OMG ! Are you shucking me ? That's fabulous news. But I can't figure out what they'll release if Paramount has the rights to the rest of the episodes. Perhaps they're licensing the rest of season one or something similar.
"Bringing in the sheaves Bringing in the sheaves We shall come rejoicing Bringing in the sheaves"
If you reread the MPI e-mail, they never said that Volume 1 was the sum total of what they had licensed from the Hennings estate. They simply said they had licensed all they were able to license. At this point, we don't have any idea how much more that license included than what was already released.
I am half-way through my first Hillbillies set, and I think that MPI did a fantastic job. The show holds up for me just as well as it did 35 years ago when I first saw it in reruns. I hope there is some way that MPI can get the rights to all of the shows, because I don't think anyone else could possibly do a better job with the release.
As a sad side note, Sonny Drysdale died this week. The great comedic character actor and Steve Allen sidekick Louis Nye died at age 92.
This was never my favorite TV series in the world. I got Volume 1 solely for its "camp" value...and what I had read about the completeness of the episodes--especially the opening theme/sponsors. I have found myself enjoying the writing and comedic delivery of the cast immensely. It is amazing the difference adult eyes make over a child's memories.
And let's not forget the value. They issued a great price point on the product...which also contirbuted greatly to my purchase. Any higher and I would not have pulled the trigger.
Volume 2 will take us to episode #55. Isn't that the last of the public domain episodes? That's probably why MPI is releasing these in this format (stopping in mid-season). They aparently could only liscence authorized copies of the PD episodes from the Henning estate. The remainder belong to Paramount.
Jed Pays His Income Tax Clampetts and the Dodgers Duke Becomes a Father Clampetts Entertain Clampetts in Court Clampetts Get Psychoanalyzed Psychiatrist Gets Clampetted Elly Becomes a Secretary Jethro's Friend
Season Two Episodes #37-55
Jed Gets the Misery Hair-Raising Holiday Granny's Garden Elly Starts to School Clampett Look Jethro's First Love Chickadee Returns Clampetts Are Overdrawn Clampetts Go Hollywood Turkey Day Garden Party Elly Needs a Maw Clampetts Get Culture Christmas at the Clampetts (likely not included) Man for Elly Giant Jackrabbit (the highest rated episode) Girl from Home Lafe Lingers On Race for Queen
That makes for a fabulous set of classic episodes and,I'm betting, a fabulous follow-up to the ultimate collection.
Now, Paramount, get off your logo and get going on the rest of season two and beyond. And when you're done with that . . . dig me a root cellar.
Are you fellas aware MPI is releasing next week The Beverly Hillbillies/Petticoat Junction Ultimate Christmas Collection?
$10.49 for pre-order at Amazon. Running time two hours.
Home For Christmas (1962) - When Granny, Uncle Jed, Elly Mae and Jethro decide to return to the country for the holidays, they discover airline travel. Back home, Cousin Pearl and Jethrine make plans to visit the Clampetts in Beverly Hills.
Christmas At The Clampetts (1963) - The Hillbillies are confused on Christmas when they find a snow-covered tree in their foyer surrounded by gifts, unaware they are part of banker Milburn Drysdale's strategy to keep them in Beverly Hills.
Cannonball Christmas (1963) - Uncle Joe, Kate Bradley and her daughters at the Shady Rest Hotel find their holiday disrupted when the Scrooge-like Homer Bedloe of the C&FW Railroad threatens to close-down the beloved Hooterville Cannonball.
BONUS FEATURES: *New Episode Introductions *Original Cast Sponsor Commercials *Christmas Greeting From Frank Cady & Linda Kaye Henning
Will we need to pick up that Christmas disc...along with the Ultimate Volumes 1 & 2 in order to be complete before Paramount decides what its going to do?
Yeah, sounds like they're just pulling the christmas eps out of the normal lineup to make money off another release. Typical but at least we can get them somehow.
HERE'S what you can expect for prices. The prices listed in the RoundUp are pretty similar to what Volume 1 was listing for back in September. So, don't be too disturbed by those shows of $29.99. DeepDiscountDVD already has it listed for $23.09. IIRC, I found Volume 1 at my local Wal-Mart for $18.xx
Screw the 'billies! Where's Volume 2 of the lovely ladies of "Petticoat Junction"? Anyone who doesn't own Vol. 1 should pick it up as MPI did a great job, IMO.
P'haps I'll have to pick up Vols. 1 & 2 of BH to tide me over. Though I am still getting my Hooterville fix from S3 of "Green Acres".