shows that surprised you when they failed on DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Doug^Ch]

I would have to say that I have had pretty good luck getting most of what I want on DVD. There are many shows that I wish would come out faster (La Femme Nikita for example), but of shows that I thought would do better on DVD, I would have to say Everwood is my biggest Surprise. Many Critics love the show; it has decent ratings - at least for a WB show, but failed to capture the sales on DVD. I can't fathom it. Also, I guess that I failed to catch the news that 7th Heaven did not do well on DVD. Where did that information come from. If that is true, I would have to say that I am very surprised by that as well.

 

[john mcfadden]

Anchor Bay is the absolute best in releasing TV to DVD I just got 3rd rock from the sun season 3 on tuesday and i know 3 months or so season 4 will be out . AB is just tops in my opinion ( With of course the exception of the syndicated cuts of roseanne in the 1st season , but they were quick to fix them) Unlike Sony with the Married with Children fiasco.

 

[ElijahS]

I consider Warner Bros. to be the best, but Anchor Bay is definitely in the Top 3.

 

[MarkHastings]

For me, this is double edged. On one hand, Yes TV DVD's take a long time to get through (as compared to a movie) but on the other hand, TV DVD's can be portioned out in 22 minute chunks.

Since I don't have a lot of time to devote to TV viewing, getting in a quick 22 minute show is perfect for me. I find that I blow through my TV DVD's much quicker than my movie DVD's. I can usually get in one episode while I make dinner (in the kitchen), then get in another episode while I'm eating dinner (in the living room), whereas I need to find a 2 hour chunk of time to get in a movie, which rarely happens.

And as far as why some shows succeed and others don't? It's such a huge mystery to me. For a while there, I was SO worried about Cheers getting past Season 2 and 3, but it looks like we'll get all seasons now. WHEW!

 

[Jay_B!]

I feel the opposite, I am always hesitant to check out Warner owned titles nowadays because they have proven time and again they are unreliable with sticking to series, they have way too high expectations for shows (like expecting Murphy Brown to sell like Friends) and then it's us, the consumer who gets the short hand of the stick. As far as I'm concerned, Sony is better than Warner is even.

 

[ElijahS]

I doubt they expect many (if any) of their Warner Bros. titles to sell like Friends; their HBO series, on the other hand...

Anyway, I wasn't being specific to failed series. In general, I find Warner Bros. to be the best, though the increasing number of series that aren't getting a second shot at releases is disheartening. When it comes to releasing all of a show, though, I'd consider Sony to be worse than Warner Bros. simply because they've done it with shows that have older releases (2002-early 2004) that are more likely to have had unrealistic ideas over sales figures.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Gee, you were in the marketing meetings so you KNOW how many copies of Murphy Brown they expected to sell?

So many comments, so little understanding of basic economics.

1. The experience of all of the studios has been as follows: With very little variation, all seasons of a series will sell the same number of copies as the first season. There have been exceptions (both up and down) but they are few and far between. So the studios cut their losses if the first season of a show doesn't sell well enough to either return a profit or turn a big enough profit. Using emotional (and meaningless) language about how studio "a" "doesn't care" about show "x" is ridiculous and beside the point. Studios don't have emotions, and the people who run them are business people answerable to stockholders, not free spirits indulging whims. (Which may include many of your mutual funds and retirement plans - so don't be so quick to condemn the stockholders, you might be one of them. ) In addition to the cost of producing series "X", the studios have to factor in the opportunity cost of NOT producing series "Y", which they project will have higher sales, because the production capacity and other resources are going to "X". If "X" under-performs, the sensible thing to do is switch to "Y".

2. The break-even point varies from series to series, as does the cost of producing the sets. The initial fixed costs include digitizing, mastering and producing extras. These relatively high fixed costs are roughly the same per hour of content whether you expect to sell 10,000 copies or 100,000 copies.

