New Timeless Media & Millcreek Releases (1 Viewer)

[brian_hassel]

I emailed Mill Creek about the Flash Gordon episodes and received the following reply:

"The episodes in question for the Flash Gordon series are of the program starring Steve Holland. We should have the final list of episodes from the show available for you soon. I hope this information is of use to you and we thank you for your support of our product line. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Lyle Goff
Project Manager
Mill Creek Entertainment
[email protected]

A reply in just over an hour! What a great company! I have never been dissapointed by their customer service.

 

[Bob Hug]

That's good news about the "Flash Gordon" series, Brian, and means that a third of the episodes produced for the show are in this new collection. I'm also hoping that the "Thriller" episode included is from the old Boris Karloff series. That's a series that I can't recall ever seeing, but many folks seem to hold in high regard and there's been no official release of the series on DVD . . . so it'll be nice to see an episode. Similarly, Karloff's "Colonel March of Scotland Yard" has a single episode on Mill Creek's "TV Detectives" box set. And that "Captain Z-ro" series looks to be interesting; found this web site that was chock full of information on the series . . . .

Captain Z-Ro: www.oldietv.com

 

[brian_hassel]

It also occurred to me that the "One Step Beyond (16 Episodes)" could be the remaining episodes they have the ability to release? I at first read right by it thinking they would be repeats from the 50-episode set, and they may still be, but it would be very good if they were from the set they had to put off releasing. What do you all think?

 

[Bob Hug]

Hmmnn . . . . I hadn't thought about that, but that could be a very real possibility. Maybe Mill Creek had secured additional PD episodes for the second set (the one that was not issued), but not enough for a full fledged release (though they really could issue a two disc set with 16 episodes). The gentleman from Mill Creek that responded to you earlier via E-mail did indicate that they were working on an episode listing and that should tell us what we need to know when it becomes available. If, in fact, these are additional episodes that did not appear on Mill Creek's original 50 episode release, that's enough incentive to "seal the deal" for me on this set.

 

[Bob Hug]

There's a really good Mill Creek "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" Sale at Deep Discount, with several of their TV box sets included in the sale, including the great "Best of TV Detectives" set and several of the TV Westerns sets, among a few others.

DVD - MillCreek Buy 1 Get 1 Free

 

[Gary OS]

My contact at Timeless has come through again with some great news. The company will be releasing a 6 DVD tin set of various westerns called “The Classic TV Western Collection” which has a release date of May 19, 2009 and will retail for $39.98. The disc breakdown is as follows:

DISC 1 NBC WESTERNS PART 1

1. Laramie – The Runaway
2. Laredo – Quarter Past Eleven
3. Wagon Train – The Jeremy Dow Story
4. Riverboat – The Fight Back
5. Tales of Wells Fargo – Jesse James


DISC 2 NBC WESTERNS PART 2

1. The Deputy – The Return of Simon Fry
2. Restless Gun – Cheyenne Express
3. The Tall Man – Bad Company
4. Cimarron City – Blind is the Killer
5. Bonanza – The Gunmen


DISC 3 WESTERN HEROES OF THE SMALL SCREEN

1. Buffalo Bill Jr. – Blazing Guns
2. The Adventures of Kit Carson – The Desperate Sheriff
3. The Cisco Kid – Pancho Hostage
4. Annie Oakley – Sharp Shooting Annie
5. The Lone Ranger – Rustler’s Hideout
6. Red Ryder – Whiplash
7. Roy Rogers – Bad Neighbors
8. Tate – A Lethal Pride


DISC 4 LIFE IN THE WEST

1. The High Chaparral – Shadow of the Wind
2. 26 Men – Ranger Without a Badge
3. Range Rider – The Buckskin
4. Sugarfoot – The Return of the Canary Kid
5. The Texan – Quart of Law
6. The Rifleman – Day of the Hunter
7. Frontier Doctor – Trouble in Paradise Valley


DISC 5 THE LEGENDARY LAWMEN

1. The Texas Rangers – Foxhunt
2. Bat Masterson – A Noose Fits Anybody
3. Yancy Derringer – Christmas Story
4. Judge Roy Bean – The Katcina Doll
5. Cowboy G-Men – Golden Wolf
6. Death Valley Days – Deadline At Austin
7. Shotgun Slade – Killer’s Brand


DISC 6 THE LOST WESTERNS

1. Diamond Jim – Skullduggery in Samantha
2. Tumbleweed – Baron of Purgatory
3. Wichita Town – The Frontiersman
4. Frontier – Assassin
5. Johnny Moccasin
6. Night Rider
7. Story of a Star
8. The Adventures of Rich O’Shay


Sounds like a definite pickup for me. I wish I could get some type of verification on the YANCY DERRINGER episode called "Christmas Story" on this upcoming set. According to every online source I know, there was never a Christmas story during that series' run. I'd love to believe that all the online guides are wrong because I'm always looking to add to my Christmas-themed TV episodes catalog, but I'm a bit skeptical and curious as to what's happening with that listing.


