Releases For 2nd Half 0f 2013, Take A Guess (1 Viewer)

With the year half over in a month, I thought it might be interesting to put on our guessing caps and try to predict what the 2nd half of the year (7/13-12/13) will hold for us. Some are obviously no-brainers. I separated them in to 3 categories:

1) Virtual Locks: Mason will finish, Gillis will be released.

2) Good Bets: Bonanza and Gunsmoke will continue, Rawhide, Laverne and Shirley, and Dynasty will finish.

Sure, those were easy. Now the hard one:

3) Crap Shoot: Many questions here. By my estimation, other than the 2 big westerns, CBS will finish all their other un-stalled ongoing releases by the end of the year (or soon thereafter). What happens next? Do they un-stall some stuff or start pulling out of the classic DVD business. As I read the syndication bible, it appears that almost all of their unstalled multiseason classic TV shows have been released on an ongoing basis or stalled. Their shelf is almost bare. What happens next.
What direction does WA go next? Do they go back to their first couple releases (FBI, Medical Center, Daktari, Tarzan) and do additional seasons or continue to add other titles? If so, what titles? Do we finally see the 4 big detective shows?
Does Sony do anything with their MOD program.
What about the indies? Does Shout continue to dwindle their classic TV releases or do they pick it up again? If so, with what?
Will VEI come through with Mod Squad and Diagnosis Murder by the end of the year?
How about that long awaited Rifleman set? Will it finally come out before year end?
I've heard rumblings from some posters about the two rural shows and The Rebel? Will that play through to fruition this year or will it prove to be the forum version of "Bar Talk.?(at least for this year).
How about a curveball? An unexpected release from an established company or an oddball release from an indie?

Just some fun for the holiday weekend

Given the fact that Dynasty has two more seasons before it is finished, I seriously doubt CBS is going to step up the speed of those releases. We will probably not see the end of Dynasty for another two years.

Also, given the problems with music licensing, Laverne and Shirley will probably not be finished by the end of the year. Again, there are two more seasons left to release and I really don't see CBS speeding up those releases either.

WA will most likely finish Tarza and Courtship of Eddie's Father this year since there are only one season of each left. We might get another season of Eight is Enough before the end of the year.

What are the 4 big detective shows?

"... CBS will finish all their other un-stalled ongoing releases by the end of the year (or soon thereafter)."
I don't think so since Sgt Bilko is still on the shelves

maskedmala said:

"... CBS will finish all their other un-stalled ongoing releases by the end of the year (or soon thereafter)."
I don't think so since Sgt Bilko is still on the shelves

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Un-stalled is what I said. Bilko is stalled as are many others. I was speaking of Gunmoke, Bonanza, Dynasty, Laverne and Shirley, and Rawhide. Someone else did point out that I may be wrong on Dynasty and Laverne and Shirley and they may very well be right.

Brian Himes said:

Given the fact that Dynasty has two more seasons before it is finished, I seriously doubt CBS is going to step up the speed of those releases. We will probably not see the end of Dynasty for another two years.

Also, given the problems with music licensing, Laverne and Shirley will probably not be finished by the end of the year. Again, there are two more seasons left to release and I really don't see CBS speeding up those releases either.

WA will most likely finish Tarza and Courtship of Eddie's Father this year since there are only one season of each left. We might get another season of Eight is Enough before the end of the year.

What are the 4 big detective shows?

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Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Surfside Six, and Bourbon Street Beat

Warner Archive Facebook said that remastering work on Tarzan S2 is just beginning so the wait will be a bit longer than I would have liked but it should be in time before year's end. We'll most assuredly see at least one more season of "The FBI" this year though it'd be nice if the release schedule could get a little faster so that the show could be finished by the end of 2014.

Let me clarify what I was saying about CBS since there I may have been a little ambigous. My point was that when you remove ongoing releases, shows that have been tried and stalled, and licensed shows, there is very little left for them to consider releasing in their library that we could consider "classic Tv" save a bunch of one season shows and CBS has shown us NO indication over the years that they are interested in releasing single season shows (Associates, Bad News Bears). Here is what's left. Just a handful and my associated estimatiion of chances for releases. IMO

1) The Millionaire

2) Out Miss Brooks

Above two... no how, no way

3) The Magician

Maybe due to the cult following, but I doubt it

4) The Rebel

Reported to be licensed

5) Joanie Loves Chachi

If they can't finish Happy Days, this ain't happenin

6) The Colbys

If Dynasty is completed, this one probably has the best chance of a possible release of all the above.

7) Ben Casey - Toss Up, who know's on this one?

My root point was this. When they finish what they are running now and are left with just Gunsmoke and Bonanza, if they want to continue classic DVD releases, they will have little choice but to un-stall some stuff. What else would they do? They sure aren't going to start licensing from another studio

The Magician sure would be a nice welcome, MOD or standard. If Petrocelli and Serpico are theirs then those as well, plus unstalling One Step Beyond/Hotel/Matt Houston/Barnaby Jones/continuing Cannon. I wish we knew more about what they want to do, but alas unlike WAC, they're basically silent on Facebook never answering questions. So we're really left rather helpless in this guessing game.

CBS/Paramount needs to unstall these titles before I'd be pushing them to release new titles:

1-Love Boat
2-Barnaby Jones
3-Love American Style
4-One Step Beyond
5-Sergeant Bilko

Mod Squad is supposedly licensed out now, and I'll see if Cannon finishes up as MOD. These overall are the essential seven titles they started that I think they should finish first. (I have no interest in their stalled 80s titles).

Brian Himes said:

What are the 4 big detective shows?

