MarcoBiscotti
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According to Toonzone.net:
An UrbanWorks Entertainment representative has provided Toon Zone with exclusive details on their two upcoming Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids DVD titles: the single-disc release of "the five most sought-after episodes", and the 4-disc box set Fat Albert's Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection.
Here's the TV series summary, via venturadistribution.com:
Fat Albert and the Cosby kids, aired from 1972 to 1984 and was re-syndicated in 1989. This creative animated series enjoyed one of the longest and most successful runs in Saturday morning cartoon history.
Live action commentaries featuring Bill Cosby were set around animated episodes of Fat Albert and the Cosby kids, a series about a group of urban adolescents growing up in a Philadelphia neighborhood. The show was based on Cosby's 60's stand up comedy monologues about his childhood.
The episodes revolved around the daily life lessons learned by Fat Albert and his friends. Topics ranged from social issues to personal introspection and were blended with humor and music. Among the many great characters that inhabited Fat Albert's world were Rudy, Mushmouth, Donald, Bill, Weird Harold and Russell.
Previous sources, such as an ad in the 10.11.04 issue of Video Business, mentioned that the 4-disc boxed set would include "bonus features." Unfortunately, this is not true. UrbanWorks rep Brett D. tells Toon Zone that "there will be no bonus material on these two releases."
"The 4-disc box set," says Brett, "will feature a 12-page collector's booklet, embossed packaging with artwork of all the Fat Albert characters as well as a free t-shirt with purchase (depending on from which account it is purchased.) We will look at including bonus material for our episodic releases throughout 2005." And for fans who remember the two Fat Albert Holiday TV specials, Brett adds, "The Halloween and Christmas specials will be a part of our 2005 release schedule."
Following is the complete episode listing for both upcoming Fat Albert titles, due for release on 12.14.04:
+ For the single-disc release (total run-time 110 mins), episodes include:
Creativity
Take Two, They’re Small
Smoke Gets In Your Hair
Sweet Sorrow
Poll Time
+ Included on Fat Albert’s Greatest Hits – The Ultimate Collection (total run-time 440 mins):
Disc 1:
Lying
Creativity
Tomboy
Fat Albert Meets Dan Cupid
Take Two, They’re Small
Disc 2:
Smoke Gets In Your Hair
Readin’, Ritin’ and Rudy
Sweet Sorrow
Poll Time
Soft Core
Disc 3:
The Secret
The Gunslinger
Little Girl Found
Watch Thy Neighborhood
Justice Good As Ever
Disc 4:
Rebop For Bebop
Handwriting On The Wall
Video Mania
Second Chance
The Birds, The Bees and Dumb Donald
For episode plot summaries, visit tvtome.com.
The cover art for both titles still has not been finalized, but a tentative one for the 4-disc box set is viewable via Ventura Distribution.
UrbanWorks' two upcoming DVD releases have suggested retail prices of $14.99 (single-disc) and $49.99 (box set), respectively. And a big *up* to UrbanWorks and Entertainment Rights for acquiring the rights to this series and offering a more reasonably-priced alternative to the horribly-overpriced meager content "Fat Albert" DVDs from a certain retailer whose name shall not be mentioned.
Special thanks to Brett D. for providing the episode listings.
I personally think this is an incredibly stupid release context and Urbanworks Entertainment gets no "big up" from me.
Why on earth would they bother issuing a random 4-disc compilation set mixing episodes from not only different seasons but series altogether, when they could have just as easily offered a complete collection of season sets at the same ammount of effort and retail cost?
This is just ignorance on their behalf and nothing more. Now consumers are left to chose between this 4-disc set which compiles only 7 episodes from the original series, all of which have already been released through Time-Life only mixed and matched throughout various discs with other episodes not featured in this box set, or the Time-Life releases which might be more costly but still offer more episodes. At the very least, Urbanworks could have done their homework and compiled the remaining episodes not featured in Time-Life's series so that they'd eliminate the competition between sales and make our decisions a hell of a lot easier!
