC Mystery Movie cycle, I don't count them as an official season, which would really mean the official first season began on February 4, 1977 with the 2-hour special "Snake Eyes." At least one Quincy, M.E. fan site, the Quincy Examiner, also dispels the eight-season myth.

To round things up:
The TV Movies (NBC Mystery Movie, 1976-77)
Season 1 (1977)
Season 2 (1977-78)
Season 3 (1978-79)
Season 4 (1979-80)
Season 5 (1980-81)
Season 6 (1981-82)
Season 7 (1982-83)

Season 1 (per Universal)... correctly: the TV Movies
Go Fight City Hall... to the Death! (TV movie, 10/3/76)
Who's Who in Neverland? (TV movie, 10/10/76)
A Star is Dead (TV movie, 11/28/76)
Hot Ice, Cold Hearts (TV movie, 1/2/77)

Season 2 (per Universal)... correctly: Season 1
Snake Eyes (2 hour special, 2/4/77)
...The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone... (90 minute special, 2/11/77)
Visitors in Paradise (2/18/77)
The Two Sides of Truth (2/25/77)
Hit and Run at Danny's (3/11/77)
Has Anybody Here Seen Quincy? (3/18/77)
A Good Smack in the Mouth (4/15/77)
The Hot Dog Murder (4/22/77)
An Unfriendly Radiance (4/29/77)
Sullied Be Thy Name (5/6/77)
Valleyview (5/13/77)
Let Me Light the Way (5/27/77)

In syndicated reruns, the first four TV movies that aired during the NBC Mystery Movie cycle, and also "...The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone..." (episode 2 of season 1), were trimmed 30 minutes to fit the 1-hour timeslot. The four TV movies that aired before "Snake Eyes" also originally used the NBC Mystery Movie-centric opening and closing titles, but they were replaced in syndication with the standard Quincy, M.E. opening and closing.

~Ben

 

[Desslar]

My question is where is the complete series box set?

 

[jcroy]

Shout Factory seems to have very little to zero interest in releasing tv complete series dvd sets like this.

I was hoping for an NYPD Blue complete series dvd set, but it will likely never happen. (Shout Factory released seasons 5 to 12 of NYPD Blue, after Fox gave up on it after the first four seasons).

 

[bmasters9]

While Universal Studios itself claims the official first season of Quincy, M.E. (1976-83) are of the four 90-minute TV movies that aired during the NBC Mystery Movie cycle, I don't count them as an official season, which would really mean the official first season began on February 4, 1977 with the 2-hour special "Snake Eyes." At least one Quincy, M.E. fan site, the Quincy Examiner, also dispels the eight-season myth.

To round things up:
The TV Movies (NBC Mystery Movie, 1976-77)
Season 1 (1977)
Season 2 (1977-78)
Season 3 (1978-79)
Season 4 (1979-80)
Season 5 (1980-81)
Season 6 (1981-82)
Season 7 (1982-83)

Quincy, M.E. is of course not the only series so treated in its DVD releases-- O-R CBS Lorimar Dallas has also been so treated (Warner Bros. thinks the 5-episode April 1978 miniseries is an actual season in itself, and that the first proper go [1978-79] is really the second go, the second go [1979-80] is really the third, and so on, up to where the thirteenth and final one [1990-91] is really the fourteenth).

 

[Desslar]

Shout Factory seems to have very little to zero interest in releasing tv complete series dvd sets like this.

I was hoping for an NYPD Blue complete series dvd set, but it will likely never happen. (Shout Factory released seasons 5 to 12 of NYPD Blue, after Fox gave up on it after the first four seasons).

Strange. You'd think a complete set of NYPD Blue would sell better than individual seasons 5-12 sets.

 

[jcroy]

Strange. You'd think a complete set of NYPD Blue would sell better than individual seasons 5-12 sets.

(More generally).

What are the primary reasons why a complete series set is even released in the first place ?

In the case of a tv show where every season was previously released individually, I would guess it is largely to clear out old inventory collecting dust in their warehouse. (ie. Huge spindles of discs).

In the cases of shows where Shout Factory continued and eventually completed, the question is how much old inventory do they still have left over? (ie. Did they manufacture too many copies initially?)

 

[Desslar]

(More generally).

What are the primary reasons why a complete series set is even released in the first place ?

In the case of a tv show where every season was previously released individually, I would guess it is largely to clear out old inventory collecting dust in their warehouse. (ie. Huge spindles of discs).

In the cases of shows where Shout Factory continued and eventually completed, the question is how much old inventory do they still have left over? (ie. Did they manufacture too many copies initially?)

Clearing out old inventory is certainly one good reason to release a complete set, but I would think reaching new customers would be another good reason. Speaking generally, I bought a few single season DVD releases in the early days of TV on DVD, but as soon as complete series sets started appearing I lost interest and just waited for the complete sets to be released.

I expect there is a good number of other consumers out there who could not be bothered with single season releases, but who would buy a complete set. This is basically the same reason that bands release greatest hits albums.(although admittedly a complete DVD set of a long TV series would be considerably more costly).

