Leave it to beaver season 3? (1 Viewer)

[Michael Alden]

Something to keep in mind. Universal is now owned by NBC which means it's part of GE. You want to talk about evil corporations? Okay, let's forget about the 700 people that they just recently decided to fire. GE has a corporate wide policy that EVERY division of the company has to INCREASE their profits every year by 20%. No ifs, ands or buts and it doesn't matter how it's accomplished, by layoffs, firings, whatever. You think that type of environment allows for much wiggle room? So even if some of their releases make money, if it's not ENOUGH money, heads are going to roll. The way they are set up, heads roll anyway. No exactly an environment to cultivate nurturing.

 

[tce911]

to all:

Im just writing this to keep this subject active, its already slipping in the cracks where Im afraid universal is sliding litb's further seasons like all managerial ****oles they would kill their mother for a little money, instead of giving good service to the public. I'm already giving up on this issue but I always have a persistence that never quite gives up.

Thomas c

 

[Gary OS]

Yea, it has been very depressing. Especially in that we can't get anyone to tell us exactly why the show has seemingly been put on hold. I've repeated asked some of our knowledgeable and in-the-loop posters to tell us if LITB suffered from low sales, and if that's the reason season 3 hasn't been released yet. But no one will answer these simple questions.

Gary "very frustrated" O.

 

[TravisR]

I know I've said it before but I wouldn't worry until the May announcements come in and LITB isn't on it. Universal seems to have gone to a one set a year release for their classic TV stuff so I'd imagine that's what is going on here too.

 

[marcSo]

I agree if we get past may with no annoucement then I will be concerned.This is right up there on my list of shows I want to own on dvd.I love watching the first 2 seasons on dvd. I cannot believe universal would let such a classic just hang in limbo.Someone out there must no something.Please pass on the word.

 

[Gary OS]

Well, I had gone on record in another thread (the one about classic tvondvd being on the downside) as saying that if I hadn't heard anything about season 3 by the end of December I'd be very worried. But that was based on my faulty memory substituting March for May as the month of the second season release. I know that studios generally announce about 3 months in advance, so I thought that if we hadn't heard anything by the end of December it would mean Universal was going beyond one year between releases.

Now that I realize season two was released in May, I'll recalculate and say that I won't really panic until we get through February without an announced release date (3 months prior to May). That will be the actual "panic button" time for me. Hope we hear something before that though.

Gary "I also hate the thought of the show being slowed to a once a year release schedule too" O.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

No one would be more disgusted than I if LITB is discontinued by Universal, but I would like to comment on this comment above.

Let's say LITB has been a money loser for Universal. Well, it's very easy for US to say they should continue to release it anyway, as a "public service." But why should they?

And what's with the extreme rhetoric? Keeping a company profitable, maintaining its return on investment, maintaining its stock price, etc., is a far cry from "killing your mother for a little money."

I don't know the specifics of this situation, but I can absolutely GUARANTEE you that if Season Sets of LITB are profitable for Universal, they will continue releasing them, and if they're not, they won't. It has nothing to do with being matricidal blank-holes uninterested in giving good service to the public.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Gary: I'm glad your "panic sensor" is flexible!

As was discussed in the Alias Smith & Jones thread, there have been some signs that new life has been breathed into classic TV on DVD. It might just be that the companies are spreading their production divisions a little thinner with new titles and need to put more space between season releases of sets like LitB. We'll see I guess.

EDIT** And, of course, Joe is right about these companies only being in this business to turn a profit. There's nothing wrong or evil about that. It is what makes sense. For-profit companies are not responsible to provide a "public service" and, in turn, lose money. That would be dumb. Don't agree? Start up a company and let me know what you think then.

 

[David Von Pein]

I know of one person on the planet who still isn't the slightest bit worried about the fate of future LITB seasons on DVD -- me!

For the record, as of one minute ago, the Amazon sales ranks for LITB were.....

#1,868 for Season 1.
#2,251 for Season 2.

Now, considering that the total # of DVDs in that particular database reaches six digits, maybe those stats aren't too bad.

For some reference, The Dick Van Dyke Show Season 5 (final year) is now ranked at #9,142....The Munsters S.2 is #2,507....Rockford Files S.2 = #1,335....Columbo S.2 is #1,599....and Bewitched S.4 = #1,434.

