Is Warner's Starting to Stall Some Series? (1 Viewer)

[Frank Soyke]

Frank, if that were true, Gobots and Centurians wouldn't have been abandoned. With those shows, it's been total radio silence without so much as a peep about finishing them up.

I can't win for losing. I question whether they have abandoned some shows, I get crap. Then I state that there appears to be evidence that they are committed to finishing the shows they started, I still get crap. I give up.

 

[Jack P]

You shouldn't have to think you got any. Frankly, I question why a couple cartoon series of decidedly recent vintage should be factored into the equation. I prefer to see this thread as the occasion for some reassurance that as far as the classic titles that have been started, they will continue.

 

[Astairefan]

You shouldn't have to think you got any. Frankly, I question why a couple cartoon series of decidedly recent vintage should be factored into the equation. I prefer to see this thread as the occasion for some reassurance that as far as the classic titles that have been started, they will continue.

I'm inclined to agree. From what I've seen on WAC's Facebook page and what I hear elsewhere, cartoon series are a different beast than the live action shows. I mean, beyond Pacman, I'm not sure much of any of their animated shows that will require multiple sets have really seen a second set, whether Mr. T, or last year's release of the Snork's first season. So, they really shouldn't be factored in in quite the same way as some of the other shows that have been mentioned.

 

[Ken_Martinez]

Why not? If we're championing Warner Archive's commitment towards finishing shows, why should we not talk about the truly gigantic gaps between the cartoon releases into account? They're not even hinting towards finishing the cartoon shows they've started anymore, so why should they get a free pass for that?

I'm actually glad Shout Factory managed to wrestle Beetlejuice away, so now the whole series is out and we don't have to wait indefinitely for WAC to even begin releasing it.

 

[Randy Korstick]

While its true they haven't mentioned anything about Centurions in a long time they have mentioned Gobots a few times this year on FB. They stated that they still plan to do Gobots but the series needs alot of work. If I was a fan of the show I would be happy that they are going to do the show right with complete shows and remastering rather than dumping out something that looks poor. Some of the other more recent cartoons that they haven't finished have more to do with priorities and sales. There are alot of HB shows they need to do yet and if something like Mr. T didn't sell that well than naturally they are not in a hurry to do the next volume when they many other toons that will most likely sell better. It doesn't mean they won't continue it but that its been pushed to the back burner.

 

[Ken_Martinez]

But every animated show with more than one season has been stalled indefinitely. You would think that finishing up Snorks or Police Academy would be easier to finish up than, say, Tarzan, since they are specifically not remastering the cartoons are are just doing quick and dirty transfers of the digibeta masters.

 

[Jack P]

Cartoons to me are as separate a thing as the movie titles WAC releases. To me, it just doesn't factor into the equation of what their committment is to classic TV titles, and that's my personal standard and I'm sticking to it.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Cartoons to me are as separate a thing as the movie titles WAC releases. To me, it just doesn't factor into the equation of what their committment is to classic TV titles, and that's my personal standard and I'm sticking to it.

I think that's correct, and I also think that the interest of a lot of their cartoon buyers drops off as they get into 1980s era cartoons (I know mine does).

 

[Regulus]

I think that's correct, and I also think that the interest of a lot of their cartoon buyers drops off as they get into 1980s era cartoons (I know mine does).

Ditto here. IMO the Early 60s to Early 70s was the "Golden Age" of Cartoons, at least those of the "Saturday Morning" Variety. After that "Do Gooders" such as Peggy Charon RUINED Kids shows, forcing many classics off the air. Fortunately, most are now available on DVD. If you have kids, I STRONGLY urge you to buy these classics for your kids and stick it into the Do-Gooders faces!

 

[Brian Himes]

They likewise earlier answered someone's inquiry that the next season of "Courtship of Eddie's Father" won't be ready until 2014.

Good to hear that Eddie's Father is on the way. If I have to wait until mid to late 2014 to get it, then I'll wait. No problem. I'm just really glad that it is on the way.

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

http://shop.warnerarchive.com/product/code/1000431695.do?ref=WYTSPACESTARS

Space Stars is now available for pre-ordering.

This 1981 series, originally on NBC, marked the return of both Space Ghost and the Herculoids, two Hanna-Barbera franchises that originally aired in the 1960s on CBS. The Jetsons' Astro also gets a series of his own, joining "Acey" and the other Space Mutts (including Cosmo, who is voiced by Frank Welker in the same manner as Dynomutt, Dog Wonder). A cut-down version of this show had aired on USA Cartoon Express in the late 1980s, minus the Astro and the Space Mutts segments. The half-hour version of the series also briefly aired on Nickelodeon, which did have the Astro and the Space Mutts segments, but not the Teen Force segments.

The half-hour version was not picked up by Cartoon Network/Boomerang, but instead only aired the individual segments (of Space Ghost, The Herculoids and Astro and the Space Mutts but not Teen Force)

Oh, and for those of you who mentioned Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels earlier in this thread, that title's been released since this past July 23:
http://shop.warnerarchive.com/product/captain+caveman+and+the+teen+angels+the+complete+series+1000401564.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=Search

~Ben

 

[MattPriceTime]

Chances are the Hanna Barbera library is in itself an on-going project, while classic tv may be one in itself or if any of the properties are big enough (are they? Not sure honestly) maybe they'd be their own. But either way given how much they have to work with, nearly everyone on this site agrees the pace they work is at least fair. How many people really wouldn't at least give it that on a scale?

