Sierra TV series (1 Viewer)

[HenryDuBrow]

Denver wrote the title song yes, but I don't recall any special kind of music that would give rights trouble now. I've always thought it'd be a good show to do for Timeless.

 

[Regulus]

Jack, Sierra could have been included in the movies as Gage/De Soto went to Yosemite to mountain/high angle rescues. The movies had Gage/De Soto going to SF and Seattle to study paramedic techniques/processes in those jurisdictions. It would be a great opportunity to package sierra as sample episode. Wonder Woman did that with Shazam and see no harm with doing something similar with Sierra. Adam-12 was called a cross over, because you see adam-12 talking to dixie and then few minutes later de Soto and gage showed up at Dixie's station.

It was Isis that did crossovers with Captain Marvel and Vice Versa.

 

[younger1968]

Denver wrote the title song yes, but I don't recall any special kind of music that would give rights trouble now. I've always thought it'd be a good show to do for Timeless.

I do not think the music plays heavily into the show other than the opening/ending credits. There are other shows from Jack Webb's company that have not been released as well. I just hopes the powers to be could do what they did for Stephen Cannell and that was released a set with few episodes from his serious as well as some completed shows.

1. Sierra (14) - likely 4 dvds required

2. O'Hara Treasury Agent (22) - likely 6 dvds required

3. The D.A. (15) - Likely 4 dvds)

4. Escape (4) - one dvd

5. Chase (24) - 6 dvds

6. Mobile One (11) - 3 dvds

7. Project UFO (26) - 7 dvds

8. Sam (6) - 2 dvds

The studio could be released in like two volumes and called the Jack Webb collection (1970s).

 

[Gary OS]

What about Noah's Ark? That's a Webb show I want to see released.


Gary "along with O'Hara Treasury Agent, Sierra and Pete Kelly's Blues" O.

 

[younger1968]

What about Noah's Ark? That's a Webb show I want to see released.


Gary "along with O'Hara Treasury Agent, Sierra and Pete Kelly's Blues" O.

Gary, I just focus on the 1970s series, but they could easily do something for the 1960s.

 

[Ron1973]

I do not think the music plays heavily into the show other than the opening/ending credits. There are other shows from Jack Webb's company that have not been released as well. I just hopes the powers to be could do what they did for Stephen Cannell and that was released a set with few episodes from his serious as well as some completed shows.

1. Sierra (14) - likely 4 dvds required

2. O'Hara Treasury Agent (22) - likely 6 dvds required

3. The D.A. (15) - Likely 4 dvds)

4. Escape (4) - one dvd

5. Chase (24) - 6 dvds

6. Mobile One (11) - 3 dvds

7. Project UFO (26) - 7 dvds

8. Sam (6) - 2 dvds

The studio could be released in like two volumes and called the Jack Webb collection (1970s).

Ya know, even if music is heavy, I don't see the beef. I've heard music-heavy episodes on other Universal shows. I just got through watching a S2 episode of Quincy, M.E. that was music heavy and I've saw some A-Team episodes that were music heavy that managed to be cleared. Surely a one-season show wouldn't present THAT much of a problem.

 

[Jack P]

I think you're forgetting something about this show and other titles that are practically the killer as far as any realistic hope of them making DVD and that is the fact that there is no evidence that any tape masters were ever made of "Sierra" or any of these other titles for cable showings with the singular exception of "O'Hara U.S. Treasury" for A+E in the early 90s. And even then, we'd have the element of the Universal fire which we already know destroyed some tape masters for more long-running shows like "Switch". So that means with these Universal titles (save "Project UFO" which post-dates Webb's break with Universal) we are dealing with the same problem that will keep "Switch" off DVD which is the fact that Universal is not going to spring a fortune to take these shows out of the vault for a DVD worthy remastering. I can even remember that Shout! when they were doing "Adam-12" looked into the possibility of getting the one episode of "The D.A" that concludes a story that begins on an "Adam-12" episode and they weren't able to secure it. That would mean to see another kind of DVD release, we'd have to see the Timeless method of 16mm prints used, and for a color show from the 70s, that's not the kind of DVD worthy release I'd like to see because while 16mm is acceptable for a B/W show from the 50s-60s, standards are much different for a color show (the 1977 western "Oregon Trail" I think is the only 70s title to be released from 16mm elements).

Much as I'd like to see more short-lived series of the 70s to be made available, if they're Universal titles then we have to be cognizant of the obstacles caused by (1) the fire and (2) Universal's stinginess regarding new remasterings before we start speculating on other reasons for why they're not on DVD.

