TMG: THE NAME OF THE GAME: SEASON 1 8/19/2014 (1 Viewer)

[Brian:C]

I disagree completely with your first sentence. The statistics do not back up your assertion, but I'll leave it at that.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if I'll pick this up. But as always, I'm happy for those that want it.


Gary "not really my cup of tea - I'd much prefer to hear news of The Rebel coming soon" O.

From January To June we have had all these classic releases:

January
Maverick Season 4
Courtship Od Eddie's Father Season 3
The Jimmy Stewart Show - Complete Series
Dr. Kildare - Season 2

February
Laverne & Shirley Season 7
Mod Squad Season 5
Newhart Season 2
Gentle Ben Season 2
The F.B.I Season 7

March
Rawhide Season 7

April
The Big Valley Season 2
The Bobby Darin Show
Mayberry RFD Season 1
Beverly Hillbillies Season 4
Petticoat Junction 1,2,3
Bret Maverick - complete series
Newhart season 3
Maverick season 5

May
Laverne & Shirley Season 8
Perry Mason movie collection
Happy Day season 5
The Bob Newhart Show - complete series
Cimarron Strip

June
Barbary Coast
Dr. Kildare Season 3
Rawhide season 8
Chisholms - complete series
The F.B.I season 8
Ny Little Margie vol. 3
Sugarfoot season 3


I'm sure I missed some and didn't count late 80's, re-release or complete series groups together and/or broken apart. For six months I think it's a pretty big list.

Looking forward. So far announced:


July
The Big Valley season 3
How The West Was Won season 2

August
Gunsmoke season 10
Equalizer season 2
Newhart season 4
Marx Brothers TV Collection

September
Bonanza Season 7
Red Skelton The Early Years - 90 episodes
Zane Grey Theatre Season 2


I think it's been a pretty good year. It be nice if everyone got everything they wanted, but there becomes a point were you over-saturate the market. There's only so much demand and companies plan accordingly. I'm sure we will have some more big announcements Oct-Dec and maybe even a few Christmas Episodes for your collection.

Brian

 

[Gary OS]

Brian, I think where we are differing from each other is in what does or doesn't constitute "Classic TV." I speak of Timeless as being one of the main stays in releasing "Classic TV" because they mainly release shows from the 50's or 60's, which is the era I think of the most when I talk about Classic TV. I realize many today look at shows from the 70's, 80's, and even the 90's as Classic TV decades. So don't mind me. I'm thinking mostly of much older, predominantly b/w, TV series when I talk of a slow-down in classic material. And to top it off, I'm not the fan of the WB b/w shows that many others are, so releases of Maverick, Sugarfoot and the like don't do much for me. I'm reckon I'm just too picky.

Using your definition you are correct. Using my definition I'm correct. Different strokes for different folks.


Gary "take care, buddy" O.

 

[Jack P]

It is indeed a subjective standard, and for me "classic" spreads from the late 50s to the late 70s (with only a few carryovers into the early to mid-80s). For me, I feel that the volume and supply released of late 50s to early 60s shows has far outweighed titles for the late 60s to mid-70s so that by this point the way I read the market is that its not so much a bias against the earlier period as the fact that the law of supply now means balancing things out a bit more to let this era do some catching up with its lesser-known titles that have had a viable after-life on cable. The B/W era benefits from the fact that the serious collector can pretty much live with 16mm prints, which for any show in color would not be acceptable (the one exception is not coincidentally, another short-lived western, "Oregon Trail" from 1977)The shelves in my basement where I organize TV on DVD releases I think bears this out because my organization system is chronological where I group by year the show debuted (or sometimes similar titles that debuted a year within each other or so). So when I look at my collection, I'm seeing TV history unfold in sequence before my eyes and I notice how I have exactly 13 shelves of titles that debuted no later than 1965. Taking it forward, there are half as many shelves with titles from 66-76, and only about 4 shelves total for what I have 76 present. The last category is a comment on where my personal standard for where the cutoff point truly is with me, but I do see more short-lived titles from the late 50s to mid-60s then any other area of this overall classic period and its at a point where I've had more than my fill of B/W westerns (now that "Maverick" is completed). The only unreleased on DVD one I'll get if it makes it is "The Alaskans". My horizons have more than sufficiently been broadened in that genre to last a lifetime.I find it unfortunate that so many 70s shows, even ones I consider "second-tier" compared to my favorites are the most stalled out titles of them all compared to earlier periods. I look at my shelf of this pre-65 era and I can count only six shows that I collect that are stalled/unfinished (I am granting a waiver to the perpetually unfinished "Steve Canyon" and "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster") and I am not counting "Gunsmoke" which has gone past the era I wanted most so that anything else I add there is gravy.Alfred Hitchcock PresentsSergeant BilkoOne Step BeyondDonna Reed ShowJoey Bishop Show (it's amazing to me how no one ever comments on this as the longest stalled series in the history of the hobby)And of course the one that drives me up the wall most of all, "Burke's Law."Now by contrast, here are my post-1965 to 1979 titles that are in stalled/incomplete state with no guarantee of being finished and when the year started, there were three more titles on this list (Bob Newhart, Big Valley, Welcome Back Kotter):Flying NunIronsideMarcus Welby, M.D.Love, American StyleRoom 222McCloudBarnaby JonesCannonThe RookiesLove BoatFantasy IslandHart To HartBaretta (which we will never see finished)Police StoryPolice WomanBaa, Baa Black SheepAnd there are of course other series from this era I don't collect that also fall in this category like "Rhoda", "One Day At A Time", "The Jeffersons" etc. and many of us I'm sure remember the long waits we had to endure on titles like "Dragnet", "Barney Miller" or the final seasons of "SWAT" and "Hardy Boys". Comparatively speaking, I think the earlier B/W period has had it much better overall in terms of volume of titles and also guarantees of completion of run on DVD for the most part so if the focus shifted more towards untapping the lost stuff of this next era and finishing the unfinished from it as well, then I think the overall state of the statistics would still reveal that classic releases are alive and well and that some balance is coming into focus now.I agree with Gary that individual definitions of what constitutes the "classic" era are always going to be personal and subjective and influence our overall perception of the market. For me, some areas have slowed down but I have seen more progress this year with Grail titles (especially with Bob Newhart, Big Valley and Batman) then I have the last couple years overall where what I added was fun but not titles that produced higher levels of satisfaction that a big mountain had been conquered at last.

