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Happy Days: The Complete Series: The Ultimate Edition?

post #1 of 41
2/3/12 at 6:10pm
Thread Starter 
To CBS Home Entertainment:
Can you release a Complete Series box set of "Happy Days" (1974-1984)?
All 255 episodes should be digitally remastered in high definition (1080p), and they should be unedited.
The original Paramount Television logos should be included at the end of the episodes.
All the 1950s/1960s music that was used in the series should be cleared, so the episodes can be unaltered.
Garry Marshall wants all the original music to be included.
The episodes that originally aired after "Passages" (the final episode) should be included before it in the DVD set.
Bonus features, new and old, should be included in the set, including TV spots (from ABC, syndication, Nick at Nite, TV Land, and WGN), commercials with the cast, a PSA with the cast about leukemia, mistakes in the episodes, unreleased bloopers, cast interviews, audio/text commentaries, photo galleries, documentaries (including TVography: Happy Days (2001), Entertainment Tonight in TV Land: Secrets of Happy Days (1999), Biography: Happy Days (2003), Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare (1977), the Biographies of Henry Winkler (2000), Ron Howard (1999/2008), and Scott Baio (2008), and all-new documentaries), text biographies of the cast, reunion specials (1992/2005), lists of music and guest stars in the episodes, production notes (noting inside jokes, pop culture references, and behind-the-scenes information), both versions of the pilot (New Family in Town (1971), and Love and the Happy Days (1972)), episodes of Laverne and Shirley (and the Mork and Mindy pilot) with characters from Happy Days, Henry Winkler's home movies from the series, scripts from the series in .PDF format, memorabilia from the series, and other things should be included.
Easter Eggs (hidden bonus features) should be included in the set.
Here are some extra bonus features for this set:
Sitcom: The Adventures of Garry Marshall (1979)
The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (animated series, 1980-1981)
Joanie Loves Chachi (1982-1983)
Pyramid: Marion Ross and Erin Moran (2004)
TV Land Moguls: The 1970s: Part II (2004, including Garry Marshall and Happy Days)
Moving Image Salutes Ron Howard (2006)
Tom Bosley on Match Game (1975)
The Mike Douglas Show with Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Don Most, and Anson Williams (September 1974)
Boy Meets World: I Was A Teenage Spy (1996)
Strong Kids, Safe Kids (1984)
Weezer: Buddy Holly (1994)
An extensive clip of Tom Bosley as "Fiorello" should be included.
Tributes to Tom Bosley from several news shows should be included.
Animated (interactive) menus with the theme song should be included.
Scene selection menus, chapter stops, and a "Play All" option should be included with all the episodes.
English subtitles should be included with the episodes and special features.
The alternate introductions for "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas", one with Arnold (Pat Morita), and the other with Al (Al Molinaro), should be included.
Both endings for "Shotgun Wedding: Part 1" should be included.
The scene with "The Andy Griffith Show" should be included in the "My Favorite Orkan" episode.
Both endings for the "My Favorite Orkan" episode should be included.
Both endings for the "Love and Marriage" episode should be included.
A collector's book should be included with the set.
Henry Winkler and Paul Brownstein (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Get Smart, The Twilight Zone) should be the producers of the set.
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post #2 of 41
2/3/12 at 7:02pm
Welcome to the forum Ian.

I am no one of any importance on this forum, and i sure do not want to be harsh in asking this....but...

Do you think you could put a question mark at the end of your thread titles?

So someone doesn't think such a thing is really coming out.



Just my 2 cents, such as it is.


...and you really put a lot of thought into this.
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post #3 of 41
2/3/12 at 7:05pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, you're right, there should be a question mark at the end of this, I did mean to do that, but I forgot.
You're not being harsh, but very nice.
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post #4 of 41
2/3/12 at 7:12pm
I wish every DVD set was put together the input from fans that would ensure that the final product
was as close to the originally aired versions as possible. So many classic shows suffer from
ho-hum releases full of compromises. I don't think this is likely to change much for 70s and 80s
TV series are rarely going to be popular enough to get the proper treatment. Time-Life did such
a fantastic job with the 6 million dollar man set, it just makes me more sad for how badly many
of other series been cut up and have disappointed their fans.
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post #5 of 41
2/4/12 at 1:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by classictvfan91 View Post

Yes, you're right, there should be a question mark at the end of this, I did mean to do that, but I forgot.
You're not being harsh, but very nice.


