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"The Adams Chronicles" Will we ever see it?!? (1 Viewer)

Jeff_HR

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I remember watching this on PBS 27 yrs ago & I subsequently taped it in Beta off-the-air on a rebroadcast a few yrs later. This is a wonderful mini-series. Does PBS still retain the video rights to this property? With a Colleen McCullough book about Adams as an incentive you would think that this would find its way to DVD. Does anyone have any solid info about this mini-series & the rights situation. Thanks.
 

Randy_M

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OMG! I thought I was the only one who remembers this series!

IMHO, it's the best mini-series ever produced. Although I liked stuff like The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R , I thought this was better by far.

I'd be shocked if it ever made it to DVD, but I'd keep my VHS machine around if I could find a copy on tape.

Hope somebody knows who to put the pressure on.

Cheers
 

Jeff_HR

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Randy as far as I am aware it has NEVER been released to video in any form. I was just lucky that my local PBS station rebroadcast it a few yrs later when I had a VCR to tape it with. The original broadcast in 1976 was before I was able to buy my first Sony Betamax.
 

Greg Krewet

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If PBS wont release it, maybe Acorn Media might be interested. Thy have been rescuing a lot of mini-series
lately that originally played on PBS. Some examples being
Love for Lydia, The First Churchills, Mayor of Casterbridge,Ken Russell's Lady Chatterly and To Serve
Them All My days.. All of these should be available within the next year. Not to mention The Pallisers and Tinker Tailor, Sailor Spy which have been long available.
Best
Greg
 

Jeff_HR

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Apparently if you can obtain a release from WNET in NYC you can have it transfered to another medium if you happened to tape it off-the-air at some point or if you can find a library that will loan it out to you. To obtain a release, you need to contact Lylian Marcos(Program Rights & Clearances Dept.)at WNET.
 

KJS

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I've been searching for the Adams Chronicles in any format for a while. I'm glad people are interested in it and rate it as highly as I did when I saw it back in the '70's, but sadly not enough to merit PBS issuing it for purchase (in any format!). Would any of you who DID manage to tape it off-air consider copying it for me if I sent you the blank VHS tapes and whatever fee you would like for your time? I would greatly appreciate it! I've transfered several things from old tapes of mine to DVD by myself and would gladly do this with these and send you DVD's in return. Of course the quality would be the same as the tapes! But at least the quick search ability would be there along with no fear of wearing them out or accidentally erasing them. Thanks.
 

Scott1

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Could it be true?

Turner Classic movies website is showing the availability of a 4 disc DVD version of the Adams Chronicles that will be available in May of 2008. The link is:

turnerclassic.moviesunlimited.com/product.asp?sku=D94636++

You can even pre-order it for $59.99.
 

Jeff_HR

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Thanks. I think I'll put a pre-order in for it. The cost is worth it to me. I have an uncle worked on this series behind the scenes.
 

Joseph DeMartino

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This is great news. I loved that series when it first aired. Having read the McCullough biography and various other books in which John, Abagail and various of their descendents figured in recent years I've often thought about the show. And I can still hear the theme music in my head after all these years. Really looking forward to next spring when I can relive the experience. (I love rediscovering old shows on DVD. Last year I spent a lot more than I usually would for a TV release to buy The Ascent of Man on DVD, which is only available from an educational publisher, and which includes a public performance license [!])

Regards,

Joe
 

David_B_K

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I could go for The Adams Chronicles. I still have some episodes on VHS that were taped off PBS. I think the show was originally broadcast before the advent of VCRs during the bicentennial.

A show I'd like even more is Napoeleon and Love. This was a 10 or so parter with Ian Holm as Napoleon and Billie Whitelaw as Josephine, that covered Napoleon' life from around 1796 to 1814, with an emphasis on the women in Napoleon's life.
 

Jeff_HR

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I know what you mean about the HIGH cost of the DVDs of "The Ascent of Man". I purchased that series & "Connections" a few years ago. I PAID HUGELY thru the nose for them. :eek: :eek: :eek:
 

Bob Cashill

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That's a David McCullough book, JOHN ADAMS, which HBO has adapted into a miniseries with Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney. It airs this summer, which is why ADAMS CHRONICLES is getting a release.
 

Jeff_HR

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I watched the 1st episode last night. For a 32 yr old PBS program, it looked better than I expected since the only thing I had to reference were my old Beta recordings from the 1980's & I can't play those any longer. There was some softness in the picture. It was great to be able to view this again.
 

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