"The Fugitive" (1963): Season 1; Volume 1 Rumored To Be In The Works! - Page 11

Gary OS · 08-08-2007, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewA

You don't think that writing had anything to do with it?

Nope.

In all seriousness, of course it was the writing. But it's just interesting that so many shows seemed to dip in quality when they went from b&w to color. Again, your mileage may vary, but that's my perception.

Gary "I have no idea why it worked out that way so often... it just did" O.

Harry-N · 08-08-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hank Dearborn

Actually the FCC mandated that all network prime time shows had to be in color starting in 1966. Believe me, as cheap as ABC was they would have kept airing black and white shows had they not been forced to go color.

I can't find any evidence that there was any mandate from the FCC for networks to switch to color. If I'm not mistaken, it was more of a marketplace effect.

The FCC had authority to approve the "type" of color television system that would be used, but they had no authority (that I know of) to tell a network what kind of shows to air. They approved what we now know as NTSC color rather than the CBS system that used some kind of rotating color wheel. The RCA/NTSC system had the advantage of being compatible with the existing black and white sets already out there.

Since RCA owned NBC, they were the first to decide to market color-TV to the masses by televising more and more stuff in color. In the 50's you'd find things like the MILTON BERLE, and THE BELL TELEPHONE HOUR and various specials in color. As the '60s wore on, more shows on NBC made the switch like BOB HOPE and other variety shows like ANDY WILLIAMS, along with the high profile westerns like BONANZA.

In 1965, NBC began billing itself as the "Full-color network" in spite of having two series on in prime time in black & white (CONVOY and I DREAM OF JEANNIE). The story there is that CONVOY used a lot of WWII stock footage in black & white that wouldn't work if the show was in color. I DREAM OF JEANNIE required a lot of trick photography that would have been expensive on an unproven sitcom that was essentially a copy of ABC's successful BEWITCHED.

Not to be outdone, both ABC and CBS began televising more and more shows in color diring that 1965 season, with the mandates from their own corporations that by fall of 1966, everything would be in color. It was purely to head off any advantage that NBC would have in the marketplace - not anything to do with an FCC mandate, that I know of.

Series that happened to be on and successful during this period are the ones that got switched to color episodes from their earlier black & white incarnations. THE FUGITIVE falls into this catagory. It happened to be on and popular enough to be a series during the fall of 1966.

An analogous situation occurs today with the switchover to HD broadcasts. While virtually all primetime filmed series are now in HD, other, cheaper shows (reality stuff) are still in SD. There's no FCC mandate to broadcast in HD, only one that says that all TV over-the-air broadcasting must be digital by February 2009.

See the ABC, NBC, and CBS color-program announcements here:

http://www.kingoftheroad.net/colorTV/colorTVlogos.html

Harry

michael_ks · 08-08-2007, 06:27 PM

"The Saint" can also be added to that list.

What immediately comes to mind when considering the switch over from B&W to color for episode quality (besides the loss of film noir for those shows that favored this approach) is the fact that earlier seasons to a series are generally the best anyway as most series becomes stale and formulaic over time. Also, the need to showcase color in all its glory, resulting in garish looking art direction/set design in the '66-'67 transition period is what makes some series look poorer (again, "The Saint" for example).

Myself, I prefer watching series in B&W simply because the shows that were shot that way tend to have more simply dressed sets and and an overall spartan look that appeals to me more. I love shadows and contrast and this is where B&W excels over color. If a series is produced utilizing an outre, avant garde approach (e.g. "Outer Limits") so much the better. Hitchcock realized the benefits to be had shooting in B&W and to this day, "Psycho" is arguably the most remembered of his 50+ films.

Doug Wallen · 08-08-2007, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary OS

I knew someone would bring up "Streets." It's literally the only show in Paramount's rotation that throws my theory around. But I believe the two points I mentioned are still in play, and that "Streets" is just an anomaly. It was released at the same time as "The Untouchables" and it probably was the least well known of the Paramount titles (not up there with MI, Hawaii Five-0, or WWW). Therefore it's not surprising that it would get the half-season treatment.

