Anyone else disappointed in the 2018 Holiday Season TV shows on DVD & Blu Ray Announcements? (1 Viewer)

[mrz7]

I realize that this hobby of collecting DVD & Blu Ray release is starting a downward slope, but I really thought there might have been a couple of bigger (complete series) releases from the studios for the 2018 holiday season. Anyone else disappointed in the 2018 Holiday Season TV Shows on DVD & Blu Ray Announcements?

What has been announced is even somewhat disappointing (imo) in quantity and quality.

Most of Fox's DVD releases of the popular shows ("Empire" and "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia") are now MOD DVD-R instead pf pressed DVDS ("Family Guy" and Modern Family" are the only Fox Shows that are getting a retail release)….And whatever happen to The Simpson's next release (Season 19 I think?).

Paramount/CBS only classic TV release is "Love Boat's 4th Season"....which is great....but they have so many other shows they have halted that don't see any movement lately ("Happy Days" in particular). I think "The Beverly Hillbillies" are getting a release too.....not sure....but not one I am interested in.

Shout Factory was a big disappointment for me this year....I was hoping for a big set of a classic tv series in December.....but all were getting from them is a trickling effect of some shows like "Peyton Place". They seem to be going the route of more movie releases lately.

Time Life was another disappointment for me this year with very little series releases....more Christmas Variety shows from Andy Williams and Bing Crosby. Now I am a huge Lucille Ball fan, but what Time Life is offering, I already have (with the exception of the 4 "Life with Lucy" episodes, and the uncut episode of the "Lucy & Desi Comedy Hour" featuring Tallulah Bankhead) which I can't justify the price tag for 5 episodes to add to my collection. Also Time Life is offering A Robin Williams set (their latest announcement) with some of his HBO specials and "Mork and Mindy shows that have already been released on DVD. Time Life is being kind of redundant of what has been already released in their current releases. They did do a single DVD of the "50th Anniversary Special of "The Carol Burnett Show" that was aired last year....which was probably the only thing I was excited about coming from this studio.

And I believe, as far as blu ray releases, there is only 2 that I can think of off the top of my head coming out with a completed series (The Animated "Batman" series and "The Shield").

Now I know the holiday announcements MIGHT still be coming, but I am pretty sure what has been announced, is it. We might have a few one-offs from Warner Archives, but otherwise I think the announcements are done for this holiday season.

Now I might be missing some things, because they are not of interest of me, but I follow the "Friday Roundup" from TVShowsOnDVD on Facebook faithfully (since they no longer have their "very missed" website).....and all I can say about the release announcements ......like the Shania Twain song goes...…"That Don't Impress Me Much".....LOL. That is just my opinion though......just wondering how other posters here on the forum are feeling.....same as me? Or do you think this year has been good year for TV show releases on DVD and Blu Ray? I know, for example, some people were disappointed in last year Holiday Season announcements, but I manage to get 5 holy grail shows off my list last year ("Rhoda", "Coach", "Laugh In", "Angie" and "One Day At A Time"). This year for me had been zilch....zero....none Well at least the wallet will be fuller for hopefully 2019 announcements.

Thoughts? You think there will still be anymore Holiday surprise announcements this year? Has it been a good or bad year for you on the release announcements for 2018 holiday season? Is streaming gaining ground and the quality and quantity of TV Shows being released on physical media keep declining? There is no right or wrong answers, just wanting to know how others on the forum have been feeling.

 

[Sky King]

Scott,

I feel the same as you. There is so much more that is available that will most likely never see the light of day.
I especially am disappointed in the lack of interest shown by companies with releasing more series from the 1950's....Bob Cummings Show, Bachelor Father, The People's Choice, etc.
I have a small collection of Ben Casey episodes and after I finishing watching an episode, I often feel so frustrated that this series, my holy grail. was never released on DVD. Episodes of this fine series is available from vendors like Amazon and Ebay, but I REFUSE to buy these based on poor reviews, The fact that these are even available on the open market without a peep from CBS, shows that they don't care.

 

[tlc38tlc38]

I'm not really disappointed but I'm also not really excited like with previous years.

I'm content with the offerings from Warner Archive (Step by Step, Alice, & Perfect Strangers).

I'm enjoying season 5 of "The Beverly Hillbillies".

As far as my wants, I'm really wanting these shows completed: "Petticoat Junction", "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper", "Amen", "Step by Step", Alice", & "Perfect Strangers"

 

[GMBurns]

It surely seems as if the glory days are over, although I have no real reason to complain. I have so many great shows that I love watching. But there are still a number that I'd love to see, and the deck seems to be stacked against them. CBS, VEI, Shout! and WB are not entirely done, but the steady flow is down to a trickle. It was a ton of fun while it lasted.

 

[JQuintana]

Sadly there just isn't a market for these kind of things, especially on disc. We're well into a generation of people who don't have any interest in either "classic" old TV shows and movies nor do they want to collect pricey discs.

These folks want to watch on their phone and smart TV's assuming they even take the time to do that much anymore. So really there is zero incentive for studios and disc manufacturers to invest in a down for the count format.

Like I mentioned in another thread, the only real hope folks in the must have these old shows world have is hoping AntennaTV or MeTV or similar streaming app gets a hold of the shows and runs them late night.

 

[MatthewA]

Sadly there just isn't a market for these kind of things, especially on disc. We're well into a generation of people who don't have any interest in either "classic" old TV shows and movies nor do they want to collect pricey discs.

So they'd rather have what is essentially DIVX 2.0? They'd rather go back to a time when access was limited to whenever the studio wanted?

