WB/Shout....what's next? - Page 3

Don't see why not.

Just this year, Shout has announced continuations of Dragnet 6X and The Facts of Life. Both series had stalled out at their original studios (Dragnet after season one, Facts of Life after season 3). Plus, Shout is continuing Leave it to Beaver with s3, and continued Adam 12 with season 2.

They have a history of continuing abandoned shows. Welcome Back, Kotter seems like a decent bet.

I'd also hope that some 90s shows would escape the vaults, too... like The Drew Carey show, or the George Lopez Show.

I prefer ordinary DVDs too, why wouldn't they do that themselves with older series? Licensing out is okay with me (though that might mean no subtitles), but I see no reason only to cater for new shows when the quality work on all levels so obviously lies in the classics.

Yes Finishing Cheyenne would be nice.

I really don't see them going the "licensing out route" considering they intend to go full speed ahead with their burn on demand program. Besides, I think if they follow through and do start to crank out titles this way and start continuing series they started (I'm still hoping to not have to transfer 9 more years of Murphy Brown VHS), then this frees up Shout to concentrate on other titles from other studios. Shout could thrive for years just picking up abadoned and never issued Sony properties alone.

As for titles, I haven't heard any specific titles on later series, but like I said previously, the most popular of the "classic" Warner Brothers 50s/early 60s shows are coming.

And more 70s/80s titles coming too, eventually? Makes me wonder if this up-coming Warner DVD chat will be a very short affair, if they're going 'full speed ahead' with the on-demand thing... Actually, much of what's in their vaults deserve a hell of a lot better than DVD-R so licensing out is in my opinion the better option, could see many new small companies rise that way - and do us all some good. And we'd get proper DVDs, though I'll take some on 'the burner' if I have to. But where does that leave classic TV on Blu-Ray if much/it all goes through the archive on-demand route, probably nowhere, which of course isn't a fair deal for those fans with such players desiring better picture.

I'm rooting for WB to roll out Enos.  Not that it's a great show, or truly deserving because it's a classic (it's not), but I liked it a lot as a kid for the short time it was on, and I have never seen the show rerun anywhere or even offered on the tape-trading circuit.

They've been hinting at this for some time, so it's old news :) however, I wonder if the planned 77 SUNSET STRIP movie might help the situation :) 



Edited by DeWilson - 3/25/10 at 7:24pm

There's only one  WB show I care much about: Harry O. There are others that would be nice, but Harry is the only one I'd pay a premium for.

I'd like to see Harry O as well.  As an oddity, I wouldn't mind something lesser known like The Roaring Twenties or the anthology Conflict.  But I'm not all that interested in the more well known properties.  I'd buy some of them eventually (on sale), but I'm not dying for any of them.

Gary "still interested in pricing if WB releases any of these via their Archive line" O.

I would definitely like Harry O as well. I also wouldn't mind seeing Murphy Brown as that was a great show and I really would prefer to not have to transfer them all from VHS. Eight is Enough would be nice to get as well. Among their older properties, the show I would love to get are their lesser known sitcoms like Many Happy Returns, Hank, The Little People and Adam's Rib but I'm not holding my breath for any of them to see the light of day at any time soon. I know to people of a certain age, the "classic" WB detective and western shows hold a certain appeal. Having seen many of them over the years on tape from film transfers, all I can say is, I guess you had to be there. To me, about the most interesting is Hawaiian Eye as Connie Stevens and Robert Conrad had a lot more appeal than their usual bland leads. I find that show to be the most watchable today. Although that totem thing scared the hell out of me when I was little.

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I have to agree with this sentiment.  Over the last year I've had a chance to watch samplings of each of the "classic" WB detective and western shows and I've not been as impressed as my childhood memories told me I would be.  Not sure if it was the back lot and studio bound sets, or the cookie cutter story lines that often plagued these shows, but something just didn't hit me like I thought it would.  Had you asked me 2 years ago about any of the high profile WB classics I'd have listed them as "Must Buy" dvds.  But not any more.  And I'm not downing them to anyone here that loves those series.  I just found that they didn't hold up nearly as well for me as I thought they might.  Admittedly that's based on a small sample size for each of those shows, but I'm pretty sure watching different episodes from each series wouldn't change my feelings.

Gotta go with Neil as well on his one pick of those classics: Hawaiian Eye.  If I had to pick one that I'd be most apt to purchase, that would be the one - even though they never really filmed in Hawaii, something that is painfully obvious when you watch it and then think of Hawaii Five-O.


Gary "plus, at least Hawaiian Eye had an episode with Cheryl Holdridge" O. 

I'd pick up dvd-sets of just about any vintage-WB series, but I have to admit I somewhat share the views of Gary and Neil.  The series are 'genre' shows to a dogged degree, unlike many of the more character-study efforts that began to typify hour-long dramas at the time (which are my preference).  Nonetheless, the WB shows can offer some breezy entertainment when one is in the right mood for such a thing. 

 

Of the cookie-cutter shows (meaning, excluding later series like "The Dakotas" or "The Gallant Men"), the one I'd most go for is probably "Hawaiian Eye."  It's funny, because when I first caught the series during the Goodlife-tv reruns a few years back, I'd determined it was the worst of the lot.  The first episodes I watched served up the most moldly old plots (undoubtedly left over from 1930s-era b-flicks), the most cheesey studio-bound backdrops, and the most cliched dialogue.  But as I continued to watch the series, the darned thing actually grew on me.  There was ultimately something endearing about it, even in its weaknesses.  Like, once I accepted the 'fakey' studio Hawaiian backdrop, it became not so much grating as somewhat surreally inviting, akin to classic-era Hollywood product.  And, the leads were exceptionably likeable.  Conrad and Stevens always managed to liven up a scene, and even the stiff and stolid Eisley, who always seemed like a down-to-earth guy who was totally and self-consciously uncomfortable playing a 'suave' ladykiller-type, was also very agreeable.  So, yep, I'd put "Hawaiian Eye" on the top of my list.  Sure would be curious to see "Conflict," though.  And, the half-hour "Lawman" is a pretty reliably enjoyable, too. 

I would like the rest of Cheyenne and Bronco and Sugarfoot.  I have watched those on homemade dvds and still find the shows entertaining.  Plus who wouldn't like Maverick?

What's the opinion of the Warner on-demand discs' quality, would TV shows looks as good and acceptable as the movies they've released direct from the masters, I presume they'll use similar master sources for their TV material? And if not, consumers might feel they're not getting the 'real' product but something appearing more like those in private sales/recordings. That's probably my main concern as much as I love the idea of vaults finally opening up, that classic shows deserve the best just like current ones are receiving.  

Maverick and Cheyenne I have already with a combination of Encore and 16mm film transfers. Lawman premieres in July on Encore as well. I'm quite content to have those shows that way.