Did Columbia House have better quality control? (1 Viewer)

[Wiseguy]

There was one edited episode on the Columbia House Soap VHS Collection, the episode near the beginning of the third season when Benson left. (Third episode Tape #13).

 

The Wonder Woman episode "The Deadly Dolphin," from Season 3, is unedited on the Columbia House vhs but is missing several minutes on the dvd set.

 

[Wiseguy]

Usually if an episode on a Columbia House tape was edited, it was the syndicated version included either by mistake or it was the only version immediately available. The previously mentioned Soap episode (Tape 13, 3rd episode) was one example. At least volumes 2-5 of Barney Miller had one syndicated version on each tape including the pilot episode. Although it is possible to have a syndicated version on DVD (Mission: Impossible Season 3 The Contender Parts 1 & 2) many if not most edits on a DVD are because of other issues, usually music rights issues. Three episodes of Soap's first season are edited because of a part of a song sung (or in one case, hummed) by a character and Sony/Columbia didn't want to pay the rights to use the song. An episode of Hawaii Five-0 (third season, "Trouble in Mind") was cut because singer Nancy Wilson sung part of a song. Mistakes might also account for parts missing: in one episode in the first season of Soap, the scenes from the previous episode is missing. I see no reason for that except for a mistake.

 

[skees53]

I think the problem with the last season of Soap missing the scenes from the previous episodes has to do with Sony being a bit overzealous (at that time) about removing any sort of recap for previous episodes. So many Sony DVD releases of that era invariably had recaps of previous episodes chopped out and I honestly believe that somebody (unwisely) decided that those were "unnecessary" because it is the DVD set, and what you missed from the previous episode was right there immediately before it on the menu.

 

[Brian Himes]

Because neither the DVDs nor the Columbia House tapes were complete I put together my own DVD set of Soap. I used the Columbia House VHS tapes, my Comedy Central All The Soap In The World Marathon tapes, and the DVDs to assemble an almost complete set of the entire series. The set even includes all three on the 90 minute recap specials. All of the episodes were reconstructed back into their original 30 minute running times. As many know, there are a few 1 hour episodes that were nothing more then two episodes cobbled together. The first two episodes of season two, the last two episodes of season two, the final two episodes of season three and the last eight episodes of season four. The only tiny, tiny piece of footage I'm missing is from the second episode of the second season. After the recap of the previous episode (In the last episode of Soap...), and the opening credits there is the establishing shot to the Duns River courthouse and the announcer says, 'We begin this episode where we left off, with Jessica about to be sentenced.' The only place that I could have had that was from the Comedy Central marathon, but their tape was messed up in that spot and it was edited out. So, my DVD set of Soap is 99.99% complete. I'd like to get that bit of missing footage, but I seriously doubt I ever will. One of the most difficult segments to reconstruct is a scene from season four between Jessica and Mary at the Doctor's office. They mention Cosmopolitan Magazine. On the Columbia House tape the word is scrambled. That bit of dialogue is edited out of the DVD and it was edited out of the syndicated prints of the show. Because the scene falls within the final eight episodes of season four, (and the way that ABC cobbled the episodes together the order of the scenes are rearranged and one scene is actually repeated) the scene transitions to another scene (in the original 1 hour airing) instead of fading to black for commercial (as was intended if the episode had been shown in the original 30 minute construction). Reinserting that tiny bit of dialogue back into the scene was very tricky. Most of the reconstruction had to do with splitting the 1 hour episodes back into their intended 30 versions. I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to Soap.

 

[MatthewA]

I still have the DVDs of Soap for this reason. I also still have my Columbia House VHS tapes of Sanford and Son and Good Times with unedited episodes that were cut on the Sony DVDs.

 

[mrz7]

I love "Soap". It is true....when Columbia House released the VHS tapes of "Soap", they were more complete than when Sony released the DVD's (the 4 individual Season sets....and the "supposedly" complete series DVD set....which is not complete at all!!!). There is alot missing from the DVD sets....some due to music rights...which is becoming more and more absurd. And even though Columbia House VHS tapes did not include the three 90 minute specials, two of those specials were released on VHS (season 1 recap and season 3 recap). The only special I am missing is the 2nd season recap. None of these specials have been released on DVD (which I thought, Sony might have included them on the "Complete Series" DVD set....but it was not). You would think as technology improved we would get the full finished product. But no there is always an anchor in the way (music rights, etc....). I am so happy I did to backup my old Columbia House VHS tapes to DVD!!!