Your point about Paramount basing these decisions on what they think will sell best is surely correct. But I believe a part of their thinking ties back into the old "b&w won't sell like color will" mentality. There's just too much evidence to the contrary for me to believe otherwise, "Streets" not withstanding.

Gary "if Paramount was ever going to give an hour long, black & white classic the full season treatment, it would have been THE FUGITIVE - it's got to be the highest profile b&w drama in their stable" O.

What about the first season of WWW?, it was b&w and the entire season was not split. It seemed to sell well enough to release the 2nd. Now the third is announced for November.

Not trying to be argumentative, you did mention WWW.

Gary OS · 08-08-2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Wallen

What about the first season of WWW?, it was b&w and the entire season was not split. It seemed to sell well enough to release the 2nd. Now the third is announced for November.

Not trying to be argumentative, you did mention WWW.

Oh, I know you aren't trying to be argumentative. It's a good question. My thought would be that because only that first season was in b&w, and it was only 28 episodes long (as opposed to 30 or more), Paramount went with a full season release. Just my two cents.

Gary "I still say if there's nothing to the b&w issue then THE FUGITIVE, Paramount's best classic drama, would have received a full season release - but it didn't..." O.

Gary OS · 08-08-2007, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_ks

"The Saint" can also be added to that list...

Excellent post, Michael. You summed up my feelings about the superiority of b&w over color very well.

Gary "the 'noir' feel makes a big difference in my book" O.

Mark-P · 08-08-2007, 08:53 PM

This is becoming one of the most interesting threads I've read in a long while. As for the discussion about black & white to color transition, why is it so many shows seemed to take a dip in quality when they switched to color? The most obvious to me being Bewitched, Gunsmoke and The Andy Griffith Show. Well, all shows have a creativity arc that dips in later seasons and it might just be a coincidence that so many shows were waning when their color-switch occurred. But I have another theory. Perhaps with color being used as a marketing tool to bring in ratings, the networks relaxed their standards and passed off on sub-quality scripts that they wouldn't have had they not had the "color card" in their back pocket.

Harry-N · 08-08-2007, 09:04 PM

I think it's more of the aging factor of the series in question.

BEWITCHED had done its most innovative stuff in the first two black & white years. Once the switch to color happened, the scripts were becoming more of the same.

GUNSMOKE was pretty well aged by the time it made it to color. It had done its early and more violent stories in the half-hour and black & white eras. By the time color arrived, Chester was gone, and the series was a kinder, gentler version of what it had been.

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW switched to color just as it lost its key character of Barney Fife (Don Knotts). Any show losing such a character could only ever be a shadow of its former self.

For THE FUGITIVE, as the fourth and color season began, Alan Armer was gone, and the series had done most of the type of stories that it COULD do. David Janssen himself was getting weary of the grind of the series.

Harry

Gary OS · 08-08-2007, 09:14 PM

I think ultimately, with most of the shows we've listed, it does have to do with aging scripts/story lines. But there were a few exceptions where shows jumped to color after only one season in black & white.

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - This show jumped to color in the 2nd season, but it's clear that the first season was the best of the bunch. It was during the second season that we started getting a few silly stories, although that was reserved in mass for the 3rd and 4th seasons (and I love the show, so this isn't a slam).

HAZEL - This one also jumped to color in it's second season. But it seems to me like that first year was the best by far.

GILLIGAN'S ISLAND - I know a lot of folks think this show was all low-brow, all the time. But I felt like that first season was genuinely funny and they lost something when they moved to the 2nd season in color. I guess you could argue they shot all their bullets in that first season.

Overall, I'd say it's more about coincidence than anything else. But with the FUGITIVE, I sincerely believe it lost something going to color.

Gary "it may just be my perception, but it seems like many of these shows had an air of class (even the silly ones like GILLIGAN) while in b&w that they lost when they went to color" O.

Colin Jacobson · 08-08-2007, 11:21 PM

Here you go, boys - fresh meat!

http://dvdfile.com/index.php?option=...=6198&Itemid=3