Who would buy Mr. Peepers? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Lugoff]

Another Lorne fan! I thought I was the only one.

I'll be honest -- I'm getting this set even if she's only in one or two episodes!

I don't know how much she was in the show, but she's the only one shown on this TV Guide cover besides Wally Cox, so maybe she was in almost every episode.

 

[Michael Alden]

Finally, some details. October 18th is the release date and it's from a new company, S'more Entertainment, formed by one of the founders of Rhino (from when they used to be good). Not sure how many episodes though I figure at least 24. The prints are coming from the UCLA archive and I did a little research on it. I found that 102 of the 127 shows done exist in their collection. Most of the missing episodes seem to be from the final seaosn. I am really looking forward to this release, having only seen a couple of episodes of the show. It's great that so many episodes still exist. Of the 3 big classics of early comedy that were done live (other two being Mama and the Goldbergs), this is the only one with the majority of it's episodes intact. There are very, very few Mama episodes around (only the last 13 were filmed). And the Goldbergs fared only slightly better. 24 live shows exist and the vastly inferior series of 39 filmed shows done for syndication.

 

[Bob Hug]

A single episode of "Mama" and "Mr. Peepers" appeared on a DVD release from the Canadian label Cascadia Entertainment a few years back. The "Mama" episode was live and a very young Dick Van Patten was featured in the cast as the son "Nels."

I'm really looking forward to the "Mr. Peepers" release. I'm convinced that these smaller "niche" companies are the way to go for vintage shows on DVD and I hope that S'more Entertainment does well with its planned releases. With few exceptions, the major studios don't seem too inclined to preserve early television programming on DVD.

 

[Bob Hug]

Details on the upcoming Mister Peepers release from S'more Entertainment:


26 Episodes (1952-53), the original pilot, plus the episode in which Peepers marries his girlfriend, one of the highest rated TV shows of 1954.

DVD EXTRAS:
- Interview with Dom Deluise
- Laugh In clip featuring Wally Cox in “The Farkle Family Reunion”
- Family tree: trace all the stars that appeared in this classic series
- Wally Cox Bio, and photo gallery

S'more Entertainment web site:

http://www.smoreent.com/

 

[Charles H]

Does anyone know where "Mr. Peepers" will be available from on-line? DVDEmpire and DVDPlanet don't list it yet. Not even Amazon carries it.

 

[Fredrick Tucker]

Since I am authoring a book on television character actresses (including Marion Lorne), I ventured to UCLA in the summer of '04 to see some of the MR. PEEPERS episodes. I had already seen two on video, but wanted to see the wedding episode and others (listed on UCLA Film and Television Archive's website). I was not disappointed. This charming show features the excellent writing of Greenbaum & Frizzell, plus the low-key humor of Wally Cox, and the inimitable Marion Lorne, who, believe it or not, was funnier here than as Aunt Clara. Her timing was just impeccable. It is a sweet, sweet show. Not high on slapstick, but the little nuances hooked me! And it boasts a dazzling array of character actors, like Reta Shaw as Aunt Lil (in one ep she plays piano to Marion's solo of "Button Up Your Overcoat"), Ruth McDevitt as Cox's equally nerdy mother, Jenny Egan as his backward sister, Gage Clarke as the nervously funny principal, real-life couple Ernest Truex and Sylvia Field as Cox's in-laws, Tony Randall exhibiting some Felix Unger mannerisms, Jack Warden as a gruff coach, and Patricia Benoit, who, yes, is still with us (I have interviewed her about the show), and a surpising list of guest stars who pop up, including Mary Grace Canfield and Alice Pearce. You will not be disappointed to buy the DVD. I am so thankful it's being released..I feel like giving a party on the 18th!

 

[PeterTHX]

Am I and Christopher_H the only ones who thought this thread was about a collection of the SNL Chris Kattan skits about the monkey-man? :b

Sorry. :b :b :b

 

[Michael Alden]

I really hope the show does well enough for us to see more volumes. At 26 episodes it leaves enough in the vault for 3 more possible sets. While I know I am going to enjoy this show there are so many people who are accustomed to the modern method of sitcoms: joke, setup, joke, setup, joke, etc., with all of the "jokes" being either sex jokes or putdowns. This show plays out at a far different pace with the characters acting like real people as opposed to cardboard characters who would never exist outside of the TV world.