3. Replication costs are among the least costly parts of delivering DVDs. But because it "costs" X dollars (or X cents) to stamp out a DVD does not mean that a set "should" cost X number of dollars. All the costs in item 2 need to be factored in before the studio can set a sell price. So must demand. Paramount knew it could charge a stiff premium for the Trek shows and that the fans would pay, so they did.

4. Going to thinner packaging or fewer discs only marginally reduces expenses. One double-side, two-layered disc is probably not significantly cheaper than two single-sided, two-layered disc. Not only is the cost of a blank disc neligible, but the 2S/2L discs tend to have lower production yields. A flaw in any of four layers means a whole disc (or run of discs) has to be tossed out. This could easily result in higher replication costs. The same applies to other types of discs.

5. Sometimes, when a show is dropped because it is "on the bubble", a studio might take another look at it if there's enough pressure from fans. But not if the sales are in the toilet. (Similarly fan pressure might save a series on the air if a network has two shows with middling ratings and needs to cancel one of them. But 10 million fan letters aren't going to save a show that has totally lousy ratings.) NYPD Blue and Mary Tyler Moore came back for reasons along these lines. (Plus I think the truly excerable MTM reunion TV movie sold far better than anyone expected on DVD - a matter of fans holding their noses and voting with their wallets in the hope of getting the series another chance. Night Court may similarly get another shot if the upcoming "Best of" set featuring Markie Post does well. Nobody is saying that this will happen, but it is a safe bet that the series won't get another shot if the "Best of" set flops. Because the studio will rightly say, "Well, the problem with seasons 1 and 2 couldn't have been the lack of Markie Post because when we offered episodes with her they still didn't buy the discs." Studios little understand the self-destructive petulance of the True Fan, and so won't understand people who try to "send them a message" and demand what they really want by not buying products.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Malcolm R]

A legitimate test would be to offer a full season with Markie Post, then see how that sells compared to S1 since many people won't buy best-of sets, period.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Agreed, although in my case it's usually 42-44 minute chunks. Ironically, I often wind up watching 2 (sometimes 3) eps in a row, which would have made it almost equivalent to, or slightly more than, a 2-hr movie.

Another factor, ironically, is that since I tend to watch late in the evenings, sometimes with headphones (to avoid disturbing the missus), my mindset is that I'd like to save movies with great sound effects (i.e. most action, thriller or sci-fi movies -- which is probably the bulk of my collection) for a weekend when I can use my HT to full effect, whereas with TV, you sort-of accept that you don't have to use the HT at 11, and indeed for most TV dramas or comedies it is "unnecessary". Anyone else have the same mindset?

 

[MarkHastings]

EXACTLY my rationale...I have a 15" LCD in my kitchen and I threw my old DVD player under it. I don't mind watching my TV DVD's (while preparing dinner) because I don't need to view them under "optimal" conditions. Whereas, I HAVE to watch my movies in my living room, with my HT system.

p.s. the only exception is my Simpsons. Those I have to watch on my HT because I want the 5.1 DD and my full attention focused at it.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Good plan. Take a series that isn't selling, and instead of spending a little money on a test disc that is part of a TV sampler set you're doing anyway, spend 5 or 10 times as much to produce a whole season set you have no reason to believe will sell. We don't get to decide what a "legitimate test" is or isn't. They get to decide what things do or do not make economic sense for them. Having bombed out with Night Court the first time, Warner Bros. dropped the series. Now they're doing a series of sampler offerings, mostly of shows they don't think will sell in sets but might as "best of"s. IF fans buy a lot of those sets that might move WB to take another look at releasing the later seasons. Nobody from WB has suggested that this release is some kind of test. But it could end up serving as one in case.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Malcolm R]

In this case, it's the only true way to test the "Markie Post" theory. There's no point in spending ANY money to produce a best-of set that a significant percentage of your target audience will not buy under any circumstances.

If that's the best they can do, they may as well just let "Night Court" rest in peace.

Has there ever been any successful TV-on-DVD launch that began with a "best of" sampler disc? I can't think of any.

