HTF Review: The Golden Girls (complete first season) (1 Viewer)

[RichardCy]

Concerning the MONO sound, here is a bizarre one:

If you play episode 5 on Disc 3 (The episode is called "Job Hunting" ...I think). The episode is mono, but from about 7:00 to 7:30 (end of chapter 3 and beginning of chapter 4), the sound suddenly switches to stereo for about 30 seconds. The music and the laugh track are obviously in stereo (I was listening with headphones, so it was like night and day, and quite frankly it sounded great compared to the rest of the episode).

I didn't listen to the whole episode, so I don't know if there were other stereo bits. The only episode I watched in it's entirety was on disc 3 but it was mono from beginning to end. I didn't check the other 2 discs yet either.

Gee, looks like someone in the sound dept really screwed up! Pretty sad that we were able to listen to this in stereo almost 20 years ago, but not on dvd in 2004.
I have the first 4 seasons on VHS and everything is stereo including pilot episode. AAARGH!!
Gee, this does not say much for quality control at Buena Vista Home Video!

I will write them a letter asking if my discs are defective since the packaging states stereo, and the stereo sound kicked in for a while during at least one episode (I will listen to all episodes before I start ranting and raving on paper though). I will ask if I can get replacement discs, and if I am the only one reporting this problem... ;- )

Think I'll get a reply? Stay tuned...

I hope they don't screw up Season 2, it's the best one!!

 

[Andrew Budgell]

The sound is definately mono, and I actually noticed what Richard said, but thought nothing of it initially! The sound got louder for a couple seconds, and I think it may have actually been in a couple of episodes! That is really strange, and I'm hoping Buena Vista will take the initiative in changing this.

Dave, I just finished watching the fashion commentary. I think the most insulting thing about it was that they opted to hire Joan and Melissa Rivers for bonus material than someone actually connected to the show! I think it would be much funnier seeing Bea, Betty and Rue look back at their fashion, rather than these two. Here's hoping that some vault items, and stereo on Season Two!

Andy

 

[RichardCy]

Andrew, you are so right. The girls poking fun at themselves would be way better, and not at all insulting.

I imagine everyone reading this must have signed the on-line petition to have Golden Girls released on DVD (there was something like 16000 signatures!), I guess we should start another one requesting Stereo sound and way WAY better extras.

Oh well, Buena Vista will probably get it right, around the release of the 6th season or so...

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Funny you should mention that petition, because I was the one that actually started it several years ago now! I can't believe the amount of people who have signed it over the years, and to date over 13,000 people have signed it! When I started that petition, probably four or five years ago, TV on DVD basically wasn't heard of, and I thought it was a long shot to think that I would be able to retire my video's taped from Prime here in Canada, and Lifetime by my friend in Connecticut. I think I actually sent the petition away in 2001 to Buena Vista, but I never heard anything back for them.

But the day is here where I can enjoy them un-cut and commercial free, unfortunately sans stereo sound!

Andy

 

[RichardCy]

You did?! That is too funny! I remember most of the people were requesting Bloopers and Outtakes as special features. And we ended up with Joan and Melissa instead. For now anyway...

And yes, commercial free, and most importantly, UNCUT! I still find the stereo thing really irritating though. Leeds me to think that very few people work on the actual product for such a mistake to go by unnoticed...

Sophia would probably tell the person in charge over there: "May the bags under your eyes grow so big your head falls in them!!"

R ;- )

 

[DaViD Boulet]

If it turns out that true stereo audio tracks exist for this first season and for some reason the home-video mastering department screwed up and processed (almost) everything as mono...now *that* would be a shame! I doubt it would happen, but if this indeed turned out to the case, I'd wish for them to correct and repress the discs and offer replacements for those who already purchased.

 

[RichardCy]

It unfortunately is the sad truth... I have the first season on vhs and everything is definately in true stereo.

I agree, they should offer replacement discs to those who want them. But I doubt that's going to happen...

Let's hope they get the sound right on Season 2.