 

[piekielrl]

This discussion is somewhat interesting, but the ONLY realistic way any of us Sierra fans are going to see these episodes again is to track down people who may have taped the show in its brief reruns and start swapping episodes among ourselves. How many of you are actively seeking these? The show was aired in Germany (hence the crappy video on youtube of "The Urban Rangers" episode), it was aired in Australia, and also in Canada in the early 80s, when people actually had VCRs. I have routinely searched on ioffer.com but to no avail. A few years ago, someone DID offer the series on home-made DVDs there, but the ad disappeared before I was able to buy a set.
I personally have just signed up on a German website similar to this forum because there is a section there for Sierra fans, and a bunch of CLEAR photo stills taken from the "Urban Rangers" episode. I have to use google translate to send messages, but it may yield something.
I have contacted many Internet sites that offer "rare videos" for sale, but they only deal in commercial releases. I try to ask every actor friend I have who I might contact that might have an extensive personal collection (Did any of you know that Roddy McDowell had a HUGE collection of personal videos like that??)
I've personally written to Sierra Actor Ernest Thompson (who wrote back to me) and tried to generate some leads. I've got other "irons in the fire," but no tapes yet.
What have all of you tried to do? Let's get on the ball here, guys! Start digging! Has anyone tried to find these things besides me?
Bob

 

[Ron1973]

This discussion is somewhat interesting, but the ONLY realistic way any of us Sierra fans are going to see these episodes again is to track down people who may have taped the show in its brief reruns and start swapping episodes among ourselves. How many of you are actively seeking these? The show was aired in Germany (hence the crappy video on youtube of "The Urban Rangers" episode), it was aired in Australia, and also in Canada in the early 80s, when people actually had VCRs. I have routinely searched on ioffer.com but to no avail. A few years ago, someone DID offer the series on home-made DVDs there, but the ad disappeared before I was able to buy a set.
I personally have just signed up on a German website similar to this forum because there is a section there for Sierra fans, and a bunch of CLEAR photo stills taken from the "Urban Rangers" episode. I have to use google translate to send messages, but it may yield something.
I have contacted many Internet sites that offer "rare videos" for sale, but they only deal in commercial releases. I try to ask every actor friend I have who I might contact that might have an extensive personal collection (Did any of you know that Roddy McDowell had a HUGE collection of personal videos like that??)
I've personally written to Sierra Actor Ernest Thompson (who wrote back to me) and tried to generate some leads. I've got other "irons in the fire," but no tapes yet.
What have all of you tried to do? Let's get on the ball here, guys! Start digging! Has anyone tried to find these things besides me?
Bob

For me, I wasn't aware such a show existed until recently. I've always been a fan of Emergency! (as are my kids now) and when I found Johnny and Roy made an appearance, I had to track it down on YouTube. Don't get me wrong, I would gladly buy this on DVD but it would be nice to have better quality.

 

[younger1968]

This discussion is somewhat interesting, but the ONLY realistic way any of us Sierra fans are going to see these episodes again is to track down people who may have taped the show in its brief reruns and start swapping episodes among ourselves. How many of you are actively seeking these? The show was aired in Germany (hence the crappy video on youtube of "The Urban Rangers" episode), it was aired in Australia, and also in Canada in the early 80s, when people actually had VCRs. I have routinely searched on ioffer.com but to no avail. A few years ago, someone DID offer the series on home-made DVDs there, but the ad disappeared before I was able to buy a set.
I personally have just signed up on a German website similar to this forum because there is a section there for Sierra fans, and a bunch of CLEAR photo stills taken from the "Urban Rangers" episode. I have to use google translate to send messages, but it may yield something.
I have contacted many Internet sites that offer "rare videos" for sale, but they only deal in commercial releases. I try to ask every actor friend I have who I might contact that might have an extensive personal collection (Did any of you know that Roddy McDowell had a HUGE collection of personal videos like that??)
I've personally written to Sierra Actor Ernest Thompson (who wrote back to me) and tried to generate some leads. I've got other "irons in the fire," but no tapes yet.
What have all of you tried to do? Let's get on the ball here, guys! Start digging! Has anyone tried to find these things besides me?
Bob

Keep up the great work! I am very glad that you are doing extra work to see what is available. I am a outdoor person and shows like Sierra are great with the backdrop. I love the scenery!!!

 

[Neil Brock]

I think you're forgetting something about this show and other titles that are practically the killer as far as any realistic hope of them making DVD and that is the fact that there is no evidence that any tape masters were ever made of "Sierra" or any of these other titles for cable showings with the singular exception of "O'Hara U.S. Treasury" for A+E in the early 90s. And even then, we'd have the element of the Universal fire which we already know destroyed some tape masters for more long-running shows like "Switch". So that means with these Universal titles (save "Project UFO" which post-dates Webb's break with Universal) we are dealing with the same problem that will keep "Switch" off DVD which is the fact that Universal is not going to spring a fortune to take these shows out of the vault for a DVD worthy remastering. I can even remember that Shout! when they were doing "Adam-12" looked into the possibility of getting the one episode of "The D.A" that concludes a story that begins on an "Adam-12" episode and they weren't able to secure it. That would mean to see another kind of DVD release, we'd have to see the Timeless method of 16mm prints used, and for a color show from the 70s, that's not the kind of DVD worthy release I'd like to see because while 16mm is acceptable for a B/W show from the 50s-60s, standards are much different for a color show (the 1977 western "Oregon Trail" I think is the only 70s title to be released from 16mm elements).

Much as I'd like to see more short-lived series of the 70s to be made available, if they're Universal titles then we have to be cognizant of the obstacles caused by (1) the fire and (2) Universal's stinginess regarding new remasterings before we start speculating on other reasons for why they're not on DVD.

