"Don't Do The Crime If You Can't Do The Time"...Baretta hits DVD! (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

As we just announced at TVShowsOnDVD, here is some fast-breaking news about a DVD concerning America's newest celebrity suspect:
If you are a registered user at TVShowsOnDVD.com who wants e-mail updates and has voted for this show, then you will get a note when we have the details of the release posted for these DVDs, and at least one online site to preorder them from.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Wow! Can't say I want Baretta per se, but Universal TV seems to be picking up steam! Gives me hope for Airwolf/A-Team/Leave it to Beaver/etc. Cool news.

 

[MattHR]

I just read an article over at Yahoo! that the production team behind the AUSTIN POWERS franchise is producing a new BIONIC WOMAN tv show for USA Networks for summer 2003. No word on casting, or if the character will be Jaime Sommers or a new one.

This will likely give Universal Studios, who owns USA Networks, an incentive to release the original BIONIC WOMAN series (and SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN) on dvd.

Since Robert Blake has been in the news, it seems that was all it took to get Universal to release BARETTA on dvd. There are many more shows that would probably sell better, with or without the added publicity factors.

Get busy Universal!

 

[David Brent]

Wow - Baretta?

Robert Blake's current notoriety withstanding, this seems like a strange choice for release in these early days of TV shows on DVD.

However, it at least suggests that we'll eventually see TV shows with even the smallest of hardcore followings released onto disk.

Even if the "Best of" disk proves more popular, I'd hope that the box set gets enough sales to encourage companies to continue presenting TV material season-by-season.

David

 

[David Lambert]

Don't sell Baretta short because Universal seems to be capitolizing on Blake's troubles. It's a good show.
I would do this too, in their shoes. If you can EVER sell "Baretta" in the best possible way, it's now...while folks have the guy on their mind. But I think it would sell decently anyway. It was a rather popular show in its day, with decent enough ratings. It won 2 Emmy's and a Golden Globe. Guest stars included Margot Kidder, M. Emmet Walsh, and Meg Foster in the first season alone.
Others in later seasons included Paul Williams, Joyce DeWitt, Mackenzie Phillips, Elisha Cook Jr., Ed Begley Jr., Scott Glenn, Karen Valentine, Bruce Boxleitner, Stacy Keach (Sr.), Sally Kirkland, Lainie Kazan, Erik Estrada, Tommy Lee Jones, Shelly Duvall, Marc Alaimo (something for STS9 fans), Howard Hesseman, Wings Hauser(!), Nancy Parsons, Lana Wood, Gil Gerard, Burt Young, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Slim Pickens, Dennis Quaid, and Brenda Vaccaro. Wow, what a list (some of them rather esoteric if you didn't grow up in the 70's and 80's, but I'll be pleased to see those faces again!). I think this can also have great appeal to mid-generational folk, who might feel that TV on DVD either consists too much of things that their parents watched (Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, Bonanza, Beverly Hillbillies) or things their kids watched (Friends, X-Files, Buffy, Sopranos, South Park, Law & Order).
There's not enough 70's era TV out yet. M*A*S*H is off to a good start, Star Trek: TOS might appeal, Mary Tyler Moore is coming, and Columbia's got 3 shows out (All In The Family, Jeffersons, Sanford & Son). Not much else out there that has general appeal from that time. Baretta would fit the bill nicely, and could lead to other old cop shows like Columbo and Kojak.
Now, I agree that if I'm thinking of TV-On-DVD, there are probably a hundred or so other titles I'd think of first. But I will again emphasize that NOW is the best time to do this particular property, and so I won't blame Universal for that a single bit. It's not hard to understand at all.

 

[David Brent]

Don't get me wrong, David, I'm not knocking Baretta itself. Although not a fan (Baretta was never a big deal in the UK) I'm pleased to see an older drama series arrive on DVD in a season-set format, and agree that now's a good time to market the show.

However, as you say yourself there are loads of other Seventies titles that come more immediately to mind, and might have sold better, thereby encouraging further releases of classic crime dramas.

I probably won't be buying Baretta myself, but I hope it proves a big enough seller to prompt other classic crime dramas from that era, including Ironside, The Rockford Files, Hawaii Five-O, Quincy, etc..

It certainly seems like a very good sign.

David

 

[streeter]

I'm very surprised that Universal has the guts to release this show right now. Needless to say, I'm glad they did.

 

[David Lambert]

"Guts", Michael?

 

[Bryan_ZZ]

I hope Jerry Mathers knocks over a 7-11 store so Leave It To Beaver can come out soon!
Bryan

 

[streeter]

Yep, I think it takes guts. I'm not saying they're wrong in doing so (releasing the series on disc), but I'm willing to bet that once we get closer to the release date, some publications will note the timeliness of the release.

 

[David Lambert]

Like I did with that TVShowsOnDVD news bit?

 

[Greg_S_H]

David, do you think it's a coincidence that many of the TV releases we are now seeing were originally available in another form through Columbia House? Or, could we use the CH releases as a guide for likely future releases?

 

[David Lambert]

Being completely ignorant (and ignoring of) CH's releases, since I can't stand them after my last membership, I am not qualified to say one way or the other. Sorry.
But both CH's and Time/Life's licenced items are, I assume, in jeopardy as the original owners now see Fox's success, as well as others', and now want the profits for themselves!

 

[Greg_S_H]

That's okay. I never joined, myself. I thought about it when they first offered Sanford, though, and I'm glad I didn't.

 

[David Von Pein]

I hope Jerry Mathers knocks over a 7-11 store so Leave It To Beaver can come out soon!

Dang-it! I wish I had said this first! "Excellent."

 

[Greg_S_H]

Unfortunately, Sue Randall has been dead for almost 20 years! She was pretty, but I preferred Ms. Canfield. Diane Brewster was an incredibly gorgeous woman.

 

[David Von Pein]

Unfortunately, Sue Randall has been dead for almost 20 years!

This saddens me! :frowning:
I had no idea Sue had passed on!
Upon further Googling, I find that Greg is indeed correct. Sue died @ the way-too-young age of 49 in 1984. She'd only be 67 today. :frowning:
Link Removed

 

[David Von Pein]

I preferred Ms. Canfield. Diane Brewster was an incredibly gorgeous woman.

Point well taken, Greg! I liked Miss Canfield as well.
Diane Brewster also died WAY too young! She was only 60.
(BTW...Brewster also played Helen Kimble, wife of David Janssen's character, in flashback episodes of THE FUGITIVE, which is another GREAT television series just begging for a DVD release! One of my favorite series of all-time! 120 episodes, most of them excellent! Great music too, by Peter Rugolo.)

 

[David Lambert]

More info about the Baretta releases!

 

[David Von Pein]

Now we need Barnaby Jones, Mannix, MacMillan & Wife, Kojak, Cannon, Toma, Petrocelli, and Starsky & Hutch on DVD.