My Three Sons appears to be back on the schedule (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

About that price:

Half the time that I see one source tell me that a Paramount TV-DVD set is $42.99 SRP, a different source tells me later on that it's either $36.99 or $39.99 SRP instead.

Don't make too much of the $42.99 stuff (PLEASE!)...Amazon, if noone else, will discount it based on the sub-$40 price.

Years ago Paramount made a big deal out of saying that their policy was that they don't mark TV-DVDs with official list prices; that they give all retailers the wholesale price and let them figure out what the heck they want to say the SRP is. More recently I see official-looking list prices on studio-issued stuff, so I figured that this old policy went away. However, incidents like this one make me realize that it must still be around...at least in some form or another.

 

[Steve...O]

Elena, I enjoy reading your posts, but I do respectfully disagree with you here. If MTS flops it will not be because of the "on your own terms" attitude but rather because CBS has essentially put an $80 price tag on a S1 release at a time when people need $80 just to fill their gas tank once. Even factoring in discounts one is still looking at a $55-$60 outlay for a half hour sitcom.

As I said before it is when comparing this to the much cheaper price for a full season of hour dramas that the very high pricing of MTS becomes apparent. Compared to S1 of Get Smart, the MTS price is nothing short of highway robbery.

The argument that "you must not want this bad enough" needs to be retired IMO. Unless someone is quite wealthy or has no material expenses besides buying DVDs the great majority of consumers can not buy everything they want or even need. When economic times are challenging, as they are now, the gap widens even more.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

You know what, if you really think this is expensive then you really shouldn't be in the hobby. I don't mean that to be cruel but give me a break. When I started in 1980 my take-home pay was $120 a week and blank tapes were $15 if you found them on sale. If you taped in SP, 4 shows a tape for $15. Now you complain 28 years later about 20 shows for what will be about $30? I can only speak for myself but now I make more than 10 times what I did back then and I'm paying LESS per show. You want sympathy? How about sympathy for the collectors who started in the mid-70s with UMatic 1 hour tapes that cost $30 a tape? No offense intended, but some perspective might be in order.

 

[Steve...O]

You know what, if you really think this is expensive then you really shouldn't be in the hobby. I don't mean that to be cruel but give me a break. When I started in 1980 my take-home pay was $120 a week and blank tapes were $15 if you found them on sale. If you taped in SP, 4 shows a tape for $15. Now you complain 28 years later about 20 shows for what will be about $30? I can only speak for myself but now I make more than 10 times what I did back then and I'm paying LESS per show. You want sympathy? How about sympathy for the collectors who started in the mid-70s with UMatic 1 hour tapes that cost $30 a tape? No offense intended, but some perspective might be in order.[/quote

Do you ever have anything to post that isn't arrogant and condescending?

 

[DeWilson]

I agree with you Hank - Today's collector just doesn't get it - Video Collecting was an expensive hobby until the "VHS vs. Beta" wars ended.

CBS is taking a chance with this release and they has never put out a shoddy B&W Release in my option - and if the SRP is correct, Then I'll say it's worth it for a show not widley seen in years. Just becuase these are half hour shows,it doesn't mean they didn't need to put in the same amount and time to put these out in the same quality as hours shows of the same vintage, say "Perry Mason" or "Gunsmoke".

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Perhaps you could tell me why you find that to be the case? Or does it being in disagreement with you constitute that? I don't know how long you've been collecting but obviously you don't have the perspective of many years in the hobby. Sorry if pointing out to you that things cost far more years ago and how dirt cheap everything is now was upsetting to you.

 

[jdee28]

I wonder if half season sets of 30 minute b&w shows is working for Paramount. The only other show they tried this with is Gunsmoke, and fans complained to the hilt. I wonder what happens now -- a release of the complete season 3; no more releases at all; or a continuation of the split season releases.. I would expect to see another split season release.. I doubt they really listen to the fans when it comes to things like this.

 

[MattPeriolat]

I think an argument can be made that, especially in today's economy, it is getting harder to get everything we want and we have to be more selective about what we buy. That being said, we know how much it is going to be well in advance, we know there will be some places that mark it down off SRP and we have time to save up for it.

You want MTS? Save up and be grateful we're getting a release at all. Fans of Dennis The Menace and Bonanza are still waiting for theirs.

edited because I can't spell at times

 

[Mark Lx]

collectors? hobby? That sounds really sad. I taped shows 20 years ago because I might want to watch them again. You never know when something won't come on again. Today I might buy this set because I can't find this show on TV, or because commercial television is practically unwatchable. Do you really think you're going to collect 24 half-season sets of My Three Sons. No, you'll be lucky to see 2. So that leaves people who might find some entertainment value in this release. But if they can find more entertainment value elsewhere, they will. I can hardly be bothered to order a half-season. When it's $15 like Love Boat, maybe. But what the hell happened to economy of scale? It isn't twice as much cost to release the entire season? The answer is, they vastly overprice these half-season sets because they think people are stupid enough to pay a certain amount of money for a DVD set no matter what it contains. Probably only applies to "collectors".

