How "realistic" is finding your "Holy Grail?"

My "Grails" are the 1969 Ken Snyder Animated Series Hot Wheels and Skyhawks which were my all-time favorate Cartoon Series when some "Do Gooder" Groups such as Action for Children's Television got thye FCC to BAN them, saying they were nothing more than "Overlong Commercials". (Mattel did introduce three of the cars from the series in their Hot Wheels line of Toy Cars, but not until the SECOND YEAR this series was on). Both series were taken off the air in 1971, and they haven't been shown anywhere since.

Still, you never know. Every now and then we all get surprised when we find out an old favorate is released on DVD. Maybe one day someone will decide to get these two series out on DVD. If it ever happens, I'll snatch them up in a heartbeat!

Those preview shows would be amazing to watch.

Mine would include a complete Love Boat set, and my Saturday morning wishes would be
completing the Superfriends series, and the rest of ScoobyDoo's all star laff-a-lympics.
The bits may get released, but my 'holy grail' version would be to watch the whole cartoon
block shows of the 70's as aired.

My holy grail would be the complete set of The Burns & Allen Show.  The comic timing of Gracie Allen has never been equaled.  She was so much funnier than Lucille Ball and George Burns was the best straight man anyone could ask for.  Add the rest of the supporting cast and you have a classic.  Even with the addition of Ronnie Burns. 

Burns & Allen rocks.  As does Jack Benny.  Neither are likely to happen which is quite unfortunate as both are still laugh out loud shows.

 

My holy grail show is Perry Mason and I'm not sure what that stands for S7 - S9 given that S6 was touch and go for the longest time.  I suppose the ideal for me would be a complete series release on Blu-Ray with the one edited episode fixed, but that's not going to happen.

 

Batman on Blu Ray?  Would be awesome but unless someone like TL uses their deep pockets to clear the rights, it's also not gonna happen.

 

 

 

 

Had you asked this question a month ago I would have honestly said I thought my chances of seeing my last real holy grail show released were 0.00001%.  Seriously.  I had fallen victim to the urban legend that said the master elements from The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet had been butchered up long ago, and therefore I honestly didn't think I'd ever have a snowballs chance in you-know-where of ever seeing that series released on dvd.  But Sam Nelson has dispelled that rumor and now there's at least a chance I might get to add this final holy grail to my long list of other holy grails that have already been released or at least are in the process of being released:

 

The Fugitive (looking to be better than ever on dvd this time around)

Rawhide (moving along slowly, but surely)

Perry Mason (ibid)

Leave it to Beaver

Father Knows Best

Dick Van Dyke Show

Andy Griffith Show

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

The Flintstones (Okay, laugh if you must - but it was a great show in my eyes and I'm glad I own all of it)

 

I'd still like to see full season sets of Lassie, and the remainder of The Lone Ranger, but those aren't really holy grail material for me.  They are high up on my wish list, but just a notch below "holy grail."  I guess Route 66 would be the only other series I'd really, really like to see released - properly!  It's been such a nightmare with that series up to this point that I've kinda given up hope.  But I would love to see it released correctly.

 

 

Gary "bottom line - I feel pretty good about seeing all my holy grails released - something I'd have never thought possible just a few weeks ago" O.

I have to say that most of my Holy Grail shows have been released. I'm just waiting for a few of them to be completed (The Bob Newhart Show, Rhoda, The Rookies, Room 222).

On my list of most wanted shows that haven't been released I have to say that these are my top three, Phyllis, The Hot L Baltimore and Cher. Cher would be a problem considering the music issues, but I'd settle for a Best of set. However, it would need to include complete, uncut episodes. If they can release 12 episodes of Sonny& Cher, then surely we could get 12 to 16 episodes of Cher.

The only two other shows that I'd really like to see are Angie and Eight Is Enough.

For Saturday Moring shows I'd like to see Sigmund and the Sea Monsters finished. On the slim chance front I'd say The Lost Saucer and Far Out Space Nuts.
Edited by Brian Himes - 10/13/11 at 8:20pm

To me it would be the ABC Saturday Night Live clone "Fridays". Apparently Michael Richards has it in his contract he gets a cut of the home video rights so if it would ever be considered, it would have to go through him. Still though his career isn't exactly skyrocketing after his night club incident.

My "holy grail" would be a series that aired years ago on Mystery! called Game, Set, and Match. It was written by Len Deighton, and my understanding is that he was seriously unhappy with the casting of Ian Holm in the lead role, and has refused to let it air again, much less to allow it to come onto DVD. That's alright--I have a makeshift tape-put on dvd- version, but it is very poor quality, and I would love to see it put out on DVD for all the millions of fans. I've even seen some very immature folks on IMDb wish the man dead in the hopes this would facilitate a dvd release.

