Ethan Riley
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2005
- Messages
- 4,280
- Real Name
- Ethan Riley
I have a theory about the major studios in regard to tv on dvd: they're lazy. They (naturally) only care about releasing the most popular current shows on television. It's a no-brainer that "Lost" is going to sell big. Or "Desperate Housewives." Or "My Name is Earl," or anything else that is currently popular. It's EASY to package and distribute such shows.
To me, this is kind of stupid...we just SAW all those shows, first-run! To me, the fun of tv on dvd is seeing stuff you CAN'T see on tv at the moment: forgotten shows, shows that haven't seen much syndication, shows that are chopped in syndication. That's what I want on dvd, that's what I NEED on dvd, because I don't HAVE it, and I can't get it!
As we're all increasingly aware, the major studios have become lax in following up season sets of their own releases. There are at the moment probably dozens of major television shows in need of a volume two. Dynasty, Night Court, Everwood, Who's the Boss and American Dreams probably get talked about the most, but there are more. How about Too Close for Comfort? Anybody missing that? Is anybody worried that we'll never see another Gimme A Break, Hart to Hart or Fantasy Island volume? I am.
My feeling is that the major studios own so many titles that they don't give a damn about any of them. Why take the time and trouble to digitally remaster a 20 year old sitcom, secure and settle the music rights and do the marketing research, when you can poop out a zillion units of "Desperate Housewives" knowing it's going to be a huge hit on dvd? I understand this p.o.v., but I most certainly do not have to like it.
If the major studios don't care about their older catalog of titles, then fine. They need to license the older shows to other packagers who care about the shows, and will take the time and trouble to do them right. I am told that Warners, for one, doesn't license out its own properties. Maybe they should, because from what I saw from the recent chat, they only really care about popular, current shows and animation, (which is immune to time, apparently).
In that regard, I think 3's Company is the perfect example of what should be done with an older property. I haven't read a single complaint about the quality of those dvds, the price points, the pace of the releases, or the dvd extras. In other words, the fans of that show have been satisfied. And yet it came out from the relatively small Anchor Bay. My conclusion to all this seems to be that the little guys can do what the big guys can not. If the majors have no interest in their properties, then let the minors do the work. That's the only way we're ever going to see good tv dvds. The major studios can invest their time in easily producing the hottest, most popular and current tv shows out there. That's easy. Leave the harder job of producing older, in some cases forgotten shows to the little guys who care about this stuff.
To me, this is kind of stupid...we just SAW all those shows, first-run! To me, the fun of tv on dvd is seeing stuff you CAN'T see on tv at the moment: forgotten shows, shows that haven't seen much syndication, shows that are chopped in syndication. That's what I want on dvd, that's what I NEED on dvd, because I don't HAVE it, and I can't get it!
As we're all increasingly aware, the major studios have become lax in following up season sets of their own releases. There are at the moment probably dozens of major television shows in need of a volume two. Dynasty, Night Court, Everwood, Who's the Boss and American Dreams probably get talked about the most, but there are more. How about Too Close for Comfort? Anybody missing that? Is anybody worried that we'll never see another Gimme A Break, Hart to Hart or Fantasy Island volume? I am.
My feeling is that the major studios own so many titles that they don't give a damn about any of them. Why take the time and trouble to digitally remaster a 20 year old sitcom, secure and settle the music rights and do the marketing research, when you can poop out a zillion units of "Desperate Housewives" knowing it's going to be a huge hit on dvd? I understand this p.o.v., but I most certainly do not have to like it.
If the major studios don't care about their older catalog of titles, then fine. They need to license the older shows to other packagers who care about the shows, and will take the time and trouble to do them right. I am told that Warners, for one, doesn't license out its own properties. Maybe they should, because from what I saw from the recent chat, they only really care about popular, current shows and animation, (which is immune to time, apparently).
In that regard, I think 3's Company is the perfect example of what should be done with an older property. I haven't read a single complaint about the quality of those dvds, the price points, the pace of the releases, or the dvd extras. In other words, the fans of that show have been satisfied. And yet it came out from the relatively small Anchor Bay. My conclusion to all this seems to be that the little guys can do what the big guys can not. If the majors have no interest in their properties, then let the minors do the work. That's the only way we're ever going to see good tv dvds. The major studios can invest their time in easily producing the hottest, most popular and current tv shows out there. That's easy. Leave the harder job of producing older, in some cases forgotten shows to the little guys who care about this stuff.