My Three Sons: Season 1, Vol. 1 (3 Viewers)

[Bob Hug]

Gary, I agree with you but this kind of speculation illustrates a good point. With "The Fugitive" music issue fresh in mind, EVERY TV-on-DVD release from CBS Paramount is going to create doubt and skepticism on the part of the buying public as to what music has or hasn't been replaced. That's a PR issue that CBS Paramount must deal with above and beyond these vague disclaimers in small print on the package. They don't appear to have a good communications plan to stay ahead of potential consumer backlash; certainly, the music replacement issue with "The Fugitive" season 2, volume 1 should be, if nothing else, a learning episode for them as how NOT to handle a DVD release where major changes are made to the original content. Even if the changes on "My Three Sons" turn out to be minor, the damage has already been done by "The Fugitive" release . . . . consumers are simply going to be wary of CBS Paramount releases. CBS Paramount really needs to get out information about changes in advance of this release and other releases, and I'm saying this as a supporter of CBS Paramount's classic/vintage TV-on-DVD releases.

 

[george kaplan]

I'll buy the half season, cost be damned. Unless it's got cuts or music substitution. If that's the case, I wouldn't pay 1 cent for the entire series.

 

[David Lambert]

I looked but did not find such a review, so I can't read it in-context.

However, I would speculate that the person believes that the S1V1 release of My Three Sons would probably use cues from the same "Capitol Music Library" which caused a problem with The Fugitive.

Do any of you well-educated-in-this-area people know if that's actually the case? It would be interesting to research which shows used pieces from that library, in any case, to identify which future releases could potentially have Fugitive-style issues.

Or is that too logical an approach?

 

[Gary OS]

Firstly, I think your speculation is spot on correct, David. I don't know for sure myself, but hopefully someone can tell us if "MY THREE SONS" used Capitol cues. I still believe that had only those few Capitol cues been subbed out in "THE FUGITIVE" dvd set everyone would have accepted it. It was the wholesale changes to the entire backscore that got to most of us. Totally unnecessary as best I can tell.

Secondly, it really does seem like someone in the studios ought to know what's what when it comes to these type of things. Perhaps the left hand really doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

Gary "this baloney needs to get dealt with and fixed - ASAP - I don't want any more surprises" O.

 

[Mark Lx]

Well, to be fair, MacMurray is the one you associate with "My Three Sons" and is actually just as well known. Nobody is going to be fooled into thinking it's a Lucy spinoff (or are they? Yikes! I forgot these are people who hang around Walmart).

The idea of the split-season thing bothers me, but I think I'll pick this set up for a few reasons. First, I've never seen the early seasons. I'm 43 but didn't even know the early black and white seasons existed until recently. Another reason is William Frawley of course, and the fact that it's the beginning of a show I used to watch quite often. Might be the only volume I get though. I'm actually not that bothered about getting the whole run of shows, unless I'm completely entertained by them beyond any sort of nostalgia. Leave it to Beaver is one I would like to see released completely.

 

[chadHobbick]

I would think the cartoon image of the three sets of boys legs w/the wording My Three Sons would draw more people to the set rather than the image of Fred McMurray, even though he was the star and apparantly kind of a jerk during the series or so I've read/heard. It's just that when I think of My Three Sons, the two things that come to my mind, and i'm sure i'm not alone here, is the theme song and the cartoon legs from the opening credits.

 

[PianoPlayer]

Any reviews of this yet? With its release less than a week away, I'd expected to see something about the music replacements and/or edited episodes. (Or are we going to get lucky this time and Paramount's disclaimer on the back doesn't mean anything has actually been changed?)

 

[Matt.Koz]

I haven't found any reviews yet although my order is on its way from DDD. I was taking a look at the Amazon reviews and all I could find were a bunch of folks griping about the fact that it was a split season release and stating how they were not going to purchase it.

Now, I have no problem with people's anger over the business practice of splitting seasons and I think they have every right not to purchase this. If I didn't like the show so much, I'd probably skip this one as well.

The thing is, I don't care if they're not going to buy it or think CBS/Paramount are up to shady business practices. I want to know, how the episodes look and sound...are they uncut? ...do the shows still hold up? I want a review of the content.