I think the Fred Astaire specials.

An Evening With...
Another Evening With ...
Astaire Time

David

Battle of the Network Stars
Room 222
Shazam! (I thought I had a better chance at this than 'Isis'!)
The Krofft Supershow
The original Mickey Mouse Club

and a few others. But I'm really happy with all the other shows i have been able to get, more or less complete.

IMO The first "Holy Grail" to be released was also the very FIRST TV Series DVD Box Set I ever purchased. In 2002 I was at my local Best Buy the day they started selling the Gerry Anderson "Supermarionation" Thunderbirds. An employee was placing these sets on the shelf, the next one he got out of the box never made it to the shelf, as I took it out of his hands! There's a special place in my heart for this series, as it was the very first Science-Fiction Show I ever saw when I was the ripe old age of six. Back then, whenever I returned home from School, I'd BEELINE to the TV Set and tune in to watch The Bozo Show. But one afternoon when I turned on the TV, I was greeted with then - President Lyndon B. Johnson holding a News Conference. How Dare They! But I had a trick up my sleve. I lived in the Detroit Area, and across the river was Windsor, Ontario. They had a TV Station as well, and I heard they also had kids shows. I turned to that channel and what do I see? Puppets operating strange gadgets and flying Spaceships. Hey, I LIKE! Goodbye Bozo, hello Thunderbirds! A year later this show was taken off the air, much to my dismay, but soon afterwards I got word of another "Space Show" (This is what I called Science Fiction Shows at the time) that was on the air. Tuning in, I find a Show featuring a Spaceship that looks like some kind of Flying Saucer with "Jets" sticking out of it, A Device that disintigrates crew members, then reassembles them on the surface of whatever planet they are at, and a strange Alien who had "Pointy Ears". Life was never the same after that.

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Good List, Gary.  I hope you get that grail released (O&H).  I'd say it's looking good now.

 

Most of my grails have either been released or are partially available.  I guess I'd pick a couple as not released or completed:

 

"How the West Was Won" TV Miniseries

 

Another one would be something that's not going to happen, a re-released re-mastered non-time compressed series set of "Combat!".

 

"Big Valley" completion

 

"Perry Mason":  I think this one will get there.

That would be great!

My holy grail is seasons 5 through 12 of "NYPD Blue". It doesn't look like it'll ever happen, but I keep hoping.

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I know how much you want How the West was Won, buddy.  I hope it happens for you.  Same with a new, better release of Combat and a continuation of The Big Valley.  At least we've got both those in our personal libraries - imperfections and all. 

 

Perry Mason keeps plodding along, slowly but surely.  Hopefully it gets finished in my lifetime.  

 

 

Gary "I'm not real sure yet about the O&H set - there are many more hurdles that need to be cleared before I get too excited" O.

Most of mine are out there as either partial or complete releases. Some were always favorites and some became favorites as this hobby expanded my horizons. One that always comes to mind from time to time that has received no release at all that I would like to revisit someday is "China Beach".

I'm not sure how realistic it might be to finally get the shows I dream of getting on DVD. It would take nothing short of a miracle to persuade the greedy Shulman heirs to cut a deal for DOBIE GILLIS, even though I've heard that really clean film masters exist. I'm not even sure who owns 77 SUNSET STRIP, SURFSIDE 6 or HAWAIIAN EYE anymore, or why there has been no effort to get them out. Maybe these shows are "too classic" in that only fans in the 50+ range would probably remember and treasure them. But, then, after we're all dead, who will buy them? We're still the most likely to buy DVDs as opposed to the streaming and downloading younger generation. Hell, I'd jump at the chance to get BACHELOR FATHER, ADVENTURES IN PARADISE or SEA HUNT, as well. An English company put out the first two seasons of PETER GUNN a few years back. The image was pristine and the sound was surprisingly good. Then, they went out-of-print for some reason with no third season forthcoming. I wonder what happened to rest of THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and BURKE'S LAW, as well. I'd rush to buy the rest of them. Put me on the list for MISTER ADAM AND EVE, PEOPLES CHOICE and rest of Rennie's THE THIRD MAN, too.

My holy grail is the rest of SCTV, and that seems highly unlikely, sadly.

I also second the completion of The Big Valley (has anyone asked SHOUT! about that one?)

This is just speculation, but I think the reason Perry Mason was stalled for most of 2011 is because Paramount wanted to devote their resources to the better-selling Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, and The Fugitive.

