Search/Probe/Search Control and Name of the Game - Any chance of a release? (1 Viewer)

[Ian K McLachlan]

Both of these series had revolving leads. I remember watching Search Control (as it was called here) back in the 1970s and greatly enjoying it. I think that it would be an interesting series to release today. The Name of the Game was also popular and would be an interesting DVD release. I believe that there were feature length episodes weren't they?

 

[Mary_P]

"The Name of the Game" was a series of weekly 90-minute episodes, yes. (About 75 mins actual running time, without commercials.) One of the Encore channels ran some of these a few years back. Sadly not all the episodes, but just the same handful over and over again, mostly the Gene Barry and Robert Stack episodes. I don't remember seeing a Tony Franciosa one at all during that run, but I think they did run "L.A. 2017" -- one of Spielberg's earliest directing jobs -- several times.

I'd love to see that on DVD, as well as "Search" (as it was called Stateside). At least NOTG was in syndication for many years after its cancellation, so I've seen some episodes a few times since then, but not so with "Search."

I wish both Universal and Warners were doing more with their back catalog. There wasn't much licensed music used in television in those days, so that shouldn't be an issue. Granted, that's not the *only* issue that keeps something from being released. Neither of these would likely be huge sellers for either company, but I sure would buy them.

 

[Jeff#]

Universal also has yet to put James Drury's excellent 90 minute series The Virginian out on DVD. Why the hold up? Drury himself would make an excellent spokesman and he could sell it on his website.

 

[Bonnie*F]

oooh...
The Virginian. I totally forgot about that series....
Thanks Jeff#, Just one more for my list of wants and likely not get. *grin*

 

[Glenn Curtis]

Nearly three years on and still no sign of these shows coming on DVD.

I guess we will never get to see them again.

 

[Ian K McLachlan]

Having a look at this thread that I started a couple of years ago, I see that The Virginian is mentioned. It is great that that is coming to DVD. So perhaps there is hope for a release of Search and Name of the Game. Or at least a release of the TV movie Probe which started Search off....

 

[DeWilson]

Originally Posted by Ian K McLachlan

Having a look at this thread that I started a couple of years ago, I see that The Virginian is mentioned. It is great that that is coming to DVD. So perhaps there is hope for a release of Search and Name of the Game. Or at least a release of the TV movie Probe which started Search off....

SEARCH (and PROBE) are Warner proprties so there is a chance they could go the Archive route.

As for NAME OF THE GAME, as Universal Properites, they could be licenced out to a third party (like Timeless)

 

[Ian K McLachlan]

Almost one year on. Any news on either of these two series? I would have thought that with the recent release of Ellery Queen there might be a chance that Search/Probe might get a release sometime soon.

 

[JohnHopper]

Keep in mind that E1 will release "It Takes a Thief" (Universal) this summer (2011)

so there is a chance they might pick next "The Name of the Game" (Universal).

Both were Leslie Stevens' projects, had a main title theme music by Dave Grusin and featured actress Susan Saint James.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Regarding The Name of the Game could be Shout!Factory is interested which should be a great thing of course, or maybe the company Madman in Australia would be another possible contender for a DVD release, I'd sure as heck buy it no matter who did them!

 

[Glenn Curtis]

I did contact Madman last week about The Name of The Game and they told me they had no plans for TNOTG. They did thank me for the suggestion though and said they'd be sure to look into it.


In my email I did mention that by releasing series that are not available elsewhere that they would be guaranteed worldwide sales rather than just from Australia.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

That'd be great if they might check out any possibilities of getting it, so many fine Universal shows are just waiting to be dusted off again, read here recently Delvecchio could be coming so that's good and with luck others like it.

 

[WaveCrest]

Warner Archive have replied to a question on their Facebook page (on Monday) about the TV movie Probe and the TV series Search, and they replied saying

"We have indicated that we hope to release Search, if we can clear it.Meanwhile get ready for Probe, the great Tv movie/pilot, to come your way from WAC very soon".

 

[WaveCrest]

TVShowsOnDVD posted a new news article on their website yesterday about the pilot TV film for the TV series Search, called Probe:



Probe (pilot TV film for the TV series Search) - TVShowsOnDVD.com news article

 

[Ian K McLachlan]

While I am pleased that Probe is getting released I am disappointed that it is going to be an on demand title as it means it wont be available to us in Britain. Unless a UK company decides to release it of course!

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Nice. Hopefully with all these pilots for crime shows getting released lately it means they're looking into the possibilities of the series themselves.

 

[WaveCrest]

Are there any other TV film pilots which Warner own the rights to?

 

[DeWilson]

There's actually 2 different cuts of PROBE - the "movie of the week" stand alone,and SEARCH - the reedited version that is a stronger lead-in to an ongoing series - additional and alternate scenes.

Well, I can think of several TVM pilots that didn't go to series -


WONDER WOMAN (1974) - The Cathy Lee Crosby one (Which isn't bad,actually)
THE SPIRIT (1987) - Sam Jones based on the comic.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA (1997) - there's a longer TV Movie cut of the unaired pilot that was sold overseas.

 

[WaveCrest]

Originally Posted by DeWilson

There's actually 2 different cuts of PROBE - the "movie of the week" stand alone,and SEARCH - the reedited version that is a stronger lead-in to an ongoing series - additional and alternate scenes.

Do Warner Archive know that there are two different cuts of Probe?

 

[DeWilson]

Originally Posted by WaveCrest




Do Warner Archive know that there are two different cuts of Probe?

Who knows