 

[Malcolm R]

Totally oblivious QA/QC strikes again.

Do these studios/manufacturers even have any quality control people?

Buy or wait...buy or wait...

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Buy, definately buy it now. I am very skeptical that they will correct this. I hope they do, I just don't see them doing it! It's too great of entertainment to pass up!

Andy

 

[RobertSiegel]

I pulled out my old VHS tapes of Golden Girls, recorded during the first run of the first season, and they all have the CBS "In stereo where available." I then dusted off my old vcr that was regular stereo (not even hifi then) and played the first few tapes. These first episodes WERE in stereo sound. The theme song, and short music ques and the audience laughing and clapping are all in stereo. The main parts of the show, dialogue, are all mono though.

I am really torn on this one. This is my favorite all time comedy, if not all time tv series, and I've waited a long time for these sets. As I first said in my letter that immediately follows the review here, they didn't bother to find all of those extras (if a friend found it researching, they're not mislabeled or anything, they are readily available), and now to find out that they used mono where stereo is available, is another downer. The episodes I have on tape from Lifetime of the first season are STEREO. Checked that out last night.

We really need to let BVHV know that all of this is not acceptable. Discs should be replaced for those who want the stereo, at the very least. If a person is going to buy an older television series that is on 4-5 times a day for free (on Lifetime) they should at least get what they are paying for. Sadly, I think I am going to skip this set. It really is hard for me to spend that kind of money when I know I get no extras and the ifetime episodes sound better.

Anyone know of the email address, and regular postal address for Buena Vista Home Video? If someone has it and could post it, all on this board could possibly write and email, we really need to let the company know, maybe it will help for season 2!!! (?)

 

[Greg Madsen]

Well apparently you are not a fan of the show. I really could care less about this stereo issue. They sound fine to me and they are UNCUT. I will take uncut episodes with mono sound over cut episodes with stereo sound on lifetime any day.

 

[EricSchulz]

Buena Vista Home Entertainment
(distributes Disney, Miramax, Hollywood, Dimension & Touchstone)
350 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
(818) 560-1000

Web site: http://bvhe.video.go.com/
Customer Support: http://video.go.com/support/home.html

I copied this from Digital Bits website in the "Links" section. They have contact info for almost every major studio there.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

The show was actually on NBC.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Sorry my mistake, it was NBC, not CBS. My tapes still has the same message, I just quoted the network wrong.

That's certainly your option Greg, to buy this set. In my opinion, The problem with Hollywood on sets like these is that they think that they can spend less remastering the stereo so they give us mono, give us absolutely worthless extras and think everyone will buy a copy regardless. I guess I am one of those who demands more from the video companies, and am not going to shell out that kind of money for anything less than at least a show presented as it originally was aired. I suppose it's up to each consumer how much they value what's actually in the box, and to decide for themselves. For me? Sorry Disney. If you use the stereo tapes and give me a few decent extras, I'd be glad to buy these. Even no extras is fine, but gibve me the stereo it was originally broadcast in. To me, taking one of our best loved series and giving us mono when it was stereo, giving us a cheap Joan Rivers extra instead of what I listed is available (and I am sure more), was a downright insult to the show and to the fans (that includes the awful cover art for the box). That's just my opinion.

I LOVE this show more than almost any other tv show, but will be just fine watching my friends set, we exchange all the time. Until we let the studios know that they have real big fans buying these and they treat each show as it should be, as people's personal favorite, and transfer them correctly, they will get by doing as little as possible. Hollywood has done this for years. Imagine a mono dvd of SOUND OF MUSIC or BEN HUR or STAR WARS. To me, even though the content is quite different, there would still be no excuse for it, not when it was originally stereo.

Eric, thanks for the Buena Vista addresses

 

[BBbrowd]

I'm a huge fan of this show as well, and I'm very disappointed to hear that this DVD set is not in stereo. That really stinks. Yes, the show has always been in stereo. It was one of the things that stood out to me when it would air. The music sounded very expansive in beautiful stereo sound. I will wait a while before I pick this set up now. I really hope they do something about this problem.

