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The more intelligent the show, the worse it does on DVD? - Page 2

post #31 of 36
2/27/08 at 5:56pm

Re: The more intelligent the show, the worse it does on DVD?

The roadblocks to HSB and SE, both excellent shows, were poor promotion which contributed to poor sales. I don't believe you can blame unrelated shows for the failure of other shows. It's also important to keep in mind that these shows (St. Elsewhere especially) were kept on the air for years for prestige and for their desirable demographic: urban, overeducated 18-34 year olds. They drew ad rates comparable to top 10 shows and higher than shows with older audiences like Murder She Wrote. They both failed miserably in syndication, as do most shows with continuing story lines.
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post #32 of 36
2/27/08 at 7:24pm

Re: The more intelligent the show, the worse it does on DVD?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MatthewA
The roadblocks to HSB and SE, both excellent shows, were poor promotion which contributed to poor sales. I don't believe you can blame unrelated shows for the failure of other shows. It's also important to keep in mind that these shows (St. Elsewhere especially) were kept on the air for years for prestige and for their desirable demographic: urban, overeducated 18-34 year olds. They drew ad rates comparable to top 10 shows and higher than shows with older audiences like Murder She Wrote. They both failed miserably in syndication, as do most shows with continuing story lines.

Good point, there. I stand corrected. I always thought that it was a difference in tastes that was the roadblock, but now that I see that, as you said, neither were promoted well, which led to subsequent poor sales, I stand corrected. I always thought (it seems incorrectly here) that unrelated series could make or break a particular series' DVD releases based on tastes between or among the two or three series in question.
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post #33 of 36
2/27/08 at 7:30pm

Re: The more intelligent the show, the worse it does on DVD?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MatthewA
The roadblocks to HSB and SE, both excellent shows, were poor promotion which contributed to poor sales. I don't believe you can blame unrelated shows for the failure of other shows.

Well, I do remember an article from over two years ago that pointed out how little Who's The Boss and Night Court sold compared to Seinfeld and Friends respectively for said companies, and you know what, it's two years later and they still have yet to release another season for either show. Keep in mind Seinfeld and Friends are now finished on DVD, which means more room to finish other shows, but alas, they aren't.
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post #34 of 36
2/27/08 at 7:33pm

Re: The more intelligent the show, the worse it does on DVD?

Quote:
Originally Posted by whisperintherain
I tend not to think of TV shows in terms of dumb and smart. I prefer to divide them in two categories : "fun shows", the ones you watch for sheer entertainment value (these would include shows such as LAS VEGAS or the Spelling productions) and "brainy shows", the ones that both entertain you and make you think(these would include THE WEST WING, GILMORE GIRLS, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, BABYLON 5...).

The emotional complexity someone mentioned regarding DALLAS is actually even more applicable to its spin-off, KNOTS LANDING, which managed to keep its characters's emotional lives at the core of the show for fourteen seasons. Yet, although better-written and better-acted, it never got the same worldwide success as its predecessor (or even rival show DYNASTY) and the first season did not do well enough so far on DVD for WARNER to release further seasons (ironically enough, the WARNER-owned shows I prefer seem to be the ones that don't sell : KNOTS LANDING, EVERWOOD and LIFE GOES ON). I think the real problem here is more one of popularity rather than one of quality.

I agree, the whole "dumb vs. smart" thing seems condescending as well.
I might not consider The Brady Bunch or Aaron Spelling shows to be high art, but to just call them "dumb" is being condescending to those who just like those shows for what they are... mindless entertainment.
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post #35 of 36
2/27/08 at 8:19pm

Re: The more intelligent the show, the worse it does on DVD?

Probably Sherwood Schwartz's biggest mistake as a writer is failing to clarify the logical conundrums such as those that allow the Castaways to have many different changes of clothes, or even two pairs.
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post #36 of 36
2/27/08 at 8:30pm

Re: The more intelligent the show, the worse it does on DVD?

Corey3rd:
Quote:
And don't mess with the Mod Squad. I'm watching the second half of the first season and I'm hooked.
I love the show. I was hooked forty years ago, and I'm watching it with a vengeance these days. We just watched Twinkle Twinkle, Little Starlet. I thought it was quite good, and some scenes were very intense (as much of that show is anyway). I guessed incorrectly who the murderer of the young women was, too. In case you haven't seen that episode, I won't spoil it for you, except to say you will have fun trying to figure it out.

Addendum: I just realized that you wrote that you are watching the second half of the first season, so you've probably seen the episode I'm alluding to here.

"Keep the faith. And don't spread it thin." --Lincoln Hayes
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