Everything you say is true except for one more factor. Universal doesn't necessarily have 16mm prints on all of their shows. A few years ago they deposited a huge collection of 16mm prints to UCLA and I can tell you that while there are a lot of rare series in that donation, Sierra and The D.A. are not among them. Its very possible that Universal doesn't have any 16mm prints on those series and that they only exist on 35mm. Certainly there aren't any tape transfers, that's for sure. Besides that, they didn't retain 16mm prints on all of their shows. Some of the Timeless releases, Universal had to access back from UCLA to get copies.

 

[Neil Brock]

What about Noah's Ark? That's a Webb show I want to see released.


Gary "along with O'Hara Treasury Agent, Sierra and Pete Kelly's Blues" O.

Not going to happen. Jack Webb had all of the elements on Noah's Ark and Pete Kelly's Blues destroyed. Marc Wielage posted about this on another forum as he worked for Webb at the time and was involved in the process.

 

[Gary OS]

Well, that's horrible. I'm surprised Webb would do something like that. What would be the reasoning for such actions?


Gary "that borders on insane, imho" O.

 

[younger1968]

Does anyone remember Sierra being shown in syndication? I do not believe I remember seeing it in Canada.

 

[Jack P]

13 episode shows were never syndicated in US markets in those days because that was never enough to justify a syndication sale to stations. Short-lived stuff like that might get a second airing in foreign markets (this is why we've got overseas airings of the final episode of "Cliffhangers" which never aired in the US) or they might get re-edited into long "features" (the "Planet Of The Apes" TV series) but it just didn't happen for a show like this.

I appreciate seeing the enthusiasm this title generates for some people but I think there needs to be a cold dose of reality about this show's viability for DVD as well as its history overall before people keep getting too carried away and think all it would take is a letter writing campaign. That's just not going to happen when you're not dealing with a show that would have viable elements in the first place.

 

[younger1968]

13 episode shows were never syndicated in US markets in those days because that was never enough to justify a syndication sale to stations. Short-lived stuff like that might get a second airing in foreign markets (this is why we've got overseas airings of the final episode of "Cliffhangers" which never aired in the US) or they might get re-edited into long "features" (the "Planet Of The Apes" TV series) but it just didn't happen for a show like this.

I appreciate seeing the enthusiasm this title generates for some people but I think there needs to be a cold dose of reality about this show's viability for DVD as well as its history overall before people keep getting too carried away and think all it would take is a letter writing campaign. That's just not going to happen when you're not dealing with a show that would have viable elements in the first place.

Hi Jack,

There are options available to get any shows that were cancelled and/or had short run via grouping them together. Prime Time Crime was a good example of what can be done if the studios want to do a release. The Prime Time Crime had unsubs, palace guard, etc that would not have seen the light of day if they were separate releases. If copies exist for the short-run Jack Webb series then there is an option of bundling the some shows shows together in a few releases. Hence the reason I posted the above thread. Do I think it will happen? The answer is probably not, but if we put pressure on studios then we could see something happen. Let's face facts the studios are about money, so if they can make archive generate them money at a low cost then the studios is likely going to consider releasing more on dvd.

Universal, CBS, FOX, etc could take a page from Warner Brothers Archive on how to release movies and tv shows to customers. If the aforementioned could managed the releases then they could have success. BTW: I am working on a couple of angles to see if something can be done!

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

Not going to happen. Jack Webb had all of the elements on Noah's Ark and Pete Kelly's Blues destroyed. Marc Wielage posted about this on another forum as he worked for Webb at the time and was involved in the process.

Do you suppose The D.A.'s Man was also destroyed, too? But I have seen the series' opening on YT, but maybe a few of those episodes ended up in collectors' hands.

 

[younger1968]

I did some tracking down of the show as such I had no such luck with finding anyone that had copies of the show. It is too bad this show could not see the light of day as I got into after watching the Emergency! crossover episode!

 

[LeoA]

Wish there was some way that this would be done justice on DVD and beat the high odds against it that all but guarantee that it will remain in the vaults.


I've been impressed with the few episodes I've managed to see, despite the extremely poor audio/video quality of each one.

Does anyone remember Sierra being shown in syndication? I do not believe I remember seeing it in Canada.

I don't think this one was ever syndicated. Only a dozen or so episodes for a program that failed and was cancelled mid-season isn't the type of thing that usually has much value afterwards.


Too bad it went up against, if I'm remembering right, The Walton's. It's a good, high quality, drama that should've been a hit.


Scheduling sadly did it in.

 

[piekielrl]

It was definitely shown in Canada during the early 80s. Two episodes (I believe "Cruncher" and "Tails You Lose") were combined and re-edited into a long TV movie that was titled "A Weekend With A Bear," and other episodes were shown as well. This was back when home VCRs were just coming out, and tape cost about $30 an hour, so I'm guessing that not too many people were recording it.


There is a very strong following of this show in Germany, and there is at least one website hosted there (similar to this one) where there is a large following. If you can use google translate, or some other means to read the posts, there are people there claiming to have 8 or 9 episodes on tape. They are probably German-language overdubs.


Best, Bob