Leave It To Beaver coming in 2005!!! (1 Viewer)

[Rodney]

If you like that Jeff, you should check out Unreel, Music from Movies and Television by Randy Waldman. I downloaded the album from iTunes, and it has a terrific take on LITB theme song.

 

[Paul Sandhu]

Any news on when this is coming out? Only 5 months left in 2005.

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Yeah, Alfred Hitchcok Presents (which was shot in the same studio at around the same time) has already been announced, but no mention on Beaver. What's the deal?

 

[Mark Lx]

From Dec.25,2004

"Our gift to you is the word of Universal's confirmation that Leave It To Beaver - Season 1 WILL be released in 2005."

Time's running short for such an announcement.

 

[Greg_S_H]

A date for Rockford hasn't been announced, but it is shown in a recent trailer Universal released. Maybe Beav will get announced in the same wave as that show.

 

[Mike Frezon]

From our good friend Dave Lambert:

TVShowsonDVD announcement

Woo hoo!

Mine, mine, mine!

But an MSRP of $49.98?! Gulp.


And since we're partying already, Dave...Happy birthday!

 

[Doug^Ch]

I really want the lunch box packaging, but it won't fit on the shelf. What to do? Does the lunch box come with a thermos? If it does, I'll have to get it regardless

 

[Mike Frezon]

Huh? I am not a bum. I'm a jerk. I once had wealth, power, and the love of a beautiful woman. Now I only have two things: my friends and... uh... my (Leave It to Beaver) thermos.

I'm picking out a Thermos for you. Not an ordinary Thermos for you. But the extra best Thermos that you can buy, with vinyl and stripes and a cup built right in.

 

[TravisR]

That's a great package! And a great show to boot!

 

[Greg_S_H]

I'm definitely planning to get the lunchbox. I would normally go for standard packaging, but that's how much I feel, feel for the Beaver.

 

[Paul Sandhu]

I am so getting the lunchbox. I hope they also have the normal package inside.

I wonder if they continue that through all the seasons.

 

[MattHR]

I'm also a sucker for cool, limited-edition packaging. I wonder if it's an actual full-size lunchbox, or smaller replica. If the lunchbox was designed to hold all six seasons, and we had a guarantee that they'd all be released, I'd probably go for lunchbox edition. Otherwise, it'll be the standard one for me.

I don't think it's worth the extra $20. You know the standard version will be heavily discounted, while the limited edition will not. I'd rather see Universal offer a mail-in program for those who purchased six seasons to get a free, or at least reasonably-priced, lunch box.

If only Season 1 is released in a lunchbox, it would seem out-of-place, assuming more seasons are coming. What if each season has the lunchbox option? What the hell would we do with a shelf full of Beaver boxes? (Insert your own sick Beaver/Box comment here )

 

[Greg_S_H]

It'll probably be the standard box inside the lunchbox, so you could take it out of there and put it on the shelf with the other seasons. I'll look at the lunchbox before deciding for sure, but I like the idea.

 

[Rodney]

Oh yeah, that lunchbox will be mine. I hope that it is a normal sized lunchbox, and not one of those mini-lunchboxes.
And while I am hoping, I will also hope that the standard box is inside as well.

 

[Greg_S_H]

There's a new, better image up at TVShows. The lunchbox looks great. I'm in.

 

[David Von Pein]

[/b]
That's what I think too. But even if it's not, I applaud Universal for at least offering up two variants, for those who hate odd-shaped DVD cases. The "Cleaver Photo Album" sounds like a nifty added-value idea. I'm in for the lunch box edition.

Perhaps a Beaver baseball cap will be inside the lunch box too.

Hey, by-the-by -- think I can get an extra discount on the Limited Edition Lunchbox version for having predicted this exact packaging design in both March 2002 and February 2004? I was using my Magical Beaver Powers right after watching the "Voodoo Magic" LITB episode.

Wouldn't fellow Beaver fans love my "LITB Dream DVD Collection" (from that 2004 HTF post)? .......

LEAVE IT TO BEAVER: THE COMPLETE SERIES (6 SEASONS ON 30 DISCS; 234 EPISODES):

Bonus Features:

>> Commentary Tracks for all 234 Beaver episodic adventures with: Jerry Mathers ("The Beav"), Tony Dow ("The Wally" ), Barbara Billingsley ("The June"), and Ken Osmond (the one & only "Edward W. Haskell").

>> 125-minute documentary on the making of LITB, entitled "Behind The Beaver" (on second thought, the producers just *might* want to re-think this moniker ).

>> Photo Gallery with over 450 behind-the-scenes full-sized photographs.

>> 12-minute featurette showing the Cleaver house being utilized in other Universal productions...including the 1964 film, "Send Me No Flowers".

>> Two complete episodes of the 1985 follow-up TV series, "The New Leave It To Beaver" (aka: "Still The Beaver").

>> Original TV Promo ads for the show (on both CBS and ABC networks).

>> "Where Are They Now" featurette (14 minutes).

