Jaime_Weinman
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Messages
- 786
I appreciated Peter Staddon's point, a while back, that Fox couldn't release WKRP In Cincinnati on DVD because of the prohibitive music licensing costs. So I would like to throw out a suggestion: How about releasing the show with sound-alikes and music library material in place of many of the songs?
I know that music changes in syndication have infuriated many viewers, but that's in large part because the changes have been done badly, with obviously generic music, bad voice dubbing, and no sense of what function the music is supposed to serve in a particular scene. Done with greater care and sensitivity, it could work and music costs for the show could be considerably reduced.
Not all of the real songs played on the show absolutely have to be retained. Occasionally a song is integral to a scene -- like "Hot Blooded" in the episode where Les tries on a wig, or "Tiny Dancer" in the Russian Defector episode. But far more often, a song is just there as an example of stuff a DJ might play, and a soundalike could be used with minimal damage to the scene. Even when characters are speaking over the music, it's sometimes possible to change the music because much of it was apparently dubbed in during editing rather than recorded on the set (and if a line of dialogue or an announcement needs to be changed, the solution would be to get the original actors -- all of whom are still alive -- to do the redubbing, rather than use bad voice replacements as they do in syndication).
The point of this longish post from a WKRP In Cincinnati fan is that I think it would be possible for Fox to bring the music licensing costs down to an acceptable level if music substitutions could be carried out with sensitivity and an understanding of which songs are essential and which are not.
I know this sounds like a terrible suggestion, and I hoped I wouldn't have to make it, but I no longer see the point of insisting on "original music or nothing," because WKRP needs a DVD release for other reasons than music -- namely that it's chopped to pieces in syndication and many of the syndication tapes look terrible and need remastering. It would be a shame, at a time when so many classic sitcoms seem likely to make it to DVD, if WKRP continued to languish in the vaults because of music issues. And it's become pretty obvious that a totally "authentic" WKRP would be too much of a licensing nightmare to ever see the light of day on DVD. With careful music substitution, the show might be cleared for DVD, most viewers wouldn't be aware of the changes, and there would still be enough real music -- when it counts -- to suggest the way music was used on this show. Basically I would rather push for a "compromised" WKRP on DVD, but with the episodes uncut and remastered, than be resigned to its never coming out at all.
I don't know if Mr. Staddon is reading this, but I hope Fox might give it some thought... BTW, thanks for the Mary Tyler Moore Show. I'm saving up for all seven seasons.
I know that music changes in syndication have infuriated many viewers, but that's in large part because the changes have been done badly, with obviously generic music, bad voice dubbing, and no sense of what function the music is supposed to serve in a particular scene. Done with greater care and sensitivity, it could work and music costs for the show could be considerably reduced.
Not all of the real songs played on the show absolutely have to be retained. Occasionally a song is integral to a scene -- like "Hot Blooded" in the episode where Les tries on a wig, or "Tiny Dancer" in the Russian Defector episode. But far more often, a song is just there as an example of stuff a DJ might play, and a soundalike could be used with minimal damage to the scene. Even when characters are speaking over the music, it's sometimes possible to change the music because much of it was apparently dubbed in during editing rather than recorded on the set (and if a line of dialogue or an announcement needs to be changed, the solution would be to get the original actors -- all of whom are still alive -- to do the redubbing, rather than use bad voice replacements as they do in syndication).
The point of this longish post from a WKRP In Cincinnati fan is that I think it would be possible for Fox to bring the music licensing costs down to an acceptable level if music substitutions could be carried out with sensitivity and an understanding of which songs are essential and which are not.
I know this sounds like a terrible suggestion, and I hoped I wouldn't have to make it, but I no longer see the point of insisting on "original music or nothing," because WKRP needs a DVD release for other reasons than music -- namely that it's chopped to pieces in syndication and many of the syndication tapes look terrible and need remastering. It would be a shame, at a time when so many classic sitcoms seem likely to make it to DVD, if WKRP continued to languish in the vaults because of music issues. And it's become pretty obvious that a totally "authentic" WKRP would be too much of a licensing nightmare to ever see the light of day on DVD. With careful music substitution, the show might be cleared for DVD, most viewers wouldn't be aware of the changes, and there would still be enough real music -- when it counts -- to suggest the way music was used on this show. Basically I would rather push for a "compromised" WKRP on DVD, but with the episodes uncut and remastered, than be resigned to its never coming out at all.
I don't know if Mr. Staddon is reading this, but I hope Fox might give it some thought... BTW, thanks for the Mary Tyler Moore Show. I'm saving up for all seven seasons.