They also go so far as to mention that they will be issuing "episodic" releases through 2005, whatever that means?
Is this to say that eventually Urbanworks will release the entire series in individual volumes and we should hold off on purchases until this is confirmed or does this mean we will see a random budget compilation of episodes from different series and seasons tossed together every few months?
What kind of a release pattern is that?!
It's obvious this company has little knowledge or experience in the TV-DVD field because by now it should be very clear what consumers expect from these type of releases and I would have thought that we'd reached a stage where even the big names studios would be aware of it. Warner Bros, Fox, Universal and even Paramount for the most part have gotten the gist of it. You'd think a smaller independant corporation dedicated to the production/release of such a fondly remembered popular landmark animated series would take this to task.
Instead, they've delivered an odd mix of cartoons from various series thrown together in one 4-disc box set that could have just as easily been a complete season collection. It shouldn't be so difficult to do things properly!
I personally will not be supporting this type of release and will wait to see what comes from this company in the future.
Hopefully fans of the series will come together in sending emails, letters and telephone calls to the company letting them know the "right" way to do things and perhaps we'll see something similair to the Fraggle Rock fiasco unfold. I hope Gord Lacey and the TVShowsOnDVD crew get in contact with the company as well to campaign for proper comprehensive releases.
Unfortunately right now, we have basically two choises - 1. individual discs offered through Time-Life's mail order at a higher cost, or - 2. less of the same episodes tossed around with some others from various incarnations of the show offered in this 4-disc set with possibly more to come in various formats in the future?
At the very least, I'd hope to see an improvement in video quality and cleanup from the TL releases to even warrant the sale of this box!
Sorry for the pessimism, but this sucks. I was hoping for something MUCH better than this falsely advertised package which now only seems to contain 7 already released episodes of 'Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids' and a 12-page insert that Urbanworks likes ot call a "Collector's book"...
PS - I've never even heard of the episodes from the last 2-discs before, they're not from the original series OR the 1979 version either... what are these???
An UrbanWorks Entertainment representative has provided Toon Zone with exclusive details on their two upcoming Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids DVD titles: the single-disc release of "the five most sought-after episodes", and the 4-disc box set Fat Albert's Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection.
Here's the TV series summary, via venturadistribution.com:
Fat Albert and the Cosby kids, aired from 1972 to 1984 and was re-syndicated in 1989. This creative animated series enjoyed one of the longest and most successful runs in Saturday morning cartoon history.
Live action commentaries featuring Bill Cosby were set around animated episodes of Fat Albert and the Cosby kids, a series about a group of urban adolescents growing up in a Philadelphia neighborhood. The show was based on Cosby's 60's stand up comedy monologues about his childhood.
The episodes revolved around the daily life lessons learned by Fat Albert and his friends. Topics ranged from social issues to personal introspection and were blended with humor and music. Among the many great characters that inhabited Fat Albert's world were Rudy, Mushmouth, Donald, Bill, Weird Harold and Russell.
Previous sources, such as an ad in the 10.11.04 issue of Video Business, mentioned that the 4-disc boxed set would include "bonus features." Unfortunately, this is not true. UrbanWorks rep Brett D. tells Toon Zone that "there will be no bonus material on these two releases."
"The 4-disc box set," says Brett, "will feature a 12-page collector's booklet, embossed packaging with artwork of all the Fat Albert characters as well as a free t-shirt with purchase (depending on from which account it is purchased.) We will look at including bonus material for our episodic releases throughout 2005." And for fans who remember the two Fat Albert Holiday TV specials, Brett adds, "The Halloween and Christmas specials will be a part of our 2005 release schedule."
