Early Edition- Stalled?! (1 Viewer)

[Detour (1945)]

Thank you, everyone, for all this information. As an EE fan, who hasn't seen the show since it first aired, I feel I can now pick up the VEI set with solid confidence.

Let's be honest, it's not like someone else is going to release a more complete version down the road.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Found the first music cut, according to the list posted earlier (or maybe it was just PMed to me by a generous poster).

In the episode Saint Nick, there was supposed to be some Dolphin-like singing of Strawberry Fields Forever. I don't recall that appearing in the VEI version. Of course, who expects The Beatles to survive anything, since, thanks to Mad Men, we know the going rate is $250K for one song?

However, there's still plenty of Coolio in the episode "Number One With A Bullet", though. And I looked ahead a bit, and the Martina McBride appearances are still in Play It Again, Sammo. So even the music edits that were predicted aren't as bad as the usual CBS hackjob... minus the damn season 4 theme song, of course. But, if the tradeoff is Time Has Come Today for everything else, well... I'll take everything else.

 

[WhitneyG]

I just got my set. I took a look at D4 D1 just to see what I could find.

401 & 402 have no licensed music, so I skipped them

403 & 404 appear to have the same music as originally, though my ear for instrumentals and opera isn't great

405 (Camera Shy) is missing "Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op 30." The scene is still there, but they use generic music instead.

406 (Wild Card) is missing part of a scene in which Gary sings "Hello, Mary Lou." Lasts about 20 seconds and explains why the VEI version is shorter than the PAX airing.

I'll be checking into these more over the next few days and will report back once I have more figured out.

Update: VEI is batting at less than .500 for S3 from my preliminary look. Nearly every episode that has licensed music appears to be cut. I'll post a full list as soon as I finish them all.

 

[WhitneyG]

My preliminary report on Season 3 in the VEI DVD set:

301: Opera music sill present.
305: Footage cut to remove Patrick singing Strawberry Fields Forever like a dolphin, but other music appears to be intact.
306: Monster Mash music deleted, but footage and dialog appear intact.
312: On-screen singing muted, but strip club music intact.
313: Opening scene's music replaced.
315: My Girl singing muted and minor cuts around it to hide that, two songs replaced, but on-screen covers intact.
316: Didn't check for all of Coolio's stuff, but I did verify that the opening scene was cut to remove the choir singing.
318: Angel replace with a different song.
319: I couldn't locate the time when Crumb sings his navy chant. If anyone knows when this occurs, let me know and I'll check.
320: Lots of cuts to remove singing. I wasn't sure when the Glenn Miller songs are in the episode, so I didn't check for them, but did see that the other three music instances are removed.
322: Music intact.
323: I couldn't locate the Jetsons and Flintstones themes. Does anyone know when they are supposed to play? The reference to both shows is present in the dialog.

I only checked for licensed music. I will check for scene lengths and will update if I find anything non-music related out of place.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

My preliminary report on Season 3 in the VEI DVD set:


319: I couldn't locate the time when Crumb sings his navy chant. If anyone knows when this occurs, let me know and I'll check.

It's in there. Just after he moves in with Gary, when he's in the shower the next morning.

No Flintstones/Jetsons themes in 323.

I have to say, this is the first time I've seen these episodes. I can't spot the cuts without knowing the songs are in there. So, while it's music replacement and edits (as is expected with Can't Buy Songs), it's not an Odd Couple job, at least. It's done well enough that someone who knows the show has to pick it apart, so I'll give 'em that much. No fading to black in the middle of a scene as we saw in Taxi and Odd Couple.

I'm betting the shorter runtime on Fatal Edition part 2 is due to a "previously on" part being cut from the beginning, because that episode starts with the opening credits.

Oh, and this is why I left the music part to someone else, because as I said, first time watching the episodes. I can't tell you anything except the obvious stuff I put together from that partial list. Now, if this were Quantum Leap, I could identify all the music. But Inverse Quantum Leap? Well... the expert has the set now.

 

[Garysb]

So the VEI set is only sold by VEI ? I see Amazon is selling it but it is listed as from VEI and fulfilled by Amazon. No one other than Ebay seems to be selling it online.

 

[WhitneyG]

Thanks, Obsolete Man!

I've gone through the episodes two ways now: 1) Checking for music in known places, and 2) Checking the length of each act against syndicated runs. Here's what I have at this time:

Music replaced: 306, 313, 318, 405, 414, 419, 420
Scenes cut (music related): 305, 406
Music replaced and scenes cut (music related): 312, 315, 316, 320, 418

Missing recaps at start: 408, 414, 418

Plus, of course, the lost of the theme song throughout Season 4.

Unconfirmed stuff:
320: Still unsure how extensive the cuts are, as I don't know the location of the Glenn Miller songs.
323: I couldn't locate the Flintstones and Jetsons music in my syndicated recordings, so I didn't know where to check for them.
403: I couldn't locate Take Me Out to the Ballgame in my syndicated recordings, so I didn't know where to check for it.
421: I Can't Give You Anything But Love is still there, but I couldn't locate the others in my syndicated recording.
422: I think that this is mostly instrumental background music, right? I can't differentiate the background music well, so I'm not sure about this one.

There was some concerns about length due to my previously reported times. After checking some episodes, I think that my recordings are not 100% time accurate encodes. 419, for example, seems to run fast for the first few minutes recorded on PAX. I am fairly convinced that the VEI release is uncut other than for music-related reasons (plus recaps).

