Carol Burnett Show Discs (1 Viewer)

While watching tv last night (almost a "never" in this household), i saw an advertisement with an 800 number for selected releases of the CAROL BURNETT SHOW. In general i really don't like the "best of..." but i would really enjoy even a sampling of the shows that made me chuckle so much long ago.
Never having ordered from televsion ads such as this i was wondering if anyone knew of any "catches" that might be involved. the ad promises a new disc every couple of months with two shows on each to be sent directly to your door.
any info would be appreciated...
thanks
bob

Sounds ilke it's part of Columbia's Re-TV program. They do this with a number of TV series.

The only downside, I guess, is that they're really expensive. You'll probably pay at least $25 per disc including S/H. Pretty pricey for only two episodes when entire season box sets of some series can be had for $30 to $40.

Here's a link to the on-line site. Just be warned that a bunch of these series have since been released in season sets (such as "Sanford & Son") at more reasonable prices.

From what I understand is that these DVDs are the only way to get the complete episodes. As you probably know, the syndicated version omits musical numbers, etc. due to prohibitive costs of licensing.

I'm not sure how they were able to finance the licensing for the DVDs though.

I agree with Malcolm on Columbia's outrageous pricing. Columbia House carries my favorite TV show, but I refuse to pay exhorbitant prices for it. As Malcolm indicated, many of these will come out in season sets eventually.

Steve

Just give me the Dentist/Novacaine sketch with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, and the parody of GONE WITH THE WIND, and I'll be a happy man!

Moving to HT Software: TV Show area

I've broken down and subscribed to Columbia House for a few titles on DVD just because I really wanted them. Their discs are 19.95 each plus shipping, although one of the series I've been getting, Wild Wild West, has three episodes per disc instead of two. Also, If you order all the volumes at one time, you get 20% off so the price is more around 15.95 per disc, which is a little better anyway.

Thanks Scott for this tidbit. I tried doing this several years ago with the series I really wanted, but CH told me that there wasn't a "quantity discount". I'm glad to see they've changed their policy. The prices are still high, but this might take the sting out just a little bit.

Steve

"The Carol Burnett Show" will probably never be released in season sets--I read somewhere (TV Land boards?) that some "parting-the-red-sea" style special arrangements with varying unions had to be made just so we could get a handful of complete episodes in the best-of series.

Something else that apparently hinders full release of the Burnett show in any medium: in '72 or '73 the show changed orchestras and music directors. The widely seen "& Friends" reruns (and Columbia House releases) contain only the post-72 Peter Matz episodes. I have no idea why, but there's possibly something cooking there as well.

If you can find it, the Carol Burnett 25th Anniversary Special contain lots of pre-'72 clips (including your dentist sketch)--a faaaaaaar better show than the recent bloopers outing.

Doc

I tried ordering Laverne & Shirley once and they never sent it to me. I'm still WAITING!!!!

This I did not know! I've been watching it on both TV Land and a local independent station (so it comes on three times a day, now!) and have really enjoyed it. If they start at '72, that means a good FIVE years of skits are missing (since the show started in 67 and ended in 79). Wow.

Not to pry, but what station is running Carol Burnett and Friends? I like to hear that some TV stations are still running unusual older off-network stuff.

TV Land is showing it everyday at 8 PM and Friday from 4-7 PM. WGTW 48 Burlington/Philadelphia shows it weekday mornings at 8AM & 830AM.

Originally Posted by JasonPW

"The Carol Burnett Show" will probably never be released in season sets--I read somewhere (TV Land boards?) that some "parting-the-red-sea" style special arrangements with varying unions had to be made just so we could get a handful of complete episodes in the best-of series.

Something else that apparently hinders full release of the Burnett show in any medium: in '72 or '73 the show changed orchestras and music directors. The widely seen "& Friends" reruns (and Columbia House releases) contain only the post-72 Peter Matz episodes. I have no idea why, but there's possibly something cooking there as well.

If you can find it, the Carol Burnett 25th Anniversary Special contain lots of pre-'72 clips (including your dentist sketch)--a faaaaaaar better show than the recent bloopers outing.

