Warner Archive Streaming Service has The Detective Shows! (1 Viewer)

[Garysb]

Has any of the music Warner Bros. controlled in the 50's and 60's subsequently been sold? That could be a reason for music clearance problems. Also even if Warner Bros. controls the publishing they still have to pay the writers or their heirs don't they?

 

[Randy Korstick]

Has any of the music Warner Bros. controlled in the 50's and 60's subsequently been sold? That could be a reason for music clearance problems. Also even if Warner Bros. controls the publishing they still have to pay the writers or their heirs don't they?

Yep you nailed it. Owning music does not necessaily mean owning it for all things and for all times. They paid royaties for the music being released in a film and a TV show for Broadcast. Releasing something with that music on Home Video is different and Royalties are now due. Some of the royalties maybe more than they can spend on a home video release. There are many other posibilties involving Royalties that include: some estates for the writers are difficult to work with or contact. Music Rights is a very complicated and very Valid issue for Home Video. The alternative is music replacement like Paramount did on a few releases. I would prefer patiently waiting for clearance vs. music replacement.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Since Warner Archive is largely a MOD service, I see no reason why they wouldn't offer it MOD if they could. Once they have the streaming master, it's easy enough to put it on a disk. The real issue with these shows seems to be the clearance issue. There may be some episodes with content they don't own and they proabably fear a backlash if they issued a MOD of 77 Sunset Strip: Most of Season One.

I agree with Ray :tu:

 

[Neil Brock]

And then you might come across people who don't want to license their songs at any price. There are all kinds of pitfalls associated with music clearance and unfortunately all of the Warner detective shows are loaded with them.

 

[mark-edk]

More barely on-topic bits of trivia from my watching 77SS... One episode ("Flight 307") was apparently intended as a pilot for a series about an airport. The story focused on the managers and the intersecting lives of the people on one particular flight. It was produced and written by an outsider not otherwise connected with 77SS. Stu Bailey was reduced to a minor character, stumbling across the solution to a peripheral mystery. It had a lot of (costly) location shooting at LAX. I recall Honey West being a pilot within an episode of Burke's Law, but at least those were both crime/detective genre. This was like a pilot for a soap opera as an episode of Barnaby Jones. Very odd. Another episode guest-starred Elinor Donahue ("Princess" on "Father Knows Best"). I was struck by the fact that her character name was Laura Holt. Years later, Efrem Zimbalist's daughter would have a great run on "Remington Steele" playing a detective named "Laura Holt". One of two episodes I watched last nite from late in season five had an audio problem. The dialogue sounded fine, but effects and music were low, with the level fading in and out in spots, as if the music/effects track wasn't in good shape. Not a disqualifier but a flaw nonetheless.

 

[DeWilson]

I haven't tried to record from it yet, but Netflix definitely uses a blocker so I'm sure the WB stream will too.

psst...there are ways to record - just google it

 

[mark-edk]

Viewed the last episode of Sunset Strip season five. By this time the 'Warner Bros Production' fanfare has apparently been moved to the end of the show or eliminated altogether, if the transfers have been done correctly. I was always of the impression that Jack Webb and friends took over SS at the start of season six, but now I know better. The change actually began in the last episode of season five. Here, there are no scenes set in the offices of Bailey and Spencer; a scene in a bar is not at Dino's but at an unnamed establishment. There is little joking around, the tone is quite serious. Bailey and Kookie are the only regulars; no peripheral characters are seen or referenced. Even the police contact is not Gilmore but someone else. The episode was produced and directed by William Conrad (who had a brief cameo as well); he would be heavily involved in the season six rebooted version. While Jack Webb's name doesn't appear on this episode it's full of Webb regulars in the cast (e.g. Stacy Harris) and was written by one of Webb's most prolific collaborators: Harold Jack Bloom. I get the feeling they knew the show was fading, and this was a sort of 'pilot' for Webb's team to show their stuff. It's actually a pretty good episode, and if they hadn't gone overboard with changing everything but had emulated this episode season six might have been more successful than it was. I don't know how I'm going to like season six, especially since the five-part opener isn't available yet. But I'll give it a shot. The transfers continue to be very good, though I did notice an excess of edge enhancement on one recently viewed show. EtA: I misspoke; there is a brief scene or two at Baily & Spencer offices. Don't know why I thought otherwise. Sorry about that.