But to the one user i have to laugh at the earlier post because apparently someone doesn't know how to count or he was born with more than five fingers on one hand. Usually i just pretend those posts don't exist, because no matter what it always seems everything the studio says or we on the board try to explain, it just never clicks. I just can't take posts like that seriously anymore.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Well, 2013 is a few days away from being over, and in the end, the Archives did alright for themselves.

Since the last posts, we've gotten another season of Alice, the complete Flo, Superboy was finished up, more Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, FBI, Maverick, and Tarzan have all been released, and more Maverick, Courtship of Eddie's Father, and The Jimmy Stewart Show have all been announced for early 2014.

On the Classic TV front, things don't look so bad. It does seem to be a case of more series being started or added increasing wait times for shows. But, 6 months between seasons of something like Alice is still much less than what it would be if the shows were still wide releases.

...but I still wish the Archives could dig into the Sony vault for shows instead f just releasing what Sony hands them... maybe get us Fantasy Island and TJ Hooker and all those good, stalled shows.

 

[Sky Captain]

1999 is my "Cutoff" point for Classic TV. This is the year we started to get slammed with "Unscripted" programming.

I am not worried in the least. The fact that we have 4 seasons of EIGHT IS ENOUGH in less than a year-and-a-half is good enough for me. I have been told they are planning on more ALICE, and FLO will eventually come out too. The rest of the Warner shows I want are plagued with music issues (IT'S A LIVING, MURPHY BROWN) so I am happy with what they are working on so far. I don't think they plan on stalling anything unless it's been a very poor seller.

One of these series plagued with said music rights problems is Head Of The Class, IIRC.

A show I wouldn't mind seeing on DVD from Warner Archive is Banyon, followed by a few others from the 1970's and '80s.

Can't rememeber the date when the Warner Archive released it (around May or June I think), but the third season of Falcon Crest was released by the Warner Archive earlier this year.Knots Landing aside, the Lorimar shows which I'd like to see released by the Warner Archive (unless Time Life do a complete series boxset for either or both) are Freddy's Nightmares and Midnight Caller (especially the latter). Not as bothered now with Knots Landing, as it's being rerun on CBS Drama. Including all DVD/Blu-ray labels, Midnight Caller is the show I'd most like to see released on DVD.The fifth season of The F.B.I. was only released a few months ago, and fingers crossed the sixth season is released in the autumn.

Both Freddy's Nightmares and Midnight Caller (especially Freddy's Nightmares, which should have been on DVD a while ago) are good candidates for a DVD release.

Why the hell is Freddy's Nightmares not on DVD??

A question I've wondered myself, especially considering how popular the movies have been.

You are very right in that we all have different definitions as to what constitutes classic TV. I think all of us probably have arbitrary guidelines that fit our tastes. Personally, I don't consider anything before 1990 or so as classic television. 24, Lost, Cold Case, Bones, Friends and Prison Break are some of my favorite shows and I have complete runs of all of them (save Cold Case) on DVD, but I still wouldn't label any of them classics. Maybe 10 years from now, but not presently. Again just my own opinion.

This may be hard for you to believe, but the 1970s, '80s, and '90s are now the past (the '90s in particular will soon be the past.) Both decades are deserving of classic status just as much as the 50's and 60's are.

I think you meant to say "after" 1990.

My own cutoff point for what I call classic TV is it can't have debuted later than 1979.

Like I said above, the 70's and the 80's are now classic eras, soon to be followed by the 1990s.

Your kidding, right? The guy playing music and singing at the piano throughout all of the episodes. The show would be a clearance nightmare and since its videotaped, replacements would be virtually impossible. Unreleasable show.

THIS.

1999 is my "Cutoff" point for Classic TV. This is the year we started to get slammed with "Unscripted" programming.

Not all of the shows from 1999-present are 'unscripted'; many are scripted and very well made, and are also what many critics (and TV watchers) call modern classics. To be sure, most of the scripted shows were on cable, but there still were scripted shows.

Ditto here. IMO the Early 60s to Early 70s was the "Golden Age" of Cartoons, at least those of the "Saturday Morning" Variety. After that "Do Gooders" such as Peggy Charon RUINED Kids shows, forcing many classics off the air. Fortunately, most are now available on DVD. If you have kids, I STRONGLY urge you to buy these classics for your kids and stick it into the Do-Gooders faces!

Mrs. Charren's effects didn't last past the 1980's (and no, I'm not defending her, as what she did wrecked Super Friends ) plus not everything was runied by her. Pardon my asking, but just what classics were forced off of the air by her? And what cartoons do you think are better thn anything else on the air?

 

[DisneySwan1990]

Nichols is a 1972 one and done series starring James Garner.But it does depend on your definition of "classic". Superboy is 25 years old . Time Trax, 21.

Now that Time Trax and Babylon 5 are in stores now, the torch is still lit for a possible future DVD release of Kung Fu: Legend Continues and the TV film Pointman (released only on VHS, and only in Britain.) COME ON WARNER ARCHIVE, GET MOVIN!!!!!!!!

 

[DisneySwan1990]

When will we EVER see a DVD release of Suddenly Susan, Veronica's Closet, Two of A Kind, In The House, and the rest of Martin Lawrence Show, Livong Single, Roz, & Hangin With Mr Cooper?

 

[Neil Brock]

maybe get us Fantasy Island and TJ Hooker and all those good, stalled shows.

Good? Thanks for my laugh of the day!

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Good? Thanks for my laugh of the day!

Hey, there was a TJ Hooker episode with William Shatner climbing around on a runaway tractor trailer while a chimpanzee was driving it and Adrien Zmed was looking nervously at the goings on.

That, sir, is the apotheosis of television. It was all downhill from that moment.