What shows to transfer and what to hold off on? (1 Viewer)

[Mark To]

As I am transferring my tape library over I am constantly coming upon shows where I have to make a decision as to what to do, transfer them or wait and see if they are released. I'd love to solicit some opinions as to how others are handling this. Now I'm not talking about cut syndicated shows at all here. My tape masters are either clean off-air records (pre-network bugs and squeezes), off-satellite records or 16mm film transfers. Some shows are edited, but things like He and She and Good Morning World from USA network, things not available in any other form. Here are some titles and let me know what you guys think about the DVD chances for ever coming out.

Ben Casey
Gidget
Green Hornet
Man from UNCLE
Dr. Kildare
Hawaiian Eye
Mr. Novak
The Millionaire
Judd for the Defense
Nanny and the Professor
Route 66
12 O'Clock High
Julia
Patty Duke Show
Farmer's Daughter
Time Tunnel
The Invaders
Thriller
Science Fiction Theatre
T.H.E. Cat

There are hundreds of others but I'd like some views on these. Thanks.

 

[Rick P]

That's a hard call. Some of my shows that I've transferred or started to transfer have since come out (usually right in the middle of me doing the editing) and then get put on the back burner till they actually are on the silver discs. I've got 4 160gb drives full of 'edited' material now that is stacked up in a holding pattern till I see what happens.

Others may be so far in the 'cult' terriroty that will never see release.. but then again Mr. Bond, never say never..

Best advice I can give, do the transfers the best you can do and be prepared to replace it IF better/more complete versions are released.

and check your PM's.

 

[Bert Greene]

I haven't started transferring any of my material yet. Indeed, I haven't even bought the equipment to do so. But, I've been going through my old tapes, wondering about what things I'd give priority to. Ironically enough, I found myself more intrigued by preserving my earliest taping endeavors, as they included commercials, and thus, seemed to at least preserve a specific moment in time. The tone of television has changed so much, that the various contexts of the now-defunct CBN, or the early days of Nick at Night, or various independent stations, have a curious value in themselves.

So, I'll give priority to those, rather than the later items in which I smartly (?) began to edit out the commercials. Ah, yes, "Good Morning, World" on USA. Remember it well. That mid-80s era was such a banner time for obscure tv reruns. CBN had "Wackiest Ship in the Army," "Stoney Burke," "Empire," and so many others. I still kick myself for not taping more than I did.

None of this really addresses the question of which specific shows to preserve, though, does it?

 

[Rob Keil]

My opinion is transfer it all. With a standalone DVD recorders now down to around $299 and DVD-Rs about a buck a piece, you can't afford not to. Since the tapes will continue to degrade over time, I think it's best to play it safe. One many of them you'll never get another chance for the same or better quality. Especially in this era of squeezed credits and network logos.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I will second Rob's opinion, and add that you should start with the OLDEST tape that you have, because if you wait and it does not come out, it may be lost forever.

Glenn

 

[Steve...O]

Very impressive collection Mark.

Of the shows on your list, the only one I've heard any inkling on the forum of coming out is "The Green Hornet". Supposedly a feature film based on the character is in the works.

All the Hornets were shown commercial free and (I think) unedited on one of the Encore channels recently. I did notice one or two shots of a character watching "Batman" on a television. If anything were to hold up Green Hornet releases, it would likely be these shots due to the rights conflict between Fox and Warners.

Steve

 

[Michael_CPC]

I have the same issues. I've decided that I'll just transfer everything to my computer, and then delete the ones I don't need when the DVDs come out. The other day I was transfering a tape to computer and came across an episode of Platinum, a show that I really liked but has no chance of coming to DVD. Just for things like that, the work is worth it.

 

[Tom.W]

Just a hunch, but the two sitcoms with greatest mass appeal, Gidget and Patty Duke, would be more likely candidates, IMO. Both had a fair amount of cable exposure, as have other shows which have made it to disk. Although fact that Patty Duke is in b/w may work against it.

