Mr. Ed LIVES! (1 Viewer)

[Mr. Ed]

"Contrary to popular belief, the rumors surrounding my death have been greatly exaggerated." With permission of Mark Twain (SC) I just had to say that.

 

[MilesH]

Extras will be audio commentary by Alan and Connie on the pilot episode and interviews with Alan and Connie. Please God, don't let Shout mess this DVD release up.

 

[smithb]

To preface, I heard about Sea Hunt showing on the THIS network at like 4:30 am and decided to record a view for later viewing. Well as habit now I always add a few minutes before and after to the recording time to ensire nothing gets cut. To my surprise after Sea Hunt finished was the beginning of a Mister Ed episode. The most surprising part was the quality of the print. I thought Sea Hunt was decent enough but Mister Ed looked great. Right up there with some of the best vintage TV quality prints I've seen. Hopefully, these are the ones that were supplied to Shout for the upcoming 1st season DVD release.

 

[vnisanian2001]

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/39006/mister-ed-the-complete-first-season/

Paul Mavis just posted a review on DVDtalk and says that while most of the episodes are uncut, there are 8 edited episodes.

Okay, now here's the $64,000 question: Who do you think deserves all the pitchforks? SF for choosing those 8 edited episodes, because they were in "gorgeous quality" compared to the lower quality but still watchable unedited versions? Or MGM/FOX, for delivering them to SF, cause that's all they had for those 8 versions?

But here's the thing: This show aired uncut on Tvland during its first 9 months, so perhaps the unedited versions for those 8 episodes ended up missing when the MGM library changed hands, from Sony to Fox?

Ah well. I'll quote someone on issues much like this one:

"Originally Posted by Mark Talmadge

They don't do that.

If the studio doesn't have the original broadcast episodes, and they get lost quite frequently, or studio employees abscond with the original episodes (happens more often than you think). If the studio doesn't have the broadcast episodes, then they provide the syndicated episodes.

It really is not a conspiracy, guys."

And finally, MilesH still owes the multi-talented David Lambert a huge apology for talking crap about him.

 

[MatthewA]

Only the rights to distribute the "MGM" (really UA, post-1986 MGM, and the companies they picked up along the way) catalog on home video moved from Sony to Fox. I don't believe the negatives went anywhere since Orion, the successor-in-interest to Filmways, was acquired by MGM in the 1990s. And MGM doesn't relocate its vault just for a video deal. If the negatives were lost or misplaced, that would have happened either when Orion bought Filmways in 1982 or when MGM bought Orion. And if they were uncut on TV Land, I'm assuming it couldn't possibly be the former.

If it's not a conspiracy, isn't it at the very least a mistake? MGM could easily have sent the wrong video masters by mistake. Are the episodes edited on This TV?

 

[Statskeeper]

Is it possible that these episodes are shorter due to a longer sponsor spot in these episodes? Season 1 was sponsored by Studebaker and was seen in syndication. I haven't seen the set so it's just a thought.

 

[MatthewA]

Originally Posted by Statskeeper

Is it possible that these episodes are shorter due to a longer sponsor spot in these episodes? Season 1 was sponsored by Studebaker and was seen in syndication. I haven't seen the set so it's just a thought.

These edited episodes also have video-generated fade-outs and ins where edits are.

 

[MilesH]

As I correctly predicted, Shout screwed up the DVD. I'm not surprised. Luckily I wasn't foolish enough to preorder the DVD. I can't wait for the excuses that the Shout apologists will come up with.

 

[vnisanian2001]

Originally Posted by MilesH

As I correctly predicted, Shout screwed up the DVD. I'm not surprised. Luckily I wasn't foolish enough to preorder the DVD. I can't wait for the excuses that the Shout apologists will come up with.

Go back to making up lies about the multi-talented David Lambert, which is all you care about.

 

[ChrisALM]

I am disappointed to hear about the edited episodes of Mister Ed showing up on the Shout Season 1 set. Does anyone actually know why or how this happened?

 

[Joe Lugoff]

By this time, Shout surely knows that knowledgable fans of classic TV don't like, and will not buy, cut episodes.

Therefore, I can only theorize that their marketing dept. (if they have one) has probably determined that the loss in sales isn't as great as the expense would be to find and/or restore complete episodes.

It would be great if someone from the company would explain this to us. All I know for sure is that I was looking forward to this set, and now I'm not getting it.

 

[smithb]

I checked the list of episodes on the Best of Mister Ed volume 1 released by MGM. It contains 7 episodes from season 1 out of the 26 produced. From the Shout season 1 set it has become known that 8 episodes are shorter (or syndicated prints), mostly from the beginning of the season.

So MGM included 26% of the episodes from season 1 and Shout ended up with 30% of their episodes being truncated. None of the episodes Shout released as syndicated are included in the MGM release. If it were a random event you would have to think that one or two of those episodes might have shown up on the MGM release. And if truncated it would have been an MGM issue, if not it would have been an MGM/Shout mixup.

Based on this I think it is quite possible MGM new exactly what they had that was ready and available to be included. Quite possibly they decided to go with "Best Of" collections not only to try the market but because they wanted to stick with uncut episodes.

It is quite possible MGM released what they knew fans wanted which were uncut episodes. However, restricting it to "Best Of" sets so they could meet the demand. Then fans clamor for full season sets, so they license out to Shout giving them what they had which was a mix of cut and uncut episodes.