It's done for you. smile.gif

 

 

Cees
 

 

 

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post #6 of 41
2/4/12 at 6:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by derosa View Post

I wish every DVD set was put together the input from fans that would ensure that the final product
was as close to the originally aired versions as possible. So many classic shows suffer from
ho-hum releases full of compromises. I don't think this is likely to change much for 70s and 80s
TV series are rarely going to be popular enough to get the proper treatment. Time-Life did such
a fantastic job with the 6 million dollar man set, it just makes me more sad for how badly many
of other series been cut up and have disappointed their fans.

Yeah, except for the fact that the transfers were old transfers that Universal gave them as opposed to them striking new ones. For what they paid for the rights, you would think that could have been part of the deal.
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post #7 of 41
2/4/12 at 6:25am
My question to the thread starter is this - and how much would you be willing to pay? While we are dealing in the pipe dream fantasy world, would you be willing to pay, lets say $750 for such a set? Because the music clearance for one season alone costs over $2M. I think of two possible ways of getting what you seek, either Paramount releasing such a set or you building a time machine and going back in time with a DVD recorder and recording the shows yourself, the second option would be more likely to occur. Another possible method might be to hire a renegade army, like on the A Team, and break into the CBS vaults and swipe all of their original film masters. But expecting a release like that? Not gonna happen on this planet.
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post #8 of 41
2/4/12 at 8:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil Brock View Post

I think of two possible ways of getting what you seek, either Paramount releasing such a set or you building a time machine and going back in time with a DVD recorder and recording the shows yourself

What about bringing current state-of-the-art professional broadcasting equipment (like say DVCPRO for example) with you to record the shows at home in the 70s? Could you actually do that?
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post #9 of 41
2/4/12 at 10:49am
I don't see why not. Provided the time machine you build is capable of allowing not just a person but electronic equipment as well. If it didn't, then you would have to bring along some currency and have to do your recording on 3/4 inch tape at around $30 for a one hour tape.
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post #10 of 41
2/4/12 at 5:47pm

How about also including ABC bumpers?

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post #11 of 41
2/4/12 at 8:06pm
I'm not sure about ABC bumpers. "Be Right Back" ones, maybe.

One thing I was wondering: Most primetime TV shows have (or had, at least) a "be right back" bumper. Sometimes, they would have voiceovers (and some of them would even be voiced by cast members from the show), and some of them would say "*so and so show* will be back in a moment". My question is, were "be right back" bumpers part of the original master tape or original 35mm film reel (depending on whether the show was filmed or videotaped), or were they added in by the network, in the same way they would add sponsorship billboards and network affiliate bumpers?
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post #12 of 41
2/4/12 at 8:09pm

I would think, and I may be wrong, that the network added them. However, if the cast participated in the voice-overs, it would have been done at the studio. That's what I meant by ABC bumpers. Also, did the network run 35mm or 16mm prints? If it was 16mm, then they probably don't exist on the master reels. For videotaped shows, they probably did because the editing process was a bit more complicated for video back in the day.

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post #13 of 41
2/5/12 at 12:09am
I'm sure this unedited, complete series set will be released at any moment - in fantasyland.
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post #14 of 41
2/5/12 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vnisanian2001 View Post

I'm not sure about ABC bumpers. "Be Right Back" ones, maybe.
One thing I was wondering: Most primetime TV shows have (or had, at least) a "be right back" bumper. Sometimes, they would have voiceovers (and some of them would even be voiced by cast members from the show), and some of them would say "*so and so show* will be back in a moment". My question is, were "be right back" bumpers part of the original master tape or original 35mm film reel (depending on whether the show was filmed or videotaped), or were they added in by the network, in the same way they would add sponsorship billboards and network affiliate bumpers?