 

[WhitneyG]

Update: I was able to confirm that both instances of Glenn Miller instrumentals have been cut from 320.

Garysb: I was only able to locate this from VEI directly, from VEI through Amazon, and from third-parties via eBay. Buying direct from VEI was the least expensive option for me, as they are charging $10 more on Amazon (only $7 difference after paying a handling fee on VEI's website).

 

[Detour (1945)]

Update: I was able to confirm that both instances of Glenn Miller instrumentals have been cut from 320.

Garysb: I was only able to locate this from VEI directly, from VEI through Amazon, and from third-parties via eBay. Buying direct from VEI was the least expensive option for me, as they are charging $10 more on Amazon (only $7 difference after paying a handling fee on VEI's website).

Canadian customers should wait. Though it's not available on Amazon.ca right now, it will be down the road, and for the same price (sometimes cheaper) than from VEI. VEI is a Canadian company, so that may be the reason.

It does take a bit longer, but for those not in a rush, you can save a few bucks and get free shipping.

 

[Neil Brock]

Thanks for all of the info. I don't know if I ever saw the show but my girlfriend likes it so I'll pick up the set. One question I have in reading all of the posts is why don't you guys just compare the episodes with the CBS airings rather than PAX or Chopmark? Wouldn't that make more sense? Surely by the late 90s, when the show aired and VHS tapes were dirt cheap, fans of the show would have all of the episodes recorded off the original run.

 

[LCD22]

One question I have in reading all of the posts is why don't you guys just compare the episodes with the CBS airings rather than PAX or Chopmark? Wouldn't that make more sense? Surely by the late 90s, when the show aired and VHS tapes were dirt cheap, fans of the show would have all of the episodes recorded off the original run.

I've seen on other threads where members here have tried to explain the realities of this to you. There is a number of practical reasons as to why we don't have everything recorded we watch or become a fan of in the VHS taping era. (And it is not as simple as finding someone who does in their collection.) You come off as an arrogant person by making this point every time. If we had all of the original CBS airings of Early Edition, surely we would compare them to VEI's set. Whitney, who is doing a commendable job with what he has, has already made this point.

 

[TVonDVDJunkie05]

It appears as though the Complete series set is only available in the USA?! I have been checking Amazon.ca since it was released but there is no sign of it. Not totally surprising as the 2 CBS sets were USA only releases as well due to CBS only having the rights for the US while Sony holds international rights. VEI would have to negotiate a separate deal with Sony for Canadian rights which I don't see happening due to the smaller size of the market here in Canada. Oh well, I guess I will just stick with my CBS sets as I am not too happy with the fact that VEI has taken a page out of Mill Creek's book by cramming 6 episodes per disc.

 

[bmasters9]

Oh well, I guess I will just stick with my CBS sets as I am not too happy with the fact that VEI has taken a page out of Mill Creek's book by cramming 6 episodes per disc.

Same happened w/my copy of that condensed Cannon all-in-one:

 

[Neil Brock]

I've seen on other threads where members here have tried to explain the realities of this to you. There is a number of practical reasons as to why we don't have everything recorded we watch or become a fan of in the VHS taping era. (And it is not as simple as finding someone who does in their collection.) You come off as an arrogant person by making this point every time. If we had all of the original CBS airings of Early Edition, surely we would compare them to VEI's set. Whitney, who is doing a commendable job with what he has, has already made this point.

Perhaps then I shouldn't have to point out the fruitlessness of comparing a DVD release to already edited for syndication airings.

 

[Friendsfa32]

just because something is for syndication, does not automatically mean it's edited down from the original source...

and as pointed out to you above, we do not have (and or have access to) the original airings to compare....
but we CAN compare the runtime of tv recordings we DO have with any dvd release, to see how much was edited out of either the dvd release, or even from the tv recording, compared to the one on the dvd set.

so, no......
comparing a dvd release with already edited tv versions is not fruitless at all.....

 

[Neil Brock]

As someone who is viewing the series for the first time, I have a question. How does Gary support himself? He lives in a hotel and he doesn't have a job, at least not in the first season, which I'm almost done with. Did he inherit a lot of money or is he independently wealthy?

 

[The Obsolete Man]

As someone who is viewing the series for the first time, I have a question. How does Gary support himself? He lives in a hotel and he doesn't have a job, at least not in the first season, which I'm almost done with. Did he inherit a lot of money or is he independently wealthy?

I believe he was living off of his savings in season 1.

He had a decent job before his wife left him, and so did she, and she didn't seem like the vindictive, take everything he has type.

 

[Neil Brock]

I believe he was living off of his savings in season 1.

He had a decent job before his wife left him, and so did she, and she didn't seem like the vindictive, take everything he has type.

Hotels are expensive. Is it ever explained why he just can't find an apartment? Does he think the cat wouldn't find him? By the way, does the cat ever get a name?

 

[Friendsfa32]

why are you asking questions that will or will not be explained later on in the show.....

that's like watching season 1 of How I Met Your Mother, and THEN asking other people who the mother is.....

 

[WhitneyG]

As someone who is viewing the series for the first time, I have a question. How does Gary support himself? He lives in a hotel and he doesn't have a job, at least not in the first season, which I'm almost done with. Did he inherit a lot of money or is he independently wealthy?

If you really want to know...

Spoiler

In Season 1 he was using his savings to support himself and, if I recall correctly, very limited use of gambling (using the paper to ensure a win) to support paper-related heroics. In the other seasons, he will be gifted a business that Marissa manages and thus have a more obvious source of income.