I Love Warner Brothers, but...and, problems with the TV Shows Thread (1 Viewer)

[Anthony Wolfe]

Having watched through Fresh Prince Season 1, I enjoy the episodes on DVD, but think the production could be a bit better.

1) Scene Selection
What's with the no Scene Selections, and not even scene selections, but give me a spot or two where I can skip a chapter ahead. AT THE VERY LEAST, lemme skip the title sequence, I think that should be a standard for TV shows on DVD, if you like to watch the title 25 episodes over and over, FINE, but if not, you should just be able to chapter skip straight to the episode, the title sequence should always be a seperate chapter.

2) Bloopers
Now I understand that I'm paying $21.96 for 25 episodes on great Television, BUT, I think we have the right to a blooper sequence at the end of the show, even the syndicated versions have this. I mean it's just common to have bloopers at the end of sitcom episodes, and I seem to remember Fresh Prince Season 1 having quite a few. I will say that Warner Brothers did use different ending music when it appeared in the episodes (there are a few episodes, where the show ends with different music, for example 'Someday Your Prince Will Be In Effect'), but still, my point about the 'blooper reel' as Will Smith calls it still stands.

Now, I've said this plenty of time before, I'm not qualified to speak on a transfer, or OAR or any of that, I'm learning about all of that stuff as we speak, but I do know that I like to see certain things in a DVD release no matter how inexpensive it is. I don't mind not having commentary and things like that in a release such as this, but the above two things really get me.

I started this thread as sort of a be all, so if anyone else has any gripes, post now or forever hold your peice.

Hrmm, ok, as far as problems, the only problem I've run across so far on this Fresh Prince DVD is the well publicized packaging error (where they say it's 2 disc instead of 4), and one error in the audio/video synching up.

Actually it seems more of a looping error by whomever handled the episode.

In 'The Fresh Prince Project' which is the first episode of the series, there is a scene where Will appears at his Uncle Phil's party dressed in a very silly manner and doing outlandish things. The sequence goes a bit like this...

*In Scene*

Aunt Vivian:
Will, is attended Bel-Air Academy with his Cousin Carlton.

Mr. Firth:
Ah yes, Bel-Air, I used to fence there

Will:
Oh really, how much do you think I could get for that statue (something like that).

At this point, a server comes over with a plate and Mr. Firths' wife says:

"orduers" and Will says "Don't Mind If I Do", and so on. Later the scene goes into the kitchen where everyone is sitting down to eat, and Will starts playing a tune on the glasses.

Everything is fine there, the problem is, in the episode 'Someday Your Prince Will Be In Effect', they replay a few scenes that have happened through out the short lived show, they are recalling them in different stores and locations, like flashbacks almost as they are talking to people.

Hillary uses the scene above to discribe her Cousin Will, and the scene plays, now the video and audio are in synch until right after Will makes the Fencing joke, instead of the rest of the scene being played out, they transision immediatly to the Dinner table where Will plays the tune. Instead of the audio following the transision, the audio continues through the 'orduers' scene.

In other words, the "orduers", "Don't mind if I do" audio is played, but the scene isn't shown, it shows the dinner table and plays that audio, then the audio goes back to the actual dinner table scene.

Hope that made sense...lol...Anyway, if you watch it, you'll see it. But that's the only problem I've run across so far.

So anyway, has anyone else found anything in their DVD sets of this weeks TV Shows?

 

[Christi P]

I just opened my 'Murphy Brown' today, and it has the most bizarro packaging I have ever seen - There are two trays for discs, with each tray holding two discs that overlap each other, so any time you want to get disc 2 out, you have to take disc 1 out to get to it. This packaging must have been specially made, which is odd, since it would have been cheaper to just use slimcases.

When I started collecting DVDs, most of the TV boxed sets were in fairly standard packaging. There was the shiny cardboard fold-out kind (Buffy, Friends, ST:TNG), the individual cases in a slipcase kind (Alias 1, Roswell, Stargate), and a few of the DS9 fold-out book kind. All of these looked nice and protected the discs.

But, now, everytime I open a DVD set, it looks as if the designers went out of their way to make it strange. I mean, the ST:TOS sets alone could win a prize for bizarrness. A huge plastic shell with interior art made of easily tear-able thin paper? And no slot to hold the booklet?

I havn't bought Sliders yet, but the 'discs suspended in foam' design was a *major* turnoff.

It seems like the most cost-effective design would be the individual slimpacks in a nice slipcase. Why do they keep building a better mousetrap?

 

[Robert Cruz]

Blooper reels during the end credits were not shown in season 1 of Fresh Prince. They didn't appear until season 2.

I do, however, have 2 complaints with the WB DVDs. One being that Fresh Prince season 1 is in mono. The 1st season was indeed in stereo during its original run (and syndicated prints too), so bad job on WB's behalf.

The other complaint being with the bonus DVDs. I bought Fresh Prince, Full House, and Wayans Bros. season 1, so that covers 3 Bonus DVDs with 6 episodes in total. Half of those episodes were syndicated versions (Step by Step, Head of the Class, and Family Matters). Family Matters didn't have the original intro, and Head of the Class and Step by Step both had a shortened intro.

I'm just hoping that when/if those shows mentioned in parenthesis are released on DVD, that they are released in their original, uncut form.