Route 66 may have a shot since Columbia already released about 10 volumes on tape.

Time Tunnel was supposed to air on Encore Action this spring.

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

Just be sure to check and make sure the DVD isn't edited before you delete anything!

 

[Mark To]

Well, everything entails thousands of shows. So I really want to try to not waste time doing something I'm only going to buy when it comes out anyway. I have 3 recorders and I started transferring 2 years ago when discs were $5 each. I guess I'll just keep doing the short run stuff and the sports stuff and leave the multi-season series alone for awhile. There have been some surprises. I never would have guessed that Naked City would come out although I don't think they'll do all 99 hours or even any of the half hours.

 

[peggy]

That really is a tough question, with the great collection you have it would be really hard to decide what or where to start. I only have the last 4 seasons of Barnaby Jones,
the two seasons of Special Unit 2 and the only season of Brisco County, Jr. and it seems like it took me forever to transfer just that small amount of shows. However if any of them came out on dvd I would go ahead and buy them just to get the better quality. Good thing is that dvds have come down a lot in price since I started,that was my biggest factor in deciding.

 

[todd s]

I also have been wondering also. But, you never know what odd shows will get released. I was thinking of transfering the syndicated Adventures of Sinbad show. But, know a Canadian company is releasing the first season. I have transferred other shows:

-Miami Vice
-Special Unit 2
-Flash
-Sentinel
-Time Trax

among others..

 

[Deb Walsh]

I'm starting with my oldest one-season shows and focusing on those first. I figure if the show didn't last more than a season and it's not recent enough to have someone like a Joss Whedon fighting for it, odds are if it does come out on DVD, it'll be a long way down the pike. Any of the Colgems stuff is probably in limbo, as well.

Now, Green Hornet is out on DVD in the UK, so the odds are better that it will release here. The Man from UNCLE movies have also been released on DVD in region 2, so I think there's a better chance for that. Patty Duke was mentioned at the Warner chat, wasn't it? As a possibility? Brisco County was mentioned as a not-possibility.

My 2 cents ...

 

[Rick P]

Problem is, those UK Hornet's are just a few episodes edited together into movies, and the quality is not so good... the series proper is still MIA.

 

[Mark Oates]

Green with envy about the Man From UNCLE - although a collection of movies (not all of them) came out here in R2, there's no sign of the rest, or the series proper.

I'm working up the courage to transfer a couple of tv series to disc - Jason King starring Peter Wyngarde as an Ian Fleming style author whose suave superspy creation Mark Caine got him dropped in it on a regular basis; Ticket to Ride (aka A Fine Romance), a short-lived but amiable adventure series based on the rekindling romance of two travel-show presenters. Jason King was going to be released piecemeal a couple of years ago, but sales dissuaded Carlton the owners from bothering with more than the first two episodes. TTR was only shown once on commercial television then disappeared down a black hole never to be seen since.

 

[Deb Walsh]

My recommendation is keep an eye on region 4 for Jason King. Some of Carlton's properties have gotten early releases in Australia. Sapphire and Steel (licensed from Carlton) was released in a single boxed set there before Carlton's own two set release in the UK. And Australia has a 35th anniversary complete Department S out already, where I don't think Carlton has done much with it in the UK. Another nice thing about Carlton's Australian licensee is that their releases tend to be region 0.

And thanks for the head's up on the UK Green Hornet release - I hadn't realized they were compilation movies. Has anyone checked out the Green Hornet prints running on Encore Action? Apparently they just added Green Hornet and Combat to the schedule.

 

[LanieParker]

Gidget is a show I just adore and I am hoping they release all the episodes on dvd.

 

[Sam Favate]

I'd wager that Green Hornet comes onto DVD by next summer (2005) in complete form, in conjunction with the Kevin Smith movie.

My guess is also that Time Tunnel and Man from UNCLE find their way onto DVD in complete sets eventually; just because sci-fi and spies sell pretty well.

Sounds like a very cool project you have going!