Fugitive comes to DVD in a 33 disc set on Nov. 1st 2011 (2 Viewers)

[Brian Himes]

I tend to agree.


Waiting for a Blu release is an exercise in futility. At this point, it is abundantly clear to me that CBS is trying to recoup some of their loss on the whole mess that this series has been for them. First they had to go back and replace all of the missing music that they spent, I'm guessing, replacing with a complete new score for seasons 2-4. Maybe they only completely re-scored season 2 and used the same Heyes cues for seasons 3 and 4 (I don't know since I didn't buy any of the individual season sets. I considered it until the season 2 fiasco). Then they provided replacement discs for both season 2 volumes (If I remember correctly). That cost them more money. Next, they issued the first Most Wanted set and had to recall that one due to music issues and some other issues that I'm not clear on. Finally, the revised Most Wanted set is issued and again there are problems and replacement discs are issued. At this point, I'm guessing that CBS still hasn't made much of a profit from this and this is the final cash in before writing the whole thing off. I'm sure CBS has a pretty bad taste in their mouths for this series on any home video format and would like to just wash their hands of the whole thing. I can understand where they are coming from even though I feel that most of the problems are squarely their fault. So, they shot themselves in the foot and have no one to blame but themselves. Taking all of this into account, I really don't see CBS sinking any more money into this series to bring it up to standard for a Blu release. In fact, I don't see CBS sinking any more money into this series for any reason.


All of this is just my opinion but I think it is a solid conclusion given the evidence at hand.

 

[jimmyjet]

from my perspective, i am not denying myself, but rather waiting


i have tons of stuff to watch already, so i am not sitting there waiting with nothing to watch, which i am guessing is true for almost all of us ?


i guess one could argue the point that the product could go oop, and no used copies either - i guess that is a chance i am willing to take !!


but this latest release, to me, is a sign of the interest that the population DOES HAVE IN THE SHOW !!


and the fact that a bonus dvd was deliberately left out - a sign that they may have other plans for it ?

 

[stevelecher]

The fan base must be bigger than I would have assumed and it certainly was determined to get the set produced in the manner it deserved. I know those half fixes never satisfied me. The last set they released, which was perfect, night of broadcast, high quality editions of every episode, was a better resolution than I ever hoped for and I will feel no need to upgrade again.

 

[Jack P]

Yes, it could well be that this is what CBS has in mind:


"Tuesday, May 5th. The day the releases stopped."

 

[Brian Himes]

It is not uncommon for re-releases of complete series sets to omit any bonus discs. The most recent episodes only release of the Twilight Zone, for example. That just makes the previous releases more collectible. It doesn't necessarily mean that the studios have further plans for the bonus discs. To me, this is more of a further indication that CBS is just trying to get the last bit of revenue from the series it can by essentially burning off some old stock.


As far as public interest in the show, that might be up a bit since MeTV stopped running the series (I tend to doubt it). Whether that will translate into decent sales is up in the air at this point. The only people I see investing in this new release are the folks that simply didn't want to be bothered with the whole replacement discs for the last set (or were waiting for the set to contain the fixed discs) and those folks that might have been on the fence about purchasing the series to begin with.


Either way, if I were you and you want this series, you should pick it up now before it is gone. Once these go out of print, it could be a very long time before the series pops up again for release.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

from my perspective, i am not denying myself, but rather waiting


i have tons of stuff to watch already, so i am not sitting there waiting with nothing to watch, which i am guessing is true for almost all of us ?


i guess one could argue the point that the product could go oop, and no used copies either - i guess that is a chance i am willing to take !!


but this latest release, to me, is a sign of the interest that the population DOES HAVE IN THE SHOW !!


and the fact that a bonus dvd was deliberately left out - a sign that they may have other plans for it ?

Or, more commonly, those used copies start trading at astronomical prices.

