60's TV Shows Why is this Era Ignored? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Scarpa]

I made this Comment in the "Joey" thread and I'll put it herre for the Membership to comment on. Why is the 60's Era Vastly ignored in the TV On DVD Craze? I keep seeing current shows like Joey getting Released, but where are the Get Smart's, Time Tunnel's , Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Wild, Wild, West, Mission Impossible, Odd Couple, etc. If a 50's Rarely seen Classic Like "Have Gun Will Travel" can sell Well enough to Warrant a Second Season ( I Love that show too !) Certainly a show Like MI or Wild Wild West can do well.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I think we *will* get the "The Wild, Wild, West" and "The Odd Couple" at some point.

The problem with "Mission: Impossible" is that it's terribly dated at this point since about 70% of the shows revolved around the Cold War. Also, almost all of the technology that drove many of the plots in those shows would seem outdated as well. (Of course, the same arguments could be applied to the early James Bond movies, and they remain popular.)

I don't know what the deal is with "Get Smart". You would have thought that the success of the Austin Powers franchise several years back would have almost demanded its release.

It should be pointed out here that the original Star Trek TV series from the 60's has already seen not one, but two, full series releases to DVD, so the 60's era is not being totally ignored.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I don't think that you can count Star Trek as it goes beyond just a 60's series, a more correct comparision would be Lost in Space. Still I think the era is under represented

 

[JohnMor]

While I certainly would love to get The Wild Wild West sooner than later, I don't really feel the era's being ignored. So far we've gotten:

The Dick Van Dyke Show - all 5 seasons
Combat! - seasons 1 - 4
Lost In Space - all 3 seasons (season 3, part 2 coming in July)
The Andy Griffith Show - first 2 seasons
Green Acres - first 2 seasons
Gilligan's Island - all 3 seasons (season 3 coming in July)
Mr. Ed - 2 official "Best Of" compilations
That Girl - 1 official "Best Of" compilation
Dark Shadows - volumes 1 - 18 of 25 for the series (40 episodes per volume)
Bewitched - season 1 coming this month (June)
The Doris Day Show - season 1 coming this month (June)
The Beverly Hillbillies - Volume 1 of official "Best Of" compilations coming this summer
Petticoat Junction - official "Best Of" compilation coming this summer

Granted, so far the releases are a bit sitcom heavy, but I think the other shows are coming, especially TWWW. They seem to be picking up steam on the 60's front in the last year. I bet next year will see even more.

Also, since The Odd Couple debuted in 1970, I'd really call that a 70's show, along with The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Partridge Family, which also debuted the same month.

 

[Bob Hug]

I think that the major studios are very slowly coming around to the realization that DVD releases of older shows can be profitable. I'm actually optimistic that we'll continue to see more. Next Tuesday will see the release of Dragnet 1967 (Universal) and Wanted: Dead or Alive (New Line). I'd also like to see more licensing of older titles if the major studios are skittish about the financial prospects. For example, Image Entertainment has done a mostly good job with older titles like Combat!, Naked City, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Twilight Zone.

 

[JohnMor]

Oops, I missed:

The Joey Bishop Show - season 2
The Outer Limits - seasons 1 & 2 coming next week.

 

[Bob Hug]

Add these to the list:

Bonanza (an official "Best of" compilation from Artisan)
I Spy
The Monkees
My Favorite Martian
The Outer Limits
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Hogan's Heroes
Secret Agent a/k/a Danger Man
The Saint
The Avengers
The Munsters

I'm sure that there are few more that I've missed. It's definitely not all "doom and gloom" as far as the Sixties go though it definitely could be better.

 

[Sam Favate]

That doesn't seem to have been a problem with the likes of The Avengers or Secret Agent/Danger Man. A&E's releases of those shows appear to have been a success.

I think the problem is that studios may not realize the potential in those '60s series. Their target demographic buying audience is probably younger, so they might not think that kids in their 20s would want anything older than 1980.

I think they're wrong, and I think that older fans would snap up DVDs of their favorite shows -- particularly shows that are no longer being shown in syndication.

 

[LarryDavenport]

Don't forget the Prisoner.

 

[Garysb]

Locating complete (non syndicated) elements and the need for restoration for these 40 year old programs is also probably needed. The studios need to weigh the cost of this against what people are willing to pay for the season sets. Cost of music rights also needs to be figured in.

 

[Scott_F_S]

Agree with Garysb ... my guess is that the process of gathering source materials and getting them ready for release would be so costly, it would not be profitable. Can't blame the studios for that.

 

[TravisR]

The Twilight Zone is available on DVD (twice).

 

[JohnMor]

Wow! I knew I was missing a lot. Totally forgot about all those! Thanks Bob.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Dave, I hear you You mentioned several that I'm waiting for some day. I have to think that MI is coming soon because of the movie remakes if for no other reason. Also, the 2 "Irwin Allen" productions that you mentioned (Time Tunnel, Voyage...) since they released Lost In Space earlier. I'd have figured that these 2 would have followed Lost In Space but...

"When someone figures out the TV/DVD industry, let me know" :rolleyes

 

[JeffT.]

I think that the initial poster in this discussion thread makes a very valid point considering that the 1960s is (widely considered) the zenith of the (so-called) Golden Age of Television and since then (in my opinion) television really hasn't been the same...or nearly as good!

The COMBAT! (ABC 1962-67) DVD series released through Image Entertainment doesn't really count as the video transfers used for the first four seasons were absolute garbage albeit it's alleged that the forthcoming season five (1966-67) two campaign sets will be more properly handled utilizing superior source elements. It had better be!