If anything, most studios have now figured out that once the full season sets have been exhausted, selected "best of" collections are a way to further milk more money out of a series (such as with the recent themed releases of "The X-Files," "Friends," and "Sex and the City").

 

[Jay_B!]

I don't think the companies realize that the audiences don't like the idea of "best of" episodes.

A radical idea that could work and would be better embraced by the fans would be taking a show like Murphy Brown, which "flopped" apparently on DVD, and releasing the first six episodes of season 2 on DVD. If those 6 episodes sell well, then they can release season 2 in it's entirity on DVD, and issue cheaper, but specially market packages noting that "disc one isn't on here" for those who bought the "Season 2, vol. 1" collection. I think more MB fans would rather that, than a "best of" set, when the best episodes is objective.

With Night Court, skip season 2 altogether and release the first 6 or so episodes from season 3, when Markie was added to the fold, and see how those sales are.

There is no reason why Night Court cannot sell Cheers numbers

 

[ElijahS]

Other shows in Warner Bros.' Television Favorites line, Cheyenne and F Troop, are getting season sets based on sales of the "Best Of" discs.

Also, it's not that they're expecting the sales to be better for the "Best Of" Night Court disc in comparison to Season 1 necessarily; I think they're aware that the audiences might be different.

 

[Jay_B!]

some people don't grasp the concept that a lot of people object to the idea of "best of"'s. All I can do is cross my fingers and thank God that none of my favorite sitcoms are Warner properties.

 

[Mike*SC]

There are many. "Cheers" was always more popular. "Cheers" was a multiple Emmy "best comedy" winner and is considered to be one of the all-time great sitcoms. "Cheers" continues to run on cable (unless I'm mistaken, "Night Court" has all but disappeared). "Cheers" was a beloved show for eleven years that spawned a spin-off that ran another eleven years. None of these things guarantees sales, of course, but I don't see why you'd put these two series on equal footing. I'm not saying there's no market for "Night Court," but I'm not shocked it didn't burn up the DVD charts.

 

[ElijahS]

Night Court just popped up on TV Land late last year. Similarly, Murphy Brown premiered on Nick at Nite a week or so before the DVD hit stores. Both had a lack of exposure that might not be as much of a problem should Warner Bros. release second season sets of both series.

 

[RoryR]

I am not sure if these shows have failed or Buena Vista has other reason's but Home Improvement is given a crap-selection of extra's and Season 4 was left un-announced for a long time while Boy Meets World Season 4 hasn't even been put back on the schedule. They only treat The Golden Girls and Scrubs half-well, and GG has terrible extra's.

 

[MarkHastings]

I'm not trying to be mean here, but I disagree with those who say that people aren't interested in "Best of's". You guys are basing that opinion on your own preference and by the preferences of those on this board. So while it may seem like a majority, I doubt it's true.

But on the other hand, I would argue that "Best of's" aren't meant to sell like Boxed sets. They're almost like 'teasers' that get people to buy into the show without having make the larger investment in the boxed set.

I mean, "Best of's" are meant to get a TV show out on the shelves for under $20. Since they can't do that with season sets, that's why some resort to "Best of's".

I would assume that the majority of "Best of" purchases are impulse buys....Someone (looking over the DVD selection) sees "Best of (insert title here)" for $10 and thinks: "Hmmm, for $10, this might be something I'd be interested in", whereas an entire seasons worth (for $35) would definitely get passed by.

I would also argue that since most places put TV sets in a separate area of the store (because of the packaging), "Best of" sets get mingled into the regular DVD areas where most people do their "flipping through".

Again, this is all an educated guess on my part.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Some people grasp that concept just fine, thank you. So what? That "some people" object strongly to something is no reason for a studio not to produce a product that "some other people" not only don't object to, but actually want. I happen to prefer full-season sets, but I don't think Warner Bros. or any other studio is under any obligation to base its business decisions on my personal preferences, refuse to cater to a potential market or lose money turning out product that I happen to want but which they can't produce at a profit. Some people don't grasp the concept that for the studios DVD is a business, not a hobby.

Regards,

Joe