CBS/Paramount Complete Series Craze (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

(This is strictly anecdotal).

I have noticed the disc-reduced low-budget VEI Cannon complete series set has been sitting on the shelves at nearby Walmarts for more than a month, for around $26 a pop. In terms of recent precedents, VEI complete tv series sets usually didn't sit on the Walmart shelves for long periods of time.

If I had to guess, VEI might have mismanaged their inventory for some of their recent disc-reduced low-budget complete tv series sets, and overestimated the demand for them.


Further back in the past, every time I saw VEI released titles at the local Costcos, they would also sit on the shelves for long periods of time (ie. over a month) at basically dump-bin prices.


I suspect these cases are usually signs of overestimating demand and manufacturing too many copies.

I only saw the Cannon Complete Series DVD set at our Wal-Mart the one time. It must be a selective thing.

CHEERS!

 

[LeoA]

Alas it's not a complete series release, but I've seen a combined season 1/2 set for My Three Sons at Wal-Mart in recent days in this style of case that we've seen many of these multi-season CBS reissues appear in.

I wonder if they'll ever get to Combat!. They've seemingly reprinted every other vintage release that previously saw a DVD release that they haven't since licensed out elsewhere (Along with reissuing The Twilight Zone and at least one CBS published release for The Dick Van Dyke Show after the Image license expired for those and Combat!).

Unlike The Dick Van Dyke Show where I feel that Image captured most of the sales that were available (Online, at least), that's one where I have no doubt that Image left sales on the table. Despite at least two complete series releases under the Image banner, it was always expensive and it never seemed to stay available for terribly long.

With bootlegs running rampant on Ebay and vague memories of a few reports at this forum of people suffering disc rot with the early sets for Combat!, an official and economical CBS reissue would be welcome.

 

[jcroy]

Alas it's not a complete series release, but I've seen a combined season 1/2 set for My Three Sons at Wal-Mart in recent days in this style of case that we've seen many of these multi-season CBS reissues appear in.

Sounds similar to the Happy Days seasons 1-6 set at Wallyword.

Another set I wouldn't be surprised by, is if CBS/Paramount releases the first three seasons of Love Boat in one of those giant 24-disc epicpak cases.

 

[BobO'Link]

With bootlegs running rampant on Ebay and vague memories of a few reports at this forum of people suffering disc rot with the early sets for Combat!, an official and economical CBS reissue would be welcome.

I couldn't agree more! I've avoided purchasing that series solely due to all the reports of disc rot and other issues with the pressings. A new pressing, and full series release, from CBS would be most welcome!

 

[jcroy]

I couldn't agree more! I've avoided purchasing that series solely due to all the reports of disc rot and other issues with the pressings. A new pressing, and full series release, from CBS would be most welcome!

If CBS were to do this for Combat!, wonder if they'll just take the lazy way out and just repress the old Image versions of the discs unabridged.


According to the CBS syndication bible, Combat! does not have any HD transfers.

http://syndicationbible.cbstvd.com/series/combat_/combat.htm

(The page hasn't been updated since 2008).

 

[BobO'Link]

If CBS were to do this for Combat!, wonder if they'll just take the lazy way out and just repress the old Image versions of the discs unabridged.


According to the CBS syndication bible, Combat! does not have any HD transfers.

http://syndicationbible.cbstvd.com/series/combat_/combat.htm

(The page hasn't been updated since 2008).

That would stink if that's all they did. IIRC those Image discs were also time-compressed.

 

[Blimpoy06]

Sounds similar to the Happy Days seasons 1-6 set at Wallyword.

Another set I wouldn't be surprised by, is if CBS/Paramount releases the first three seasons of Love Boat in one of those giant 24-disc epicpak cases.

I saw a 75 episode set of Love Boat at Walmart today.

 

[mayberry66guy]

At Walmart this morning, I saw several of these Paramount sets:
The Love Boat: Seasons 1-3 for $39.99 (that's all that has been released in this series)
CSI-Las Vegas: Seasons 1-4 $39.99
Father Dowling Mysteries Complete Series for $19.99
and multi-season sets of Numbers, Streets of San Francisco, CSI:Miami, Dynasty, Perry Mason and others...

 

[jcroy]

Passed by Wallyworld earlier this morning doing my weekly shopping, and noticed they had on the shelves:

Beverly Hillbillies - season 1-4 (19 discs)
the rebooted Hawaii Five-0 - seasons 1-4 (25 discs)
Gunsmoke - seasons 1-4 (24 discs?)

 

[mayberry66guy]

From Paramount/CBS, today Walmart also had:
NCIS: Seasons 9-12
CSI: Seasons 1-4
CSI Miami: Seasons 4-6
Gunsmoke: Seasons 5-7 (guess they went with just 3 seasons since Season 7 begins the hourlong eps.)

Was glad to see the continuation of NCIS and Gunsmoke.

From other distributors, they also had:
Green Acres: Complete Series for $69.99
Green Acres: Season 4 for $14.99
Rat Patrol: Complete Series for $19.99

 

[bmasters9]

At Walmart this morning, I saw several of these Paramount sets:
The Love Boat: Seasons 1-3 for $39.99 (that's all that has been released in this series)
CSI-Las Vegas: Seasons 1-4 $39.99
Father Dowling Mysteries Complete Series for $19.99
and multi-season sets of Numbers, Streets of San Francisco, CSI:Miami, Dynasty, Perry Mason and others...

