The Complete Carol Burnett Show on Shout Factory TV (actually not even half) (1 Viewer)

[GPS]

Like many people, I was excited and really looking forward to having access to watch all 279 episodes of The Carol Burnett Show. Once they became available on the website for streaming, I was very disappointed to discover that every episode that originally ran app. 50 minutes (minus commercials) has been edited down to app. 22 minutes. Which means that over half of the episodes have been cut out. Yesterday, I watched episode two from season one. The opening segment where Carol takes questions from the audience was edited down to one question. She also tells the audience that her guests for this episode are Sid Caesar and LIza Minnelli. None of Liza's segments are here and Sid Caesar's appearance is limited to one solo comedy bit. At least three other sketches are cut out, including a parody of Star Trek. Unbelievably, the closing which traditionally shows all the guests from the episode signing Carol's autograph book DOES include Liza Minnelli. Why would you keep the mentioning and closing appearance of a guest but cut out all of their performances from the episode??? Considering all the hype over the premiere of what was billed as the complete series on Shout Factory, what we are actually allowed to watch is nothing less than desecration of art, similar to the days before home video when a theatrical film made its TV debut but was edited to fit a timeslot. I sent an email to Shout Factory asking why these episodes were so heavily edited and their reply stated that Carol herself supervised and approved the editing. Considering the stature that this show is given, it is beyond belief that Carol herself would allow her crowning achievement to be butchered like this. I will never watch this show again unless I can see these episodes complete and unedited.

 

[mrz7]

These are the same exact episodes that have been on Amazon Prime. The edits are mainly due to music rights and in the case of some comedy sketches that contain "rights" issues like parodies on T.V. shows (aka Star Trek) and movies. They only can put out these type of variety shows with certain rights clearances. I know it sucks, but at least there MOST of The Carol Burnett Shows are out (especially the early seasons 1-5). This is more than what Time Life or Columbia House did with the DVDs. At least all 31 Volumes from Columbia House had 62 of the shows FULLY intact!!! Time Life some shows were fully intact, but mostly edits.....but more shows were released than Columbia House. With this streaming on Amazon Prime and now Shout Factory, there are more episodes (shows) for all 11 seasons, but unfortunately still ALOT of edits. They just had too much music in these shows......it's a music clearance nightmare for studios. Sad but true!

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Seriously, did anyone really expect that these would be 100% uncut? Given the history of this show on home video (and streaming), surely everyone in this forum knows of the music rights issues that have dogged this show for ages.

You'd have been able to knock me over with a feather if these had, indeed, turned out to be complete and unedited. Unless copyright laws change, a complete and unedited release of this show will never happen. End of.

 

[Paintbeanie]

Seriously, did anyone really expect that these would be 100% uncut? Given the history of this show on home video (and streaming), surely everyone in this forum knows of the music rights issues that have dogged this show for ages.

You'd have been able to knock me over with a feather if these had, indeed, turned out to be complete and unedited. Unless copyright laws change, a complete and unedited release of this show will never happen. End of.

I agree. I respect everyone who complains about not getting the full series (which I also want), but I don’t think it will happen. I think we were incredibly lucky to get what we did get on dvd and I don’t think any amount of posting, boycotting, or anything else will change it and get the rest released. My guess is everyone (including Carol Burnett and any other owners of the episodes) would like everything released and uncut but will never be able to with restrictions created by the copyright laws. I hate it, and so does everyone else, but there it is.

 

[DeWilson]

These are the same exact episodes that have been on Amazon Prime. The edits are mainly due to music rights and in the case of some comedy sketches that contain "rights" issues like parodies on T.V. shows (aka Star Trek) and movies....

Actually parodies of TV Shows and Movies are covered under "Fair Use" and wouldn't need clearing. Any omission is clearly for time to get the shows to 22 minutes.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Actually parodies of TV Shows and Movies are covered under "Fair Use" and wouldn't need clearing. Any omission is clearly for time to get the shows to 22 minutes.

Unless there was maybe a snippet of expensive/unclearable music in said skits.

Didn't someone say that some of the 'new' half-hours were cobbled-together from the leftover bits of other episodes that had been cut down (or were created by literally chopping an hour show into two half-hours)? Maybe that was just for TV syndication/MeTV.

 

[Brian Himes]

There are a number of the Carol Burnett & Friends episodes that use stuff from more than one episode. Sometimes stuff was used from 3 different episodes to make 1 half hour show. The Carol Burnett & Friends shows are a patchwork quilt of a mess. I don't know about the new half hour versions for the episodes from season 1-5. They might be more of the same.

 

[Tony Bensley]

The bottom line is no package should be claimed to be complete when it clearly isn't, especially when it's not even anywhere remotely close to being complete.

How about "The Carol Burnett & Friends probably as complete as it's going to get because of many failed, cost prohibitive music clearances, and/or missing videotape elements" edition?

 

[likewow]

PBS is airing hour long shows with no edits on Saturday nights!

 

[rmw650]

PBS is airing hour long shows with no edits on Saturday nights!

What market are you in Kyle that PBS is doing this? This is a first I'm hearing of this.

 

[likewow]

Hi! I live in Madison WI. You could scroll through a program guide to see if your PBS station is airing the show some other time. I hope everyone gets to see it!

 

[rmw650]

I don't see it airing at any other timeslots on WTTW or WYIN-TV, the two PBS stations in Chicago and Gary, IN, so it might be some kind of special agreement between PBS Wisconsin and distributors of the show, just a guess at my end. Full hour episodes to boot.

 

[rmw650]

Kyle, just spotted this...https://pbswisconsin.org/article/pbs-wisconsin-exclusive-a-qa-with-carol-burnett-of-the-carol-burnett-show/

 

[TheLogoGuy94]

I thought I'd add this I case it hasn't been mentioned yet:

Full Episodes of THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW Will Stream for Free For the First Time

There are few TV variety shows from the past that have stood the test of time. Most have been lost to the ages, but one – by virtue of its timeless comedy, iconic cast, stellar guest stars and classic music – stands atop them all as one of the landmark programs from the Golden Age of TV: THE...

www.broadwayworld.com

Sixty-five uncut episodes will stream on Roku and Tubi.

 

[rmw650]

Tubi also has a few of those Lucille Ball TV Specials as well.

 

[rmw650]

From what I could see on there, they have the entire first season and Show Stoppers and the Best of the CB Show as well.