 

[jcroy]

Clearing out old inventory is certainly one good reason to release a complete set, but I would think reaching new customers would be another good reason. Speaking generally, I bought a few single season DVD releases in the early days of TV on DVD, but as soon as complete series sets started appearing I lost interest and just waited for the complete sets to be released.

I expect there is a good number of other consumers out there who could not be bothered with single season releases, but who would buy a complete set. This is basically the same reason that bands release greatest hits albums.(although admittedly a complete DVD set of a long TV series would be considerably more costly).

Most likely Shout Factory already has a lot of past sales data to see whether there is a "good number of other customers" who didn't buy single seasons but who would be willing to buy complete series sets.

For example, shows like GI Joe, Transformers, The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, WKRP, The Jeffersons, All In The Family, Barney Miller, etc ... where both complete series and individual season dvd sets were released by them in 2014/2015 (or earlier).

The fact that some shoutfactory completed shows have not had complete series sets, suggests that they do not believe complete series sets will "create" a significant boost in sales. For example, shows like: Kojak, Simon & Simon, NYPD Blue, Dragnet (67-70), Adam12, etc ...

 

[ScottRE]

I'd be happy with a compete series "bundle" at a discount. I loved this show, but I know the moment I pull the trigger on every season, you'll see a complete set. On Blu Ray. With bonus features.

 

[Desslar]

Most likely Shout Factory already has a lot of past sales data to see whether there is a "good number of other customers" who didn't buy single seasons but who would be willing to buy complete series sets.

For example, shows like GI Joe, Transformers, The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, WKRP, The Jeffersons, All In The Family, Barney Miller, etc ... where both complete series and individual season dvd sets were released by them in 2014/2015 (or earlier).

The fact that some shoutfactory completed shows have not had complete series sets, suggests that they do not believe complete series sets will "create" a significant boost in sales. For example, shows like: Kojak, Simon & Simon, NYPD Blue, Dragnet (67-70), Adam12, etc ...

Could be. Another possibility is that their sales predictions were too optimistic for the single season releases and they produced way too many. Therefore they aren't willing to produce any complete series sets until they sell off their aging inventory of single season sets.

 

[Blimpoy06]

shows like: Kojak, Simon & Simon, NYPD Blue, Dragnet (67-70), Adam12, etc ...

These shows, and Quincy, all had a single relese by Universal before Shout took over. I believe Universal still owns the rights and is releasing them. Probably why we haven't seen a complete series set for these shows.

 

[jcroy]

These shows, and Quincy, all had a single relese by Universal before Shout took over. I believe Universal still owns the rights and is releasing them. Probably why we haven't seen a complete series set for these shows.

I would be quite surprised if this ^ is what is going on.

There is one giant couterexample to your assertion: Northern Exposure (NE).

Universal released the first several seasons of NE on double-sided flipper dvd discs back in 2004-2006. Universal then re-released them again as single-sided dvd discs in 2012/2014.

Come 2020, Universal outsourced NE to ShoutFactory with the latter re-releasing it as a complete series set in 2020. (Rumor has it that this 2020 NE set might just be the 2012/2014 discs repressed again).


If ShoutFactory had any interest in releasing complete series sets for stuff like Kojak, Adam12, Dragnet (67-70), Simon & Simon, etc ...., then most likely Universal would not have re-released the respective season 1 dvd sets as single-sided discs sets in 2017-2018. (Seasons 1 of Kojak, Adam12, and Dragnet 67 were originally released as double-sided flipper dvd discs sets in 2005).

In principle, it would be easier for Universal to "outsource" complete series dvd sets to somebody else such as ShoutFactory. No inventory to manage, while collecting licensing fees.

 

[Wiseguy]

While Universal Studios itself claims the official first season of Quincy, M.E. (1976-83) are of the four 90-minute TV movies that aired during the NBC Mystery Movie cycle, I don't count them as an official season, which would really mean the official first season began on February 4, 1977 with the 2-hour special "Snake Eyes." At least one Quincy, M.E. fan site, the Quincy Examiner, also dispels the eight-season myth.

To round things up:
The TV Movies (NBC Mystery Movie, 1976-77)
Season 1 (1977)
Season 2 (1977-78)
Season 3 (1978-79)
Season 4 (1979-80)
Season 5 (1980-81)
Season 6 (1981-82)
Season 7 (1982-83)

Season 1 (per Universal)... correctly: the TV Movies
Go Fight City Hall... to the Death! (TV movie, 10/3/76)
Who's Who in Neverland? (TV movie, 10/10/76)
A Star is Dead (TV movie, 11/28/76)
Hot Ice, Cold Hearts (TV movie, 1/2/77)

Season 2 (per Universal)... correctly: Season 1
Snake Eyes (2 hour special, 2/4/77)
...The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone... (90 minute special, 2/11/77)
Visitors in Paradise (2/18/77)
The Two Sides of Truth (2/25/77)
Hit and Run at Danny's (3/11/77)
Has Anybody Here Seen Quincy? (3/18/77)
A Good Smack in the Mouth (4/15/77)
The Hot Dog Murder (4/22/77)
An Unfriendly Radiance (4/29/77)
Sullied Be Thy Name (5/6/77)
Valleyview (5/13/77)
Let Me Light the Way (5/27/77)

In syndicated reruns, the first four TV movies that aired during the NBC Mystery Movie cycle, and also "...The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone..." (episode 2 of season 1), were trimmed 30 minutes to fit the 1-hour timeslot. The four TV movies that aired before "Snake Eyes" also originally used the NBC Mystery Movie-centric opening and closing titles, but they were replaced in syndication with the standard Quincy, M.E. opening and closing.

