FINALLY.....RHODA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I certainly hope NO ONE gets banned for expressing an honest opinion, even if I vehemently disagree with it.

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Based on news that has already trickled out, we all had a feeling this was going to be a poor quality release. I guess I just never imagined it would be quite so BAD! Stuart Galbraith's DVD Talk review is up and his comments border on shocking. He calls Rhoda - Season One a "...home video travesty" and ...an early contender for the "Worst DVD of 2009." Obviously, we need other reviewers to chime in, but this does not bode well, IMO...

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The worse news is that -- according to that review -- and as already discussed here --- most of the included eps are the syndicated versions; and that even MTM's cameo in the first episode is cut out!!

Mr. Galbraith also indicated that the syndicated cuts were sourced from very poor quality video tape masters.

Definitely, and unfortunately, a "No Sale" ...

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Stuart made two tiny mistakes.

He said that the only uncut episode on disc 2 is the Wedding episode. Actually, the next episode on that disc, "The Honeymoon", is also uncut (25:28).

He also said that "The Lady in Red" is uncut. Actually, it is cut (22:48).

Also, skees53 didn't mention in his review the time compression like Stuart did.

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So this is what Shout felt was worth putting out more than S2 of "The Bill Cosby Show" which we've been waiting more than two years for.

The instant Shout saw the condition of what was being furnished them, they should have told Fox to forget it. Instead they took boot level quality episodes and dressed them up in fancy packaging to con the unsuspecting into thinking they were getting an improvement over whatever boot stuff they might have gotten in the past.

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And I wouldn't be one bit surprised if you believe in the fairy tale story that that show was doing just fine in terms of sales, much like how you probably also believe in that fairy tale story that Ironside was also doing just fine in terms of sales.

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If Shout! thinks something in this kind of supar quality could sell more copies than one more season of Cosby, that's my definition of a fairy tale.

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I guess Rhoda can now take its rightful place in the TV on DVD Hall of Shame. It certainly won't be lonely. It'll have WKRP, Mama's Family, and ALF to talk to.

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What's on DVD is not Rhoda. It's "ODA".

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I've been on the fence about this for weeks. Although I pre-ordered the set from Amazon, the constant stream of bad news filled me with doubt. This most recent review sealed the deal and I've canceled my order. I can handle poor video quality to a degree, but cut/missing scenes are another story. And knowing that MTM's cameo is missing from the first episode (which is a huge selling point for me), combined with time-compressed episodes *and* bad quality video was enough for me.

I'll still rent it from Netflix to enjoy what I can of the show, but I can't justify purchasing the set. Not at that price point and in the shape it seems to be in. I might change my mind post-rental (and I hope I do), but right now, it doesn't sound worth the money.

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Well said.

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It doesn't always work that way. Its entirely possible that Shout! was essentially "forced" to take and release Rhoda as part of a deal to get other Fox shows.

I'm totally speculating, but its not an uncommon thing. We came across it at BCI and its pretty standard to have to license these types of "throw ins" when an independent wants to license some bigger shows from a major studio.

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I wonder if that's the case with BCI's "Mission: Magic" dvd release and some of the other Filmation library that BCI acquired. I was thinking about it the other day. I own it, but it's such an obscure, forgotten show that hasn't held up in my opinion--unlike the more popular "Isis".

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Honestly, we shouldn't have licensed most of the Filmation titles that we did. We would've been much better off with just He-Man, She-Ra and Isis.

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Count me among those grateful for "Space Academy" in addition to "Isis"!

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Heh. I'm glad I have all of them. They just weren't smart business decisions.

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Let's get this thread back on track...

I read on another website ... it may have been tvshowsondvd.com but I can't remember that Shout factory stated that the materials used on the show were the best they could get or were even found for the release. They are hoping for better materials for the second season (depending on sales figures for the first season)

So I think I will buy the DVD set, It is the best way to watch it currently.

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Why should they even be talking about the second season when there are clearly no sales figures to judge on the first season?

And the uncut version of the first episode can be seen in the Museum of TV/Radio, so scratch the argument that these are the absolute best extant versions of the episodes that could be made available. A more accurate version would be these are the best they could get *cheap*. And while I'm willing to accept that kind of standard for a show if all the episodes are *uncut* that's not the case with this one. Even a fixed S2 would not be satisfactory (I never bought Too Close For Comfort because of the S1 edits since the S2 being uncut mattered not a whit, nor did I ever buy Cosby Show because of the S1 edits).

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My set is on the way. While I'm not as excited about this set as I should be, I'll give it a viewing. If it is as bad as has been reported, I can always return it.

Reading some of above commnets, this is beginning to sound more and more like this is just a 'throw away' release. People at Shout are saying they are satisfied with the release. Then they say how unfortunate it is that better maters couldn't be found, but they are brainstorming to see if they can imporve the next season. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but if sales for season 1 are as bad as I think they are going ot be, then all of this 'brainstorming' is a waste of time. I think the writing is already on the wall. Rhoda will not see any further releases. How can you bounce back from this magintude of a disaster? No, Shout and Fox will just pocket the money and move on to something else. Trully sad.