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77 Sunset Strip

Hawaiian Eye

Bourbon Street Beat

Surfside Six


I'm hoping TGG will release more ZIV Titles. I'd like to see Men into Space, Science Fiction Theatre, I Led 3 Lives and Annapolis among others.

My real curiosity lies with WA. They kind of frustrate me because their releases are all over the place with seemingly little rhyme or reason. They released 2 seasons (FBI =4) of an initial batch of stuff (Daktari, Tarzan, FBI, Medical Center, and Eddie's Father and then instead of finishing this bunch they started a second wave of stuff. I know my opinions may not be popular (especially by Kildare fans) but I would rather had they concentrated on finishing the initial bunch of stuff rather than to keep starting new series. That's makes it very hard to predict what they might do next. Will they work on the FBI? More Kildare? Finish Daktari and Eddie's father? Continue adding new ones? Like I said, they are all over the board.

Brian Himes said:

Given the fact that Dynasty has two more seasons before it is finished, I seriously doubt CBS is going to step up the speed of those releases. We will probably not see the end of Dynasty for another two years.

Also, given the problems with music licensing, Laverne and Shirley will probably not be finished by the end of the year. Again, there are two more seasons left to release and I really don't see CBS speeding up those releases either.

WA will most likely finish Tarza and Courtship of Eddie's Father this year since there are only one season of each left. We might get another season of Eight is Enough before the end of the year.

What are the 4 big detective shows?

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My personal choice would be to see Daktari finished, but for some reason that I can't really articulate, I think they are done with it. I have no good logic for it, just a gut feeling.

Here are a few other possibilities. Shout just might be able to finish Quincy. There are only two more seasons to release. If they don't finish it (and sales have warrented), we just might get season 7 before the end of the year.

WA might get another season of Alice out before the year's end. That would conclude the seasons with Flo.

There might be a big time-life release in October like in previous years. it could be anything from Adam West's Batman to The Wonder Years to I'll Fly Away. Again I have no facts on this only feelings. More one-season shows like Fantastic Journey or Salvage 1 might pop out, Again no facts, just random guessesJames

HenryDuBrow said:

The Magician sure would be a nice welcome, MOD or standard. If Petrocelli and Serpico are theirs then those as well, plus unstalling One Step Beyond/Hotel/Matt Houston/Barnaby Jones/continuing Cannon. I wish we knew more about what they want to do, but alas unlike WAC, they're basically silent on Facebook never answering questions. So we're really left rather helpless in this guessing game.

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And you get banned when you point out that they have stalled a ton of shows......

Ron1973 said:

And you get banned when you point out that they have stalled a ton of shows......

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Do they actually do this?

WA will definitely release S4 of ALICE and likely FLO: THE COMPLETE SERIES shortly after that. Perhaps we will even see S5 by year's end.

I'd also bet S4 of EIGHT IS ENOUGH and GROWING PAINS will both show up there.

I highly doubt CBS will release S7 of LAVERNE until sometime in 2014.

More seasons of Alice, and Growing Pains. Season 2 of Barnaby Jones(split into two volumes of course). Season 3 of The Love Boat(split volumes).

Shout will release more Fantasy Island, and Differnt Strokes just in time for Christmas.

Highway to Heaven will continue with seasons 2, and 3 from Mill Creek in all its uncut glory.

The X Files will see a season 1 release on Blu-Ray toward the end of the year.

Benson season 3, and Sheena SN 3(new series) will be released from Sony MOD.

St. Elsewhere the complete series will finally be released in December.

Lassie will continue to be MIA thanks to Dreamworks.

Kasey said:

WA will definitely release S4 of ALICE and likely FLO: THE COMPLETE SERIES shortly after that. Perhaps we will even see S5 by year's end.

I'd also bet S4 of EIGHT IS ENOUGH and GROWING PAINS will both show up there.

I highly doubt CBS will release S7 of LAVERNE until sometime in 2014.

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Flo is already available via MOD and Amazon streaming.

Frank Soyke said:

Do they actually do this?

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Yes, I'm not going to lie and say I probably wasn't a bit of a nuisance (never rude or vulgar) but I posted quite frequently on their wall asking why they left their back catalog of classic shows stalled while releasing fare that was very family UN-friendly. I complimented where compliments were due (Perry Mason, Bonanza, etc.). Found out one day I was blocked. I can still see what they post and even share it but I can't comment, post or even direct message CBS Home Entertainment from Facebook.

Flo is already available via MOD and Amazon streaming.

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Just to clarify, yes "Flo" is on Amazon Streaming but not on any kind of MOD program (Warner Brothers or Amazon).


My predictions:

"Alice" will have the 4th and 5th seasons by Warner Brothers Archives. Not sure if they will release "Flo" yet, but since it is on Amazon's streaming, it might.

Time Life might finally release the 1966 "Batman", but I'm just being hopeful!!! I do believe, Time-Life is going to release more "Carol Burnett Shows", I just don't know if it will be another big format like they did last year. But they (Carol Burnett, Vicky Lawrence and Tim Conway) were taping something recently in the Time-Life Studio recently (according to the Carol Burnett Facebook page). So more shows might be on the way since Carol has an exclusive deal with Time-Life.

No one has mentioned possible Blu-Ray releases for classic t.v shows yet. "Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Friends" were last year. I'm thinking a Blu-Ray release for one or two of these shows is possible for the end of this year (around Christmas time): "Seinfeld", "I Love Lucy", "The Honeymooners" (The classic 39 only), "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Sopranos" (a complete series set) and maybe "Will And Grace". I'm betting more on "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld" (cause of popularity), but I could see any one of the others too. I know "Dick Van Dyke Show" was an unlikely surprise last year!

Those are just a few of my predictions (whether or not it holds true is another story though).