Great "Dick Van Dyke" News! Complete Release Schedule For Seasons 3, 4, And 5! (1 Viewer)

David Von Pein · Oct 30, 2003

I recently e-mailed Image Entertainment, asking some general questions, and complimenting them on the excellence of the DVD-on-DVD sets.

I didn't really anticipate any kind of a detailed reply. But, to my delight, I received the full schedule for the three future releases. And, inasmuch as Image didn't hesitate at all in revealing this information to a total stranger, I thought I'd pass it along here.

Here's the info I received........

Subj:Re: Dick Van Dyke / Andy Griffith*
Date:10/30/2003 11:10:26 AM US Eastern Standard Time
From:[email protected]

Dear David,
Image Entertainment is planning on releasing Seasons 3, 4 and 5 of the Dick Van Dyke show as follows: Season 3 is set to be released on 2/10/04, Season 4 is to be released on 4/13/04 and Season 5 is set to be released on 6/15/04. Unfortunately Image Entertainment does not have any plans regarding the release of the other Classic Television titles that you mentioned at this point in time. However, I will pass your email on to our acquisitions department which will look into the possibility of releasing these titles on DVD at some point in the future.

Thank you.

-----------------------

My original mail to Image was..........

Hello Image........

The two current releases you've done on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" are simply amazing.* Stellar in every aspect!* Thanks for the effort that so obviously went into these excellent DVD products.

These perfect Van Dyke sets got me to thinking ..... Is there any chance of Image doing similar boxed seasons of the famed "Andy Griffith Show" (1960-1968) sometime in the future?

An Image DVD product of the Andy series would, no doubt, be worthy of high praise (based on previous digital products put out by your team -- Dick V. Dyke & The Twilight Zone to name two that I enjoy).

"The Fugitive" (1963-1967 TV Series) is another program I'd buy in an instant should a company, like yours, produce it on the DVD format.* Would you have any idea who holds the controlling video rights to either "The Andy Griffith Show" or "The Fugitive"?

Thank you for any info you might be able to provide on the above matters.

And .... I'm looking forward with great anticipation to the remaining three seasons of Dick Van Dyke throughout 2004.

-------------------

I realize that the info regarding the other TV series I mentioned (Andy & The Fugitive) could very well have just been the standard "PR" reply that companies give to inquiries of this nature. But, still...who can tell? Maybe it'll help get a ball or two rolling in the right direction.

Anyway, pretty cool info indeed about DVD-on-DVD (I'm sure Van Dyke Show fans will agree)! These dates, of course, might very well be subject to change -- although a date-change disclaimer was not mentioned by Image in the mail they sent to me.

If these dates prove accurate, it means within the relatively short span of just 8 months (October 2003 - June 2004), we'll have seen every season and every episode of the Van Dyke series released onto DVD. Hard to beat that productivity.

(Perhaps someone should tell "The Simpsons" DVD creators about this breakneck pace exhibited by Image Entertainment.

)

(Then again, I also realize that these DVD-on-DVD sets have actually been in the making for some time now. Doug Denoff at www.dvdondvd.com says he's been working on the project for some 4 years now.)

So....all Classic TV fans start saving the greenbacks! Looks like 3 more boxed sets to get in a 4-month span starting February 10th!

---------------------------
---------------------------

EDIT: Release schedule has changed slightly from what I indicated above. Each succeeding boxed season has been pushed back exactly 2 weeks ----
S.3 = Feb. 24;
S.4 = Apr. 27;
S.5 = Jun. 29.

---------------------------
---------------------------

ScottRichard · Oct 30, 2003

That is such great news--Thanks so much David!! I know I'm not alone in being very excited by this news.

Casey Trowbridg · Oct 30, 2003

David VP, it will be good to have all these episodes by June, I'm already looking forward to February. Man, I'm going to be buying TV product every release day of the first 6 in 2004.

1/6/2004: Cheers and Frasier Season 2 (although these will probably be birthday presents from my girlfriend or family)
1/13/2004: Green Acres season 1
1/20/2004: Dilbert: the complete series
1/27/2004: The Critic: the Complete series
2/03/2004: In Living Color, season 1
2/10/2004: Dick Van Dyke, season 3.