Gary "great price for such a varied set of TV Westerns" O.

 

[Jack P]

Just imagine how irrelevant all of these different releases will become for all time if CBS/Paramount is really going to release the series from the masters! (seeing as they have transferred S1 to HD).

 

[Eric Huffstutler]

I seriously doubt that these episodes will look all that great considering packing 6 to 8 on a single disc.

 

[Eric Huffstutler]

I hope they can release the remaining episodes. Though they are a mixed bag with quality, at least they are watchable for the most part. Just wish that someone (possibly Paramount) would do an official release one day?

VCI did a 2 volume set and wonder how their quality stands up to that of these Mill Creek episodes?


Eric

 

[Charles Ellis]

Whoa- The High Chaparral in the new Western set? Does this mean that the series itself will be released soon? That's one title a lot of people want on disc!

 

[Bob Gu]

That "Rick O'Shay" pilot looks interesting, based on the long running western comic strip by Stan Lynde.

Gary "Christmas In July" O, The YANCY DERRINGER Christmas episode's usual title is "Old Dixie" and was actually originally broadcast on December 25,1958.

Although there is murder, mystery, and action in the story, it is set at Yancy's plantation at Christmastime and the last few minutes feature a Christmas party where many of the recurring characters are present including Mrs. Mahoney, a.k.a. Margaret Field,(Sally's mom). It has a very nice feel to it. "Old Dixie" is Yancy's dog, by the way.

There was a slp/ VHS release of ten Yancy Derringer episodes including "Old Dixie" in 1999 from Diamond Ent.

I read recently that Yancy Derringer was shown on a Chicago TV station at the end of last year. Anybody see it? Maybe this Yancy episode's appearance on the Timeless Western set mean Timeless will be putting a Yancy Derringer DVD set out. Liberation Ent has the rights and Timeless may have worked with them on their William Tell, Robin Hood, and Sir Lancelot releases.

 

[Professor Echo]

Yep. It aired late at night on Channel 23, "ME TV," a local independent that prides itself on being just like TV LAND used to be. They showed YANCY most every night in the wee hours, following a long run of the near complete series MR. LUCKY (for some reason the last two episodes of that series are hard to come by). They also showed the UK series THE INVISIBLE MAN complete. All three shows are currently owned by Liberation, but so far only INVISIBLE MAN has seen a DVD release.

I was in Chicago for the holidays last year and set the DVR for YANCY all Christmas week, hoping to catch the holiday themed show for a friend who collects them, but it wasn't shown.

 

[Bob Gu]

Thanks Walker, did the Yancy's look DVD ready to you?

 

[Gary OS]

Sounds like you're a good friend to have, Point-Blank. At least now the buddy you were trying to get that episode for can have it. I know I'm going to be thrilled to add it to my ever-growing Christmas dvd collection.

Gary "take care, everyone" O.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

I would love to see Yancy Derringer on dvd. Also, would love to see all of Bat Masterson.

 

[Professor Echo]

Bob, as near as I can recall from the few episodes I watched, they did not look DVD ready. They reminded me of old 16mm prints with shady contrast, lines and splices. However, seeing as how Timeless often releases just such versions on DVD, it's possible they might be coming sooner or later. Then again, when I saw THE INVISIBLE MAN get an official release I thought MR. LUCKY had to be on its way to DVD, but so far nothing.

 

[silverking]

'The Invisible Man' was released twice here in the UK. The most recent set from Network was taken from the original masters & included a couple of commentaries. Looked 100% better than the PD release.

'Rick O'shay' was a failed pilot (actually two episodes were made). It is very, very kids B western & rather feeble but an oddity certainly.

 

[Bob Hug]

Gary, thanks for the great news on the upcoming TV westerns set from Timeless. It's one that I'll definitely pick up as it represents a real potpourri of shows. It's interesting that it's a mix of new-to-DVD shows like "Yancy Derringer" and "High Chaparral," some licensed shows that Timeless has previously released like "Tate" and "Laredo" and even some public domain episodes ("Sugarfoot," "Shotgun Slade" and others). The "Bonanza" episode is PD and I wonder whether or not the original theme music will be included as it has been replaced on most of the PD "Bonanza" releases. Regardless, this is a sure buy for me for the shows that have never had any kind of commercial DVD release. I'm sure we'll see this in the $25 to $30 range when it gets released.

 

[Tim Tucker]

Having both of them, I can tell you that, except for one episode, they are exactly the same... because Mill Creek swiped those episodes from the VCI set! The tell-tale sign is the video generated title that the VCI episodes have.

 

[docdoowop]

Just a heads-up for any of you within range of a Half Price Books location. I went in this morning to use a 40% off, one-item coupon, and they had nearly all the Timeless 2-disc Westerns for $7.98. I picked up Larado In Color for $4.79, after the coupon. I also saw the first sets of Checkmate and Arrest & Trial for the same price.