Basically, if these folks are ticked off, they should find a forum such as this one and post their criticism. I'm sure they want their voices to be heard by the studios but either Amazon should post a product criticism section with each item or they should write the company directly.

Sorry for hijacking this thread to air my own gripes. I suppose I should swallow a little of my own medicine!

 

[PianoPlayer]

Sitcoms Online has just posted their review ... sounds promising! (Episodes run close to 26 minutes each).

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'm very curious about this release, too.

So many concerns...so few facts.

The price point seems mighty high for half-season sets of 18 half-hour episodes.

 

[Jude86]

Amazon has this at $26.99, which is better than the initial $40+ SRP. I'm more likely now to get this set.

 

[Chas_Michael]

Link please.

 

[Jude86]

Sitcoms Online - My Three Sons - The First Season, Volume One DVD Review

 

[Mike Frezon]

Well, the review didn't notice any music edits...but, then again, admits he has never seen any of the early episodes of this program. :rolleyes

The reviewer also agrees that the pricepoint is too high for what you're getting.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Well you can't blame hime really who has seen the early shows, I'm 45 and I admint I've only seen the color eps in thats all they ever syndicated. I like the series I would've bought if it was a full season, but I don't like it enough to justify CBS's pricepoint.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Oh I don't blame him for not seeing the shows, Dave. I'm 49 and I've never seen an episode with Tim Considine or William Frawley in it. I've only ever seen Barry Livingston and Bill Demarest episodes.

I just thought it was odd he thought he'd be able to notice the music edits having no first-hand knowledge of the episodes. Frankly, even if he had only seen them when they were first broadcast, I'd figure he might have a hard time telling if music had been changed.

And unless I find this in a used bin or bargain bin at some point, I may still never see an episode with Considine or Frawley in it... :frowning:

 

[Jim B.]

The first five seasons of this series are really great.I watched and recorded to VHS tape most of those episodes when they ran on Nick at Night, TV Land and Family Channel in the late eighties and nineties. I would consider buying this since my VHS copies are recorded in LP and SLP but only if all the original content is there.

Roy Braverman (music editor for the The Fugitve S2V1) stated on his website that he and Mark Heyes were scoring new music for vintage TV shows.

SHOWS, plural, so CBS has more ugly surprises in store for classic TV fans.
I hope somebody else here or on Amazon has recordings of the show to compare to the new release then post a review because I will not buy it until it is confirmed that everything is intact. It was not easy getting my money back from Wal Mart for an opened Fugitve.

The episode Lady Engineer has a great jazz score throughout, sounds like Bud Shank. That would be the the first place to look for changed music.

 

[Gary OS]

No! Please tell me you are kidding! That is literally the worst news I've heard in months. I just can't believe CBS/P would even think about rescoring more vintage series. Surely they learned their lesson with THE FUGITIVE. The only, and I do mean only, exception would be if they are talking about a scant few Capitol cues here and there. But not entire backscores like they did with THE FUGITIVE. I just can't believe CBS/P would attempt that again.


Gary "someone pinch me and wake me up - I'm having a nightmare!" o.

 

[Jim B.]

Here is the exact quote from his site..."Guy was kind enough to recommend me to Mark Heyes, who now has asked me to edit music for the DVD release of several classic TV shows." SEVERAL!
Here is the link to the page it is on....Bravermania * Latest News

I found this after the Fugitive was released but he had already taken down the story about how they composed the new Fugitive music in the same style of the '60's. Yeah, right.
So I hope My Three Sons is not one of the "several".

My VHS copies include the whole first season unedited full original brodcast versions. Out of the rest of them, season 2-5, About a dozen are full 26 min.+, the rest are syndicated versions.

 

[Steve...O]

CBS/P will save me a lot of money if this proves to be true.

Shows with rescored music should be readily identifiable via the replaced end credits that identify the individuals (assuming that CBS/P continues the practice of digitally altering the credits). Any reviewer should be able to check out the credits and report back accordingly.

I'm with Mike, unless this shows up at a major discount I will probably pass on this release. Even if discounted I will only purchase after confirmation that the content has not been butchered unnecessarily.

It's a shame...the Frawley episodes, which I did see on Nick at Nite, are immensely enjoyable.