2004 is going to be a banner and expensive year as far as TV on DVD goes.

David Von Pein · Oct 30, 2003

I'd guess we'll be able to Pre-Order Season 3 by ... what would you say? ... early December sometime?

(Perhaps, since the release dates for all 3 remaining seasons are fairly close
together--just four total months apart, we'll see Pre-Ordering available for all remaining V.Dyke seasons whenever S.3 goes up online.)

Anyhow...Any way you slice it, such classic episodes of the Van Dyke series like "Coast-To-Coast Big Mouth", "Uhny Uftz", "The Curse Of The Petrie People", "That's My Boy??", and "October Eve" seem to be just a few months away.

Laura -- "Rob?! Why does our baby have a blue foot?"

Rob -- "Well...er...Jerry and I were just conducting a series of tests."

Casey Trowbridg · Oct 30, 2003

a whole series in only 8 months time is impressive. Some of my favorites are from season 3, including the 1 you quoted in your last post David.

Hey, what email address did you use to email Image? I'd like to send of an appreciative email for what they've done on these first 2 releases, quality quality work.

Dane Marvin · Oct 30, 2003

You da man, David! Thank you so much for your posting this. The handling of The Dick Van Dyke Show is nothing short of brilliant -- from the content to the extras to the packaging and now all the way down to the release schedule! To have all 5 seasons released in a span of about 8 months is a dream come true!

I just bought season 2 tonight, David, as your raves about the special features on that set in particular made me realize I couldn't hold up on purchasing it any longer. You were right -- it seems they did save some of the best stuff for season 2, probably as an added incentive for people to continue with this series on DVD. There appear to be quite a few more commentaries as well (just 2 audio commentaries on the season one set while I noticed 2 on the first disc alone for season two).

I am currently watching the "Stump the Stars" episode included and am really enjoying it. This and the priceless "hidden" Kent Cigarette advertisements are just two more things that make this set the benchmark by which future classic TV on DVD sets should be measured. Let's hope they saved some goodies for seasons 3-5.

And, oh Lord, would I love to see Image get their hands on The Andy Griffith Show...

Jo_C · Oct 30, 2003

Someone asked here about "The Fugitive" on DVD...that is up to Republic and Artisan..no wait! Lions Gate, now that they bought out Artisan. Or perhaps wait until 2005 when Paramount takes control of the Republic library.

David Von Pein · Oct 30, 2003

Hey, what email address did you use to email Image?

[email protected]

(Of course, if Casey would just look up at Post #1, he would have found that this ultra-valuable e-mail information had already been presented here. )

(Just playin' with ya, Casey my man! )

Click to expand...

David Von Pein · Oct 30, 2003

And, oh Lord, would I love to see Image get their hands on The Andy Griffith Show...

You and me both. That's why I inquired as to whether it was possible. At least they didn't reply: "Sorry, we can't do this". So, maybe there's hope we'll actually get 'TAGS' done up right by Image, & possibly in similar ThinPak style packaging like TDVDS.

Click to expand...

Casey Trowbridg · Oct 30, 2003

oops, sorry about that, don't know how I missed it when I read over that post, I've really got to stop scimming the text like that. Thanks again David.

David Von Pein · Oct 30, 2003

Thanks Jo C ... for the "Fugitive" info. I had no clue as to who owned the video rights to that great 60s drama.

Of course, based on past releases, I'd love to see Image do "The Fugitive" some day as well (if rights could be secured).

(I'm unsure...has Image released any hour-long TV shows onto DVD?)

David Von Pein · Oct 30, 2003

Interestingly (and somewhat curiously), I just realized that in my e-mail to Image I didn't even specifically ask about the future release schedule for the Dick V. Dyke sets. They just volunteered to me that information. How sweet of them.

george kaplan · Oct 31, 2003

This is excellent news. I suppose the really quick release means there won't be time for Carl Reiner to change his mind regarding outtakes, but that's a small price to pay for having all of these by next June.

David Von Pein · Oct 31, 2003

I suppose the really quick release means there won't be time for Carl Reiner to change his mind regarding outtakes, ...

Yeah, you're probably right about that.