When I go shopping at my local Wal-Mart in Simpsonville top of November (the top of every month is when I do my grocery shopping), I'll look to see if they have these or similar-- they may or may not.

 

[BobO'Link]

I've checked both WM here for a few of the other titles listed.

No "Just Shoot Me" or "Gunsmoke" S5-7 (I read of this one being seen at WM several months back and look every time I visit with no success). I saw lots of CSI and NCIS. The lone copy of "Green Acres" I left on the shelf a few days back has been sold.

It's possible they had the ones I'm after and I just missed out - there was lots of empty space in the unit holding most of these newer sets, but I didn't look at the shelf tags to see what might have been there simply because they're often incorrect.

I did get "Gunsmoke" S1-S4 several months back and they've not had any more on the shelf since that time. That makes me think that many, if not all, of these sets are rather limited stock items, at least in the stores.

 

[mayberry66guy]

I've checked both WM here for a few of the other titles listed.

No "Just Shoot Me" or "Gunsmoke" S5-7 (I read of this one being seen at WM several months back and look every time I visit with no success). I saw lots of CSI and NCIS. The lone copy of "Green Acres" I left on the shelf a few days back has been sold.

It's possible they had the ones I'm after and I just missed out - there was lots of empty space in the unit holding most of these newer sets, but I didn't look at the shelf tags to see what might have been there simply because they're often incorrect.

I did get "Gunsmoke" S1-S4 several months back and they've not had any more on the shelf since that time. That makes me think that many, if not all, of these sets are rather limited stock items, at least in the stores.

I have probably 8 Walmart stores within a 10-mile radius. Each one seems to stock completely different offerings (after the standard new-release section). One of them NEVER has any of the CBS box sets. And the ones that do have those sets usually never have more than three copies of a specific set--so you have to buy them when you see them cause once they are sold, they never get replenished. And none of these sets seem to ever appear on Walmart.com--or at least the ones I search.

I wish CBS/Paramount would list these sets somewhere on the Internet so their fan base would know what is available.

 

[bmasters9]

I just happened to think of another reason (a very good dollars-and-sense reason) why the Dynasty condensed all-in-one was apportioned the way it was, with the first four seasons' worth in the first case (besides, of course, as jcroy said, the 22-disc EpikPak being the smallest they use, IINM): the first case with the first four seasons' worth in it represents the entirety of Pamela Sue Martin's run as Fallon Colby (1981-84). IIRC, it was also done this way with the Andy Griffith all-in-one (the first five B/W seasons [1960-65, w/Don Knotts as Barney Fife]) being in the first case, and the last three color ones (1965-68, which did not have Knotts as Fife) being in the other.

 

[jcroy]

I just happened to think of another reason (a very good dollars-and-sense reason) why the Dynasty condensed all-in-one was apportioned the way it was, with the first four seasons' worth in the first case (besides, of course, as jcroy said, the 22-disc EpikPak being the smallest they use, IINM): the first case with the first four seasons' worth in it represents the entirety of Pamela Sue Martin's run as Fallon Colby (1981-84).

The Fallon Carrington/Colby character was largely absent in season 5, and also large segments of season 6. IIRC, the Fallon character was recast sometime during season 5 and only appeared in a few cameos towards the end of the season. (Offhand I don't remember how often Fallon showed up during season 7).

 

[mayberry66guy]

For those interested, today Amazon has
Streets of San Francisco: The Complete Series for an incredible low price of $39.26--which is what Walmart sells the Season 1-3 partial set for currently.

 

[bmasters9]

As I said under the "Last TV DVD/Blu-Ray bought" thread, I got the Wal-Mart exclusive of the two Epik Paks from the CBS all-in-one of Dynasty (1-4 [PSM] in first case, and 5-7 in the other) for $60 last Wednesday.

 

[jcroy]

As I said under the "Last TV DVD/Blu-Ray bought" thread, I got the Wal-Mart exclusive of the two Epik Paks from the CBS all-in-one of Dynasty (1-4 [PSM] in first case, and 5-7 in the other) for $60 last Wednesday.

Interesting.

I haven't seen this configuration yet, with two bundled large epicpaks in this manner which are not "complete series sets".

Wonder if there's any other CBS/Paramount sets which are bundled in this manner, which are not complete series sets.

 

[jcroy]

Offhand, the only semi-plausible reason I can think of for CBS/Paramount releasing Dynasty seasons 1-7 in this two epicpak bundle, is if the seasons 5, 6, and 7 dvd sets had really lousy sales over the past several years.

Locally I have frequently seen the season 5 half-season dvd sets littering nearby dump bins over the past several years. (Less often the seasons 6 and 7 half-sets).

 

[bmasters9]

Interesting.

I haven't seen this configuration yet, with two bundled large epicpaks in this manner which are not "complete series sets".

Wonder if there's any other CBS/Paramount sets which are bundled in this manner, which are not complete series sets.

Here is that specific release I got at Wal-Mart; it's much higher-priced than it was when I got it:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynasty-TV...707354?hash=item5d760091da:g:n4IAAOSwK~RZ-fRQ

BTW, this was the last copy they had.

Also, I think I saw one other there that was not an all-in-one-- two Epiks of CSI: Miami (I think it was 6 seasons' worth).