 

[Michael_CPC]

I'm so happy the Fresh Prince DVD is out! My only problem with it is that every disc has a "Special Features" screen... however there is only one special feature and it is only on the last disc. Frustrating.

Still a great DVD.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Bah!!!! I hate this kind of packaging!!! Boo Warner, come on you can do better than that.

I've bitched about chapter stops before and they still haven't listened, come on WB I'm pretty sure that even Lions Gate got this right...chapter stops, its not hard. Please, even just one to skip the opening theme would be a start.

 

[Anthony Wolfe]

Rob, Just a quick correction, Fresh Prince Season 1 did have bloopers, they became more plentiful in Season 2, but I distinctly remember the episode 'The Lucky Charm', At the beginning, Will Smith is doing this rap to the periodic table...something along the lines of 'li lithium, blah blah'...At the end of the episode, it shows a blooper of him screwing up the rap, he goes 'li lithium, brrrrdd ba boop WRONG LINE', and he makes a comment about the blooper reel. There are also other bloopers at the end of 'The Mistaken Identity' that I seem to remember.

But yea, Season 1 had em.

Oh yea, I forgot about that stupid Special Features screen that just keeps referring you to the next disc. Sadness.

I can't believe you guys don't like the packaging, I actually like it, as I said though, I put my DVDs in a case so I guys I'm impartial.

 

[John Kilduff]

Wow...Between this and the "Heat" 2-Disc Special Edition, it looks like Warner is starting to slip. I hope they can get back on track. I don't want them turning into Sony.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

But then again, we're all entitled to make mistakes, aren't we?

 

[Robert Cruz]

Anthony, the original airing of those episodes didn't have the blooper reel. I've had the original copies of almost all the episodes from all 6 seasons (without the cuts, missing around 10 or so episodes though) for quite a long time, so this is not new to me. Perhaps in syndication, the bloopers were shown, but they were NOT in the original airing (I can't even confirm it since I hardly watch it on TV since there's no point in watching a show with 2 minutes of missing footage when I already have the originals without the cuts).

Full House is another show to have alternate end credits for syndicated episodes (syndication has Dave Coulier talking at the end of it, while in the original run, he didn't say anything).

 

[Anthony Wolfe]

I'm not trying to argue, but that's one episode and blooper that I will never forget, just something about it. Even if it was in syndication (I'm sure they were, but I'm pretty sure the original of that episode had it) the DVD's should still have them, that was my only point. Obviously the bloopers exist (rather in syndication or not) so they should be on the DVD. Either way, I'm pretty sure the original episode had them. But whatever.

 

[TravisR]

As for the packaging, didn't they use that package style because they switched to four discs at the last second?

I think they either used that package or it would be delayed and then everyone would complain about the delay.

 

[Jarrod Hines]

Hopefully we'll get a big blooper reel on a later season. Some are quite funny.

 

[Robert Cruz]

No doubt a blooper reel exists, and they should've included one with the DVD set. WB just went with the uncut prints (which I won't complain at all...after all, that is what we all want) and a simple "extra feature". Like I mentioned, perhaps syndication does indeed use the blooper reel for season 1, along with the other seasons, which is why you have seen those bloopers in the episodes you mentioned (there's no argument there). My point is that I have the uncut episodes from all 6 seasons (minus 10 episodes, none of which are from season 1), and not one of them have the blooper reel in the end credits (seasons 2-6 do, however). One thing that can't be argued about is the fact that the DVD is mono when it shouldn't be. Fresh Prince was taped (and aired) in stereo. to WB for that one. But hey...I got it on sale at Best Buy for $22.99, so I'll maintain my satisfaction there...

I'll be sure to tape those episodes mentioned from either WB11 or Nick@Nite, since there's nothing funnier than watching some good ol' bloopers.

With a show like Fresh Prince, WB has so much to offer for extra features...instead, they went with the lazy route. Then again, Columbia/Tri-Star (Sony) has been doing that for the longest...

 

[Anthony Wolfe]

Well, I'll take your word for it buddy, but main point is that they should have included them. So Sad, I'd expect more from Warners.

BTW, on the packaging, I don't think it was a last minute thing, Mystic River has the same type packaging (the 3-Disc Mystic River). I think that is just the way they have chosen to do it. The Slim cases are alright I guess, like I said, I'm not against those cases, I guess warner figures it's cheaper than having like a fold out deal.

 

[AnthonyC]

I think it was last-minute. And no, it WAS cheaper than slimcases because this case was not made for the sets exclusively. They were originally going to just be 2 discs. I assume the backing was already printed, and so that it wouldn't need to be delayed, they used these disc holders.

Maybe they'll be changed for the next set.

 

[Paul Miller]

The overlapping DVDs are the only complaint I have with the Murphy Brown set. I am always afraid it is going to damage DVDs long term to with the DVDs stacked like that on top of each other putting pressure on the other, especially when box sets are kept all together.


Paul

 

[Anthony Wolfe]

I don't think the 3-Disc Mystic River was last minute. It shares the same style case. I don't see why Warner would stop, I guess if they receive enough complaints, I personally don't mind it and I do expect to see more of them in future releases. I think it's cheaper than using like a fold out design.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Well, they used those overlapping packages for the Ultimate Matrix Collection and that was definitely not done at the last minute.