Simpsons Season 3...August 26th (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Rogers]

I just have a hard time fathoming that the delay is due to music clearance. Now I wil admit I dont have every eposide logged in my head, but I don't recall too many pop songs and other songs that weren't made up for the show itself the first few seasons or so..

If that is the case though, it puzzles me when I can turn on any show on primetime and hear a new pop song right after every commercial break when the show begins again.. and all these songs seem to have a decent time clearing...
:frowning:

 

[MarkHastings]

I don't recall too many pop songs and other songs that weren't made up for the show itself the first few seasons or so

All it takes is one problematic song to delay the entire set.

And take a look at season 3!
Stark Raving Dad - The Michael Jackson epsiode where he sings Billy Jean.

Flaming Moe's - Well, maybe they redid the song enough to not get the licensing by the creators of Cheers.

I Married Marge - I forget, but I'm sure there's a 70's song in there somewhere

that's all I can think of off the top of my head, but I would think the Michael Jackson episode would be the biggest bitch!

 

[Brenton]

This is an exciting development. Dave, I assume you'll keep us posted if you are able to get FOX confirmation?

 

[Steve_Knutzen]

Flaming Moe's also used Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' and 'Young Lust.'

 

[Keith Paynter]

Post removed, wrong season. To quote the Sea Captain, "Yar, I don't know what I'm doin!"

What about clearances for Sting singing "We're Sending Our Love Down The Well" (Radio Bart), Spinal Tap's "Break Like The Wind" (The Otto Show), John Williams' Indiana Jones Theme (Bart's Friend Falls In Love).

The high cost of pop culture is biting back at 742 Evergreen Terrace...

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

From what I have heard, is that the current owners of the Simpsons shorts from the Tracy Ullman Show wont sell the rights for a reasonable price.

Who are these "current owners"?

 

[James Reader]

Well I'm pretty sure the delays are not down to supplements.

It is a well documented fact that season 1 and season 2 had their commentaries recorded before season 1 was even released. (If you want a link, see some of my other posts in various Simpsons threads).

And yet, I seem to remember the second season set kept slipping from it's original intended release date, and came out a lot later than was initially planned. Must have been waiting for those damn pesky "in the can" commentaries to be completed.

It must be for legal reasons and music clearance seems the most likely. Futurama doesn't seem to be suffering from the same problems but:

(1) Less licenced music is used.
(2) It's more recent, so perhaps home video release was included in the original contract and
(3) The Futurama releases are released in non-US territories first (remember Ally McBeal also from Fox will not get seasonal releases in the UK due to music rights issues, but has been released in the rest of the world in this format).

 

[WillG]

Well, if it is clearances, let's hope Fox worked ahead and got clearances for the next few seasons while they were at it

 

[Galen_V]

I have a feeling that it has less to do with music issues than it has to do with syndication. After all, they obviously have contracts to replay these episodes over and over on TV with the music, so hammering out a DVD contract shouldn't be too hard. My guess is that the more seasons that FOX releases, the fewer number of episodes are available in the syndication pool for its syndicates. After all, none of the Season 1 and 2 episodes have been shown here in NY since their respective sets have been released (as far as I can tell). I would assume that this could answer the question of why they don't come out as frequently as say the other FOX shows because none of those shows have a real strong syndication presence. While the show has 308 odd episodes in the can, releasing 22 episode sets every few months starts to add up (which could also explain why the later seasons are showing up in syndication much earlier). Because the commentaries are so short (only 22 minutes each) I doubt that recording them is really that big of a problem since it isn't a large chunk of time to record one. But then again, some clarification from FOX would of course be better than tons of speculation.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Oh freakin' yeah! Sorry guys. The following can't be helped:



Can't. Wait...for this set!

 

[Joshua_Y]

Its about time!

 

[Paul Bryan]

I thought I read somewhere that the series was no longer in syndication (at least the earlier seasons) and TV stations now had to buy each episode they wished to broadcast. This also gives them the freedom to choose which episode to play, instead of playing the national syndication feed...

--Paul

 

[WillG]

"After all, none of the Season 1 and 2 episodes have been shown here in NY since their respective sets have been released (as far as I can tell)"

Actually, this is not entirely true. It is true that they don't show earlier episodes that much anymore, but they do pop up from time to time and that was going on long before the season sets. And about the music clearances. I'm sure Fox retains the rights for sydicated rebroadcasts, but to sell episodes on home video, you have to start all over again with clearances

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

I have a feeling that it has less to do with music issues than it has to do with syndication. After all, they obviously have contracts to replay these episodes over and over on TV with the music, so hammering out a DVD contract shouldn't be too hard. My guess is that the more seasons that FOX releases, the fewer number of episodes are available in the syndication pool for its syndicates. After all, none of the Season 1 and 2 episodes have been shown here in NY since their respective sets have been released (as far as I can tell).

Episodes from seasons 1 & 2 are still shown in syndication in the Seattle area.

 

[DeathStar1]

>>. But then again, some clarification from FOX would of course be better than tons of speculation. >>

Stupid clueless question time. The show is owned by Fox. Why would Fox Stations have to buy shows from their own parent company in order to rerun them?

 

[MarkHastings]

I was watching the Futurama commentary last night and they were talking about how expensive it is to get the rights to some of the music they have in each episode.

If it's the music rights that hold up a release, maybe it has more to do with the budget expenses. Maybe the music rights are SO expensive that their annual DVD budget only allows for 1 set to be produced per year.

Business is a tricky thing and I wouldn't doubt if some big executive doesn't want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the music right for a bunch of songs so they can roll out a few sets of Simpsons seasons in a short time.

 

[David Lambert]

Stupid clueless question time. The show is owned by Fox. Why would Fox Stations have to buy shows from their own parent company in order to rerun them?

Actually, in Memphis, the show is rerun on the local UPN affiliate! 6PM, every weeknight.

 

[Scott_J]

Stupid clueless question time. The show is owned by Fox. Why would Fox Stations have to buy shows from their own parent company in order to rerun them?

For one thing, the majority of FOX affiliates are not owned by FOX - they are just affiliated with the network and are allowed to show their network programming and use the FOX name. FOX (as well as the 3 other big 4 broadcast networks) only owns a small number of their affiliates (~22, i think), mainly in large markets (i.e. NYC, L.A., Chicago, Philly, Atlanta, etc). Those are FOX O&O's (owned and operated). Most, however, are not owned by FOX. For example, the FOX affiliate here in Albany is owned by Clear Channel (but what media outlets aren't owned by Clear Channel?), and the Connecticut FOX is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, which, coincidentally, owns half of the WB Network (I believe).

Number 2, FOX sells the show in syndication to any station in a particular market that wants to buy it - it just so happens that the majority of affiliates that bought it are FOX affiliates, but not all stations that air it are FOX affiliates, as Dave Lambert pointed out. But even the FOX 0&O's that air the show in syndication (all of them, I believe) have to pay for it.

That's basically the rundown of how that works, and that was definitely not a "stupid clueless question," Neil. A lot of people don't know about that I'm sure.

 

[WillG]

"Maybe the music rights are SO expensive that their annual DVD budget only allows for 1 set to be produced per year."

I wouldn't think so. These sets have been huge sellers, so I would imagine are high priority releases and delays are not due to budget constraints

 

[MarkHastings]

so I would imagine are high priority releases

But then wouldn't that be even another reason to hold back sales of new seasons? I figured that most studios put out sets quickly because the fall-off inbetween set is dramatic. Considering the first two Simpsons have done consistently well, Fox knows that they can milk their sales for a while. It may not be what I'd (or anyone else) like, but that's business for ya.