Six Feet Under vs. Sopranos (1 Viewer)

[Qui-Gon John]

Does anyone know why HBO is so far behind on releasing Six Feet Under vs. the timeliness in which they've released The Sopranos.

Sopranos - Season 4 came out on DVD well before Season 5 even started.

Yet Six Feet Under, they couldn't even manage to release Season 2 before Season 4 begins to air. Forget about the fact that leaves Season 3 out in the cold.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Well, The Sopranos took something like an 18 month break between season 4 and 5 didn't it? I'm not absolutely sure.

Six Feet Under has had a 13 episode season once a year since 2001

June-August 2001 - Season 1
March-May 2002 - Season 2
March-May 2003 - Season 3
June-August 2004 - Season 4

The First season set came out around the start of season 3. And since HBO tends to wait a year between DVD sets of their shows, it makes sense that season 2 would come out before season 4.

The Sopranos, by taking such a long break, allowed HBO time to get season 4 out before the premiere of season 5.

 

[Michael Reuben]

They didn't quite make it. Season 2 hits DVD on July 6, but season 4 hits broadcast on June 13.

M.

 

[Seth--L]

I wouldn't be surprised if "on demand" is slowing down the DVD release. I'm pretty sure that season three has been available on demand for a while now. If it were also on DVD, it's value as an on demand show would decline.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Mike, thanks, that was my point. They could have bumped Season 2 up a few weeks so at least it would have come out before Season 4 begins to air.

And it seems that'd be smarter marketing. By the time peopl have watched the first 3 episodes of Season 4, they may make a decision not to buy Season 2. But if it had come out in advance, they might buy it to re-watch it (or catch it for the first time), before Season 4 hits the air.

 

[MikeDeVincenzo]

Seth

Interesting theory. This means that HBO On Demand is basically Divx by another name.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Well, the original release date would have been sooner, but it was pushed back for unknown reasons. If it had come out when originally planned, it'd have been released before the season 4 premiere.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

My Cable Company charges nothing Extra for HBO on Demand as long as you subscribe to HBO, so I can't see how they are making money having the eps on In Demand.

 

[Seth--L]

Dave,

It makes HBO another reason for subscribing to. Only through demand can you watch past episodes now.

Imagine this conversation taking place at the water cooler:

Bob: I'm really pissed that it's taking so long to release "Six Feet Under" on DVD. Now I'm going to be two seasons behind.

Jon: If you had been subscribing to HBO year round instead of (A)only when SFU is on, or (B)just watching the show on DVD, you could have caught up on all the missed episodes during the off season using on demand.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Well I've been subscribing year round. I want to rewatch Seasons 1, 2 & 3 before I watch 4. I have 1 on DVD and 2 & 3 on tape. I'm almost done rewatching 1 and I'd really like to rewatch 2 on DVD vs. VHS.

 

[MikeDeVincenzo]

Its $4.95 a month extra for HBO on Demand on Craptacular Cablevision.

 

[Dax P]

I saw Alan Ball (and Alan Poul, a producer) at a signing/q+a for their 6FU book last year (just before they started production on season four), and he seemed kinda annoyed that HBO wouldn't have 2 AND 3 out on disc before 4 started up.

Would have been nice- newcomers could catch up...

Hopefully 3 and 4 will make it out before 5 starts up.

 

[Kevin Porter]

I couldn't find the appropriate thread for my query so I'll use this one. Does SFU have a lot of graphic nudity and sodomy? I mean, I'm not 8 years old but there's only so much a guy can take before it's just uncomfortable. For instance, the sodomy in Pulp Fiction is about all I can tolerate before I start the cringing I saw a commercial for the new season when I stayed in a hotel with HBO and I thought it was brilliant. (The one in the supermarket) I had heard good things about the show but I've stayed away from it because of my fear that I would be squirming in my seat and looking away the whole time. So, is SFU something I can watch without looking away 50% of the time in discomfort?

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Kevin, in my opinion no, it does NOT have a "lot of graphic nudity and sodomy". You will see 2 guys kissing and hugging from time to time, and they will be very suggestive of other acts on ocassion, but you don't see the actual sex act or if you do it's off-camera. For example, there is one scene where David is giving it to a male prostitute from behind. They are both clothed and you only see them from the abdomen up.

Mods, hope my description is not too graphic for our guidelines yet gets the point across.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

That is the only scene I can think of. In fact, the only sex acts I can think of where you see them actually "going on" are maybe 3 instances in the first season.

Episode 5 has a humorous series of boob shots regarding a certain guest chracter, and episode 2 shows a penis of a corpse... and it's a quick shot, and once again, it's done humorously.

Season 2 has some nudity too, but the only scene I can think of is a woman in the dark stumbling around for a few seconds at a bondfire...

Season 3 has a scene where a woman seems to be taking it in the back door... and it's also a humorous scene.

Honestly, it's a show that deals with sex a lot, but it doesn't really SHOW it. Usually you come in during the very end of the act, or it's implied. I'd say it's pretty tasteful.