 

[Gary OS]

And I freely admit I'm in the minority on this board when it comes to what I prefer and consider "Classic" TV. With the large number of Boomers here I realize many are going to gravitate toward the color years of the 60's and then many titles in the 70's when they were teens and twenty-somethings. But for me it's simply about an era where I all but know I'm going to enjoy anything put out. If it's a 50's or early to mid 60's title I can blind buy with almost absolute confidence I'll enjoy the show to some extent, although I might not fall in love with it. Once you move into the color era, and especially the 70's, that changes drastically for me. Some shows I'll really like. Others I'll absolutely despise. Because of this I'm always rooting for b/w material vs color material. But as I said, I know I'm in the vast minority when it comes to that opinion.


Gary "as Brisco Darling would say, 'More power to ya' when color material is released that you guys want" O.

 

[Jack P]

Ah, but Gary you and I know which titles from the B/W era the two of us would instinctively despise, wouldn't we? (No names please but I think we'd both agree they generally have something in common regarding who produced them)

 

[Gary OS]

BTW, someone should tell those people at TImeless that the photo on the box they used has been flipped in the wrong direction because men do not have their handkerchief breast pockets on the right side and the gents have their hair parted in the wrong direction! I do not understand why this kind of mistake happens so often because it should be so easy to spot.

No comment.


Gary "hence my carefully worded post where I said 'I all but know' - leaving myself an out for a few b/w series" O.

P.S. No more comments from me in this thread. I don't want to side-track it off the good news of The Name of the Game coming soon for fans of that series!

 

[hypnohighball]

OMG! Fantastic news, I'm all over this. I just took a look at IMDB and the guest stars alone just in season 1 are reason enough to own this. Plus, my man Timothy Carey, my avatar, is a guest in episode1 season 1 - I'm stoked!

 

[FanCollector]

Anyone have a favorite among the rotating elements? I like episodes from all three, but I do prefer the Gene Barry episodes. I like the actor and the character, but the types of stories produced by that unit also had more variety than the others. I hope we get the second and third seasons also, as the most inventive Gene Barry shows came in those years, when producer Dean Hargrove's license or inclination to experiment increased.The great guest casts were not limited to any one element though, and some favorites repeat. Jack Klugman, a personal favorite, appears in episodes with all three lead actors.

 

[Brian:C]

Brian, I think where we are differing from each other is in what does or doesn't constitute "Classic TV." I speak of Timeless as being one of the main stays in releasing "Classic TV" because they mainly release shows from the 50's or 60's, which is the era I think of the most when I talk about Classic TV. I realize many today look at shows from the 70's, 80's, and even the 90's as Classic TV decades. So don't mind me. I'm thinking mostly of much older, predominantly b/w, TV series when I talk of a slow-down in classic material. And to top it off, I'm not the fan of the WB b/w shows that many others are, so releases of Maverick, Sugarfoot and the like don't do much for me. I'm reckon I'm just too picky.

Using your definition you are correct. Using my definition I'm correct. Different strokes for different folks.

Hi Gary, Yes, that's true. What is considered "Classic TV?" Your term for "classic tv" isn't mine. I think Classic is more defined in longevity and quality. The shows I listed above for the most part, wouldn't make my personal list of "Classic TV" but they are considered in the genre.

