Classic TV shows you'd be happy to have a 'BEST OF" DVD of... (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

Not every show needs full season box sets. Now that the studios have embraced the concept of releasing entire t.v. series, I hope they don't back away from giving us, say, one or two "BEST OF" collections of some of the older classics, just so those of us into nostalgia can have a few episodes. I'm not talking cheesy public-domain-quality discs, but really well-presented ones featuring outstanding episodes of the show. Many of you will not agree with my choices, preferring full seasons (or in some cases, you won't even have heard of them! Shows my age!) Add your own choices, but only add ones you would be satisfied to have BEST OF discs for - a sampling to play just to relive some earlier period. Frankly, I don't even know if the kinescopes/film/tape of the earlier programs still exist...

TOPPER (with Leo G. Carroll)
I'M DICKENS, HE'S FENSTER (with Marty Ingels, John Astin)
PETE AND GLADYS (with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams)
RIN TIN TIN
FOX HOUR OF THE STARS
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS (half-hour and hour shows)
AMOS AND ANDY
BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP
THE BIG PICTURE
CAESER'S HOUR & YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS
CANDID CAMERA (original B&W years)
CAPTAIN VIDEO
CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU
CIRCUS BOY
KUKLA, FRAN AND OLLIE
DING DONG SCHOOL
CAPTAIN KANGAROO
ROMPER ROOM (syndicated)
TERRYTOON CIRCUS (Host Claude Kirschner, New York)
SANDY BECKER SHOW (New York)
ZACHERLY (New York and other regions)
THE BILL DANA SHOW
MAVERICK
LOU GRANT
COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER
ROUTE 66
DAVE GARROWAY
THE DEFENDERS
DEATH VALLEY DAYS
DENNIS THE MENACE
AMERICAN BANDSTAND
ERNIE KOVACS
YOU BET YOUR LIFE (Groucho Marx)
WAY OUT
THRILLER
THE HATHAWAYS
HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL
HAZEL
GALE STORM SHOW
HOOPERMAN
THE INVADERS
TONIGHT SHOW WITH JACK PAAR
JOEY BISHOP SHOW

...I'd better stop here for now, as the list would go on and on. Your suggestions?

 

[JasonPW]

I like all of your choices, being a retro TV fan as I am. I think "best-of"s are good for shows where the full run does not exist or is too large to consider (such as Image's excellent "Howdy Doody" volumes).

I hear a lot of people demanding full seasons of things like "Tiny Toons" or "Animaniacs." I can't imagine a price point or quality level that would make me want to invest in 65 half-hours of something all at once.

 

[Matt_H]

you would have to do a best of captain video right? i think some of those episodes were lost.

 

[StacyV]

Just today I picked up The Greatest '70s Cop Shows, realizing that while I'd like the season sets of Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch, etc., I don't have to have them. Though my fear with a best-of would be that I'd like the sample episodes so much, I'd want to go after season sets of a series if it's available.

 

[John Watson]

I'd go for DVD programs customized - just the eps I want.

There was a discussion on the economics of this somewhere here not too many months ago.

For example, I think about 10 particular episodes of X Files would be just fine, thanks.

I'd like to see a DVD or two of dance/music pieces from the many big variety shows that used to be on TV - who were the June Taylor Dancers anyway?

 

[JasonPW]

The June Taylor Dancers were seen each week in the 50's on CBS' "The Jackie Gleason Show." Gleason was instrumental in arranging Busby Berkeley-style camera angles for the Dancers' ambitious opening production numbers--something the techs said couldn't be done for live TV. Gleason tended not to take no for an answer.

In some "Honeymooners" sketches, which have not seen the same wide release as the "Lost Episodes", the dancers played key roles in a "trip to Europe" story arc.

Gleason repeated the entire story arc--this time with the Kramdens and Nortons singing (??!) their way through Europe--on his late 60's variety show from Miami.

 

[John Watson]

Thanks Jason, "How sweet it was"

I think I posed that question, or at least thought about it, after watching 42nd Street a few weeks ago, so its good to know that.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I think I'd want a best of Car 54, and perhaps I'd be happy with a best of Dobbie Gillis.

Yet, I am conflicted, what if I get a best of collection and some of my favorites aren't on it. What if say there were a best of the Bob Newheart show that didn't include my favorite episode which was the Thanksgiving episode, I think it was called over the river and through the woods. I'm sure it would be on there, but if it weren't that would bum me out, and this scenario is why I have a harder time settling for a best of collection, but definitely for some older shows I'd be more than happy with a best of set especially for some of those that might not see a DVD release otherwise.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Hawaii 5-0. Considering it ran for about 12 or 13 seasons, that's just way too many boxsets.

 

[Brian_L_Kleis]

The two Sid Caesar box sets currently out (3 disks apiece) are great representations of his solo stuff, the early incarnation of Your Show of Shows, what recordings still exist from YSOS, and Caesar's Hour....

YSOS is long notorious for not having kept recordings of the shows as they were broadcast, usually live... I'm a huge Sid fan and these two sets are just about everything you could ask for... Also, includes brief comments from current interviews of Sid and many of the writers on YSOS...

For the uninitiated, the group of writers for Sid's shows included Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Woody Allen and other very recognizable names... Great rewatch value for me...

 

[Randy Gray]

While I prefer entire series over best of of any show (yes I am a TV nut!) I think I'll probably HAVE to settle for best of collections from some shows. Until there is an interest from the studios in satisfying a smaller number of people who WOULD buy entire series over best of collections, I'll have to settle for what they do release. And with some music driven shows I'd like to have (Hee Haw, The Johnny Cash Show,etc.) I doubt I'll EVER see complete runs of those. By the way there is a place online where you can purchase most (maybe all) of the Amos And Andy series on DVD but I'm not sure what the quality is like. Their web page says something like it's the best quality you can hope for or something like that. Also the Abbott And Costello Show is available on DVD as well. I understand the quality of these shows is near perfect. I have some of the VHS versions and they are VERY good quality.

- Randy

 

[ChuckSolo]

I'd love to see them bring out a set of "One Step Beyond" episodes. "Night Gallery" would be nice too.

 

[ScottRichard]

There are some sets of One Step Beyond coming out. I know it was mentioned here somewhere, you might want to try doing a search. They're available for pre-order on Amazon, but they're very confusing. There's several different volumes with different episodes so I really haven't checked into them much yet. Not very helpful I know, but you should be able to find some information on them here.