Is Completing a Series Run, a Factor When? (1 Viewer)

[JamesSmith]

Dear Guys:

A speculative question for those of you interested. Say, when Paramount or Twentieth Century Fox finisheds a tv series run, for example, Paramount will be finishing out Cheers and Wings this year on its release schedule, could that mean the studio might reconsider going back and finishing Taxi.

And that when certain best sellers close out in a few years, say when Mission Impossible, Hawaii Five 0, Perry Mason, the Untouchables, Seventh Heaven, Gunsmoke (that'll take forever, I know) the studios might reevaluate Twelve O Clock High and maybe less known series.

I guess what I'm asking is how big do you think finishing a tv series run on DVD is--to opening up a spot for another show?

JamesSmith

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Not really. Studios are concentrating more on television shows that are currently in production and releasing DVD sets for those shows to tie the DVD marketing in with the new season for that show.

Taxi, All in the Family, Sentinel are all the furthest from their minds.

Take a look at The Sentinel. A wonderful series which only has had the first season released to DVD. That was years ago, 2006.

 

[MattPeriolat]

For the companies, not a factor at all. Ask Sony all about that.

For the fans of the series, it's everything. Trust me, I've got a couple of series I really have been meaning to finish for a while now (Buffy, Punky Brewster, getting caught up on SVU and so on). Having a complete run of a show is a pretty special accomplishment, having a snapshot in time of something you really enjoy.

 

[Jon Martin]

I wish more studios would concentrate on "Complete Series" collections rather than the season sets.

For example, I would have never bought the GET SMART seasons individually, yet when the complete series was on sale at Amazon, I bought it.

With THE BRADY BUNCH, I bought the first season, and then forgot about it. When the complete series was released, I bought that.

While it may be more expensive, it may cause more people to buy it. You don't have to worry about the series not completing.

 

[Ethan Riley]

I don't think so; just because they actually manage to finish one series doesn't mean they'll go back and re-evaluate another classic series. Because generally their main focus is on current television shows, not old ones. They will never run out of product because the networks are so crammed with all those dorky shows we all hate lol and therefore the stores are filled with plenty of current tv shows that only lasted 13 episodes or whatever.

 

[Steven_J_H]

Never say never. a couple examples: Barney Miller (still a work in progress), Voyage to the Bottom (ditto), Night Gallery. Need I say more.

 

[Mr. Ed]

Complete series sets are cool and everything, but I just don't like spending that much money at one time on TV shows. Get Smart started as a complete series so I let it pass. Now at 16.99 per season at Target it isn't as painful to spread the money around. And the season sets are coming pretty quick. Why do some shows start with a complete series? While others begin anew with the complete series after all the seasons have been released one season at a time? The next time I travel to OZ I'll be sure to ask the Wizard.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Well I like it better now that they're starting to release complete series sets, and THEN the season sets. Because as often as not--they never even get to the later seasons as single releases...

 

[BobO'Link]

Even with a complete series set released first there's still no guarantee you'll be able to purchase *all* seasons individually unless it's from a 3rd party seller who's breaking up sets or someone who doesn't like latter seasons after purchasing a full set. Sales for each season will still rule the day.

However, I prefer when the full series is released first. At least if it's something I'd like to own I know I can get it all without abandonment worries.

Will studios go back and revisit abandonded series? Who knows? There are several I'm collecting that have been abandoned and I'm pretty upset with the studios for it as I'd like to own all seasons. It *does* affect my purchase of other products from those studios who have abandoned series I'm collecting and would like to complete. On the other hand I have a few abandoned series where I'm completely happy with what I have and doubt I would purchase more if it were available even though I consider myself a completest. Frequently it's because latter seasons just don't hold up to the earlier ones and I stop at the point where the shark was jumped. I think there are *lots* of us like that out there and that's why you see *some* shows being abandoned. Many people are content with a season or two of a show they like and are not completists. That's not to say that many of the abandoned shows don't deserve completion because most do. But it really rankles me when utter crap and recent short run programs get released in favor of abandoned shows which are considered classics of their time.