Gimme a Break! a contender for Shout! Factory?? (1 Viewer)

Over at Shout Factory's forum, there is a section to suggest shows that might fit in Shout's catalog. Someone has started a thread about Gimme a Break! which I think would find it's rightful home at Shout who would do a tremendous job on bringing the rest of this series out on dvd. If you are also a fan of the Nell Carter series, let them know you would buy it. They just might be interested in securing the rights to do so.

I'm a fan of the series, and I will let them know I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Shout Factory seems to be a really cool company, and it would be great if they could gt a lot of shows from the 80's. Maybe they can also secure the rights for Too Close For Comfort, and Misfits Of Science!

The problem with a company like Shout picking this up is the first season just came out last year, so they'd be losing the (by far) most profitable season.

I would like to see them (or anyone) do it so we could have a chance of seeing more than just seasons 1 and 2. However, this does not change the music rights situation. I already have season 1 and the Canadian release of season 2, so I won't be rebuying them unless they put on extras (interviews with surviving cast/crew) or fix the sound on many of the season 2 episodes, which sound muffled.

Also someone discovered that there was an alternate pilot, apparently following the same plotline as the first episode which aired, but with only two daughters, the youngest one played by Tracey Gold. It never aired on TV but footage from it was used in NBC's 1981 preview show; the promo was posted on YouTube but is now gone.

But as long as seasons 3 and 4 come out uncut and with the music intact I'll be happy. I'm not all that crazy about the last two seasons; IMO some of the final season episodes are absolutely brutal, but as a completist I'd buy them anyway as long as they're not butchered.

I would buy this show too sounds good, never seen it but love blind buys

I hope they take notice of those message boards as have suggested a few shows whether they could acquire the rights from companies like Paramount or Buena Visa Television is another matter. Surprised that Paramount for example has never released The Division (2001) or Sony has never released Young Americans (2000)

Could a company like Shout or BCI easily acquire rights for a show from USA Network for example

season 1 came out in early 2006, nearly two years ago. Plus, Gimme A Break is not a show where season 1 is generally regarded among the best years. I'd rather the seasons with Telma Hopkins, as would most GAB fans

It's still not one that I'd touch. S1 tanked and studios don't take that into account with their asking prices. I can't see anyway that we'd recoup this deal.

Do you have a link to shout! Factory? I would love to tell them I would buy in a heart beat too!

well, GAB seems to be quite successful among the bootleg market. I think if so many people will buy a bootleg of a show, even more will buy the official seasons. I figured they would've tried to go further with the series on DVD to capitalize on Joey Lawrence on Dancing With The Stars, but they didn't. Season 1 was unbearable, but seasons 2-5 were great (and I've seen eps from said seasons in the past few years on TV One).

Wow! I was surprised to see my post get so many replies. There are still fans out there who would buy this show on dvd. I agree with what Jay_B! said. The years with Telma Hopkins are regarded as the best and those have yet to be introduced on dvd. I think a good Nell & Addy cover would gain more interest. It's the same thing as what happened with Charles In Charge. The first season released by Universal also tanked. But Arts Alliance saw fit to pick it up for Season 2. And I believe sales were better. VEI released Season 2 of GAB! and if you will recall, the inital release date had amazon's stock sold out. They had to replenish their stock twice to fill orders. If that's not a sign that the show is selling better as we get deeper into the series, I don't know what is.

Sure, here it is... Shout! Factory Community - GIMME A BREAK!

That is true. Charles in Charge actually did worse than Gimme a Break. That said, it looks like CiC S2 is going to be lucky to do 50% of S1.

Sitcoms are scary on DVD. For every one that does great numbers there are 10 that flop. And it's not alwayd predictable.

Gimme A Break is a perfect example of "don't get mad if people buy bootlegs". The fans prefer the latter seasons (well, not the last season in NY, that was pretty bad) but the studios refuse to let us have those seasons because of the inferior first season.

Charles in Charge season 2 released by Arts Alliance America(TV Guide Presents) was a pretty decent set. Gord Lacey from tvshowsond.com reported that Arts Alliance has plans to release all the remaining seasons of CIC. I'm crossing my fingers!

Then I wish them good luck, and good success with it. I hope they release the whole thing.

But better them, than us.

I think what a lot of people forget is that there are a lot of people who won't buy season 1 until they hear of a season 2. Laverne And Shirley anyone? Season 1 was orphaned for almost three years, yet Paramount finally decided to give the show another chance on DVD and in April we will already be halfway through the series on DVD. Why? a lot of people waited until they heard word on season 2+ before finally putting the bucks down for season 1. And yet when Paramount announced season 2, sales for season 1 rose.

I believe the same could apply to GAB, I have a friend who has the whole series on bootleg, don't tempt me to work with him, because I promise you I bought season 1, and if you released the other seasons, here's one person who'll throw $25-30 your way each time. Official is always better, but sometimes the companies drive the fans to go to the black market because shows that don't sell like Seinfeld aren't valued highly.

I must say this surprises me greatly since I personally know alot of people who picked up season 2 that had no interest in Season 1, but I guess that isnt the case across the entire market. Hopefully 50% of sales to season 1 is profitable to Arts Alliance where Universal expected more.

That's true. One big Studio's trash is a smaller companies profitable treasure(maybe)

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Yup, I'm waiting until the 3rd season of Family Ties is out before I'll start buying the sets, and the same goes for The Odd Couple. I guess the most confusing thing about first season sets, is that they will probably sell as long as they are manufactured, but just not as many units as the first few weeks of release. Also, unless you check tvshowsondvd all the time(which I'm sure the many tv on dvd buyers don't), you may not always know when a first season set is released. It may be a few months before people are aware of it's existance!

I won't bother with bootlegs because they're illegal, usually of wretched picture and sound quality, and rarely uncut. My guess is that they are from the abysmally-edited MCA-TV syndication tapes, possibly from USA who made further when they aired it 10 years ago.

Universal is one of the worst studios for abandoning shows (just ask any fan of Dragnet 196x, Kojak, Quincy, Leave it to Beaver, etc.), and one of the reasons is their bloated infrastructure. There was a whole thread about this about a year or so ago. If they held on to Banacek, Ironside, or their NBC-inherited properties like Punky Brewster and Little House on the Prairie and released them themselves not one of them would have gotten past season 1.

Universal, being a corporate sibling of NBC, could have at least tried to find the original network promos or any promotional material to use as supplements. That "Great 80s TV Flashback" doesn't cut it, and nor do episodes of unrelated series.

Your best bet is that Canada's VEI comes through with the rest of the series.

Furthermore, what promotion did the set get? They made an ad for the set and, as far as I know, only aired it on the TV One marathon.

If a show does not hit its stride in season 1 (which is 99% of all shows) it is easy to see why some want to wait for season 2 before committing. First Look had the right idea with The Cosby Show, IMO.