>> "Wally's Girlfriends" featurette (13 minutes) -- From Gloria Cusick, to Mary Ellen Rogers, to Carolyn Stewart, to the box-office girl from the "wrong side of the tracks", to Julie Foster -- all of Wallace's "babes" are examined in detail.

>> "Tribute To Hugh Beaumont (1909-1982)" (Ward Cleaver) documentary (16 minutes).

>> Barbara Billingsley "Jive Lady" featurette (6 minutes), with behind-the-scenes footage of Barbara's hilarious role in 1980's "Airplane!". (Plus: Barbara's "Jive" talk in 7 different languages. )

>> "Remembering Richard Deacon" (Fred Rutherford) documentary (11 minutes).

>> "Opening Theme Montage" featurette -- With details on the conception and filming of the six individual LITB show openings.

(FYI: The show's opening changed each season ----
S.1: Hand prints in cement.

S.2: Boys descend stairs (first house) and are greeted by parents at foot of staircase.

S.3: June & Ward enter boys' bedroom, awakening them (now in new house).

S.4: Outside shot of boys being handed their coats, etc., by Ward/June @ front door.

S.5: Outside shot of June exiting front door (which, BTW, somehow magically closes all by itself behind her) with tray of cool, refreshing lemonade beverages for her family. We see Ward & the boys working in yard, desiring the ice-cold June-created beverages.

S.6: Outside still again....This time the theme music has been "jazzed" up. Opening has each family member exiting the 211 Pine St. front door and entering Ward's brand-spanking-new 1963 automobile...with Beaver bringing up the rear.)

>> Aspect Ratio: Original Full-Frame (1.33:1).

>> 2.0 Dolby Digital (original Mono track).

>> Interactive LITB Quiz, with 675 trivia questions about Beaver and the Gang!

>> Bonus: Easter Eggs included. .... Including blooper footage, Cleaver house floor plans, and special deeply-buried "Eggs" which feature show clips of Larry Mondello consuming a wide variety of foods (that kid was always eating!).

>> 78-page collectible hardcover book, "Leave It To Beaver Remembered", with hundreds of recently-unearthed photos.

>> ThinPak cases for each disc.

>> Unique "Beaver's Lunchbox" Packaging. "Lunchbox" houses all 6 season sets.

>> Look for this "Beaver Mega-Set" on DVD in stores soon. (That is, soon--if Hell is about to freeze over.)

 

[David Von Pein]

S.1 LITB UPDATE (AUG. 26, 2005).............

Universal has added a synopsis to its webpage for "Beaver Season 1" -- with the very good news that the "Original Pilot Episode" (which was entitled "It's A Small World") will indeed be included on the Nov. 22nd 3-Disc DVD set.

The Pilot is not really very good, but it's definitely a valuable addition for "completist" sake on the LITB-S.1 collection (IMHO). Jerry Mathers and Barbara Billingsley co-star in the "Small World" pilot, with other actors playing Wally and father Ward. I commend Universal for its inclusion here.

Here's the blurb from Universal.......

"Finally, one of the most beloved series from television's Golden Age comes to DVD for the first time ever! Join the Cleavers, America's quintessential family, in all 39 digitally remastered, unforgettable episodes from the complete first season of Leave it to Beaver! Theodore 'Beaver' Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) can't seem to avoid trouble, and his older brother Wally (Tony Dow), and mischievous pal Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), aren't any help. But with some wise advice from his father Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and mom's (Barbara Billingsley) home-cooked meals, Beaver learns that all's well that ends well. Complete with the original pilot, brought out of the studio archives, this must-have DVD collection will have you declaring, 'Gee, that Beaver sure is a swell guy!'"

http://homevideo.universalstudios.co...?childId=35862

 

[Greg_S_H]

I've seen it, but all I remember is the other Ward walking around looking like Hugh Hefner with a smoking jacket.

 

[Gary OS]

David, I love your "Dream DVD" set for LITB. That of course, would be beyond my wildest dreams - and beyond Universal's thinking.

Seriously though, I do worry about whether or not Universal is committed to getting the entire run onto DVD. As with most everything else, I'm sure it will all come down to sales.

If I could have only one tv show start backwards, release wise, and begin with the last season and move towards the first, this would be the show. Oh, don't get me wrong. I look forward to these early episodes, and feel the show was solid from beginning to end. But I sincerely like the last season best, and count backwards from there in terms of favorite seasons - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I think it's because I enjoyed the interaction between Wally, Eddie and Lumpy in that last season. Many of the episodes focused on that trio, and I thoroughly enjoyed those stories. And of course the later years saw the semi-regular appearances of Cheryl Holdridge - my first real tv crush. What a looker she was!!!

Gary "yep, I'd gladly see this one particular series released starting with Season 6 and counting backwards if I could" O.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Based on the reaction we've seen here to the lunchbox, I hope Universal is surprised by a great reception for these sets. Regular box for me, though.

Whaddya suppose the store prices will be? I'm surprised by a $49.98 MSRP. Seems high.