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Which part is so sad, having a hobby or collecting TV shows? Some people only buy stamps to mail letters while others collect them. So, because you see collecting or calling it a hobby one way therefore anyone who sees it another way is "sad"?

 

[Mark Lx]

Having a hobby(s) is not sad at all, but I don't know what


has to do with entertainment or DVDs.

I think you'll find that collecting for it's own sake is very unheathly. If someone told you you had 3 months to live, what would a collection of anything be worth to you. Nothing.

Now if you rewatch/reread or do critical reviews of your collection, that's not collecting for it's own sake. But doesn't relative price, value, and customer respect still matter.

 

[Jeff*H]

Split seasons must be doing very well for them on shows that they think will have a harder time selling in a crowded marketplace. Just in the last few months they've announced a half-dozen titles or more that are split volumes. I think they reserve full-seasons for shows that are either cheaper to produce, or have a larger following historically through syndication (Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-0, Brady Bunch, Andy Griffith). The cheaper price point on split seasons ($20-$30) allows them a better chance to get the average Wal-Mart type consumer, it can be seen as more of an impulse-type purchase than a set over $30. Otherwise some of these shows would never see the light of day on DVD if they weren't split.

 

[Elena S]

You said it a lot better than I did, because I couldn't resist being a smart mouth about it. Sorry about that.
___________________________
Posted by Mark Lx:

what the hell happened to economy of scale? It isn't twice as much cost to release the entire season? The answer is, they vastly overprice these half-season sets because they think people are stupid enough to pay a certain amount of money for a DVD set no matter what it contains. Probably only applies to "collectors".
___________________________

Did you ever stop to think that the cost increase might be due to the clean up that has to be done on this show? It's old, and probably not in very good shape. I imagine it's not cheap to make it watchable. And I really don't remember, but maybe there are music rights issues involved, too. Perhaps they included music which might otherwise have been removed, which would have caused people to bitch about that, too. I've seen posters say they would gladly pay more for a show that's intact. But then they turn around and say they won't pay a higher price for something that should be cheaper. That mindset just baffles me.

 

[MattPeriolat]

Thanks. Sorry, I'm just at the end of my rope with some things. The complaints over the cropping of Route 66, that I understand, but just being stubborn over a price? There is time and newsflash for you folks: if you don't buy now, the numbers will not be there to justify later releases. I'm getting real sick and tired of shows getting abandoned after just a few releases and frankly, I am willing to accept the small sacrifices to get the shows out. Who knows? If we can stomach a few cuts on the first season of one show and make the sales through the roof, maybe someone will go "Oh, this makes money, let's go bigger for season two."

Sorry, just my little vent for now. I wish all TV got the love and care that a Twilight Zone or a I Love Lucy gets. It's a pity it doesn't because I am quite confident there is a fan out there who loves a show like Bonanza or The Defenders as much as someone likes one of the higher profiles.

Soapbox mode off.

 

[Bob Hug]

Back on track for a September 30 release: My Three Sons DVD news: Announcement for My Three Sons - The 1st Season, Volume 1 | TVShowsOnDVD.com

 

[Gary OS]

This is good news, although I do hope the MSRP is lower than the report of $42.99 only because even with good discounts that's going to be a high priced set for half a season. But I do plan on purchasing this and I am glad it's coming this fall.

Gary "can't really understand the reasoning for this not being a full season set when CBS is putting the 'Beverly Hillbillies' out one week later and it's a full season set" O.

 

[chadHobbick]

I think CBS knows that it's a given that the Beverly Hillbillies will sell, but Three Sons on the other hand, is anybodies guess since it is the first release for it. Still.....half season sets are never the way to go.

 

[TVAdam]

I know. My theory was that Paramount would break up season sets of half-hour shows if they had more than 32 episodes. That's why Gomer is able to come out in full season sets, but Gunsmoke and My Three Sons gets split seasons. However with the news of the 36 episode season set of The Beverly Hillbillies, I don't know what they're doing now.

I'm excited to be able to see some early episodes of My Three Sons, regardless of the price and amount of episodes. It's been years since I've seen the classic Bub-Mike episodes. I've really been looking forward to this. I'm 26 years old. I just hope I get all 12 seasons before I'm 50.

 

[Jefferson]

My Three Sons is one of my favorite series of all time....
I see all sides of this thread:
Yes, I'm of the "ernie/uncle charley" crowd
But, I enjoyed the older ones on Nick.

Yes, I will buy a half season set,
But, I think it a rather frustrating marketing idea.

Yes, I will buy it at a high price
But, that is hard when I look at my full season sets that
are cheaper.

But more important to me:
Will I ever see the release of seasons 6 and higher, which I want?
Or will this go the way of PETTICOAT, BEVERLY, HAZEL, and THE LUCY SHOW
for me????