Any thoughts on Family Affair? (1 Viewer)

[Jefferson]

Season one of the late 60's CBS sitcom Family Affair is to be released tomorrow (june 27) by MPI.
I have been impressed with the MPI tv boxes of Doris Day Show and the sets of Petticoat Junction and Beverly Hillbillies (endorsed by the Henning estate).
They usually have lots of extras, even though the transfers seem to be just average.
Perhaps I'm one of the few people who really loves this show...or loves it's cheesiness. It was corny and dramatic, more than funny...but boy was I hooked when i was 6 years old...the same age as Buffy and Jody.
I can't wait to hear them call for "Uncle Bee-yol".

 

[JohnMor]

I might get this as well. I loved it when I was a kid too, and I might just find myself unable to resist it. I was hoping to read a review of the video quality first.

 

[Randy Korstick]

DVDTalk has a review. It was 3 out of 5 stars I believe for the video quality and they said they look good with the usual color shifts from episode to episode that seem to happen on most older color shows. I can't wait to get my set this has long been in my top 10 TV shows on DVD want list.

 

[Michael Alden]

I just got mine in the mail today from Deep Discount and I can't wait to crack it open. It'll be one of the few sets of the many I buy that I will actually make time to watch! And the good thing about it being released by MPI is that they don't do shit like the majors and tease you with a season and then stop. When these independents start a show they follow through with it. So you know you will see all 5 seasons of this as well as Doris Day, That Girl and whatever else comes from the indies.

 

[mark stevenson]

I watched the 1st few episodes and the special features - a slide show and an interview with Kathy Garver (Sissy). Maybe I'm an old softy - but I had tears in my eyes watching episodes 1 and 2. The sincerity and warmth between Brian Keith and the kids puts a lump in my throat ... The video quality is okay - seems to be transfers from syndication (Universal logo appears at the end of each episode), but there does not seem to be any cuts. Menu has play all or single episode play navigation. Packaging is bare bones - no listing of episode info - just the case and 5 dvds inside - similar to packaging of "Good Morning World". Nevertheless, these shows are so unpretentious and sweet, you can't help but love them. It's good to see Mrs.Beasley again too. The Devol theme and kaleidoscope take me right back to the 60s.

 

[ScottRichard]

I guess I'm an old softy too because those first 2 episodes were killers! I am so happy to see this show again after many, many years! The Sitcoms Online review mentions a single page insert with the episode titles, but my set is missing this, as it sounds like Mark's is too. I'll probably e-mail MPI and ask about it. Glad they kept the original Don Feddersen production logo before the Universal one at the end. Can't wait for future sets. I know there's been no announcement, but Kathy Garver's official website says that Season 2 is scheduled for the end of August. That would be incrediby fast!

 

[Ollie]

I got my set today from Best Buy...had to get a sales clerk to help me find it, since they had it in the "comedy" section rather than the "television" section. They didn't even have it set up on their "NEW RELEASE" display table which had a sampling of all the 6/27 releases.

I bought one of the 3 copies on hand. Doesn't look as if Best Buy expects it to be a big seller, and with it placed in such an obscure location in the store, it doesn't have much chance of being bought as an impulse item!

That said, my set, DID have the one page insert. I sat down with my kids (8, and 10) to watch it. They instantly fell in love with it from the first episode and are now having a Family Affair viewing marathon.

It's great to see these eps that I grew up watching in re-runs as kid.

Thank you MPI and bring on Season 2!

 

[Randy Korstick]

Which is another reason many of us are praying that Anchor Bay has the Home Video rights to Man From U.N.C.L.E. and not Warner Bros. But thats another thread.

 

[JonathanBB]

I looked at two stores and I couldn't find Family Affair, Step by Step nor Alice.

 

[Ollie]

Try Best Buy

 

[Dan-P]

I got mine at Best Buy also. They're a little higher priced than other stores such as Fry's and Costco, but I find that when I can't find something anywhere else, Best Buy will usually have it. If they don't have it, then nobody with a brick and mortar store has it. I watched the first two episodes today and really enjoyed them. Kind of getting my fill of 1960's NY based tv shows lately with this and That Girl - it's amazing how things have changed in 40 years, seems like only yesterday, lol. Anyway, I join with everyone else in being glad that this series is being done by MPI, I'm confident we'll get all the seasons, some extras and it will be done well.

Dan

 

[Demis G]

LOL I clicked thinking it was about Family Matters..

 

[Michael Alden]

Thank goodness it's not.

 

[Bert Greene]

Since MPI items have been rather spottily distributed at my local stores, I went ahead and ordered this set, to be on the safe side. However, I did wind up seeing a copy yesterday at Best Buy.

I do have quite an affection for the series, and I'm looking forward to the set. The first season has quite a number of memorable episodes, as I recall. I don't think I've seen the show un-cut since the 1970s. The series really is a nice mix of sitcom formula and sentimental drama. I think my opinion of it has risen each time I've encountered it over the years (infrequent though that has been; it's never seemed to circulate quite as much as some other 60s sitcoms). I always thought it also had a kind of attractive, surreal flavor, with its decidedly non-menacing NYC, and screaming color schemes. Sort of like a visual candy-store. Yet it still managed to deliver some surprisingly affecting drama, from time to time.

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, that's certainly debatable. I'm still waiting for MPI to release the next set of "Petticoat Junction." The first set has been out over a year now with no indication of any follow-thru at this point.

So they may NOT be any better than the majors.

Given that experience, I will wait until "Family Affair" S2 is on the shelf before I buy S1.

 

[Dan-P]

Regarding Petticoat Junction and Beverly Hillbillies, I believe that MPI has already released everything that they have the rights to. And they did a very nice job with it also. I also hope more of both series will be forthcoming, I believe I read a rumor someplace that BH was in the works, but not from MPI.

Dan

 

[Randy Korstick]

Yes and it was well publicized on many websites including this one that MPI would only release the one collection of Petticoat Junction and 2 Collections of Beverly Hillbillies because that is all they have the rights to. Paramount holds the rights to the rest of those series. So this does not apply and should not have been any surprise until Paramount decides to release the rest. MPI does have the rights to all 5 seasons of Family Affair.

 

[Michael Alden]

Just watched the first 2 tonight. Really brings back some elementary school memories from Monday nights. Classic show.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Okay, this thread validates the thread I started titled "Should the Major Studios Just Give Up?" Because I wrote in that thread that the major studios don't know what the hell they're doing in terms of releasing classic tv material--don't know how to package it, don't know how to schedule it and/or release it. MPI knows how to do it, but then they'd have far more at stake if the thing bombed. Anyway, it sounds like Family Affair was done right and is pleasing the fans that want it. Sounds good to me. That Girl seemed to have a similar reception. If only MPI had the rights to some of the other older shows that I like...

 

[Bernard O'Neill]

I was wondering if the short-lived remake of this series on the WB from a few years ago was available. I discovered something interesting last week: The girl who played Buffy on the remake series currently has a film in production where the grown-up version of her character is played by Sarah Michelle Gellar: So one TV Buffy actually becomes the other! How about that?