 

[Brian Himes]

Backing up my Columbia House tapes and the two 90 minute specials tapes was how my project initially got started. Then I decided to take it a step further and reconstruct the series as it should have been done in the first place.
I have the 2nd season recap special. I got it years ago from another Soap fan who got it on the trading circut. It is complete right along with the origianal commercials and commercial bumpers. The picture quality is about a 2nd maybe 3rd generation. It's not perfect by any means, but it is still very, very watchable. I feel the special gives Benson a better send off then the acutual series proper.
After I finished my project, I discovered that I had three additional scenes that didin't fit anywhere. These were scenes from the final eight episodes that ABC re-edited and cobbled together to make four one hour shows to burn off the rest of the series. As ABC was trimming off the 'in the last episode of Soap' openings, opeing credits, recaps and ending credits from four of the episodes they needed additional footage to fill out the running time. I believe that these three scenes, along with the use of one scene twice (Mary at the Doctor's office with the Scotty...'He makes those alien sounds aliens make'...LOL!) were meant to have been cut. Within the context the episodes in which they appear, they kind of serve no real purpose and seem to be a bit incomplete. In my reconstruction I used the 30 minute versions as they appeared on the 4th season DVD. That was how those episodes were meant to be shown before ABC meddled wtih them.

 

[DeWilson]

Someone really needs to make a list of all the episodes on the CH tapes that were edited on the subsequent DVD releases.
(Good thing I kept my ROUTE 66 CH Tapes!)

 

[Brian Himes]

Now I don't know episode numbers, but I do know what is missing and added compared to both DVD and Columbia House tapes.
Episode 2 on the Columbia House tapes is complete but cut on the DVD set. It's missing a couple of seconds (or more) where Jodi is singing 'There's nothing like a dame." There are two episodes on the season one DVD set that are syndicated versions but they are complete on the Columbia House tapes.
One episode from season three on the Columbia House tapes is a syndicated version but it is complete on the DVD set.
All of the final eight episodes of the 4th season on the Columbia House tapes are the cobbled together 1 hour episodes. These same episodes are complete (except for the 'In the last episode of Soap' openiongs) on the season 4 DVD set in their original 30 minute versions. As far as I know. In fact, all of the recap openings are missing on the season 4 DVD set.
The season two premier episode, season two season finale, and season three season finale episodes on both the DVD sets and Columbia House tapes are the cobbled together 1 hour versions. Therefore each of them is missing some recap openings, closing recaps and credits. At this time, these are only available on off the air recordings.
The season 4 hour long versions also contain three scenes that we not supposed to be a part of the episode in their 30 minute versions but were used to round out the run times becasue of the missing opening and closings. Also one scene is used twice. Additionally, within these eight episodes there are five scenes with one or two additional lines of dialogue. These extended scenes are on the Columbia House tapes but not on the DVD set. Since ABC put those 1 hour episodes together, it is unknown if these sight trims happened when the shows were then re-edited into their 30 versions or these were moments that were always meant to be cut but left in for time. Finally, during one conversation between Jessica and Mary they mention Cosmopolitan Magazine. On the Columbia House tapes the word Cosmopolitan is scrambled. On the DVD set, the lines of dialogue are completely edited out. So, over all season 4 is in the worst shape as far as complete on either Columbia House or DVD.
Additionally, all three of the 90 minute recap specials are completely missing from the DVD sets and Columbia House tapes. Two of these were released on VHS as 'Best of Soap' tapes. These are the season 1 and season 3 recap shows. The season 2 recap show is only available from off the air recordings on the trading circuit.
To the best of my recollection, this is everything that was changed or edited for the various releases of Soap. To date, the actual real complete series has not been released. As staed in my above post, I did manage to assemble all of the pieces needed to reconstruct the series correcly. The only very small piece I don't have is from the very beginning of the second episode of the second season. The establising shot of the Courthouse and the announcer saying 'We begin this episode of Soap where we left off, with Jessica about to be sentenced.' Since this episode appears on both the DVD set and Columbia House tapes as part of the 1 hour version, this piece is also missing on those sets. I may be faulty in my memory of that episode but I do seem to recall the episode having that when it was in syndication. I haven't seen the show in syndication in so long I can't be 100% sure.
The rest of the stuff listed here I'm just about 100% sure of. I would have to go back a rewatch my homemade DVD set to be 100% sure.