 

[Gary16]

Viewed the last episode of Sunset Strip season five. By this time the 'Warner Bros Production' fanfare has apparently been moved to the end of the show or eliminated altogether, if the transfers have been done correctly. I was always of the impression that Jack Webb and friends took over SS at the start of season six, but now I know better. The change actually began in the last episode of season five. Here, there are no scenes set in the offices of Bailey and Spencer; a scene in a bar is not at Dino's but at an unnamed establishment. There is little joking around, the tone is quite serious. Bailey and Kookie are the only regulars; no peripheral characters are seen or referenced. Even the police contact is not Gilmore but someone else. The episode was produced and directed by William Conrad (who had a brief cameo as well); he would be heavily involved in the season six rebooted version. While Jack Webb's name doesn't appear on this episode it's full of Webb regulars in the cast (e.g. Stacy Harris) and was written by one of Webb's most prolific collaborators: Harold Jack Bloom. I get the feeling they knew the show was fading, and this was a sort of 'pilot' for Webb's team to show their stuff. It's actually a pretty good episode, and if they hadn't gone overboard with changing everything but had emulated this episode season six might have been more successful than it was. I don't know how I'm going to like season six, especially since the five-part opener isn't available yet. But I'll give it a shot. The transfers continue to be very good, though I did notice an excess of edge enhancement on one recently viewed show.

Enjoying your reviews and wishing I had access to the Warner streaming service but I guess I have to wait for it to be formally launched. Regarding season 6 of 77SS, I have seen the 5-part opener and frankly thought it was very good though very very different. There's a truly all-star cast supporting Zimbalist. If you ever can get to any of the episodes please note that part 5 recaps virtually everything that happened in the first 4 parts before concluding the story. I'm especially a fan of the new theme music for season six written by Bob Thompson and, fortunately, recorded for one of the Warner Bros. TV theme albums that came out that year. While the new format may have contributed to the show's demise I feel that an even bigger problem was the change in time period. Seasons 1-5 had always aired at either 9 or 9:30 PM on Friday nights but with season 6 ABC moved the show to 7:30 PM to lead-off the night. Frankly this was far too early for a heavy dramatic series. Fans of the show were not only expected to accept the loss of Jeff, Kookie, Suzanne, Roscoe, JR, etc., but also get used to tuning in right after dinner.

 

[mark-edk]

I had forgotten all about the time change. My only memory of the show is Friday nights! You're right, that just made the transition more difficult. I do remember being quite taken with Jack Webb's revision of the General Electric Theater into GE True but while I was fascinated by the 5-part Sunset opener, I did not like losing all those great characters, or that finger snapping theme. There's nothing wrong with Thompson's music; but at the time I just thought it was too...different. Old listening habits die hard.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

Just checked out the episode guide onloine for this show and it ended after the 6th season

 

[Gary16]

Just checked out the episode guide onloine for this show and it ended after the 6th season

If you're referring to 77SS, it was canceled during the 6th season and left the air in January. Reruns of earlier episodes aired later that season on Wednesday nights at 10 PM replacing the canceled "Channing."

 

[Neil Brock]

I'm not a big Sunset Strip fan, but I have to tell you that what they have up there is very interesting. For one thing, 2/3 of the fifth season, which has never been syndicated or re-aired anywhere in the world. There have been some fifth season episodes out there from film over the years but never really very good quality. Also, a fourth season episode, called Reserved For Mr. Bailey, which I've heard numerous times over the last 35 years, is the number one wanted episode by SS collectors. Finally, that's available.

 

[Gary16]

I'm not a big Sunset Strip fan, but I have to tell you that what they have up there is very interesting. For one thing, 2/3 of the fifth season, which has never been syndicated or re-aired anywhere in the world. There have been some fifth season episodes out there from film over the years but never really very good quality. Also, a fourth season episode, called Reserved For Mr. Bailey, which I've heard numerous times over the last 35 years, is the number one wanted episode by SS collectors. Finally, that's available.

Any idea when we non-invitees will be given access? I can't stand the wait.

 

[Neil Brock]

The free trial ends in a couple of days, so I would imagine not long after. Although they would have to put a helluva lot more TV up there for me to be interested. Right now the only stuff up there of value, IMO, is Jericho and some of the later seasons of 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye that Good Life never got around to airing. The early seasons of both aired numerous times so anyone who wanted them had ample opportunity to record them. Other than that, the rest of their TV product is on DVD already.

 

[Neil Brock]

I ordered a ROKU today and I'll post my findings as to if it can be recorded or not when I get the thing. I seriously doubt that they would go to the trouble of copyguarding 50+ year old TV programs but you never know. Anyway, for every copy guard ever invented, someone invents a copy guard buster, so I'm not too worried.

I hooked up the player and got my answer:

 

[Richard V]

I hooked up the player and got my answer:

Reading between the teeth, I think I understand.

 

[Neil Brock]

Episode 11 of Jericho now comes up as no longer available. So much for the full series.

 

[Mike*HTF]

Just curious, was it available before?

 

[Neil Brock]

I would imagine yes or else why would it be listed on there.

 

[mark-edk]

I just tried ep 11 online and it started playing, so maybe that was a temporary glitch.