These figures don't mean very much I guess, but I just wanted to play around with the numbers anyway.

For those biting their nails to know....the LITB Limited Edition S.1 Lunch Box set is currently at #20,964, btw. (I'm surprised it's that's high, what with the hideously-high $66 price tag currently.)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail

 

[Carlos Garcia]

I really hope seasons 3-6 of LITB get released, but if Universal doesn't want our money, we can always throw some at TVLand + a DVD recorder.

 

[Michael Alden]

For episodes missing 4 minutes apiece? No, no thanks.

 

[Carlos Garcia]

Hey I want the complete show, but if it's a choice between 22 minutes or nothing at all, sorry but I'll take what I can get, those last 2 seasons were even better than the early episodes...This is one show I think they should've released in backwards order!

 

[JeffZ80]

The series was doomed from the beginning:

1. Very high retail price, AND no discouting of the price the first week.

2. Very lttle marketing - not even in the Best Buy and other circulars. No promotion by the stars of the series.

3. NOT ON THE SHELF AT BEST BUY - staff had to search in the back to find a copy.

4. Very liitle in the way of extras, crucial for a TV on DVD series since for many marginal fans that can be the difference. NO COMMENTARY.

 

[David Von Pein]

Your analysis won't hold water. (At least it certainly isn't a hard-&-fast formula for success or availability of a whole series' run.)

Example....The Andy Griffith Show (a show from the same era as The Beav) -- All 8 seasons available within 2 years of S.1 coming out, with very few extras (i.e., no Pilot ep. and zero extras at all for 6 of the 8 boxed sets).*

* = Grain-Of-Salt Footnote required here --- Obviously, Paramount committed (firmly) to releasing every single TAGS season from the get-go (like Image did with Dick Van Dyke). Hence...8 TAGS sets in 2 years. But as far as some of Jeff's listed parameters equating to a "doomed" DVD franchise, LITB is no worse off than was TAGS...i.e., no extras, virtually no publicity at all (that I've seen), and not many people talking about either series online. In essence, the majority of DVD buyers just don't care about either show...and yet I have all 8 TAGS. Go figure. ~shrug~

 

[Michael Alden]

Big difference between them is that Paramount does all of their transfers in-house for a reasonable price while Universal and Warners pay a fortune for transfers. That's why Paramount can sell sets that are viable for them but the same sales figures for a series from the other two companies are considered failures.

 

[Carlos Garcia]

After season 1 of the Mary Tyler Moore show bombed in DVD sales, many of us wrote off the possibility of ever seeing seasons 2-7...and more than 2 yrs after the release of season 1, we've now seen seasons 2-4 be released, so I won't give up hope with LITB either.

 

[JohnMor]

They were ALL over the shelves at my Best Buys (I used to frequent 4 different ones weekly), including the Lunch Box edition. And the price wasn't as high as what Universal charged for the first season of The Munsters.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I'll be brutally honest, although I might be called a cheapskate. I would have snapped up LITB the first day it went on sale, but compared to other shows of its era, I thought it was overpriced. Some day I'll find it marked down (maybe at Costco), then the snapping-up will occur (which is how I got the first season of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" from the same company.)

 

[Mike Frezon]

You are no cheapskate, Joe! I certainly understand those thoughts. I'm a big bargain shopper (sounds better than "cheapskate"). Many new releases, for me, wait until they go on sale previously viewed at my local rental shop. I decided tonight while standing in Best Buy holding Little Miss Sunshine for $15.99 that that particular title would have the same fate. I've got enough on the shelf unwatched that I don't need to add another title to the queue at what will end up being twice its final price.

Anyway...LitB is one of my much-heralded, long-awaited titles and I will be glad to pay the $32.99 (or thereabouts) for the sets when they reach the shelves. If I was a casual fan, though, I would definitely be combing the used shops for them. In thinking about it though, I haven't seen a LitB season ever used anywhere.

The one thing you can say about the seasons of LitB, though...they sure did pack a lot of episodes into each year!

Lower prices probably would mean much better sales in this case.

 

[David Von Pein]

Now's your chance to "snap". 59% off at Amazon (just $20.49 as of this writing on 12/20/2006; and S.2 is only $30). I doubt you'll do better than this.....

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B7HZUK

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...e=ReviewDetail