 

[Wiseguy]

There is also a few seconds of the Godfather humming a few bars of a song in the steam room after Danny leaves cut out. In a later first-season episode, there is a scene with Bob singing a song about trees that is cut out. (This may have been on one of the episodes that a syndicated version is included where it was already cut out but even if the full version had been on the DVD the song would have undoubtedly been cut out anyway.)
You don't mention the hour-long recap in the middle of the first season. It was similar to the recaps at the end of the seasons but only an hour long.
I didn't remember any announcement at the start of episode 27 (Season 2, #2) so i checked an old tape with the syndicated version and there is no announcement. The scene is exactly as on the Columbia House VHS tape except the created by/written by/directed by credits are superimposed over the beginning.
It was the last 10 episodes that were combined into hour episodes by ABC not 8.

 

[Brian Himes]

There is also a few seconds of the Godfather humming a few bars of a song in the steam room after Danny leaves cut out. In a later first-season episode, there is a scene with Bob singing a song about trees that is cut out. (This may have been on one of the episodes that a syndicated version is included where it was already cut out but even if the full version had been on the DVD the song would have undoubtedly been cut out anyway.)
You don't mention the hour-long recap in the middle of the first season. It was similar to the recaps at the end of the seasons but only an hour long.
I didn't remember any announcement at the start of episode 27 (Season 2, #2) so i checked an old tape with the syndicated version and there is no announcement. The scene is exactly as on the Columbia House VHS tape except the created by/written by/directed by credits are superimposed over the beginning.
It was the last 10 episodes that were combined into hour episodes by ABC not 8.

For a few of these instances I will have check my Columbia House tapes to see if the things you mentioned are present on them or edited.
So, the second episode of the second season as I reconstruced it is complete. Good.
Sorry, I couldn'tr remember off the top of my head how many of the final episodes had been combined into hour shows. 10 and not 8.
As for the hour long recap in the middle of season 1, I don't recall ever seeing it and didn't find out about it until about 10 years ago. I just forgot all about it. Did it contain any newly filmed scenes like those filmed for the 3 90 minute recap shows?
Like I said above, it's been a long time since I watched the sereis. The last time was when I was making my DVDs.

 

[Brian Himes]

Ok, I did some checking.
The Godfather scene is episosde 2 of season 1. The humming at the beginning of the scene and the humming/singing at the end of the scene is there on the Columbia House tapes.
Epsisode 15 of season 1 has Bob singing about trees. The scene is complete on the Columbia House tapes. This episode and episode 16 (I believe) are the two episodes that appear on the season 1 DVD set as the syndicated versions.

 

[Wiseguy]

Yes, I have the Columbia House tapes but not the DVDs. So I'm not sure what's on the DVDs except what I hear from those who do.
What I meant about the Godfather scene is I believe the humming was cut off the DVD version. That's what I have heard. Everything broadcast on ABC is on the Columbia House tapes except for the one syndicated episode.
All these songs were real show tunes (Susan Harris was big on show tunes) so as I said the trees song probably would have been cut out of the DVD had the full version of the episode been included. What's odd on the syndicated version is that they cut out Bob singing (to allow for more commercials not for music issues) but left in the part where Chuck tells him to be quiet.
I only saw the mid-first season recap once when it aired but as far as I can remember it was the same format as the end of season recaps. The cast was in character remembering what led up to Peter's killing with scenes from the episodes aired up to that point edited in. Definately part of the series and should have been included on the DVDs.

 

[DeWilson]

So, what about other series?

 

Well, I mentioned the one Wonder Woman episode. Others have teasers/recaps that aren't on the dvds.