 

[MCCLOUD]

I recently bought The Fugitive Most Wanted Set New from Amazon fulfillment seller west Coast Media for $98.00. I received the 5 replacement discs for the set last week. So far I have watched 2 episodes and the Video and Audio quality is excellent like nearly all CBS Paramount Shows! (CBS why do you show show such disrespect for Cannon? Cannon could look as good as The Fugitive, Hawaii Five-O, Streets Of San Francisco, etc). I agree with what other posters have stated that I don't think the chances are too good that The Fugitive will be released on Blu-Ray. Here are some reasons I think this:

1. The studios are mainly releasing newer shows on Blu-Ray or EXTREMELY POPULAR OR CULT OLD SHOWS Star Trek, Andy Griffith, etc. The studios don't think other TV shows not in this category, I would say like The Fugitive, will sell enough to make the expense in putting it out on Blu- Ray profitable.
2. Unlike Cannon, The Fugitive has excellent video and audio quality. The casual viewer will not notice that much of a difference in video and audio quality to make it worth the high dollars to upgrade to the BLU-Ray. Even some strong fans will say it isn't enough for them to upgrade and spend the high price to upgrade to Blu-Ray. This will negatively impact number of units sold.
3.Fans of The Fugitive who watched it when it was on, and people like me who was born in 1965,and even fans who were born in the 1970's are not getting any younger! Just think how many fans of The Fugitive have passed away sincve 2004? This is a loss of market for the studio that will continue as time moves on.
4. The new media of Streaming. I have read on line where the younger people prefer streaming. Also, the sales of physical media is predicting to continue to decline each year due to sstreaming, etc

I could be wrong and CBS could release The Fugiiive on Blu-Ray. I just don't think that it is likely.

GOD BLESS!

ROBERT

 

[Carabimero]

The public information I have is that CBS paid $20,000 for their music replacement library, and used that replacement music for other shows beyond The Fugitive.


It is a fact that without the passionate Fugitive fan base the set never would have been fixed and, more specifically, without this forum and its members, it never would have been fixed correctly.

 

[jimmyjet]

hi brian,


well, i do sometimes by the dvd product, for the very reason that at least i have a copy, in case i cant get it, or have to pay an arm and a leg !!


usually thought, i dont open it - cuz my plan is to sell it brand new, when the blu comes out !!


i definitely did not buy the first set, cuz i did not want to go thru the replacement process - not being the slightest worried that i would not be able to get it in the future.


if this current release (most likely cheaper) had the full disk set, i might very well do the same thing, here. and i still may, at some point.


but my gut tells me that we will get a blu on this show !!


as others have mentioned, whether it took cbs by surprise or not, they had to have gotten a lot of backlash to go back and fix things up. if i was cbs, that would open my eyes into the actual popularity of the show.

 

[Dave B Ferris]

The public information I have is that CBS paid $20,000 for their music replacement library, and used that replacement music for other shows beyond The Fugitive.


It is a fact that without the passionate Fugitive fan base the set never would have been fixed and, more specifically, without this forum and its members, it never would have been fixed correctly.

And you, specifically, right? Unless you're a relatively new member borrowing somebody else's handle, you made the first post, right? I also remember that the first few responses cast doubt upon your post - I think more than a few folks said you must be crazy.

 

[Carabimero]

A non-disclosure agreement prevents me from discussing my studio involvement in any detail, but to answer your questions: yes, yes, and yes


I will say that I remain very proud of the restorations of episodes that I did myself, as well as an Amazon review I wrote, which has since been removed but was publicly preserved by someone at Yahoo. I'm told that review was instrumental in the recall.


https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/THE-FUGITIVE-VIEWS-AND-REVIEWS/conversations/topics/9417

 

[Dave B Ferris]

I remember when you posted about your restorations. For the amount of time involved, if you had known fixes would eventually be released - if it were me, I would wish I could have that time back. Life is too short, right?

Seriously, you deserve many kudos for that first post, and for standing-up to the first few replies that cast you as a virtual lunatic.

I'll bet some of the newer posters here might not know your history, as it were.

 

[Carabimero]

The work I did restoring the Fugitive as a private citizen paid off big-time later, professionally and monetarily--and led to the work I do as a professional today. I don't regret a single minute of it.


Several posters here at the forum also contributed directly to the set being fixed. I'll always believe in my heart that The Fugitive was fixed by the fans.

 

[Harry-N]

My recollection is that Carab was the thread starter on release day back in June of 2008. I had gone to work with the idea of picking up the third half-season of THE FUGITIVE on my lunch hour and had logged into the HTF sometime that morning. I spotted the thread started by Carab and was one of the early responders to the news.