The same also applies to the My Favourite Martian (CBS 1963-66) DVD collection distributed by Rhino Home Entertaiment which did this very much on the cheap and failed to secure complete prints for five (not four as was reported on the packaging) of the second season (1964-65) episodes which are all available in their untampered 25 minute versions incidentally. Obviously they didn't look very hard.

20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment's absolute lethargy toward the Irwin Allen 1960s SF tv franchises and failure to move ahead on quality DVD releases of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (ABC 1964-68), THE TIME TUNNEL (ABC 1966-67) and LAND OF THE GIANTS (ABC 1968-70) is a complete joke...admittedly a bad one on these classic SF tv franchises' global...yes worldwide fandom that is still anxiously awaiting for some encouraging news about just when it can be expected to see these particular shows finally marketed on DVD.

Just to cite a concrete example on this (critical) viewpoint with only a mere 9 episodes being made available in the forthcoming LOST IN SPACE, THIRD SEASON, VOLUME TWO 3-disc DVD box set due out on July 19th, 2005 why didn't Fox Home Entertainment include a fourth disc with bonus episodes of VOYAGE, THE TIME TUNNEL and LAND OF THE GIANTS to serve as a kind of foretaste of what lies ahead? It probably never even occurred to them.

If this isn't blantant shortsightedness than what is?

And THE INVADERS (ABC 1967-68) well...it can't even be seen in tv syndication in North America anymore!

The final indignity is the (continued) online news of just what is being made available! Oh brother! Talk about boring and complete lack of imagination! This is all the sad conceit of the executive decision makers who are arrogantly selling but not buying and making available what they just happen to think will go with the public.

There's definitely got to be some kind of major shakedown forthcoming here and I commend responsible fans like Dave Scarpa who are taking the initiative in addressing this unacceptable state-of-affairs and raising a valid concern about the (unjust) situation that enthusiasts of bona fide classic television have been faced with. It is only through our (relentless) vocal complaints and criticisms targeted at these major DVD distribution companies that any genuine progress and satisfactory resolution will actually be accomplished.

The struggle continues!

Jeff T.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Yep, I agree 100%. "They just don't make 'em like they used to"

It "gets to me" as well...the wait for some of these classic series that I'd have figured would have been released by now. I just can't get the connection that Lost In Space is already out there and the other Irwin Allen series' aren't.

 

[Lynda-Marie]

I am not sure if "outdated technology" of the gadgets in shows like Get Smart or the James Bond movies really has any impact on their popularity. To some of the hardcore, up-to-the-minute techno-geeks, it might make a difference. But to those who enjoyed the shows, the gadgets are secondary to the "whole picture."

After all, there were no PCs or cell phones in World War II, yet Hogan's Heroes is incredibly enjoyable. It is actually quite amusing to see how they get some of their gadgets to also be gags - the extendible radio antenna/flagpole on Klink's office, the bug in Klink's office actually part of the photo of Hitler, the coffeepot/listening device in Hogan's quarters, with the basket being the amplifier and part of the comedy of that device, the troubles they have with some ignorant person using it to make coffee, etc.

But I do have to agree with the originator of this thread that there should be more 60s shows released. After all, the folks who remember those shows have money to spend on DVDs, just like the folks who like the latest releases.

 

[Charles Ellis]

I'm still waiting for:


The Untouchables
Peyton Place
Wild Wild West
Man (and Girl!) from U.N.C.L.E.
All of the other Irwin Allen shows
the "Four Star" productions(The Big Valley, Honey West, Burke's Law)
Mission: Impossible
He & She- possibly the best one-season sitcom ever. If you want to know the ancestry of shows like Mad About You, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Bob Newhart Show, it all began here. The writing for this show has had a long influence.
The FBI- A possible inspiration to Dick Wolf and his Law & Order shows.
My Three Sons I must admit that I grew up on the CBS episodes, having been born during the show's transistion from B&W/ABC to color/CBS. (Now you know how old I am- I hit the big 4-0 next week!)
Family Affair
Lawrence Welk- A guilty pleasure. As a kid I thought it was the corniest thing on TV- in those pre-MTV days, I watched American Bandstand, the Midnight Special, Soul Train and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. As an adult, I can appreciate what Mr. Welk, Norma Zimmer, Myron Floren, the Lennon Sisters, Anacani, Tom Netherton, Guy & Ralna and others were doing- they were putting on an MGM musical revue every Saturday night. I watch the PBS reruns, and a DVD release would be nice.

And of course, the two most wanted 60s classics that are wrapped up in rights issues:

Batman and Get Smart!!

 

[JeffWld]

Another major issue is the fact that an influential portion of TV/DVD industry employees (studios, distributors, marketing execs) are so young, they still have to put a cushion on their chairs to see over the desk. Their idea of "vintage" television is another "Buffy" box set.

Despite the 60's issued titles listed here by other posters, it still represents a minute fraction of the thousands of potential titles that will likely never even reach the "under consideration" stage by major studios.

Luckily, there are some dedicated individuals who are currently working with smaller independent companies to bring to DVD some of the less-popular-but-still-worthy programs from the 50's and 60's.

 

[Bob Hug]

I know that it's just a crumb, but a single episode of Burke's Law ("Who Killed Jason Shaw?") fell into the public domain and is available on DVD from Platinum Disc Corporation on a TV/Movie Detectives compilation and also from Diamond Entertainment on a classic TV compilation titled "T.V.'s Lost Shows." Love 'em or hate 'em, sometimes these public domain compilation sets are the only way that you can see episodes from classic series on DVD (at least for the time being).