Stalled series? There's Hope!

I ran across this article (linked from tvshowsondvd.com):

DVD News and Reviews Blog | TVGuide.com

According to this article, some of the major studios are finally shopping around their catalog titles to smaller studios. This is a very vague article, but it sounds very optimistic. Hopefully, good things are ahead. It's nice to have some good news for a change on the tvondvd front.

Re: Stalled series? There's Hope!

Still doesn't give me much hope though. I realize they can't mention titles for competitive reasons but those of us that have waited so long for certain shows to continue on dvd don't find much hope in the shopping around bit. I guess they are trying to give us hope but until something materializes, I doubt many more classic tv-on-dvd shows are headed to dvd.

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Very vague, but hopefully good news for some of the ``stalled'' or ``abandoned'' series out there that fans are pining for...

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This could be a double-edged sword.

The quality of these releases will probably be suspect. Do you honestly believe that they will seek out quality film/tape elements for these shows? We'll be lucky to get them unedited. Unless the studios and licensees work together on decent releases, I remain pessimistic about the outcome.

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The line in the article that gave me the most hope was from Gord Lacy:

I hope that Warner is one of those studios that has had a change of heart. They have a ton of shows that I want. Sony too.

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The companies licensing the material would gain access to the masters held by the studio, so the material shouldn't be suspect.

As for Warner Bros, they're probably the only company I know of NOT shopping around their titles.

I'm pretty excited about what could come out in the next year. Robert, I'm not sure why you would think the "shopping around" bit is bad news - it means multiple companies are bidding on some of these shows, and they're being "taken away" from the studio that let the series "die" in the first place (due to lack of sales, or high music costs - whatever). I don't see how that can be taken as a negative development.

Gord

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This is good news. Hopefully Fox titles like St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues and The fall Guy(pretty sure this has been abandoned) get new life.
Crossing my fingers for Sony properties also.

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I was kinda hoping Warner would be one of them... but it sounds like good news to me anyway.There is a load of series I started I would like to see completed.

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I'm trying to be optimistic, but I've seen far too many shows get screwed up to put on a happy face.

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Not really negative. Just don't hold out much more hope for something coming out after such a long wait. I've been pretty positive about possible releases for a while and it seems like it never really materializes. Maybe it's the Gimme a Break! new stories that did this to me.

I'll give it another chance and check out the news from time to time. But my efforts in collecting certain shows are not as strong as they used to be. I'm starting to lose interest. Hopefully, this new shopping around idea turns into something good.

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As far as stalled series go, if Universal shops DRAGNET and LEAVE IT TO BEAVER to a smaller studio, as well as ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS (that is, if Universal has no further in-house plans for it, beyond last year's release of Season 3) that would be good enough for me. The other in-progress series I've been collecting are largely from CBS/Paramount, and have been chugging along nicely.

Hopefully, this shopping of series by some of the majors could result in some interesting series debuts in R1, especially several quality shows that had short runs (2 seasons or less), like some of the series listed in my signature.

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NYPD Blue is the one major abandoned show i have some hope for.

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does seem like Fox would be the best "target" for having other companies finish up their shows especially Voyage, Bob Newhart and Mary Tyler Moore. maybe there's hope for Son of the Beach

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Right now there are four biggies on my list that have stalled:


"Leave it to Beaver" is far and away at the top of my list.

"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"

"Big Valley"

"Have Gun, Will Travel"


There are others, like "Flipper", "Daniel Boone", "Partridge Family", "Quincy", "Dragnet", "Green Acres", "Hazel", "Mr. Ed", "Beverly Hillbillies", "Petticoat Junction" and probably many others that I can't think of at the moment. So I'm hoping that what Gord has heard entails some of the shows I've listed. Time will tell.

Gary "thanks for the ray of hope, Gord" O.

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S.W.A.T. is a big one for me... there is only 1 more season... so would love to be able to finish it off. Would also like to see the final 2 seasons of Reba released. Hunter is another I would like to see continued. And more Dharma & Greg would be cool too.

my other big one there is no chance for since Warner is not one of the studios... but I would have liked to seen more Superboy as well.

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I'm dying for the final season of Pete and Pete. Can you think of a more perfect fit for Shout! Factory?

Of course I want my Survivor and Amazing Race releases as well. With music rights not an issue and the fact that they don't even have to pay the contestants, I really hope some studio(s) give them a go.

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I can tell you for a fact that this is 100% NOT TRUE. I am not at liberty to say as all of this "shopping around" is done on a very covert, hush hush basis but Warner has definitely approached one of the independents and is offering their titles.

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Gord, thank you for this news. While I realize you can't name any titles, can you confirm if this includes some older shows as well as new ones?