This just sounds to me like MGM and Shout doing what they can with what they have available. You can take that for what it is worth and support it with the idea you have a better chance of future releases (of most likely the same), or you can complain and not support it and end up with no more seasons.

In a few cases, it seems complaining has had a impact, but in the majority it just means no more seasons. I think no sales in this case means no more episodes. Therefore, I think I will support the release. And if no more seasons appear I will try to locate any left over "Best Of" sets.

 

[ChrisALM]

Thanks Joe and Brad for your thoughts on the Mister Ed Season 1 release.

If we are getting the only available episodes, then I guess I have to live with that and I eventually buy the season 1 set for what it is. However, if this is another example of a studio's lack of concern for the completeness of the release, then if I buy it, it will be at a significant discount or used.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisALM

Thanks Joe and Brad for your thoughts on the Mister Ed Season 1 release.

If we are getting the only available episodes, then I guess I have to live with that and I eventually buy the season 1 set for what it is. However, if this is another example of a studio's lack of concern for the completeness of the release, then if I buy it, it will be at a significant discount or used.

I think this is where I come down with this release as well. If it were MGM putting it out and I knew for sure they could have given us 100%, completely uncut episodes across the board I'd be more inclined to protest by not purchasing. But I still think Shout just goes with what they are given when renting out these series. That's not to say they don't deserve some amount of criticism when this type of thing happens. But I just don't believe they can be held to exactly the same standard as the major studios. The bottom line for me is that I'll probably end up buying this set, but only if and when I can get it for a major discount.

Gary "this entire issue of both cut and uncut prints showing up in releases continues to baffle me" O.

 

[ChrisALM]

I feel the same way, Gary. Where is the flaw in the process that allows cut episodes to end up on Classic TV show releases? And why doesn't somebody fix it?

With Shout, I am glad they have released Mister Ed, as well as others like The Patty Duke Show, Mchale's Navy, FKB, but I want them to do their releases right with full length episodes, no edts, etc., on each release, provided these episodes exist. When they don't do that, they are losing money, at least from me.

 

[Traveling Matt]

Originally Posted by Gary OS

I think this is where I come down with this release as well. If it were MGM putting it out and I knew for sure they could have given us 100%, completely uncut episodes across the board I'd be more inclined to protest by not purchasing. But I still think Shout just goes with what they are given when renting out these series. That's not to say they don't deserve some amount of criticism when this type of thing happens. But I just don't believe they can be held to exactly the same standard as the major studios.

A licensing situation shouldn't cloud the trail. The end result is that edited episodes stand in place of full episodes, which is unacceptable with or without licensees.

 

[smithb]

Originally Posted by Traveling Matt


A licensing situation shouldn't cloud the trail. The end result is that edited episodes stand in place of full episodes, which is unacceptable with or without licensees.

It may be that simple or not. Unfortunately, they rarely let the consumer know what is going on. Too bad DVD's don't fall under the same scrutiny for labeling as some other products. As such, I can sort of understand their reluctance to acknowledge such issues if they don't have to for fear of scaring away potential sales for something the average consumer might not notice. However, full disclosure in a forum such as this couldn't hurt if the results had some justification. At least it would remove any inaccurate speculation.

Anyone that has seen the latest Star Trek TOS and watched the extra on the remastering process knows what can be done if the potential revenue is high enough. Now not many vintage shows fall into that category (luckily some don't need the same level of restoration).

So when we end up with results that are less then expected, one has to wonder if someone unnecessarily dropped the ball, someone was being too cheap, or if what we got was justified based on what was available and the expected revenue to make it worth even attempting.

In this case, the prints seem acceptable and no known music replacements (that I know of), but some cut episodes included. If there was a reasonable reason for cut episodes, such as the originals have been lost or were in such bad shape as to be unpresentable or too costly to restore then it would circumvent a lot of bad press if they would just come clean from the get go, and may even garner some respect for what was received.

While I think they do just screw up sometimes, I also think they may be justified in others. Of course they rarely seem to open up about anything of this nature so it's always hard to know which it is. So the speculation continues.

 

[Theodore J. Mooney]

Knowing now that this release has some butched-up episodes, I have decided to wait when it comes to purchasing this set. I was going to buy it right off the bat on release day but it's not worth getting it at the asking price ($33 on Amazon as of 10/04/09) with it being an edited DVD set. With edited episodes, the asking price should be MUCH LOWER than $33 and I am willing to wait for it to drop down to what I think is a fair and reasonable deal. I hope Shout! Factory keeps this in mind when they come to release the remaining seasons of this beloved classic television series.

I still have yet to purchase season 1 of Rhoda. That DVD release is just chalk full of edited episodes. And even though the price for this DVD set has dropped down some, it is still not down enough for me to buy it.

 

[MilesH]

Originally Posted by smithb

Based on this I think it is quite possible MGM new exactly what they had that was ready and available to be included. Quite possibly they decided to go with "Best Of" collections not only to try the market but because they wanted to stick with uncut episodes.

I hate to debunk your theory but Columbia House got uncut episodes not featured on the MGM DVDs like the Dodgers episode.

 

[DeWilson]

Originally Posted by MilesH
I hate to debunk your theory but Columbia House got uncut episodes not featured on the MGM DVDs like the Dodgers episode.

Someone screwed up at MGM and SHOUT! didn't catch it -honest mistake.

Oh, the uncut masters went "missing" and it wasn't realized till AFTER SHOUT! got the rights, and they had to deal with it.