 

[MatthewA]

Sanford and Son had an episode from the final season called "A Matter of Silence" that was uncut on the Columbia House tapes, but cut on the Season 6 DVD set.

Good Times has three uncut episodes from the Columbia House tapes that are cut on the DVDs: "Florida's Homecoming: Parts 1 and 2" and "Florida's Favorite Passenger: Part 2", both from Season 6.

I don't have the tape, but I have heard reports that one episode of The Facts of Life on DVD, entitled "Homecoming" from Season 1, is missing a 30-second scene that was on the Columbia House tape release. I have also heard this about an episode of All in the Family, but I can't remember which one.

Sony seems to have had the most problems with this. I also had to exchange tapes semi-frequently because they wouldn't play. Ironically, some of the Columbia House tapes had cut episodes that are uncut on the DVDs!

 

[Tony Int]

All of Charlie's Angels 2 hour episodes are presented as 2 hours and are complete and uncut on Columbia House while the dvds are split into 2 parts and are syndicated prints.

 

Are all of the 2-hour episodes on vhs?

 

[Ethan Riley]

Now I don't know episode numbers, but I do know what is missing and added compared to both DVD and Columbia House tapes.
Episode 2 on the Columbia House tapes is complete but cut on the DVD set. It's missing a couple of seconds (or more) where Jodi is singing 'There's nothing like a dame." There are two episodes on the season one DVD set that are syndicated versions but they are complete on the Columbia House tapes.
One episode from season three on the Columbia House tapes is a syndicated version but it is complete on the DVD set.
All of the final eight episodes of the 4th season on the Columbia House tapes are the cobbled together 1 hour episodes. These same episodes are complete (except for the 'In the last episode of Soap' openiongs) on the season 4 DVD set in their original 30 minute versions. As far as I know. In fact, all of the recap openings are missing on the season 4 DVD set.
The season two premier episode, season two season finale, and season three season finale episodes on both the DVD sets and Columbia House tapes are the cobbled together 1 hour versions. Therefore each of them is missing some recap openings, closing recaps and credits. At this time, these are only available on off the air recordings.
The season 4 hour long versions also contain three scenes that we not supposed to be a part of the episode in their 30 minute versions but were used to round out the run times becasue of the missing opening and closings. Also one scene is used twice. Additionally, within these eight episodes there are five scenes with one or two additional lines of dialogue. These extended scenes are on the Columbia House tapes but not on the DVD set. Since ABC put those 1 hour episodes together, it is unknown if these sight trims happened when the shows were then re-edited into their 30 versions or these were moments that were always meant to be cut but left in for time. Finally, during one conversation between Jessica and Mary they mention Cosmopolitan Magazine. On the Columbia House tapes the word Cosmopolitan is scrambled. On the DVD set, the lines of dialogue are completely edited out. So, over all season 4 is in the worst shape as far as complete on either Columbia House or DVD.
Additionally, all three of the 90 minute recap specials are completely missing from the DVD sets and Columbia House tapes. Two of these were released on VHS as 'Best of Soap' tapes. These are the season 1 and season 3 recap shows. The season 2 recap show is only available from off the air recordings on the trading circuit.
To the best of my recollection, this is everything that was changed or edited for the various releases of Soap. To date, the actual real complete series has not been released. As staed in my above post, I did manage to assemble all of the pieces needed to reconstruct the series correcly. The only very small piece I don't have is from the very beginning of the second episode of the second season. The establising shot of the Courthouse and the announcer saying 'We begin this episode of Soap where we left off, with Jessica about to be sentenced.' Since this episode appears on both the DVD set and Columbia House tapes as part of the 1 hour version, this piece is also missing on those sets. I may be faulty in my memory of that episode but I do seem to recall the episode having that when it was in syndication. I haven't seen the show in syndication in so long I can't be 100% sure.
The rest of the stuff listed here I'm just about 100% sure of. I would have to go back a rewatch my homemade DVD set to be 100% sure.

The worst episode on all of the dvds is, I think, Season One, Episode 16. The episode with William Daniels playing Heinrich Himmel is cut to shreds on the dvd, but intact on the Columbia House version.