Note to Universal: You ever hear of TV boxsets? (1 Viewer)

[Craig: Mclaren]

Aside from all the fuss over music copyright which I know is holding up a few of these titles i'd like to make a list of all the Universal TV shows that have good worldwide potential yet have had exactley dick released in season boxsets. We hear the stories about mergers and what have you but I personally think at the end of the day (CENSORED TO AVOID OFFENSE) This is a rant of sorts but please bear with me.

Output-
Battle Star Gallectia (looks like a decent set)
Law and Order (One season released so far, why Universal you are spoiling us!)
barretta (supposed poor sales but i think the remaining seasons could still be released.)
Dragnet 2003 (I haven't heard anyone who thinks this deserves a priorty release.)
The incrediable Hulk: Collection ( A best of, hello four complete seasons are what the fans want, you even have a movie to tie it in with )
Law and Order TWO spin offs (do either of these shows really warrant a release ahead of 10 odd more popular classic shows??)


Money to be made from-

Magnum P.I. (The tauche remastered! )
Quantum Leap
The A-Team
Knight Rider
The Equalizer
Columbo (avialable in Japan!)
Kojak (Free lolipop with every set!) )
Miami Vice (If I must share a world with Dawsons Crack, Buffy and Star Trek boxsets then return the favour with this show )
Six Million Dollar Man ("Its Lee Majors, the six million dollar man")
Alfred Hitchcock Presents:
The Munsters
The Rockford Files
Banacek
Ironside
Quincy M.E. ("What is the government doing about it?")
Alias: Smith and Jones
Airwolf
The Bionic Women
The Incrediable Hulk (Full seasons)
Moonlighting
Murder She Wrote
Sliders


Rant over.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

I agree mostly, they are one of the few stuidos to not really be JUMPING into the TV on DVD idea...

FOX really is the huge supplier of this concept...even paramount/disney/warner have made lots of leaps, but UNIVERSAL is just not biting...

 

[Richard Travale]

Does anyone know who owns the rights to 21 Jump Street?

 

[Jason Seaver]

IMDB says Fox, but I wouldn't be surprised if Stephen J. Cannell owns it outright.

 

[Chris]

Cannell owns all distribution rights.

I definitely want all the Law & Order series and spin offs, so don't knock that.. just right now haven't actually seen anything but one show of the new ones and season one, so they aren't doing those a great service..

However, Quantum Leap is my most wanted box set. Top of my list at this point. It is one of the most underrated entertaining SciFi programs of the 80s/early nineties.

 

[Daniel Kikin]

I'll add Sliders to the list. This was one of the 8 shows mentioned in the USA Today article a long time ago but nothing since then.

 

[Craig: Mclaren]

@ Chris,
i'm not dissing Law and Order mate I just think that for such a award winning, long running show one season is very poor. Why release the 1st season of both spin offs just now? I would think fans would want Law and Order Season 2 and Season 3 instead? There release schedule is baffling??

Daniel, I added Sliders to the list for you

Can anybody think of other Universal TV shows that they could be making money from right now on DVD? Lets get a list going.

 

[David Lambert]

Now might be the perfect time for this discussion.

If the gov't approves the NBC/Uni deal, then they will start to get back on track with the releases they have wanted to do but delayed because of the selloff situation.

A nice reminder to them of what the buyers want to see isn't a bad idea at all. I've got to get ready for work right now, but I'll try to take time later to contribute to this thread.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Here are some I might want:

Amazing Stories
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Earth 2
seaQuest DSV (although I'd only be interested in the 1st season)

 

[todd s]

Quincy M.E. ("What is the government doing about it?")

That quote is so right on.

I want:

The Equalizer
Quantum Leap
Magnum PI
Sliders
Miami Vice

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I think Law and Order sells poorly because it's on about 5 times a day on TNT. And then before that was on 3 times a day on A&E, ie over satuation

 

[David Lambert]

Okay, I've grabbed a rough list and pasted it in here; it's full of titles that may not be in Universal's control, or may never have been "controlled" by them but they just had some minor involvement with for some reason. I made sure it included everything in the above lists. A few of them - like Moonlighting comes to mind - I'm not sure belong on this list at all, so I left off for now...I don't have time at the moment for major research! But without trying to take over the list or anything, here's a much longer one that probably includes all the high points.

