When are We going to see a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea DVD Release?!!!!! - Page 26

THE UNAIRED PILOT!!!!!

Naturally it is perfectly fine to show interest in a fourth season (1967-68) DVD release of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA...but it is still way too early to be absolutely panicked about this seeming delay as yet!

A year from now if we still haven't heard anything definite then VOYAGE fans can well get disappointed about this.

At least for the present I am going to exercise supreme confidence that there will indeed be a forthcoming VOYAGE tv series release some time this year.

Anything I say at this premature point will only be pure speculation on my part. However there may well be plans for some new oncamera interviews conducted with David Hedison and/or a complete audio commentary to be included. Who knows?!

This would certainly account for such a delay.

It has been suggested that (because of the inferior reputation of the fourth season episodes in general) perhaps this final release will be packaged as a single season set instead of being broken into two distinct volumes.

But if there are any such intentions then it is really up to 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment to make this known to alay any concerns about an impending DVD release of VOYAGE's fourth season. This likely hasn't been done because Fox doesn't know just what its plans are at present.

Now on the topic of extras I would really like the inclusion of the unaired colour pilot "Eleven Days to Zero" (14/09/1964) with its correct main opening title instead of the deliberately appended second season (1965-66) colour title which was a really bad move and exhibited poor judgement.

Failing that how about the actual colour pilot in which Theodore Marcuse is seen throughout the entire episode as the villainous Dr. Gamma (and not with any additional later reshot scenes with Werner Klemperer)?

Jeff T.

DIGITAL RESTORATION!!!!!

As I said the VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA multi-volume DVD sets are one of the few genuine fully restored and digitally remastered classic tv series releases (see the most recent message posting in the MY FAVOURITE MARTIAN discussion thread).

When this stellar DVD collection was initially marketed both the first (1964-65) and second (1965-66) seasons had already been completed which accounts for their rapid availability.

At this early period of time work had just started on the third season (1966-67) so that when the first two seasons had been released the third was by then already to go.

However, I think that full restoration of the fourth season (1967-68) hadn't as yet be started and this likely is accounting for the now apparent delay.

But I am still (stubbornly) confident that there will indeed be another VOYAGE release some time this year. Time will tell whether I am right on this or not!

Pertaining specifically to the VOYAGE tv series DVD releases I just don't want to rashly condemn 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment without any real justification at this point.

Jeff T.

HAVE SOME FAITH!!!!!

I still believe that a fourth season (1967-68) DVD release of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA is indeed forthcoming.

Bear in mind that the first three previous seasons were released in amazingly rapid succession which certainly must attest to this particular tv premium's marketability. Even if the sales of the third season (1966-67) were not satisfactory it was still an excellent two volume set and those who deliberately missed out or have not bothered to acquire them should certainly reconsider this. Take my word for it in the third year VOYAGE is still a colourfully entertaining show to be sure with much to recommend it (solid performances from the series cast members, great guest stars, unusual and exciting menaces, and edge-of-your seat thrills and harrowingly intense suspense a plenty).

Even as we speak the three previously released seasons are still being bought from store shelves or online retailers somewhere so (very likely) 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment is delaying the eventual fourth season release until it is deemed the strategically correct time to do so (why compete with what is still selling?). In this light the season three VOYAGE two volume sets can still turn a (belated) profit.

Remember we are talking about four seasons (which will translate into 8 separate volumes) not to mention the variety of selection and competition from other tv series being made available on DVD. Right now the DVD market is (over) saturated with choice! Being the final season there is obviously nothing left to follow so Fox likely feels no great urgency in marketing the remaining outstanding VOYAGE season.

The best most convincing argument that can be presented here is that there is but a single season of VOYAGE left remaining...that's certainly not going to bankrupt anyone and in the broader scheme of things its inevitable DVD release (either as a single or two volume set) will probably do a lot of good!

MARY TYLER MOORE in particular is a very poor example to draw a comparison with as it never did especially well from the very outset and it has consistently failed (at least) three times now!

Jeff T.