Being a moderator elsewhere on the web, I've been trained to be a bit skeptical at dramatic posts like that, and I investigated who the "Carabimero" might have been with the few tools at my disposal. I was able to determine that this was his very first post on the HTF and wanted to advise caution to anyone reading that perhaps another set of eyes and ears were necessary, and was likely the one who cast doubt on Mr. Carab's contentions.


Others were quick to agree with me, but my skepticism was short-lived. At noon, I bolted from my office to go up to the nearest Best Buy to pick up S2 V1. Bringing it back to my work computer, I was able to verify Carab's assertions and was the first to spot and post the altered credits screen with the Mark Heyes name inserted.


So yes, our good friend Carab was indeed the first to call to action as it were.


I've searched for the actual thread, but it seems to be hidden or buried somewhere and doesn't show up in searches. It's possible that the thread was lost in the various re-indexing of threads as HTF moved to several different software versions over the intervening years.


Harry

 

[Carabimero]

I got the set two days early, waited a day to watch, then posted, so it was another day before Harry could confirm it. For the record, I consider Harry one of my best friends here and, as it turned out, I have a lot of respect, today, for some of those who doubted me at the time. I always felt they were simply responding to three factors: I was an unknown name, it was my first post, and what I was claiming sounded insane. I never took it personally. I'll always be proud that I was the "citizen journalist who broke the story," as Gord Lacey later dubbed me. That first post led to my becoming part of the history of my favorite TV show, to my employment in show biz. So it's all good. I'll always be grateful to HTF, Gord Lacey, and the studio.

 

[stevelecher]

The work I did restoring the Fugitive as a private citizen paid off big-time later, professionally and monetarily--and led to the work I do as a professional today. I don't regret a single minute of it.


Several posters here at the forum also contributed directly to the set being fixed. I'll always believe in my heart that The Fugitive was fixed by the fans.

Remember the people that wrote and said, "Get over it. Be happy they restored 60%." It's amazing we got the virtually perfect release from CBS. I agree this Forum was instumental in that. Thanks Carab.

 

[Carabimero]

I just remember watching MAN IN A CHARIOT and how sick to my stomach I was when I heard the synthesized music. I rewound, watched the section again, still couldn't believe it, got out my VHS, called my wife in the room, made her listen, and confirm I wasn't hallucinating. Then I went and threw up in the bathroom, paced around in disbelief, knocked a hole in the Sheetrock in my garage, and finally went trolling for HTF to vent.


I still get sick when I think of that feeling at first hearing the replaced score.


Why was it so crushing to me? Because life is hard. At the time I worked as a copy editor for a publisher, trying to get my novels published and being constantly rejected, and I came home and all I wanted was to sit down and watch my favorite show the way it was back when my father was still alive and we watched it together, when life wasn't so hard. Sure, things change. People die. Life's tough. But it wasn't asking too much to expect, out of all the world, that The Fugitive would stay the same, the way it used to be when I was young and watched with my dad. And when they changed it for no good reason, I was not happy. I was going to fix it on my own, if I had to.

 

[Flashgear]

As part of the anonymous, humble and dedicated fandom of The Fugitive who felt so helpless and discouraged along the way, I sincerely thank you Carabimero for your hard work and fortitude...as well as Harry and all those others who wouldn't give up on the honour of artistic ideals...exemplary.

 

[Jack P]

Remember the people that wrote and said, "Get over it. Be happy they restored 60%." It's amazing we got the virtually perfect release from CBS. I agree this Forum was instumental in that. Thanks Carab.

I only want to clarify one thing because at the time the partially corrected fixes came out I was among those who reacted more with a glass half-full attitude after the horror show of the initial Season 2 Volume 1 release but I don't recall ever suggesting "get over it" nor do I recall anyone else doing that. I'm quite happy we got the fixed verison in total and applaude Carabimero and all others who helped make it possible, but at the time the partial correction came out, it was possible to react in the half-full way as opposed to half-empty.

 

[Carabimero]

The whole experience with The Fugitive taught me many things, changed my life and gave me many friends I value, but it's not too much of a stretch to say, maybe the most important thing it taught me was the value of remaining optimistic, especially when things look impossible. And optimism takes on many forms. We all bring it to life differently.