 

Now that Hawaii Five-O has just one season left, Mannix appears stalled due to litigation, and The Fugitive is done, I expect Perry Mason will go to the top of the list of their classic tv priorities.

 

Anyway, that's my hope, as Perry Mason is my holy grail show.

 

I have to admit, all of my real "Holy Grail" titles have been released; but there are some obscure ones I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have, though they aren't holy grails:

 

I'd love to have a Twin Peaks box set on blu, along with FWWM.

 

I'd love to have Wild Palms.. Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt Locker), Oliver Stone, in one of the most crazily shot, hard to follow yet radically different shows I've ever seen..

 

But most of what I really want I have.   Wonder Years with all original music would be nice.  Hell, even Parenthood (the current series) with original music.. but no way that happens.

Lessee now ---

Harry O -- Thought it was coming, but got just second pilot. It's got a chance. Maybe.
Slattery's People -- Slim just caught the bus.
The Great Adventure -- The earth will stop spinning on its axis first.

Hi,

I’m a long-time reader but first-time contributor to HTF. Thanks to you all for the fun discussions on HTF. My “grail” shows are:

Mannix
Cannon
Barnaby Jones
Simon and Simon
Spenser: For Hire
Father Dowling Mysteries
Diagnosis Murder

Alas, because of music rights, lawsuits and poor sales, it seems the chances of any of them seeing the light of day (or further light, as the case may be) are pretty slim.

Glenn

I'd say slim to none.

My very top "Holy Grail" show is the '60s Batman. All appearances are this will come out only when all the copyrights expire and/or holders of various rights die. At that point I'll probably be gone too and will no longer care, as will almost anyone interested in purchasing/watching the program. A "everyone loses" scenario which seems to affect many HG type titles.

There are several others I'd like to see which approach HG status but they, too, are not likely candidates due to many rights issues. Like GaryO I'm amazed that there's a chance of O&H coming out uncut and the full run.

There are a handful of shows which spring to mind which are my Holy Grails, but those which are at the top of the list are Knots Landing, Midnight Caller and Simon & Simon.

 

Knots may sometime down the line be unstalled and the third season (and hopefully beyond) is released as a Warner Archive title.

 

Midnight Caller I'm not sure about at all. Was a lot of music played in the show? I believe it hasn't been shown much in syndication since it finished in 1991 (correct me if I'm wrong).

 

Simon & Simon I hope continues on Region 4 as there may not be music clearance problems in Austrailia.

Edited by WaveCrest - 10/14/11 at 4:14pm

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Gary, thanks.  I'm watching for that one (HTWWW).   You're right about those other 2 shows.  I'm glad those are on the shelf.

PM:  That one's going to get done, Hamilton Burger's objections notwithstanding.

 

O&H: Remember Oct 14, 2011.  I'm out on that limb with this prediction.  I just hope your "sports" crystal ball's accurate ;).

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I'd be interested in that one as well.  I didn't see much of that show in initial airings or syndication.
 

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I hope "Joe" doesn't get sidetracked by lawyer battles.   I'm keeing an optimistic outlook for more Mannix.
 

Glenn, Welcome to the "posting" side of the forum     That's a good list there, several of them are on my wish list for the future.
 

Holy logjam, Batman.  I'd say you're right about that one.   Robin would be on a walker before we see that release.
 

I'm in for more "Knots".    That one's going to see more sets imo.
 

What's one definition of a "grail" show here?  For me, one of them is "rewatchability".   I picked up Combat!  Season 5 V1 and I went thru a few episodes before I knew what happened.   It won't be long before I start that series over for an encore.

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I can't speak for others, Jeff, but rewatchability is definitely one of the factors for me when considering shows that I put in the "holy grail" category.

 

 

Gary "don't worry about my sports pick - it's rock solid and you have nothing to worry about in spite of the minor hiccup from last night" O.

One other Holy Grail would be Filthy Rich. Great sitcom that could not find an audience.  The first pairing of Delta Burke and Dixie Carter. 

Hank. Not seen anywhere since leaving NBC in 1966. Not a very good show I know from the few I've ever gotten but I loved it as a child and its so, so rare. None of the TV archives even have as much as one color episode. Maybe someday Warner Archive will get around to it.

Mel Brooks "When Things Were Rotten" short lived 70's TV series. Keep seeing on-again, off-again rumors the last few years, but nothing definite yet.

The Andy Griffth series "Salvage 1"

The early Universal color musical "King of Jazz"(1930).

I doubt ANY of these titles will ever see the light of day.