Nice enough folks, those WHV TV & Animation guys, and some encouraging news on a few things (like NIGHT COURT: SEASON 2, for example)... but I fear they're in danger of suffering an unprecedentedly severe case of eyestrain, from all the catalog properties they're forever "looking at"... rather than "doing something with".
Absolutely true, Peter. Absolutely true! Especially when it comes to their catalog of vintage B/W series. Just too many pat answers for me in that regard.
Gary "glad that WB came in and did the chat, and a lot of newer material was mentioned and verified - but for us B/W fans there really wasn't any good news" O.
It's strange that Warners have no plans to release Scarecrow & Mrs. King,considering it's ranked sixth on TSoD's list of Most Requested Unreleased Shows.
Not quite the reveal from last year on the DC front---last year we learned about AQUAMAN and GALACTIC GUARDIANS sets. Its disappointing that they couldn't reveal any upcoming DC sets in the works (except another SuperFriends in January), but it is definitely nice to know that they "plan to release the entire library"
I did flub one thing, though; I glanced at what Keith had posted prior to his getting disconnected, to see what needed to be filled in, and I thought he had posted the answer to the "YOGI'S FIRST CHRISTMAS/PAW PAWS/PAC MAN etc" question, but apparently he was only on long enough to see the question asked, not the answer.
I think the answer, while not necessarily specific to YOGI'S FIRST CHRISTMAS, was an encouraging one, but the chat screen (which i'm still logged onto at the moment) has, at this point, unfortunately deleted that earlier portion of the chat. It will assuredly be in the chat transcript that will emerge in the next day or so (here, and at both TVShowsOnDVD and The Digital Bits), so the answer isn't lost to the ages. I have a feeling it runs along the lines of "we're working with Hanna-Barbera/Cartoon Network to best utilize their amazing library", though, so don't get your hopes too high on a specific show/special.
Even though I asked the question, I pretty much knew this would be the answer.
Why? Not lack of interest. More along the lines of the phrase they used about why no Eight Is Enough: "fixed cost hurdles". There are some can't-be-avoided costs associated with a release of SaMK...and I'm not talking about music, either. 'Nuff said.
I personally thought this was a good, and highly productive and interesting, chat.
Eight is Enough might be held up because of rights being held by the Tom Bradford estate (he wrote the novel from which the series was born). Purely a guess on my part...I'm not a fan of the show.
No idea what the "fixed costs" hurdle would be on the S&MK series; I'm not a fan of that one either.
Although I was unable to participate in the chat, I do thank HTF for hosting and WHV for participating. I look forward to reading the whole transcript tomorrow.
The lack of any plans for MAVERICK is indeed disappointing and indeed makes me wonder why the WHV business model for classic TV makes releases problematic whereas other studios, big and small, seem to do ok. If an iconic series with an inconic star can't get greenlit that doesn't bode well for any of the other series.
Notwithstanding THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., and with apologies to the late, over-imitated Don LaFontaine--
In a world... where VCI can release BURKE'S LAW and HONEY WEST on R1 DVD...
where MGM can give us the original b&w OUTER LIMITS (triple-dipped!) and both seasons of THE ADDAMS FAMILY...
where CBS/Paramount is alternately 2 and 3 seasons into THE UNTOUCHABLES, PERRY MASON, GUNSMOKE, RAWHIDE and (though unredeemably bastardized with inexcusable Season 2 score replacement) THE FUGITIVE, plus the complete WILD WILD WEST (not to mention MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, MANNIX, MOD SQUAD, STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, THE INVADERS, CANNON, HAWAII FIVE-0)...
where Fox can manage completion of 3 out of 4 Irwin Allen series, and is one season shy of completing VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (which may well happen next year), and a season of THE BIG VALLEY (though, alas, stalled/abandoned) --all without a new theatrical tie-in to justify them...
and where even Universal can at least squeeze out two seasons of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and three of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS...
--is it really that much of a sales risk for WHV to, say, stick a toe in the water with a Season 1 (or even a split "Season 1, Part 1") set of MAVERICK, 77 SUNSET STRIP and/or THE FBI? Series that, as far as we know, don't suffer from outstanding music rights (i.e. WKRP, WONDER YEARS) and/or ownership (i.e. BATMAN, DOBIE GILLIS) issues.
Hey, waitaminute, I got it! Maybe if the heirs of Roy Huggins or William T. Orr tried to negotiate an abortive release of MAVERICK with Anchor Bay, we'd see a tricked-out "complete series" set from Time/Life, a year or so afterward! Why, it's so crazy, it just might work!
When it all comes down to it -Warner Brothers has the LARGEST AND BEST FILM library of any studio and the focus on DVD (and VHS) has always been more on films rather than the tv shows.
They are the #1 studio when it comes to classic film releases - sure there are loads of Vitaphone/First National/MGM/RKO films yet to see the light of day on ANY FORMAT,but they've been doing a GREAT JOB putting out all types of films from the early talkies on!
(They've been holding up THE BOWERY BOYS because they are hunting down the best elements and want to do them in order!)
FOX has been focusing on film as well - although their library is missing 75% of all the pre-1935 films! (Including 4 CHARLIE CHAN films!)
All CBS HOME ENTERTAINMENT has is TV since they split the company in two,with PARAMOUNT having the features (Post 1948)
MGM (With the Orion/Filmways/AIP Libraries) doesn't have alot of quality library tv product (due to Ted Turner taking all the good stuff!) so there's no wonder they've gone back several times to OUTER LIMITS! "Rat Patrol" and "Addams Family" is also from them!
Now where in the world is More "Green Acres"? They didn't do as well as expected with CAGNEY & LACEY so I doubt we'll get more! How about some of the AIP TV stuff - "Johnny Sokko",or "Sinbad,jr"! (They are color!) (or The live-action and Annimated "Bill & Teds Excillent Adventures" shows?) Sooner or later, they'll run out of STARGATE episodes to release!
UNIVERSAL is parsling out their old tv and neglecting the classic films! (They own the pre-1948 Paramount films!) Due to the vault fire,there are loads of films that will NEVER see the light of day on DVD or Cable/Satelite as it's not cost - effective to strike up new prints!
SONY/COLUMBIA - They don't care about the B&W TV Library (and Most of the B-Movies they own!) Where is FLYING NUN Season 3! It's Color,It completes and it's got Sally Field! How about a box of the Columbia Studio Cartoons - they've been remastered for HD broadcasts already!