David, I agree with your comments regarding Joan & Melissa making fun of the girls' wardwrobes. I don't want to see the show being put down. Even though I've not seen the bonus material, I too think that this show should be treated with regard because it's so beloved. I know not everyone likes the fashions from the 80's, but some of their outfits were nice. I've heard numerous people compliment the wardwrobe when the show airs. Some of it may be out of date, but for the most part they were dressed well and looked attractive.

And...I agree with your coments 100%, RobertSiegel. I too will write to Buena Vista.

 

[Shawn_Sm]

Wow, I can't believe this is even an issue. Were you really going to buy The Golden Girls for it's impressive audio? The difference in sound is all but undetectable.

 

[RichardCy]

Sorry Shawn, gotta disagree on that one...

Like I mentioned earlier, listen to the fifth episode (Job Hunting) on Disc 3 with headphones or on a surround system, and skip ahead to chapter 4. The mono sound switches to stereo for about 30 seconds, at 7 minutes (end of chapter 3 and beginning of chapter 4). You will certainly find it detectable.

This was very sloppy of Buena Vista, and they must have a low opinion of GG fans.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Did you know that The Golden Girls is the third highest watched syndicated series, after Seinfeld and Friends? Just a useless fact, but a lot of people have been bashing The Golden Girls over at DVDTalk.

BTW, a larger shot of the season two art has been posted at TSoD. I don't think Robert will be too thrilled with season two either! LOL

Andy

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, I purchased the set ($27.99 at Costco) and am enjoying it. It all sounds pretty good to me. I'm through the first seven episodes on Disc 1 and the only thing I've noticed so far is that the audio on Ep.3 seemed inferior to the rest (at least to start the episode).

What amazes me is that these first season eps are so good. I was quite young when TGG started its run, so I didn't watch it regularly until the late 80's. All my life, not really knowing what was a first season ep and what came later, I'd assumed that the first episodes were probably quite clunky like most shows. But this show seems to have been a home run pretty much from the start.

 

[RobertSiegel]

I finally got to my friends home to view this set. I have to say it looks pretty good. Time/Warner cable here in Minneapolis has the Lifetime channel on the analog channel set of 1-100, and their signal on Lifetime is horrible, so it's nice to see the show clearly. The sound is another thing. These were stereo episodes and sadly they are mono here, I think something went wrong in mastering because even the box says digital surround sound. I pulled the copies of the show I had from the first broadcasts, and although my vcr was not stereo at that time, the logo "in stereo where available" is at the begining of almost the entire first season.

The cover art looks better in person than on internet photos, though I would have chosen (as a graphic artist who does entertainment graphics) the group photo that's inside the fold-out as my cover, and definately got a little more stylish with the font typeface for Golden Girls. That's a font that professionals would rarely use in the entertainment field, it's very boring.

As for the extra with Joan Rivers that we watched last night, I find it hard to believe that they would put this commentary on a disc that would be purchsed by FANS of a program. They cut down an aspect of the show (costume design) for over the entire extra. Is this something you put on a disc that fans will be buying, probably huge fans of a show? Something that makes fun of it? If it were an awful cult show I can see it, because then the humor would have been funny, but not in this case, for me anyway. If you have not read my post immediately following the actual review, read it and you will know what is actually available to Buena Vista, none of which was added.

It was awesome to watch the first season in order of broadcast. According to many web sites on Golden Girls, they did keep the order correct, though it would have been nice to print the original broadcast date. Anyone notice how Blanche changed after the first few episodes? In the very first (pilot), her southern accent is not as strong as later, and the other big change I see that occured was Sophia. Her character at the begining of the series was made up differently, especially the pilot, and she was different, but I cannot describe it. Perhaps "meaner?" More forward?

I hope that Buena Vista is going to replace these with stereo versions for those that bought it. But I have a feeling they won't. Although the stereo was only in the music cues and the audience, it's still nice to have as originally broadcast.