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Enough already Fox. Are we EVER going to see WKRP released? (1 Viewer)

HenryDuBrow

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Since the show was made in days before DVD, I don't think we can blame them for not getting the rights to certain songs. To simply demand they're all there now, would be a bit too anal IMO.
 

Scott Merryfield

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I think we all understand why obtaining the music rights is so difficult. However, that does not change the fact that replacing the music for this show will significantly alter many scenes. While I can appreciate that it may not be feasible to purchase all the music rights necessary to keep the show intact, that does not mean that I am going to spend my own money to buy a show that is very different from the one I enjoyed watching in its original form. I do not think that is being anal.
 

Michael Allred

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Man, I haven't seen this show since I was a kid!

Can anyone here tell me, since I cannot remember back that far, if WKRP ever used a song by Queen?
 

Nelson Au

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Would Gord have any information if Fox might release the entire series at once? Perhaps the Get Smart set spoiled me, it's nice to have it all at once! But I'm not holdong my breath.:laugh: I am more curious how the music issue turns out.
 

Gord Lacey

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Nope, they won't do this one as a complete series set like Get Smart. There are way too many factors to deal with here (music replacement, and whether the fans will support the release).

Gord
 

Jeff*H

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We wouldn't be crazy for failing to support a WKRP DVD release that does not preserve the integrity of the show (i.e. removing scenes to avoid music licensing costs, song substitutions that are integral to the storyline, voiceovers). Hopefully this will not be the case, but I think we would be crazy to support a bastardized version of the show. I will be happy to support a release that doesn't have these potential caveats.
 

Mark Talmadge

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I have to agree. This is as close to seeing the series released as we're ever going to get and I'll definately be buying this set, if "The Price is Right."
 

AndrewWickliffe

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While I agree removing scenes would be a deal-breaker, I'm not sure if deciding to boycott a release is at all productive...

Has there ever been an instance where fans boycotted a release and the studio came back with a fixed release? If not, what's the point of boycotting, except to ruin people's chances for enjoying the second and third seasons... beyond enjoying, of course, WKRP is a culturally relevant show that more people ought to have the opportunity to discover, even if it is almost thirty years old.
 

george kaplan

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You're entitled to your opinion, but I refuse to accept the label. Frankly, I think it's the 'fans' who accept edited versions who are crazy. I realize that WKRP may never get released correctly. But, IMO, the only way that it ever will get released correctly is if edited versions don't sell well. The dvd producers aren't crazy, and if you told them that they didn't have to fork out for music rights, and it wouldn't hurt sales one bit, then they'd do so. I am extremely sad that this is coming out edited, cause I know that it means there's even less chance that it'll come out unedited at some point, but I'll be damned if I'm going to reward a company for putting out an edited version of a show I love, and I'm sure as hell not going to watch some edited version.

I've used this example before, but it's every bit as relevant now. If the only way you could get your favorite Shakespeare play was in a version where every 10th word had been replaced, would you buy it and say, "well that's the only way I'm going to get it", or would you refuse to buy it? Cause buying WKRP with music replacement is no different than buying Romeo & Juliet with word replacement, "Romeo, wherefive art you, Romeo?"
 

AndrewWickliffe

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This has never, ever happened before... right? That's my question--when "fans" have boycotted a release and then the DVD company turned around and remastered and repressed a release? Because, financially, it makes a bunch of sense to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to make... a thousand?

DVDs are not archival presentations, they're commercial ones. Anyway, I just want one example of a company rereleasing a TV season with original music after doing it with some replacements.
 

David Levine

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Unfortunately in this case I can't see that working. I *love* WKRP, it's one of my top 5 comedies ever, but if the edited S1 doesn't sell, not only won't we see an unedited one, but we won't see any other seasons.

I work on DVDs for a living, and I've experienced music clearance issues. Not only would the cost to totally clear WKRP make the set impossibly expensive, but it probably isn't actually possible to clear all of it. There are certain artists who flat out refuse to allow their songs to be used in any commercial products that are not directly theirs. And you can't force them to allow it no matter how big your pile of money is.

Just to give a real-life example, we were presented a real cool program about an extrordinarily famous celeb who has been gone for many years. It was created by her first husband and was full of video of her that has never been seen by anyone, anywhere. It was a 2 hour program that was full of really great and appropriate music. The plan was a really nice 2 Disc DVD that was going to MSRP for 24.95 - putting it on most shelves for $15-20.00. Then we went to clear the music. It added 15.00 to our cost of goods per unit. 15.00!, and absolutely put the release into the catagory of "we'll never ever sell nearly enough at the new price to recoup the deal". The ex-husband refuses to change any of the music because it's all "sentimental and appropriate" so I guarentee this thing will never see the light of day from any company.

Back to WKRP. The sad thing is that if all the bands just let classic TV shows use their songs it could be HUGELY beneficial to the bands. Think about how many new fans could end up "discovering" bands they weren't previously aware of by watching shows like WKRP and The Wonder Years. I do it all the time. I hear a song I really dig on an old TV show, google a lyric to find the title and buy it on iTunes. If I really dig it, I might buy an album or 2.
 

george kaplan

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I don't know if poor sales have ever forced a fixing of a first season, but poor sales of season 1 have certainly forced some companies to do later seasons correctly. For instance, both The Cosby Show and Kung Fu had season 1 come out incorrectly. Less than expected sales (I'm amongst those who didn't buy them) led to later seasons being released in tthe right way, which I gladly bought.

Would lesser sales on season 1 lead them to redo season 1? Perhaps not. But it might lead to us getting later seasons with music intact. Yeah, you can say that poor sales would lead to the later seasons not being released at all, but tell that to Cosby and Kung Fu.

No one can say for certain what will or will not happen based on sales of season 1. All I can say with absolute certainty, is that any season of WKRP that comes out with music replacement is one I won't buy, and any that comes out complete is one I will buy.
 

Mark Talmadge

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GK is quite correct. Since these studios have already pressed and produced copies of previously released seasons, they aren't going to repress it because it just raises their production costs and isn't cost effective but does lead to better released future seasons.

Since this news is available only to those who have online access I doubt that non internet users are going to complain too much as studios will still rake in some money fropm the sets ...
 

Jeff*H

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A couple of other examples that come to mind, if I remember correctly, are Northern Exposure and Quantum Leap. The first season or 2 of these had music replacement of critical songs that were important to the show. The fans complained loudly, and the later and final seasons featured the licensed music.

The studios sometimes do listen to the fans if they have a loud, legitimate complaint.
 

HenryDuBrow

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Sorry, but it is being anal. By refusing to buy a release, you're only hurting other fans who want it, and jeopardising futher DVDs. I agree, it depends on what the edits are, there's no way I'll accept cut scenes or missing scenes (ala syndication), but fans like me can live with changed/dubbed music, if it means this is the only way it's coming out relatively untattered. Refusing to buy for other reasons than cut scenes, is a rather selfish attitude.
 

Jeff*H

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Unfortunately, as I think someone else pointed out earlier, a shoddy Fox release of WKRP with missing scenes, key song replacement and dubbed voices will drive many fans to purchasing bootleg sets with the music intact.

I really hope Fox has the wisdom to keep the important songs and not remove scenes. If they do, I'm in for the entire series.
 

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