The beginning of the end for classic shows? - Page 3

Gary OS · 10-18-2006, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Scarpa

Daniel Boone is a set I would've in the past bought, now I netflix it.

Oh no! Not Daniel Boone, please! That's too good of a classic to skip, Dave.

Gary "just kidding with you Dave, although I did buy it and am very, very happy I did" O.

Dave Scarpa · 10-18-2006, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary OS

Oh no! Not Daniel Boone, please! That's too good of a classic to skip, Dave.

Gary "just kidding with you Dave, although I did buy it and am very, very happy I did" O.

I only have vague memories and then of the color shows. At $40 a pop rather rent at this point but I am enjoying them.

Scott_F_S · 10-18-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary OS

"the fact is the companies could make a profit if they knew how to market" O.

I'm really amazed at all the people who throw this out there like they know there's some sort of magic marketing elixir that would all of a sudden make these things fly off the shelf where they never have before.

Exactly what stroke of marketing genius do you think needs to happen to all of a sudden make these corporate paupers rich?

Sky King · 10-19-2006, 05:44 AM

For me there is nothing more frustrating than to see newer and in my opinion, crappier shows rushed to DVD, leaving the older classic shows "on the shelf to collect dust."
When are the studios going to realize that many babyboomers would prefer to see a classic DVD set of "Ben Casey" over "The Apprentice ?"

Scott_F_S · 10-19-2006, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky King

For me there is nothing more frustrating than to see newer and in my opinion, crappier shows rushed to DVD, leaving the older classic shows "on the shelf to collect dust."
When are the studios going to realize that many babyboomers would prefer to see a classic DVD set of "Ben Casey" over "The Apprentice ?"

Why would you say they don't realize that? I'm sure there is no question among the studios that that is the case.

The larger issue here is whether there are enough babyboomers who would buy a set of "Ben Casey" to make it profitable enough for them to produce it. I would seriously doubt that. Just because a few posters on an Internet forum say they want this stuff doesn't mean there's a viable market out there.

Sky King · 10-19-2006, 12:47 PM

Scott,

I was just using "Ben Casey" as an example of much better programming that should be made available on DVD.
"Ben Casey" just came to mind first, because of it's superior writing.

John

Scott_F_S · 10-19-2006, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky King

Scott,

I was just using "Ben Casey" as an example of much better programming that should be made available on DVD.
"Ben Casey" just came to mind first, because of it's superior writing.

John

I'm not focused on Ben Casey, either, just on this discussion in general.

My point is that I don't think posters in these kinds of threads get it that the reason a lot of classic TV shows aren't being released is probably because the studios don't see much profit potential in them. The fact that they're "collecting dust on a shelf" has nothing to do with studio ogres ignoring them or not caring about them or not marketing them correctly or anything like that.

It's all about the bottom line. If someone at one of the studios thought there would be good profit potential in Ben Casey or Have Gun Will Travel or any of these shows that have been mentioned, they would be released.

Bob Hug · 10-19-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott_F_S

If someone at one of the studios thought there would be good profit potential in Ben Casey or Have Gun Will Travel or any of these shows that have been mentioned, they would be released.

Paramount must have seen good profit potential in "Have Gun Will Travel" 'cause they've released three seasons to date.

lovethoseshows · 10-19-2006, 02:06 PM

i know right???they dont make em like they used to fro sure!!just saw a clip of that old show match game??on itunes, it was so cool, everyones just kind of ugly and 70's and real!! love it

Gary OS · 10-19-2006, 02:17 PM

Scott, I'm tempted to ask you how old you are and what kind of dvds you personally are in the habit of buying, simply because "I think thou protestest too much." While I have little doubt that current teen soaps sell better than older classics (for numerous reasons, none of which have anything to do with the quality of the writing or merit of the show itself) I don't think there's any doubt classics can make a profit. As I mentioned earlier, are we to believe that Paramount lost money on the ILL or TAGS series? Or that Image lost money on the DVDS or COMBAT series? I'd be shocked if that was the case.

What many of us are saying is that the companies don't market these shows well and that, YES, there are people in positions of power that just flat out don't realize these shows can be profitable. Either that or they don't really care because it's so much easier to package the current stuff. I've heard enough stories about certain shows having "advocates" within companies that I know it makes a difference. I'm not suggesting that the execs just sit around and say, "Hey I liked such and such as a kid so let's release it." But on the other hand it doesn't hurt to have people within these companies that have personal knowledge of the older classics in their respective library vaults.

Gary "I'm not trying to call you out personally, Scott, but you do seem to have a slant that's willing to let the classics rot without a whimper by just saying, 'they won't sell' " O.

Doug^Ch · 10-19-2006, 03:11 PM

I buy a lot and I mean a lot of TV on DVD. I buy almost everything, because I am a collector nut. I buy everything from Mr. Peepers and Sergeant Preston to Buffy and 24. I buy westerns, adventure, soaps, sit coms, horror, science fiction and even go as far as buying an occasional reality show like The Dog Whisperer. While I buy everything, I have to for the most part back up what Scott is trying to say. If there were significant amounts of money to be made on these older classic shows, the studios would be chomping at the bit to release them. You have to remember that the members of this forum are not typical consumers of dvd product. Relatively speaking across the country there are many aging baby boomers who do fondly remember shows like Ben Casey and say Burke's Law, but are they consumers of dvds? For the most part no. You cannot use this forum as a barometer of consumer taste; it simply is not typical.

It is also faulty to use shows like I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show and TAGS as indicators that all old classics sell well enough to make a good profit. These shows were among the most heavily syndicated and best remembered shows of all time. Even most 20 somethings have heard of them, and, or seen them on TVLand or Nick at Night. I can tell you right now that you would have to hunt pretty hard to find a teen or twenty something in this country (outside of this forum) that even knows that the movie The Fugitive was based on a 1960's TV show. Even if they did, the likelihood that they would buy that B&W series is low.

There is a reason why most advertisers in this country don't give a #*!**# about the over 50 demographic, while they have the money, they don't spend the money. Networks which have TV shows with more total viewers have to charge less for commercial time if those viewers are in that older demographic. The same thing holds true for the movies, why do movies like Jackass 2 go to number one and make all the money, while a wonderful film like Cinderella Man loses money. Sure the older people remember the TV shows that we want on dvd, but they don't buy in numbers large enough to justify it to a major studio. Our only hope is that the big studios will some day be willing to license these older properties to small independent production companies at a reasonable fee.

Sky King · 10-19-2006, 04:05 PM

Scott,

Maybe some of the companies holding the rights to these classic TV shows could sell "test DVDs" to determine what interest if any, a given show may have with the general public. These DVDs would be a no frills effort and contain several episodes of the TV show to be tested and sell in the $10.00 to $15.00 range at DVD retailers.
I believe something similar to this was done within the past year with a classic western TV series...possibly "Cheyenne ?"

John