 

[JQuintana]

They don't know what Divx was. The reality is that many of the younger generation just don't care as much about collecting movies or revisiting "older" movies. They will find what they want on Netflix or other non-commercial apps and watch if they want. They aren't like us old dinosaurs who feel that they must have every single movie they like or used to like sitting on a shelf "just in case" they want to watch it. Today's world is more of a "meh", in that if it's not online to watch or rent, they move on to the next thing and wait it out, assuming they even care enough to wait,

We are a small group of media dinosaurs here on HTF that don't reflect what the real world actually wants or does. We are a rare breed.

Can't fault the new generation for the on the go methods they use or the lack of interest in movies. It's just how we've evolved.

 

[Bryan^H]

I don't think this hobby is anywhere near dead. Yes, DVD sales are declining, but classic television shows being released on DVD continue to surprise me. This year with The Love Boat season 4, and The High Chaparral seasons 1, and 2 are just a couple examples.

Shout Factory is forgiven for going light this year for the fantastic volume of classics(mostly in attractive complete series sets) they have released in the past few years.

Think positive.

 

[phenri]

I'm mostly disappointed with Warner Brothers. I think the only classic title I've purchased from them all year is A Man Called Shenandoah. Their classic releases have really slowed down.

 

[JamesSmith]

I'm very disappointed. There's been very little news about boxed sets coming out for Christmas. Usually we hear about three months beforehand about big releases.

WB Archives is the mystery. They may be saving something big for the holidays. It would help knowing if they are going to take December off, like they have done in years past. I was thinking that since this has been a slow year (in some ways) that WB Archives might release a big slew of releases to get everyone Christmasy.

As for individual releases, I've really been hoping that the Richard Williams A Christmas Carol, The Great Santa Clause Switch (with Art Carney), and another few odds and ends make it out on digital.

It seems that there's a scent of humbug in the air this holiday season.

James

 

[greenscreened]

Hey, I'm still waiting for seasons or even an episode or two from Sam Nelson's 'The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet project' to start materializing.
Didn't the public funding start around 2011?

Why they need it of course is beyond me, as they certainly have had he money for at least one season (even before the public funding), which would probably pay for the next season, and so on....

Although I must admit I was disappointed with the Shout factory release a while back as the 'A Ball Of Tin Foil' episode had up to several minutes hacked from the opening scene, which incidentally set up and justified the second to last punchline of the episode.

I've had the complete unedited version w/commercials from the early 1980s.
Also, quite a few of the un-cuts w/commercials are available on YouTube, as well as the above one.

I'm not expecting much tho, as this was from the Shout DVD which was boasted 'The Nelson Family Presents...'
I've also read that the 'Tutti Fruitti' number was omitted from it's related episode in the same release.

If that's what I can expect, I'll just visit my O&H collection (about 200 episodes in all, mot uncut and with commercials) which I started taping from 1984, via syndie versions, as well as the un-cut Disney Channel showings, not to mention all the public domain VHS and DVD packages....


To name a few classic shows that immediately come to mind that I would also like to see via 'official releases' are The Burns And Allen Show(s), The Life Of Riley (Bendix), The Jack Benny Show, as well as others in close to pristine transfers as possible.

Of course I'd rather have the actual DVDs in my hand, but perhaps some choice transfers of episodes from lesser-known shows could be available via iTunes (for a limited(?) time, just in case the idea takes off), saving and gaining the studios some bucks in the process.

 

[Bryan^H]

We are a small group of media dinosaurs here on HTF that don't reflect what the real world actually wants or does. We are a rare breed.

Then we are "Dinosaurs" that are keeping this hobby alive with our wallets. No way the continuation of classic series such as "Alice", "The Love Boat", "Gunsmoke", "The Beverly Hillbillies" etc. would continue if the previous seasons didn't sell well.
The complete series of "Little House on the Prairie" was released on Blu-Ray for goodness sake.
I have been collecting TV on DVD since 2001, and I have seen plenty of "dry spells".

 

[JQuintana]

Keep on keepin on my friend. Just don't rely on the current generation to keep the dream alive (or even the generation before that).

 

[MatthewA]

They just released Fraggle Rock on Blu-ray. Blu-freaking-ray! I've collected TV shows on too many tape formats to name, laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray, and even film. If that can happen, then there is still very much a future for physical media releases of TV shows. Shout! is giving my wallet a break after a wave of completions I had honestly given up on. There will be others yet to come. What is over is the era when studios just threw three dozen releases to the wall on the same release date to see what sticks. Now they have an idea of what consumers want. But quality releases take time, and it's better to wait for good work than to do a second-rate rush job.

Not to get political, but there was also a music licensing law the US Congress passed recently that was supposed to modernize the process. Does it affect home video in any way? We shall see.

 

[JQuintana]

There's no doubt there is a market for some of these rarities, but that market is shrinking in big, not small increments now that DVD is almost dead. Probably sooner rather than later the pipeline will shut down and they will at most send the titles to some random streaming service.

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

I plan to go on a DVD buying binge to keep up spirits here!

~Ben

 

[bmasters9]

I have been collecting TV on DVD since 2001, and I have seen plenty of "dry spells".

I've seen my share of them too-- Hart to Hart, St. Elsewhere, and The Fall Guy, among others; Hart to Hart is the only one of those that's been resolved, with the dry spells of St. Elsewhere and The Fall Guy yet to be resolved (don't know if they'll ever be, unless Shout! gets hold of them like they did with Hart to Hart).

 

[jcroy]

I don't even bother buying recent or current tv shows on dvd anymore. Kinda defeats the purpose when they were originally done in hd (or higher) resolution, where it is unavailable on bluray/4kbluray or discontinued on bluray.

 

[jcroy]

Basically "no bluray = no sale" for any recent/current show that is intrinsic hd (or higher) resolution.

 

[jcroy]

I got fed up with tv on bluray shows which became discontinued on bluray and went dvd-only for later seasons, such as the Hawaii Five-0 reboot.