Ethan Riley
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2005
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- Real Name
- Ethan Riley
We've done variations on this theme, but not recently. Which shows, from the 50s onward, would look terrific if upgraded to blu-ray? We can choose any filmed television show that doesn't as of yet have a blu-ray release. We can discuss whether simple ports of existing prints would be viable, or whether major restoration work would have to be done before a blu-ray release. But it's not a thread about the likelhood of certain shows being suddenly released on blu; this is a list of what would you think would look good and what you would actually want to buy. Don't turn it into a downer thread like "Fox doesn't put out its older shows on blu-ray so the hell with you! End of discussion!" Nope--this ain't that thread, m'kay? Here are some other things to point out, however: It really has to be a filmed television show, rather than a videotaped show. Videotaped shows don't have enough information to make much of a difference when upgraded to blu. For those shows that are already available on dvd, that's pretty much as good as they're ever going to look. So we can't make a second pass at favorites like Three's Company or the Jeffersons. It can't be a show that was shot on film and edited on videotape. Again, same problem as above. If by some miracle and by spending X millions of dollars, the studios could actually gather together all the original filmed elements and re-edit those shows, then there'd be a reason to put it on blu. They are already attempting that with Star Trek: the Next Generation. But other shows are going to suffer; shows like Dallas that were edited on videotape. I can't see Warners spending half a billion dollars gathering and restoring elements from all 350+ episodes. So in these cases, we're probably stuck with what we have (which is fine). Most shows in this category were edited in this fashion from the 80s to the 90s in an attempt to save money, and as it turns out, it was a very short-sighted way of staying on the cheap and the studios are probably regretting it in this hi-def age. If you're not sure which shows were edited on video, just ask the forum members! So here's a short list that you can add to: I Love Lucy: This is a remarkably well-preserved series that's been very closely guarded by its owners for 60 years now. The existing restored prints look wonderful on dvd and arguably better than any other shows of its generation. The existing prints are probably good enough to do a port over to blu without having to do much work otherwise. And it's I Love Lucy, so if I were a betting man, I'd say that this series will be the next (first?) classic tv show to reach blu-ray. The Untouchables: Here was a black and white show that was known for terrific photography and deserves to be seen on blu. I don't have the current dvds, but by all accounts they look fine. Mission Impossible and Hawaii 5-0: I always thought these shows looked great, especially in the earlier seasons. A lot of color shows from the late 60s look better than their 70s and 80s counterparts. The Big Valley: It was basically snubbed on dvd. But I think there's enough interest for a do-over someday. It boasts some stunning photography and deserves to be seen in all its glory for the first time. I felt that the prints on the existing dvds were dicey; some were better than others. I feel that the whole 120 episodes would have to be remastered and cleaned before contemplating a blu release. Gilligan's Island: Don't laugh, but yeah, it's been pretty well-preserved and would look great on blu. Bewitched: While all 8 seasons looked acceptable on dvd, there were still a few episodes that were in need of minor restoration. Nevertheless, this is one enduring and classic show that deserves to be on blu. HR Pufnstuf: The Wizard of Oz of Saturday morning kids' shows. A show that recently saw its second pass on dvd; all but one of the existing prints look amazing and the show really deserves to be seen in all its hi-def glory on blu. The Wild, Wild, West: A show that retains a dedicated fanbase. This one look damn good on dvd and is just bursting out with blu potential. Another pass, please! The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres: All were very popular in their day, and abandoned on dvd. Perhaps Complete Series sets of each on blu?? Lost in Space: This one is begging for a blu-ray! The dvds pretty much sucked; according to forum posts, the Columbia House vhs copies, circa 1993, looked better than the dvds. I'd have to guess that a major restoration job would be in order before a blu release, but this particular show also has a huge fanbase, so let's see what happens. Dynasty, and Fantasy Island: Two Aaron Spelling shows that looked better on dvd than they did when they originally aired (except for the 2nd Fantasy Island pilot movie, which looked like kaka!) Fantasy Island died an early death on dvd and deserves a grand gesture on the part of whoever is wise enough to put it on blu. The Dynasty dvds look great, but they'd look even better on blu.