Doc

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Actually, the change in musical directors (from Harry Zimmerman to Matz) took place in 1971 - when Carol Burnett's first contract with CBS (lasting 10 years, and commencing in 1962) was still in effect. The first five years' worth of shows (including the Conway/Korman "dentist sketch" which originated from the March 3, 1969 edition) are tied up in "dual ownership" rights with producer/packager Bob Banner. Shows originally aired between Sept. 11, 1967 and March 29, 1972 bear this notice in the end credits:

This has been a Burngood, Inc. and Bob Banner Associates Production in association with the CBS Television Network

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Post-1972 episodes are owned in their entirety by Ms. Burnett, which is how we got the full episodes that did come out on DVD. Her next contract apparently lasted four years, as 1972-76 shows list her and then-husband Joe Hamilton's next production entity, Punkin (Productions), Inc. at the end of each show, and the last two years (1976-78) credit Whacko, Inc.


That the issue of musical directors has nothing to do with the unavailability of 1967-72 shows, either on DVD or viz the edited CB&F episodes, is manifested in the fact that some 1974-75 shows were scored by Irwin Kostal, and on at least one edition from 1975 Jack Elliott (who later co-wrote the Charlie's Angels theme with Allyn Ferguson) filled in for Matz.

At this point I think the early 1990s version of The Carol Burnett Show has a better chance seeing the

light of DV-Day than the early years from the previous series. With Richard Kind as a regular cast member and

guests such as Christopher Reeve (when he could still walk), how did Carol fail in the ratings?

Originally Posted by Executive

At this point I think the early 1990s version of The Carol Burnett Show has a better chance seeing the

light of DV-Day than the early years from the previous series. With Richard Kind as a regular cast member and

guests such as Christopher Reeve (when he could still walk), how did Carol fail in the ratings?

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I've never seen that version. What is interesting to me is that she went straight to that after Carol & Co., her 1990-1991 NBC series (produced by Touchstone, thus owned by Disney). I guess the memories of the original overshadowed them. Did they have any original writers?

Originally Posted by Executive

At this point I think the early 1990s version of The Carol Burnett Show has a better chance seeing the

light of DV-Day than the early years from the previous series. With Richard Kind as a regular cast member and

guests such as Christopher Reeve (when he could still walk), how did Carol fail in the ratings?

Click to expand...

I thin it's just down to the public tiring of the variety show format. Indeed, ratings for Carol's show were on the decline during that last season. With the changing tastes of the television audience, you could probably never do an old-line variety show like Carol's these days and it last more than a few weeks. The young-uns wouldn't stand for it!

Originally Posted by AndyMcKinney


I thin it's just down to the public tiring of the variety show format. Indeed, ratings for Carol's show were on the decline during that last season. With the changing tastes of the television audience, you could probably never do an old-line variety show like Carol's these days and it last more than a few weeks. The young-uns wouldn't stand for it!

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Well, during the 2002-2003 season "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" was a noteable attempt at a modern variety show, and it failed

after a full year on the UPN network. That was also the same year The Twilght Zone came back on UPN, hosted by film actor / director Forest Whitaker -- another one season wonder....


All we really have left is Saturday Night Live, which is still going after 36 years. Of course it changed with the times, although Lorne Michaels has beaten his horse to death (and beyond) and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

Two other sketch comedy shows in more recent decades included MAD TV (which lasted 14 seasons but rarely had musical guests admidst a variety of cast changes) and for a period of 5 years before it ; In Living Color, which almost always had a musical guest.....of which only a handful have given clearances to allow their performances to be on the DVD releases. In a way that's a good thing to me, because I don't like hip-hop or R&B.


I DO however love the comedy the way the Wayans family, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, and in later seasons Alexandra Wentworth did it on that show. In Living Color was 1990s proof that a comedy-variety series with musical guests and dancing (The Fly Girls) could work with a new generation of American TV viewers. The problem was in the cast changes starting early in the 4th Season when FOX decided to begin airing reruns in late night. This infuriated Keenan Ivory Wayans, who left the show he created.
His brother Damon Wayans soon followed along with sis Kim Wayans the following season and then Shawn (who was originally the DJ "SW1") Wayans. The loss of all things Wayans led to lower ratings and the eventual cancellation in 1994.

Originally Posted by Executive

At this point I think the early 1990s version of The Carol Burnett Show has a better chance seeing the

light of DV-Day than the early years from the previous series. With Richard Kind as a regular cast member and

guests such as Christopher Reeve (when he could still walk), how did Carol fail in the ratings?

Click to expand...

Burnett has said in interviews that the interference from "the suits" (regarding the show) was so bad (and did NOT help the show) that she would never do another weekly series.