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Something tells me salesa aren't going to be as bad as we expect. Some are on the ledge about to purchase or not to purchase. It is too bad the full episodes couldn't be located or handed over to Shout for the release. They are very aware of the issue.

I am going to support the release because Shout seemed to do the best they could with the release - I know some will say they should have done better, but we don't know the full story. It isn't as if they were sweeping it under the rug even the early review for the set from sitcom online stated there are warnings before episodes regarding the quality.

I will purchase season 1 because i can't watch them anywhere else currently, but also because I would like to see further seasons released in better form.

I can't bad mouth SHOUT factory since they are doing so much hard work in the TV show end all across the spectrum esp with GI Joe Transformers and Designing Women and Peyton Place to name a few. I will support them and see where these releases get us for the future. Shout factory has become the messiah of classic tv shows.

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Shout did not level on the matter of cut/syndicated versions (we had to find this out from outside reviewers even as Shout had their representatives posting in public forums elsewhere who could have leveled with us in advance on this), and they still don't do so in their packaging. By contrast, I remember when the Rhino releases of S1 and S2 of "My Favorite Martian" took special note in the packaging as to which episodes specifically were "sped-up" versions.

Saying Shout shouldn't be criticzed over this because of their other releases though, strikes me as odd because would any one say that CBS/Paramount shouldn't be bad-mouthed over what they did on "The Fugitive" just because they came through great on "Hawaii Five-O"? This notion that they are somehow the "messiah of classic TV shows" is just as over-the-top as saying Shout is the worst company out there, which I wouldn't do.

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I'm not blaming Shout completely. While I can understand getting only poor quality masters from Fox, Shout was left with no alternative. What is starting to really bother me is all of the double talking that this realse is getting. First Shout states they are pleased with the release. Then they back peddle and start making excuses for why the set is not pleasing but a total disaster. We've heard on more than one occasion that these are the 'best surviving masters available.' Only to find out later, that yes, there are better quality masters out there and Shout could only work with what Fox gave them. So, which is it? Did Fox provide only the cheapest prints? Did Shout just take what they were given and didn't bother to try and get better? First Shout says one thing and then just the oposite.

Now they are 'brainstorming' to see what can be done to improve the second season set? Sorry, but with all of the bad press that this set is getting the chances of ANYONE releasing season two is sketchy at best. Rhoda is dead on DVD even before season one hits the streets. Sorry, but if the set is already being described as 'simply pathetic, the kind of thing one expects from a fly-by-night public domain outfit' then I'd say the fate of the rest of the series on DVD is pretty much sealed. Shout can 'brainstorm' all they want. The damage is done.

Once again, let me say that it is not the fact that these episodes are cut syndicated versions. That I can almost live with. It is the poor quality pictutre, poor sound and poor (and obvious) editing that bugs me along with the blatant double talk from Shout.

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That's the kind of thing I'm talking about that has me just as upset as the general poor quality of the release.

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It has taken FOX so long to release 4 Seasons of Mary Tyler Moore and I bought every single season the Tuesday it was released. I am worn out waiting for more... I am not saying I have given up to the point I will just take whatever Rhoda I can get but I can't believe they chose to release it with Mary just waiting on that complete series set.

I will buy it and complain a bit about the episodes being cut, it isn't right that they hid the information from the box art and from their press release, instead opting for stating it on warnings before the episodes that req. the warning.

Shout does try a bit harder, Look at what FOX may have done with the release we would have still gotten the same release but it may be all, Just like they did with Newhart... hey we aren't done releasing The Bob Newhart Show so lets just release Newhart and here we are with only one season to show for that. Usually with shout they can finish up most TV show runs.

I think things could change for a second season of Rhoda who knows. At this point I'll take my chances. I think we'll all be dead before we see a re-worked season 1 release.

I am still waiting for Designing Women ... I hope SONY didn't send them cut episodes for that.

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If that happens, Shout will be in a world of hurt from Designing Women fans. Heaven help them.

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Steering this thread back on topic...

I can imagine Nancy Walker is turning in her grave over the shoddy treatment her daughter has received on dvd.

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Can they really? And I don't just mean the two titles that obviously come to mind, but I would point out that Shout! has of late started to take the "throw all these titles at the wall and see what sticks" approach that Universal did in 2005 and CBS/Paramount seemingly was doing in more recent years. If you really think that "Peyton Place" which would require in excess of 15 releases to get its whole run out is going to sustain that level of interest, or that we'll see all these other titles that have been sprung of late carried to completion any faster than a lot of other studios might have done so, I think that's more of a fairy tale than the notion that releasing one more season of "The Bill Cosby Show" is going to seemingly ruin the company financially.

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I hate Volume 1/2 season sets for sure liek Peyton is gonna be, Paramount has been doing that for a while with Mod Squad, Dynasty, Streets of San Fran. to name a few... and I think it is harder to sell the volume sets.

I still think Rhoda deserved a better release, but I will support this release.

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They are the full episodes.

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Jon, how do you know this? Your review for the set isn't even up yet.

Also, what about the original music? Is all of it cleared?