Following is the complete episode listing for both upcoming Fat Albert titles, due for release on 12.14.04:
+ For the single-disc release (total run-time 110 mins), episodes include:
Creativity
Take Two, They’re Small
Smoke Gets In Your Hair
Sweet Sorrow
Poll Time
+ Included on Fat Albert’s Greatest Hits – The Ultimate Collection (total run-time 440 mins):
Disc 1:
Lying
Creativity
Tomboy
Fat Albert Meets Dan Cupid
Take Two, They’re Small
Disc 2:
Smoke Gets In Your Hair
Readin’, Ritin’ and Rudy
Sweet Sorrow
Poll Time
Soft Core
Disc 3:
The Secret
The Gunslinger
Little Girl Found
Watch Thy Neighborhood
Justice Good As Ever
Disc 4:
Rebop For Bebop
Handwriting On The Wall
Video Mania
Second Chance
The Birds, The Bees and Dumb Donald
For episode plot summaries, visit tvtome.com.
The cover art for both titles still has not been finalized, but a tentative one for the 4-disc box set is viewable via Ventura Distribution.
UrbanWorks' two upcoming DVD releases have suggested retail prices of $14.99 (single-disc) and $49.99 (box set), respectively. And a big *up* to UrbanWorks and Entertainment Rights for acquiring the rights to this series and offering a more reasonably-priced alternative to the horribly-overpriced meager content "Fat Albert" DVDs from a certain retailer whose name shall not be mentioned.
Special thanks to Brett D. for providing the episode listings.
I personally think this is an incredibly stupid release context and Urbanworks Entertainment gets no "big up" from me.
Why on earth would they bother issuing a random 4-disc compilation set mixing episodes from not only different seasons but series altogether, when they could have just as easily offered a complete collection of season sets at the same ammount of effort and retail cost?
This is just ignorance on their behalf and nothing more. Now consumers are left to chose between this 4-disc set which compiles only 7 episodes from the original series, all of which have already been released through Time-Life only mixed and matched throughout various discs with other episodes not featured in this box set, or the Time-Life releases which might be more costly but still offer more episodes. At the very least, Urbanworks could have done their homework and compiled the remaining episodes not featured in Time-Life's series so that they'd eliminate the competition between sales and make our decisions a hell of a lot easier!
They also go so far as to mention that they will be issuing "episodic" releases through 2005, whatever that means?
Is this to say that eventually Urbanworks will release the entire series in individual volumes and we should hold off on purchases until this is confirmed or does this mean we will see a random budget compilation of episodes from different series and seasons tossed together every few months?
What kind of a release pattern is that?!
It's obvious this company has little knowledge or experience in the TV-DVD field because by now it should be very clear what consumers expect from these type of releases and I would have thought that we'd reached a stage where even the big names studios would be aware of it. Warner Bros, Fox, Universal and even Paramount for the most part have gotten the gist of it. You'd think a smaller independant corporation dedicated to the production/release of such a fondly remembered popular landmark animated series would take this to task.
Instead, they've delivered an odd mix of cartoons from various series thrown together in one 4-disc box set that could have just as easily been a complete season collection. It shouldn't be so difficult to do things properly!
I personally will not be supporting this type of release and will wait to see what comes from this company in the future.
Hopefully fans of the series will come together in sending emails, letters and telephone calls to the company letting them know the "right" way to do things and perhaps we'll see something similair to the Fraggle Rock fiasco unfold. I hope Gord Lacey and the TVShowsOnDVD crew get in contact with the company as well to campaign for proper comprehensive releases.
Unfortunately right now, we have basically two choises - 1. individual discs offered through Time-Life's mail order at a higher cost, or - 2. less of the same episodes tossed around with some others from various incarnations of the show offered in this 4-disc set with possibly more to come in various formats in the future?
At the very least, I'd hope to see an improvement in video quality and cleanup from the TL releases to even warrant the sale of this box!
Sorry for the pessimism, but this sucks. I was hoping for something MUCH better than this falsely advertised package which now only seems to contain 7 already released episodes of 'Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids' and a 12-page insert that Urbanworks likes ot call a "Collector's book"...
PS - I've never even heard of the episodes from the last 2-discs before, they're not from the original series OR the 1979 version either... what are these???
. And Dave, I'm surprised you didn't link directly to the Fat Albert listing on TVShowsOnDVD.com. No worries, I got you covered...
