No more Mary Tyler Moore Show sets? (1 Viewer)

[KevA]

Somewhat off-topic: this thread reminds me of how much I WISH "The Larry Sanders Show" Season 2 forward, would be released on DVD.

The problem for a Sanders release of future seasons (another massively award-winning show) seems to match that of MTM: sales were not good enough on Season 1 (and it was over-priced)...so that's it. Sad.

Kev A.

 

[Brian W.]

The only reason MTM didn't sell was it was streeting for $45 when its contemporaries were streeting for $30. If it were cheaper, I'm sure it would sell as well as stuff like All in the Family.

I agree. I was looking forward to the set for a long time, but held off buying it for a couple of months because I could not find it below $40. I got all the other season boxes -- All in the Family, The Jeffersons -- for under $25.

 

[Rob W]

I respectfully disagree that pricing had any significant impact on sales of The Larry Sanders Show. The truth is simply that most people either don't get the humour or have never heard of it. It always brought HBO a lot of critical praise but never came close to the ratings heights of their latter-day shows like Sopranos or Sex In The City. Sometimes a higher price structure is justified to allow a break-even or profit on smaller-run items. Coming from the days of laserdiscs, I have found a lot of these box sets to be remarkably cheap considering what they offer. I want my MTM & Larry Sanders collection complete, and I'd be willing to pay a little more for what I consider superior programming.

 

[Julian Lalor]

The first season of MTM was too expensive compared to other similar first season sets.

What other first season sets had audio commentaries and a 90 minute documentary that were sold at significantly less than the price of MTM?

 

[David Von Pein]

What other first season sets had audio commentaries and a 90 minute documentary that were sold at significantly less than the price of MTM?

Not to mention the flawlessness of the MTM transfer to DVD (with colors on those Mary & Rhoda outfits that rival the brightest of rainbows! And TED'S JACKET!), plus Emmy clips, TV promos, trivia game, and photo gallery!!
I'm sorry, but I simply REFUSE to let Georgette have her baby on VHS only! I just can't accept this "miscarriage" () of DVD justice!!
Perhaps the first step, as eluded to above, would be for some smart cookie with a talent for sweet-talking big-wigs to talk FOX into re-releasing Season 1 of TMTMS at a lower MSRP. (OK, David Lambert, you're elected! Get to work on this ASAP!! )

 

[george kaplan]

I didn't buy the first season (not because of price, but because of the edited Xmas show), but (assuming they were unedited), I'd certainly buy the other seasons, even at the current price.

 

[David Von Pein]

Oh, George, George, George. Tsk-Tsk. :frowning: :frowning:
How can you NOT buy this excellent DVD treat based on just that 20 or 30-second excising on the Christmas show?
That cut was (probably?) due to song rights (what else?).
I'm nearly certain there are no other such edits in the set. All of the "epilogue" scenes are there, as well as each "cat's meow" at the end (which, BTW, looks stunning on DVD when freeze-framed! As do the titles and credits. I have never seen such clarity on lettering as there is on these MTM credits! Just another of the 101 reasons to love this boxed gem!)
George is hereby ORDERED by his Government to go & buy the MTM-1 Set!! NOW!!!!!
(If it's not in your collection by the end of August, I'm sending Ted Baxter over to your house to beat some sense into ya! And remember, George, he's from Fresno! Even though he passed away in 1986, I'm still sendin' him!)

 

[David Lambert]

I respectfully disagree that pricing had any significant impact on sales of The Larry Sanders Show.

Sorry, you are entitled to your opinion, but in the position I'm in to get feedback, I can tell you that it was a *very* major factor. The $53.99 list price for 3 single-layer discs DID NOT go over well with consumers, and neither did the retailers think enough of it to stock it very well. The reduced SRP of $39.95 isn't bowling folks over, either. Columbia continues to mention this release in their TV-on-DVD advertising, yet there is very little to convince people to buy it. The show's big fans have already picked up S1, and sales have apparently just not been there.

If Garry Shandling ever has another big project come along that is notable and cross-marketable, then perhaps Columbia will consider a S2 set, along with additional discounts and promotion on S1. Otherwise, I suspect it's in permanent limbo.


How does all this affect Mary Tyler Moore Show sets? Well, MTMS got into more stores than LSS, but the feedback I saw was similar on pricing and promotion. Again, the studio needs to see big solid hard-dollar reasons to convince them to move forward with future releases. It's not a 1-person decision; there are a group of people to convince that more releases of this would sell.

 

[David Von Pein]

David L. .......

Do you have any idea (ballpark) just how many individual units (Boxed Sets) of MTM-1 FOX might say they need to sell before the item moves into the profitable category? (Perhaps we could get Donald Trump to pitch in and pick up a few thousand copies so we can move onward to S.2.)

 

[David Lambert]

No, my knowledge is not THAT detailed. Fox certainly doesn't let me into their Finance meetings!

 

[Marty M]

It is a real shame that there might not be any more seasons of MTM available on DVD. I was really looking forward to "Chuckles Bites the Dust". I also agree, that George should buy the 1st season. You can pause the DVD and sing the edit out portion of the song yourself.

 

[Dane Marvin]

I've finally decided to purchase season 1 of MTM without the guarantee that more seasons will be coming. It's a tough spot Fox has put us in (and I've e-mailed them, telling them as much), but I'm going to cave and pick it up next time I get out to Best Buy.

Fox called my bluff. They win.

 

[george kaplan]

Sorry guys, it's a matter of principle. If Mary can go to jail on principle, I can forsee an otherwise worthwhile dvd purchase, as painful as it is.

 

[Stu Rosen]

When you see what's being dumped into the market these days, I can't help but feel that sooner or later -- maybe later -- subsequent volumes will find their way out. Not quick enough, but eventually.

 

[KevA]

Apply Stu's statement to Larry Sanders as well; fits perfectly.

Kev A.

 

[David Von Pein]

Fox certainly doesn't let me into their Finance meetings!

Well, dag-nab-it, they'd better start!!

 

[EdwardKarlinski]

What other first season sets had audio commentaries and a 90 minute documentary that were sold at significantly less than the price of MTM?

The fact that MTM did not sell demonstrates that nobody cared about audio commentaries and a documentary. The marketplace does not lie. The set was overpriced. A bare bones set priced ala All In The Family would probably have sold. Do you want commentaries or the entire series? Obviously, the market will not bear the former.

 

[David Lambert]

I've never seen this episode unedited and would like too. However, I've seen it without the song and it's a great episode, and there's no way in hell I wouldn't buy this just because it wasn't available with the one song.

 

[Paul_Scott]

The fact that MTM did not sell demonstrates that nobody cared about audio commentaries and a documentary. The marketplace does not lie. The set was overpriced. A bare bones set priced ala All In The Family would probably have sold.

when i got the Best Buy circular that week, i did a double take, because i was expecting a price about $10 lower, but i brushed that off pretty quick, picked it up tuesday morning, and from the time i tore the shrink wrap off to the end of the first episode i watched, i was ecstatic, and would have happily paid full price.
it is incomprhensible to me, how a show of this caliber, that spawns a dvd set this nice, could have withered on the racks.

for as many great titles that have been released this year, as well as the great strides in pricing, the absence of future MTM vol.s is a big heartbreaker.

 

[EdwardKarlinski]

I must add that in trying to please collectors, Fox inadvertantly killed MTM. Had they ignored collectors and just released bare bones seasons, everyone would have been happy. After all, it is the original content which matters.