Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor - DVD (1 Viewer)

[Sean~R]

Just saw this great special on PBS. Of course in order to get the full 3 hour DVD, you have to donate $100.

Anybody know of an easier/cheaper way to obtain this on DVD?

 

[Steve...O]

$100???

This DVD was on Amazon before Christmas for $24.99. I was going to order it after the first of the year.

Now, it's nowhere to be found on Amazon (or any other e-tailer). It's even disappeared from the official Mr. Rogers website.

Like you, I guess I'll be looking elsewhere for this. The one hour version shown on PBS was very well done. I can only imagine how much better the 3 hour version is.

Steve

 

[David Lambert]

I didn't know a thing about this, thanks fellas.

I've been researching this via Google & Metacrawler for the past half hour. Apparently this show was first broadcast last May and then it was rebroadcast on PBS last night (and that was even discussed by USAToday).

I DID find where you can buy it, though. Click here to order it for $24.95. EDIT: Link removed; see post #10 of this thread for the explanation.

Indications are that such a DVD has been out since July 2003, but that orders didn't get filled until as late as November! I don't know why Amazon had a listing and took it down...maybe it was because they couldn't get/keep stock, or more likely perhaps it was a limited time deal that it could be sold through them, as an arrangement to allow the video to be used for the PBS pledge drives. According to this, it was always meant to be used for both sales and pledge drives:
The thing is, I do NOT see it at the ShopPBS site, where you can often purchase pledge-drive items at the price named during pledge drives ($100 in this case). So I dunno what the deal is with availability.


This is a biography of the man mostly, not episodes of his famous show (which people DEFINATELY want on DVD!). So I don't know if it fits in with the TVShowsOnDVD "mission" and warrants a news item or anything (Gord may or may not agree, and he runs the site). But I agree that it's fascinating to know this is available. Thanks again.

 

[Dewitte]

Since it did originally air on television, I'd say it fits in with the mission statement as much as the made-for-TV movies that I often see on the site. Hopefully, Gord will see it that way as well.

De

 

[David Lambert]

We've decided to post a news item with the info I mentioned in my post above. I'll do that tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Steve...O]

Dave, if I'm not mistaken, that's a cached version of that page. If you go to the same today, it's nowhere to be found. Family Communications is the organization that Fred Rogers founded and headed.

I loved all of the "behind the scenes" footage of the sets. I just wish they'd included interviews with some of the living cast members, including Betty Aberlin, who I've had a "crush" on for close to 30 years

Of the principal players, I believe Fred, Bob Trow (Bob Dog), Chef Don Brockett, Johnny Costa, and John Reardon have passed away.

Steve

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Whats so wrong with donating $100 to PBS? It's not that much money, goes to help make programming like Mr. Rogers possible in the first place.

-Vince

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Our local station has their own "bug" logo onscreen during prime time now, so our family has cancelled our membership with them. For something that depends on its viewers so much, they sure show a lot of contempt for them.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

The problem being that viewer surveys indicate that average viewers LIKE and PREFER station ID markers on screen during programming. I don't think anyone at PBS would even be aware that you have a problem with them. Try mounting a serious organized campaign to raise awareness, and you might register on the radar... for now the viewer surveys they do show support for the station ID bug.

-V

 

[David Lambert]

Okay, Here's the real scoop (a preview of what will be in my news item tonight or tomorrow):

Dont' bother with that link I provided above to try to order the DVD for $24.95...such an order will NOT be filled. Family Communications cannot, by contract, sell that item for the next 2 years.

That's why it's off of the FamComm site and from Amazon as well (though the terrific lady I spoke to at FamComm was surpised that I mentioned Amazon; she had not been aware of an offering there).

The 2-year period is the amount of time WQED has to use the DVD as a pledge item. Minimum pledge is $90, which goes toward funding of shows that WQED produces for radio and TV programs (NOT Mr. Rogers obviously, since Fred has passed on, but any other show which the station currently helps to fund).

I agree with Vince that it's a reasonable donation to make, and I'm no authority on this but I'll add that it's probably a tax deduction, too. Getting the DVD as a gift for making the donation is just a nice reward for helping the station's production budget.

Keep in mind that the broadcast show was 1.5 hours, but that the DVD is 3 hours long!

To order it from WQED at the $90 (or up) pledge level, call 800-876-1316, and ask for x1370. It is not currently available at the station's website; you must call that number.


If you hoped to get this at a lesser price, though, then unfortunately you've missed that boat. Sorry.

 

[Steve...O]

Thanks for the research Dave. I had a call into Family Communications also only to find out the Marketing head had left for the day.

I am kicking myself royally now. I should have ordered this when I saw it last year, but I didn't.

By the way, the broadcast version that was on this week was (at least in my market) only one hour (not 90 minutes), which makes the added footage even more attractive.

And finally, one thing I really admired about Mr. Rogers is that he never, ever capitalized on his name to make himself a few extra bucks. Outside of albums and a few educational videos/books, he steadfastly refused to allow his characters to be licensed for products for most of its run (as compared to say, Sesame Street). Even the products on the website are generally available through them and the proceeds all go back into the corporation. He had class all the way.

Steve

 

[Dewitte]

Thanks Mr. Lambert. I sincerely appreciate you and Gord making the update to your site.

De

 

[David Lambert]

Your all welcome. And call me "Dave".

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

I didn't know that there were actually viewers who PREFERRED bugs on their screen. I figured that there were a lot of people who didn't care one way or the other, but I didn't think anyone preferred this. Who exactly is being surveyed?

 

[Sean~R]

Thanks for the research, Dave.

Too bad I didn't find out about this sooner from FamComm or Amazon. Oh well, maybe in the future I will donate the $90, or try to find it on eBAY.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

"Who exactly is being surveyed?"

The same people who like commercials in movie theatres, and prefer to have unskippable trailers play automatically on DVDs.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Can anyone post a synopsis of the special and the content on this dvd?

Also, am I to understand that after the 2 year contract that PBS holds rights to distribute this disc exclusively as a pledge-drive offer, it will be made commercially viable through mainstream retailers?

If anyone has anymore info on this at all, please update me...

Thanks!

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I read an article in conjunction with a programming class i took (television programming, not computers)-- that said that surveys had shown that many people PREFER the station bugs because it makes finding specific networks on large format cable services easier.

The idea that most people don't bother to remember the channel numbers when they have 100+ channels, especially for networks they don't watch much- but during channel surfing, or looking for something specific- they channel bugs are often helpful to know what network you are currently tuned to.

-Vince

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

up.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

"The idea that most people don't bother to remember the channel numbers when they have 100+ channels, especially for networks they don't watch much- but during channel surfing, or looking for something specific- they channel bugs are often helpful to know what network you are currently tuned to."

But as far as I'm concerned, the bugs make the shows unwatchable. Besides, I don't even HAVE cable so I shouldn't have to put up with this on the broadcast channels. I often thanked the PBS network and our local station for NOT having bugs on the screen, but our station decided to start doing it anyways, and when I wrote and complained all I got was a very cryptic response. Hence the withdrawal of our financial support.