Complete Series vs One-at-a-time for Classic Series (1 Viewer)

[benbess]

In general I'm in favor of a complete series set being available. In a few cases, however, that just doesn't seem practical. For instance, bonanza lasted for 14 years and has 430 episodes. If you put c. 6 episodes on a disc, that would be about 70 discs. Gulp. But obviously that's an extreme example.


For most shows, as I said, a complete series would be welcome. For instance, I've never even seen a full episode of The High Chaparral, but since it lasted for four seasons and 98 episodes, a complete set seems more practical. And, given the acclaim this show has gathered I'd probably do a blind buy at the right price. CBS has done a full high definition transfer and restoration of this show. Hope we get to see it someday! Here's a fan trailer. The music is a bit over the top, but clearly this fan really likes this show:

 

[Dave Lawrence]

In general I'm in favor of a complete series set being available. In a few cases, however, that just doesn't seem practical. For instance, bonanza lasted for 14 years and has 430 episodes. If you put c. 6 episodes on a disc, that would be about 70 discs. Gulp. But obviously that's an extreme example.

It's workable (speaking as a consumer), though I'm sure it would only happen with very popular sure-sellers. For example, the Law & Order (original series) complete box set contains all 456 episodes plus crossover episodes from other series on 104 discs. The Dark Shadows complete set has all 1,225 episodes on 131 discs. The boxes are big, but they don't really take up all that much space. And the costs, if you find the right deals, are much better than all of those individual purchases when added up.


I'm pro-complete sets and would certainly prefer, for example, 1 big Gunsmoke box set with all 20 seasons over getting 39 individual boxes (since I'm sure the remaining seasons will get the 2-volume treatment as all but Season 1 have so far). But considering the slow pace, I'm just happy to get the increasingly rare half-season boxes as they come out. If something like a My Three Sons set were to ever be attempted again, I'd hope it would be done as a complete series set, since at this point I don't trust any company to necessarily continue releasing seasons of any show to the very end. We've gotten lucky recently with Quincy and Hart to Hart finishing their runs of individual season sets, but it looks like Newhart, L.A. Law and others are currently stalled.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

And then we have a situation like Disney, which back in the days of the original Mickey Mouse Club ran two Hardy Boys mini-series. The first, "The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure," has been released on DVD twice, first in a Mickey Mouse Club collectible tin and then through the Disney Movie Club, yet the second mini-series, "The Mystery of the Ghost Farm," has never been released. I wonder what Disney is waiting for? In another 10-15 years most of the people who remember that show will be dead!

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

I'm pro-complete season sets these days, too... due to the factors of the waning disc market; the fact that most of the unreleased series I still want are usually three-seasons-or-less (usually one-season wonders); and that they are things that I do want in total, rather than series in which I have personal cut-of points --where I'd want to pick-and-choose individual seasons to own, rather than having to take the whole kaboodle.


The exceptions, of course, are a few stalled things I'd want a final volume or two to finish off, rather than buy the whole thing again from scratch... like ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, SCTV, ZANE GREY THEATRE, etc... or some of the long-running, non-fiction/variety-type series, like THIS IS YOUR LIFE or ED SULLIVAN, that have no real chance of getting a complete series release.


That said, I wouldn't mind re-buying my half-season-and-done I'M DICKENS... HE'S FENSTER and R1 DVD half-set of THE CHAMPIONS as Complete Series... or a complete, official ONE STEP BEYOND collection, and perhaps a few others.

 

[Brian Himes]

I'm of two minds on this. While I hate double dipping, if there looks to be no other way to get the complete series, I will get the complete series sets for series that I have previously purchased the individual season sets but stalled before reaching the end. If a complete series set is offered first, then I will get that. If individual season sets are what is offered first, I will purchase those.


Given a preference, I would like for complete series sets to be offered first. That way I make one purchase and I'm done. I don't like having a series stall out once I've started it.


Recently, I purchased the complete series set for The Jeffersons. I wasn't going to do so since I already had seasons 1-6 that that was really all I wanted. Then Maude got released and it looked so good sitting next to Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman that I decided that I wanted all of the main Lear shows to have a similar packaging. So, I got The Jeffersons and All In The Family. Now, even though I double dipped, I'm glad I did. I have really been enjoying The Jeffersons seasons 7-11.


Plus, Shout seems to have fixed a few issues with the two and three part Jeffersons episodes. The ones that originally aired as multi part shows are still presented as multi part shows. But the ones that aired as one long episode (albeit an hour or 90 minutes) are presented as they originally aired. This is something that Sony didn't do.