 

[Michael Alden]

It's finally up for pre-order at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...823513-9920742

Let's shows some support for what looks like a company that's going to put out some great shows.

 

[Fredrick Tucker]

Yes, I ordered mine yesterday just minutes before I got an email response from S'more Entertainment president Arny Schorr, who told me that the following stores are stocking it: Suncoast, Borders, Tower Records, and Fred Meyer. Now I wish I had waited because the Amazon order won't arrive til Oct. 29th. I have emailed a response to Mr. Schorr to ask if future volumes are planned for relase. I will notify you if I hear back.
Fredrick

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I'll support this company as soon as it's verified (on this forum) that their releases are uncut and aren't sped up or slowed down -- or have some other weird thing wrong with them.

I would guess that the MR. PEEPERS kinescopes will be ok, but the way things have gone this year for TV on DVD -- you never know what will happen next!

They could say, "Oh, see, all we could find were episodes with five minutes cut out when they were shown on local New York TV in 1955."

I've become very pessimistic. "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" messed up the Intermissions. "Superman" won't have the previews. I expect "Leave It to Beaver" to have something wrong -- something we haven't even thought of yet.

 

[Fredrick Tucker]

Wanted to let MR. PEEPERS fans know that I had another email from the president of S'More Entertainment, listing all of the original airdates for the 27 eps featured on this about-to-be-released DVD set of PEEPERS:
5/15/1952 (Pilot episode) 11/30/52
7/3/52 12/7/52
7/10/52 12/14/52
7/31/52 12/21/52
8/7/52 12/28/52
8/14/52 1/4/53
8/21/52 1/11/53
8/28/52 1/25/53
9/11/52 2/1/53
9/18/52 2/8/53
10/26/52 2/15/53
11/2/52 2/22/53
11/9/52 3/1/53
11/16/52

 

[Fredrick Tucker]

I tried to type the above message in two columns, but it messed it up when I posted...I think you can still figure it out.
Fredrick

 

[Bob Hug]

Anybody get "Mr. Peepers" yet? It was supposed to be released On October 19th, but Amazon is now showing a November 1st release date. Just curious as to whether anyone has seen this anywhere.

 

[Fredrick Tucker]

The president of S'More Entertainment told me the Peepers DVD would be available in the Suncoast stores, but I visited our local store on Wed., and it was not on the shelves, nor could they locate it in their database. I have ordered mine from Amazon, but due to the delay it won't arrive til mid-November. I am anxious to see it. The president of the company says other releases will be produced if the sales for this one goes well.

 

[Bob Hug]

I finally received my DVD set of “Mister Peepers” and I’d have to say that from the perspective of early American television broadcast history, this has to be one of the more important TV-on-DVD releases. Considering the age (1952-53 original broadcasts) and source material (kinescopes), S’more Entertainment has done a wonderful job with this release. Yes, it is technically crude, and there are some audio issues from time-to-time, but it remains a fascinating look at early live television broadcasting. You will see boom mike shadows and actors (occasionally) flub their lines, but what remains is a warm-hearted, delightful comedy. S’more released this in conjunction with the UCLA Film & Television Archive and I truly hope that this relationship will result in the release of other buried treasures. I recommend this release to fans of early sit-coms and anyone who has an interest in early American live television broadcasting.

There's a review of the set at Sitcomsonline.com but note that the reviewer used the screener for his review and not the complete set.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/misterp...dvdreview.html

 

[JeffWld]

I'll go even further and suggest it should be mandatory viewing for the generations who know nothing but sitcoms that are an endless stream of putdowns, sex jokes, painfully forced laugh tracks, and rehashed one-liners.

To quote the show's simplistic weekly tag line:
"Mr. Peepers...that's me"