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I really hope that one of these companies picks up NYPD Blue. The rest of this show has become my holy grail.

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Well here is my list of stalled series...

I want:
-SWAT
-The Sentinel
-Superboy
-Jeremiah
-Amazing Stories
-Poltergeist: The Series

And my wife has one request..
-Knots Landing

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Goody. Someone else to release edited episodes of Mama's Family. Let's party! Unless they actually re-do it and do it right then I'll say it and not be sarcastic.

Although with shows they actually own outright, edited episodes are seldom a problem. On those shows, I hold out hope. Knots Landing, for instance. Few music rights issues, passable extant masters.


That's probably a music rights thing. Change the licensing regulations and it'll be out in no time.

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Warner doesn't shop their shows around, but apparently they're open to talks if approached about specific titles. I asked Warner about this after posted my comment earlier, and the situation was explained to me. Basically they have a policy of not licensing material out, but there's also a chance it could happen. They don't have a "list" of titles that they put out there though.

Gord

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Yup, old and new. Look at Shout! Factory picking up "Sports Night" - that's not an old show.

The article stirred up some news, and we'll have news on one "stalled" show up on the site tomorrow! And no, I'm not giving you any hints. I'm also following up on another lead.

Gord

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Thanks Gord. I can only hope that one or two of the vintage shows I want are being considered.

BTW, speaking of this very thing, did anyone have a chance to listen to Shokus and hear about "Leave it to Beaver"? I didn't have an opportunity to tune in.

Gary "boy I wish that show would be licensed out to someone" O.

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MGM has abandon Green Acres and the rest of the Filmways Library it seems.

WB forgot about Ed, Edd n Eddy with only 2 seasons out so far.

Rocky and Bullwinkle are MIA after only 3 releases.

Speaking of MIA Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In only got 2 best of releases and that was back in 2004.

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I don't normally post lists, especially wish lists, but something about this thread and the news article that started it got my interest. Here are the series I want that started being released and have gone a year and a half without a follow-up (or had news that stated/implied no more are on the way):

- Adventures of Pete & Pete: I loved the Nick Rewind collection and would like to buy more from it. Finishing off with the final season of Pete & Pete (and the remaining unreleased shorts) would at least give me some closure.

- Animaniacs: Doesn't really fit this thread, since WB is holding it back for unknown reasons (IIRC, one poster said music issues, then retracted that statement).

- Beverly Hillbillies: We got cut off when the public domain episodes ended. Paramount definitely has a buyer ready, willing, and able for the rest.

- Boomtown: The last six episodes weren't great (that's what happens when you try to get higher ratings and alienate your existing base in the process), but I'd still like to buy that season. Probably a long shot (even more so than the other titles on this list) at this point.

- The Flintstones: Give us the specials and movies WB...

- The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air: Music rights issues here too, but still a stalled series, right?

- Green Acres: Lost in rights acquisitions limbo from what I recall.

- The Jetsons: IIRC, restoration needs done on the remaining series.

- King of The Hill: Honestly, I just want season 7. Though, for the sake of the other fans, I hope Fox does something with the rest of the show too.

- Life With Louie: Not really a stalled series since we've gotten nothing so far. But, Louie Anderson keeps saying they're on the way, so I thought I'd mention it anyway since it got stalled, just early in the process.

- The Mole: We got the first and third seasons, so how about two, four, and the brand new fifth season?

- Rocky & Bullwinkle: I'd buy the volume releases if they only came with all the episodes from one of the remaining seasons. Either more season sets or more best ofs (with unreleased content only please - no more double dipping).

- Taxi: Just kind of dropped off without any word

- Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego: Probably won't get a buyer since even Shout doesn't want to release it anymore, but I can hope, can't I?

- X-Men Evolution: Season four would look great with the next X-Men movie, WB.

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This news gives me a glimmer of hope for seeing more releases of King of the Hill and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Those 2 series and Superboy are the only shows that I've been buying that are considered stalled or abandoned.

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I'm glad to see movement on the "Stalled"/"Abandoned" issue.

There seems to be more "Stalled"/"Abandoned" Series than there are "Yet to be released classics".

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You are right as far as the specific wording goes. They aren't "shopping" shows but they have let it be known that they may be willing to license.

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OK, so here's the deal.
I was just about to give up on this hobby, because every series I collect is either completed or "stalled"
Here's my list of hopefuls which will make my collection complete.
Many of which are long in coming;

Charlie's Angels
Simon & Simon
T.J. Hooker
Hart To Hart
The Fall Guy
Hunter
Taxi
WKRP
It should be noted that most are Sony product, so if they can find someone to release the classic Spelling-
Goldberg stuff, it would be great.
For me, if these were completed, my collection would be a wrap!!

Dave/Gord, will there be a smile on my face soon??