FWIW -- a local station in Chicago was running Mission: Impossible from 16mm in the late 1980s and they would show the "will be right back" bumpers in the middle of a commercial break, like they would have been in the original network run. So in at least that one case, they were there as part of the film print of the episode. At least I assume so.

Bumpers like that should at least be included as extras, if they don't want to have them breaking up the show. I distinctly remember one from Happy Days which showed the show's title with the record on the turntable, and a voice-over by Erin Moran as Joanie saying something like "Happy Days will be right back after these messages...I think." This was even shown during the ABC daytime reruns.
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post #15 of 41
2/5/12 at 1:19pm

That's what I meant. The 16mm prints would have been the ones sent to stations to broadcast. So they were probably created by the network. They probably aren't on the negatives or masters.

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post #16 of 41
2/5/12 at 2:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil Brock View Post

I don't see why not. Provided the time machine you build is capable of allowing not just a person but electronic equipment as well. If it didn't, then you would have to bring along some currency and have to do your recording on 3/4 inch tape at around $30 for a one hour tape.

Now, if you're going back in time for TV Shows, Happy Days would be way low on the list. It would almost be your duty to user your TARDIS to go back and capture things like the lost Doctor Who episodes, the Moon Landing, network broadcasts of Super Bowls 1-3, November 22-24 1963, and all the other lost or wiped stuff.

As for a complete Happy Days set here and now? Honestly, we'll be lucky to see season 5. But, Laverne and Shirley finally got their 5th season announced, so anything is possible.
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post #17 of 41
2/5/12 at 6:10pm
I'm not sure why season 5 on dvd is such an impossible dream on dvd. After all the first four seasons had a ton of music replacements. Why would the later season be any more difficult to edit?
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post #18 of 41
2/5/12 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryan^H View Post

I'm not sure why season 5 on dvd is such an impossible dream on dvd. After all the first four seasons had a ton of music replacements. Why would the later season be any more difficult to edit?

People don't want music replacements. Plain and simple. Hopefully by now, CBS gets that, and actually puts efforts into clearing them.

CBS and Fox: The two laziest companies ever to handle music rights.
Edited by vnisanian2001 - 2/5/12 at 7:00pm
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post #19 of 41
2/5/12 at 7:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vnisanian2001 View Post

People don't want music replacements. Plain and simple. Hopefully by now, CBS gets that, and actually puts efforts into clearing them.
CBS and Fox: The two laziest companies ever to handle music rights.

I don't see how laziness is a factor. Neil realistically appraised the situation earlier in the thread when he said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil Brock View Post

...how much would you be willing to pay? While we are dealing in the pipe dream fantasy world, would you be willing to pay, lets say $750 for such a set? Because the music clearance for one season alone costs over $2M.
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post #20 of 41
2/5/12 at 7:23pm
I should reiterate that:

I meant TV shows where not much music was used.
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post #21 of 41
2/5/12 at 10:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vnisanian2001 View Post

People don't want music replacements. Plain and simple. Hopefully by now, CBS gets that, and actually puts efforts into clearing them.

Your preaching to the choir. Of course we don't want music replacements, but this is CBS so whether we like it or not, its going to happen(If there is a season 5). Personally I'd buy it on day one over nothing at all(which is what we would get if they had to pay for all the music). In a perfect world every classic tv show would have 'free' music clearance. And all the shows being held in limbo for that nagging, irritating, obstructive, bullet-proof, singular, horrible thing would be released as easy as pie.
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post #22 of 41
2/5/12 at 11:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryan^H View Post

I'm not sure why season 5 on dvd is such an impossible dream on dvd. After all the first four seasons had a ton of music replacements. Why would the later season be any more difficult to edit?

