SCTV good news and bad news. (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

according to an article, here (may have to register for free) it is in production for a January release.

but it will not include the early seasons that were half hour syndicated shows.

The DVD release will not be a “complete first-season” package, Levy said. “SCTV” began as a series of half-hour shows but eventually moved to a 90-minute format when the program began airing on NBC. The DVD collection starts with those 90-minute shows

i can quote more if the article isn't easliy accesable.

 

[Paul Drake]

I thought the deal was that the 90 minute versions were coming out first and then the original seasons would follow?

I remember watching this on PBS when it first showed up in the states. I've been life long fans of the cast ever since. Great stuff.

 

[David Lambert]

Already under discussion here.

 

[TonyD]

hmm the sarch for sctv i missed right over that thread. oh well.

 

[EdwardKarlinski]

This article quotes Levy as saying that they are starting with their strength, meaning the 90 minute episodes. That is absurd. I hated the NBC series. The half hour shows are the classics which hooked most fans.

 

[AlanBrom]

I disagree Edward. I think the 90 minute episodes did show them at their best strength and were more polished and better concieved than some of the early ones. I was hooked since the beginning, but the NBC years really made me realize the talent on hand, and I agree with Levy. That's just my opinion.

 

[TonyD]

anyone remeber the ep that was an old black and white ep of the cisco kid show? sctv gang redubbed it and it was the funniest thing i ever saw.

 

[AlanBrom]

I believe the hardest I ever laughed from SCTV, was during the "Battle of the PBS Stars," when Julia Child (John Candy) boxed Mr. Rogers (Martin Short) in a ring with Howard Cossell (Eugene Levy) commentating. Rogers was losing so he cheated by grabbing the King Friday puppet (in the ring corner with Speedy Delivery) and beat Julia over the head with it. The make-up on short was very dead on, and he made the funniest expressions!

 

[Mark_TS]

a good 12-15 years ago SCTV came out on syndicated half hour shows-were these the original half-hour shows, or cut-down 90 minute shows?

I remember watching the start of the 90 mins that came on AFTER SNL and was not impressed.

In 199X, when it was revived, I read a review that mentioned the "Nitrous-Oxide" world of SCTV, and decided to give it a try-I WAS HOOKED.

 

[TonyD]

i think after several years of 90 minutes on nbc.
it went into syndication as edited half hr shows.

 

[AlanBrom]

The re-edited, 30-minute syndicated versions first showed up around 1985 on local PBS stations. Nick at Nite got them around '88 and showed them for years. I believe Comedy Central showed them at times in the 90s. Last these were seen were at 1:30 am (Mon-Thurs.) right after Conan O' Brian, a time slot now filled by Carson Daly's talk show. It will be great to see the 90-minute versions that made my Friday nights so wonderful in the early 80s.

 

[Matthew Kiernan]

The 90 minute episodes are the true masterpieces, some of the very best comedy ever presented on TV anywhere in the world. I agree with Levy - get to the good stuff!

I myself can't wait for "Polynesiantown".

 

[EdwardKarlinski]

Well, my memory of the NBC series is not good. I loved SCTV and remember being excited that it was picked up by NBC for an expanded format. I also remember that I eventually stopped watching the 90 minute version because it was just not on a par with the original series. It certainly was not the strength of SCTV.

 

[Jaime_Weinman]

The most important point, I think, is that the early half-hour episodes can be seen on TV in more or less their original form, whereas the 90 minute shows cannot. Therefore there's more demand for the 90 minute shows, because they benefit more from the uncut presentation on DVD. I know that online there are many, many fan requests for tapes of the orginal 90-minute broadcasts -- it's something you can't get by taping them off TV. I think they're making a smart move by starting with the material that's most in demand.

 

[TerryW]

Plus, if this first batch of dvd's sells well then I'm sure we'll eventually get the rest of the seasons.

 

[Mark_TS]

hmmm....around here they showed up on the FOX affiliate in 1986 or so....I think they only had FOX programming on Sunday nights, the rest of the week was up for grabs, if I recall...

 

[joe goswami]

Martin Short's Pierre Trudeau was a classic. Bob & Doug and lets not forget Earl Canonbear.

 

[Bob Turnbull]

Me too...I had puddles at my feet from the tears streaming down my face. I've only seen it the one time. I've never managed to catch it on all the reruns that have been shown since. I think I've mostly been seeing the packaged 30 minute shows which were a smorgasbord of clips from a number of different seasons (ie. sometimes throwing in 'commercials' from season 2 with skits from season 4), so maybe they simply never chose it to be part of the package (or perhaps there were rights issues?)

Though I personally would like to see them start with Season 1 and work their way up, I understand why they are doing it this way. As long as ALL the seasons make it out eventually on disc. Please, don't skimp on the earlier seasons!