~Ben

The only explanation what makes sense is that all the episodes produced for the 1976-77 season and aired in the 1976-77 season are episodes from the same season. The length of the episode is irrelevant. (Series such as The Rockford Files and The Love Boat have produced 90-minute episodes. Nobody has claimed those episodes to be from different seasons. )
Also, as you pointed out, "The Thigh Bone's..." is also 90 minutes but was broadcast as Quincy, rather than The Mystery Movie. It is rather obvious that both "Snake Eyes" and "The Thigh Bone's..." were produced with the intent to show them as Mystery Movie episodes. It is silly to put these two episodes in a different group than the first four episodes. In addition, actress Lynette Mettey appeared in all 90-minute episodes and "Snake Eyes." She disappeared at the start of the 60-minute episodes, which supports the theory that the longer episodes should all be in the same group and that group is called "Quincy Season One."

(By the way MeTV back in 2015 or so, broadcast all 5 90-minute episodes as 90-minute broadcasts. As you mentioned they had already been shown edited to 60-minutes for reruns.)

 

[bmasters9]

(Seasons 1 of Kojak, Adam12, and Dragnet 67 were originally released as double-sided flipper dvd discs sets in 2005).

Same way as the first go on Emergency!

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

The only explanation what makes sense is that all the episodes produced for the 1976-77 season and aired in the 1976-77 season are episodes from the same season. The length of the episode is irrelevant. (Series such as The Rockford Files and The Love Boat have produced 90-minute episodes. Nobody has claimed those episodes to be from different seasons. )
Also, as you pointed out, "The Thigh Bone's..." is also 90 minutes but was broadcast as Quincy, rather than The Mystery Movie. It is rather obvious that both "Snake Eyes" and "The Thigh Bone's..." were produced with the intent to show them as Mystery Movie episodes. It is silly to put these two episodes in a different group than the first four episodes. In addition, actress Lynette Mettey appeared in all 90-minute episodes and "Snake Eyes." She disappeared at the start of the 60-minute episodes, which supports the theory that the longer episodes should all be in the same group and that group is called "Quincy Season One."

(By the way MeTV back in 2015 or so, broadcast all 5 90-minute episodes as 90-minute broadcasts. As you mentioned they had already been shown edited to 60-minutes for reruns.)

Both the TV movies and season 1 (the latter of what Universal calls season 2) could've been packaged together as season 1, without any confusion. The reason they were sold separate was, I think, price considerations.

~Ben

 

[Wiseguy]

Both the TV movies and season 1 (the latter of what Universal calls season 2) could've been packaged together as season 1, without any confusion. The reason they were sold separate was, I think, price considerations.

~Ben

I thought it was released in one set (Quincy Seasons 1 and 2). The only problem was referring it as two seasons to make people think they were getting more tyhan thwy were.

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

I thought it was released in one set (Quincy Seasons 1 and 2). The only problem was referring it as two seasons to make people think they were getting more tyhan thwy were.

You are right, they were indeed packaged together. Still, they should have just called it season 1.

~Ben

 

[bmasters9]

You are right, they were indeed packaged together. Still, they should have just called it season 1.

~Ben

Do you feel the same way about shows like Dallas?

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Do you feel the same way about shows like Dallas?

Yes; the first five episodes that aired during the month of April 1978 which were grouped as a mini-series and the proper first season that started in the 1978-79 season could also be an example of it being "just season 1." These five episodes that aired throughout April 1978 were originally meant to be a single made-for-TV pilot episode, but when CBS first aired them it was initially thought that no further episodes would be made, but they soon scored well enough in the Nielsens that the series was given its first proper season that September.

Dallas' first full season began airing on CBS' Saturday night lineup, but low Nielsen ratings for the first four episodes this season led to the network moving the series back to its old Sunday night timeslot.

~Ben

 

[bmasters9]

Yes; the first five episodes that aired during the month of April 1978 which were grouped as a mini-series and the proper first season that started in the 1978-79 season could also be an example of it being "just season 1." These five episodes that aired throughout April 1978 were originally meant to be a single made-for-TV pilot episode, but when CBS first aired them it was initially thought that no further episodes would be made, but they soon scored well enough in the Nielsens that the series was given its first proper season that September.

Dallas' first full season began airing on CBS' Saturday night lineup, but low Nielsen ratings for the first four episodes this season led to the network moving the series back to its old Sunday night timeslot.

~Ben

I guess then, from what you're saying, that you're going by how Barbara Curran put it, and that the final go (1990-91) was the 13th one, and not the 14th.