I can tell you why. A couple of years ago I transferred over my season 5 episodes from my off-air VHS records. The Valentine's episode - all music. The entire show is a musical. If the music was cut, about 90 seconds would be left. The Suzi Quatro as Leather Tuscadero episodes - at least 10-12 minutes of music in each episode. There is no way CBS can put this season out without either leaving episodes out or charging an exorbitant price.
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post #23 of 41
2/6/12 at 5:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by vnisanian2001 View Post

I should reiterate that:
I meant TV shows where not much music was used.

Cool, I understand you now.
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post #24 of 41
2/6/12 at 10:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Y View Post

FWIW -- a local station in Chicago was running Mission: Impossible from 16mm in the late 1980s and they would show the "will be right back" bumpers in the middle of a commercial break, like they would have been in the original network run. So in at least that one case, they were there as part of the film print of the episode. At least I assume so.

The commercial bumpers (as seen on ABC) were in the via-satellite syndication package for Battlestar Galactica in the early 1990s, too (I recorded almost the whole series from KWGN at that time on C-band). They even still had the "next week" promos for the two-parters.
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post #25 of 41
2/6/12 at 10:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyMcKinney View Post

The commercial bumpers (as seen on ABC) were in the via-satellite syndication package for Battlestar Galactica in the early 1990s, too (I recorded almost the whole series from KWGN at that time on C-band). They even still had the "next week" promos for the two-parters.


Now, whether these bumpers would be on the master elements would be hard to say, but they were at least on network and syndication prints (though, perhaps, might have been 'spliced-in' when the prints were being made).
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post #26 of 41
2/7/12 at 9:18am
Off-topic, but related to this show:

I remember on a primetime special in the late 1990s (I forgot what it was, it was a long time ago), someone who worked on the show said that, originally, the show was going to be named "Cool". Does anyone know the name of the special, and who it was who said that?
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post #27 of 41
2/10/12 at 6:07am
Thread Starter 
I remember that.
The show was "Behind the Laughs" (1998), and it was Garry Marshall who said that.
He said that the theme song might have been "Sunday, Monday, cool, cool, cool.", but he noticed that that wouldn't work, so they changed it to "Happy Days."
I saw this online several years ago.
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post #28 of 41
2/10/12 at 6:29am
Thread Starter 
I think CBS Home Entertainment can release this set, since Happy Days is coming back this year (in a Fan Favorites DVD, and "Shotgun Wedding" will be included with Laverne and Shirley: Season 5, and Tom Bosley's Father Dowling Mysteries was released this week.)
Last September, someone at CBS/Paramount said that they will do all they can about getting the original music back in, since they now know how important it was to the show.
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post #29 of 41
2/11/12 at 8:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil Brock View Post

I can tell you why. A couple of years ago I transferred over my season 5 episodes from my off-air VHS records. The Valentine's episode - all music. The entire show is a musical. If the music was cut, about 90 seconds would be left. The Suzi Quatro as Leather Tuscadero episodes - at least 10-12 minutes of music in each episode. There is no way CBS can put this season out without either leaving episodes out or charging an exorbitant price.

Oh man, thanks for bringing up Suzie Quatro.
I completely forgot about her for about 30 years.
What a dish she was.

386

If she were cool at all she wouldn't hold out for big earnings on her music numbers. She should be thrilled to have her seasons of Happy Days released on dvd. I know many people would love to see her again....myself being one of them.
Between her and the gal that played Jenny Piccilo, I really want to see the later seasons of happy days. My first two tv crushes.
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post #30 of 41
2/11/12 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil Brock View Post

I can tell you why. A couple of years ago I transferred over my season 5 episodes from my off-air VHS records. The Valentine's episode - all music. The entire show is a musical. If the music was cut, about 90 seconds would be left. The Suzi Quatro as Leather Tuscadero episodes - at least 10-12 minutes of music in each episode. There is no way CBS can put this season out without either leaving episodes out or charging an exorbitant price.

I know they most likely won't, but could they do this:

Replace all the songs they sing with phony sound-a-like songs that they wrote for the DVD version of the episode?
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