I have the feeling that all of these sets are pretty much "in the can" as of right now. Especially considering that we know for sure that people have been working on these DVDs for many years, and that the *original* release date for the whole "Ottoman" Set was slated for the show's 40th Anniversary on October 3, 2001.

(Digital Trivia --- Have there ever been 5 full seasons of a TV-on-DVD product released in a mere 8-month timeframe?)

Click to expand...

george kaplan · Oct 31, 2003

Star Trek:TNG?

David Lambert · Oct 31, 2003

Wow, David, this is really great info. Do you mind if I post those dates over at TVShowsOnDVD? Giving you full credit, of course!

Dane Marvin · Oct 31, 2003

At least they didn't reply: "Sorry, we can't do this". So, maybe there's hope we'll actually get 'TAGS' done up right by Image, & possibly in similar ThinPak style packaging like TDVDS.

Both Dick and Andy's shows originally aired on CBS in the same time period and were T&L Productions (the blanket production co. that included Calvada, Mayberry Ent. and others -- all filmed at Desilu Studios), executive produced by Sheldon Leonard and Danny Thomas, the man with the big bucks. So right off, the shows have a lot of similarities, from original music by Earle Hagen to crossovers within Thomas and Leonard's other shows (TDVDS crossed over to The Danny Thomas Show, while Danny crossed over to TAGS).

Also, both TDVDS and TAGS have about 25 or 30 "public domain" episodes floating around, which could lend further support that these episodes trickled out from the same rights holder. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the original distribution rights holders for TDVDS and TAGS were one and the same.

Please, Image -- acquire this show ASAP!

Click to expand...

R. Kay · Oct 31, 2003

Beautiful packaging. Extremely well done & done with a lot of care.

BUT ...

Extremely expensive! No sale here.

David Von Pein · Oct 31, 2003

Wow, David, this is really great info. Do you mind if I post those dates over at TVShowsOnDVD? Giving you full credit, of course!

I don't mind an iota. Please....post away!

Click to expand...

David Von Pein · Oct 31, 2003

Extremely expensive! No sale here.

But don't forget!! ---> There's a nice $20.00 OFF Rebate when you buy both S.1 and S.2, making these "extremely expensive" sets a much better buy in the long run.

I don't view these DVD-on-DVD sets very expensive at all, considering the amount of material we're getting, PLUS the great quality of the show itself and the first-rate digital transfers. I'd have probably paid twice what I did.

To the thrifty among us ..... DVD Empire is still selling these @ just $47.99 per
(+ $2.25 for basic S&H). Factor in the usual $5.00 off discount they'll give all orders of $60 & Up (with proper e-code), and you've got an average price PER DISC of only $9.32 (for all 10 discs).

This price drops to a final tally of a mere $7.32 per disc after you send in the Image $20 Off Rebate (for buying both sets).

That's a final cost of $1.14 per episode (64 eps., including pilot).

Upon further (current) pricing research ... This Price Per Episode is only slightly higher if you choose to buy the sets at Amazon ($1.27 after mail-in rebate), or at DDD ($1.29).

Any way you slice it, it's a mere bag of shells, considering how good and re-watchable these programs are (and always will be).

I haven't the vaguest idea what other TV-on-DVD sets average out to ($$ / Ep.), but I don't see a dollar & a quarter as being excessive at all. Plus, factor in the extra bonus features on top of the episodes themselves.

We must also keep in mind that the DVD-on-DVD Team -- as I understand it -- rejected an entire batch of digital transfers that were going to be used for the Van Dyke Show sets, because the PQ was subpar in their eyes. This added expense (surely somebody had to pay for this rejected work somewhere along the line) might have ultimately led to a slightly higher MSRP for the product.

Click to expand...

Home Theater

Entertainment & Streaming Content

Physical Media

Home Theater Equipment and Hardware

Other Diversions

Bargains and Classifieds

Home Theater Forum

Archives

Great "Dick Van Dyke" News! Complete Release Schedule For Seasons 3, 4, And 5! (1 Viewer)

Second Unit

Screenwriter

Second Unit

Screenwriter

Second Unit

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread

Sign up for our newsletter

and receive essential news, curated deals, and much more

Forum statistics