1950's & early 60's TV, I term "Golden Age." In that category there is a lot of major star power unreleased. Four Star title for one.

Here are a few Golden Age titles that should have a chance since they are indies:

COLONEL MARCH OF SCOTLAND YARD
DECOY
FOREIGN INTRIGUE
I'd like to see tons of others, but those have a better chance since they could be licensed easily as was Yancy, Peter Gunn, Mr. Lucky and so on.

Now by contrast, here are my post-1965 to 1979 titles that are in stalled/incomplete state with no guarantee of being finished and when the year started, there were three more titles on this list (Bob Newhart, Big Valley, Welcome Back Kotter):Flying NunIronsideMarcus Welby, M.D.Love, American StyleRoom 222McCloudBarnaby JonesCannonThe RookiesLove BoatFantasy IslandHart To HartBaretta (which we will never see finished)Police StoryPolice WomanBaa, Baa Black Sheep

Hi Jack,

Baa, Baa Black Sheep really sticks out. Just one volume left. How long has it been?
Hart to Hart, Burkes Law.........

Cannon was probably the worst release I bought. Couldn't believe the poor quality of transfers from a major studio. Only bought the one and moved on.

And I freely admit I'm in the minority on this board when it comes to what I prefer and consider "Classic" TV. With the large number of Boomers here I realize many are going to gravitate toward the color years of the 60's and then many titles in the 70's when they were teens and twenty-somethings.

Terms change with the years. The definition of a Collectible today was termed an Antique in the past. An antique went from 50 years to older than 100 years.

 

[Brian:C]

Anyone have a favorite among the rotating elements? I like episodes from all three, but I do prefer the Gene Barry episodes. I like the actor and the character, but the types of stories produced by that unit also had more variety than the others. I hope we get the second and third seasons also, as the most inventive Gene Barry shows came in those years, when producer Dean Hargrove's license or inclination to experiment increased.The great guest casts were not limited to any one element though, and some favorites repeat. Jack Klugman, a personal favorite, appears in episodes with all three lead actors.

I want to see the two part season 3 Las Vegas episode. Of the episodes I've seen Gene Barry gets my vote as well.

Brian

 

[FanCollector]

I'm also looking forward to the Las Vegas show (Franciosa's farewell appearances, I believe). The other thing about getting the second and third seasons out is that more of those episodes have been unavailable than the first season, so even major fans of the show probably haven't seen a lot of them in a long time.

 

[hypnohighball]

I haven't seen this show in syndication anywhere ever. I only saw a few episodes back in the day when it originally ran and liked it, but at that age I wasn't sitting around watching too much tv if you know what I mean.

 

[Lee Smith]

T think the Gene Barry episodes are the best ones. If I remember correctly, Barry was in a lot more episodes than the other two leads.

 

[FanCollector]

Barry and Stack were about tied, but both well ahead of Franciosa for number of episodes.

 

[theonemacduff]

Yeah, Franciosa didn't appear often, as I recall. I would really like to see a standalone BR release of the Spielberg directed episode about a future LA; I think it has one of those lame, only-a-dream endings, but even when it first aired, you could tell there was a different kind of intelligence at work behind the camera. As for other MIA series, I'd like to send up a couple of cheers for Carl Betz and Judd for the Defense, which had some pretty slick writing and often had good direction too, the occasional interesting camera moves and placements, especially low angled shots, which most TV directors seemed loathe to tackle (too long to set up a shot).

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

People magazine! They were ahead of their time. The Name finally gets its day. I'll buy this to re-see it, especially the Gene Barry episodes, and then pass it on. But this was a unique show when it aired with the rotating leads, and the scripts were well done. Well done, Timeless.

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

Yeah, Franciosa didn't appear often, as I recall. I would really like to see a standalone BR release of the Spielberg directed episode about a future LA; I think it has one of those lame, only-a-dream endings, but even when it first aired, you could tell there was a different kind of intelligence at work behind the camera. As for other MIA series, I'd like to send up a couple of cheers for Carl Betz and Judd for the Defense, which had some pretty slick writing and often had good direction too, the occasional interesting camera moves and placements, especially low angled shots, which most TV directors seemed loathe to tackle (too long to set up a shot).

Now, JFTD is something Shout/TMG could gun for, a top-notch legal drama out of the late 60s!

 

[FanCollector]

Franciosa was only slightly behind the others for the first two years, but there were a lot of difficulties filming his segments and finally, after only filming one regular show and that Las Vegas two-parter in the third season, he was let go and that unit started using guest leads instead.

 

[hypnohighball]

Amazon link up :


http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Of-Game-Season/dp/B00JEZWQ5O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1404012447&sr=8-4&keywords=the+name+of+the+game+tv+series

 

[ljgranberry]

Interested in seeing this show, but disappointed the pilot may not be included. Hopefully that will be rectified on a later release.