With WKRP, Wonder Years and Batman now a reality, what's the next holy grail? (1 Viewer)

Three releases I never thought I'd see due to the legal nightmares that entangled them are finally coming out the same year (whether they'll actually satisfy fans, we have yet to find out).

What's left that has that level of fan interest plus legal circumstances keeping it away from DVD?

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, although some will argue there's not an appropriate level of fan interest. In the Heat of the Night (all episodes with all music) is another.

Cold Case is another music rights nightmare.Burns and Allen have the misfortune of being a Sony show.Dragnet 5X is in the Universal vaults, with no easily converted to digital masters ready, IIRC.

Both B&A and Dragnet also have the whole public domain thing working against them, with enough episodes being out in cheap PD releases that the companies might not see any value in official releases, if you want to consider that "legal" problems.

Oh, and Saturday Night Live, seasons 6 and above. Horrible music problems.

77 Sunset Strip, not sure if it's fully cleared yet.

I'll go with the 2 preceeding posters:

1) Cold Case - too great of a recent series to not be released. The period music made it alot more riveting than CSI, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace, although they are all great shows.

2) Sunset Strip (and Hawaiian Eye) - There is too great an outcry from fans and eventually Warner is going to have to give in and shell out the bucks for the music.

Mine would be any of the following -The DefendersMy World and welcome to itLassie The 60s episodesBurns and AllenRun for your Life

Saturday Night Live

Frank Soyke said:

I'll go with the 2 preceeding posters:

1) Cold Case - too great of a recent series to not be released. The period music made it alot more riveting than CSI, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace, although they are all great shows.

2) Sunset Strip (and Hawaiian Eye) - There is too great an outcry from fans and eventually Warner is going to have to give in and shell out the bucks for the music.

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If you notice on the "Instant Archive" only select episodes are available - I have a feeling that the clearance issue keeping some episodes unavailable. I guess WB is reluctant to issue "Best of" DVD MOD of the shows that ARE clearable.

The Defenders

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Seasons 6 and 7 on pressed disc

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (all 3 seasons) on pressed disc

Darby

Science Fiction Theatre

"Beavis and Butthead" unabridged and uncensored, with all the original music videos.

Our Miss Brooks
Private Secretary

Sgt Bilko - a North America release
Sunset Strip
Hawaiian Eye
Bourbon Street Beat
Surfside 6

MatthewA said:

What's left that has that level of fan interest plus legal circumstances keeping it away from DVD?

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With the 3 shows you mentioned about to come out plus China Beach's recent release, I think there are still plenty of shows that people would like to see that may prove troublesome to release, but none with same high level of fan interest/pop culture icon status.

That said, the 5 troublesome shows I personally would most like to see get worked out and released are:

Burns & Allen (plus the post-Gracie season) - Issues: some episodes are PD; possibly some music issues from that season without Gracie
Dragnet (50s version) - Issue: some episodes are PD
Maude (Seasons 2 - 6) - Issue: music
Chico & the Man - Issue: music
WKRP (90s revival) - Issue: music (While Shout Factory has apparently been willing to try to get as much of the original music as possible for the upcoming release of the original series, I doubt they would be willing to make as much effort for the 2-season revival. It wasn't a great series, especially when compared with the original, but it had some good moments. Plus, the completist in me would like to have the full WKRP saga - if done right.)

In the Children's Shows Department:

The Ken Snyder Duo - Hot Wheels and Skyhawks.

Last two seasons of The Muppet Show

Ed.

If we're going to go for the impossible......

Amos and Andy

rmw650 said:

HEE HAW

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What a nightmare THAT would be to clear musically! 25 seasons.....lol. I'm afraid the best we can hope for is the low-def episodes RFD-TV is showing weekly.