I've made a couple of notes, and bold-faced the ones that, off the top of my head, I recall there being a LOT of interest in:

• A-Team
  Adam 12
  Airwolf
  Alfred Hitchcock Presents
  Alias Smith & Jones
  Amazing Stories
  American Gothic
  B.J. and the Bear
  Baa Baa Black Sheep
  Back to the Future (animated)
  Banacek
  The Bionic Woman
  Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
  The Captains and the Kings (mini)
  Centennial (mini)
  Charles in Charge
  Coach
  Columbo
  Cool Million
  Delta House
  Dragnet (one of the "lost 7")
  Earth 2
  Earth: Final Conflict (one of the "lost 7")
  Ellery Queen
  Emergency! (one of the "lost 7")
  The Equalizer
  Family Dog
  Fast Times
  Flipper
  Gemini Man
  Get Christie Love
  Gimme a Break!
  Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
  Harper Valley P.T.A.
  Harry and the Hendersons
  In Search Of...
  The Invisible Man
  Ironside
  The Jack Benny Program
  The Jerry Lewis Show (included this one for Ron! )
  The Jerry Springer Show
  Kate Loves a Mystery
  Knight Rider
  Kojak
  Kolchak: The Night Stalker
  Leave it to Beaver
  Magnum P.I. (one of the "lost 7")
  Major Dad
  Marcus Welby, M.D.
  Masada (mini)
  McCloud
  McMillan and Wife
  Miami Vice
  The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
  Misfits of Science
  The Munsters
  Murder, She Wrote
  Night Gallery
  Northern Exposure (coming, actually)
  Operation Petticoat
  Otherworld
  Project U.F.O.
  Quantum Leap (one of the "lost 7")
  Quincy, M.E.
  Rich Man, Poor Man (mini)
  Rich Man, Poor Man Book II (mini)
  The Rockford Files (one of the "lost 7")
  Sally Jesse Raphael
  SeaQuest D.S.V.
  Sierra
  Simon & Simon
  The Six Million Dollar Man (perhaps great to tie into "Jake 2.0"?...)
  Sliders (one of the "lost 7")
  Switch
  Tales of the Gold Monkey
  Tammy
  That's Incredible!
  The Virginian
  Voyagers!
  Wagon Train
  Whiz Kids

 

[Dane Marvin]

Thanks for the full list, David. What I want from them, in order:

Quantum Leap
Leave It to Beaver
Night Gallery (what can I say? I'm a Serling freak)
Charles in Charge
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Jerry Springer (complete, individual uncensored episodes)

And, Craig, don't underestimate the popularity of the Law & Order spinoff shows -- they're ratings winners, not just wannabes.

 

[Chris]

What is the deal with "The Lost 7" did I miss something here?

 

[Jason Seaver]

I think Law and Order sells poorly because it's on about 5 times a day on TNT. And then before that was on 3 times a day on A&E, ie over satuation

It was also one of the first non-sci-fi shows to get a big, season-set release; while it's got a solid fanbase, that base isn't quite as maniacal as the Trekkies.

Also, it's had 10+ seasons with no sign of slowing down, plus two spinoffs with six or so seasons between them so far. Collecting Law & Order is a scary proposition.

 

[John Simon]

Chris,

The "Lost 7" refers to series Universal announced over a year ago were coming to DVD. Check this thread for more information.

 

[Colin Davidson]

HEY - Universal!

Put me down for:

Adam 12
Airwolf
Amazing Stories
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Dragnet
Earth 2
Emergency!
The Equalizer
Harry and the Hendersons
Miami Vice (I can dream, can't I)
Night Gallery
The Rockford Files
SeaQuest D.S.V.

Thanks to Dave for the complete list.

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

Eight Universal-controlled TV series I'd like to own on DVD, and why it would make sense to release them:

1. THRILLER (1961-62) With your host, Boris Karloff. Any fan of classic/gothic horror, or the original TWILIGHT ZONE/OUTER LIMITS/HITCHCOCK series, would buy this series in a (nervous) heartbeat. Could easily be done as two DVD season sets, as MGM has done with the original OUTER LIMITS episodes.

2. DRAGNET (1967-70) One of the "lost 7" series Universal announced last year for DVD release in 2003. This is a no-brainer, as it is iconic tv, works both as police drama and comedy (sometimes intentionally so, sometimes otherwise), plus there wouldn't be a current DRAGNET series if the original never happened. My hope is, if the merger with NBC works out, Universal will get permission from Johnny Carson Productions to include the classic "Copper Clappers" sketch (a DRAGNET parody involving Carson & Jack Webb) from THE TONIGHT SHOW as an extra in a 1960s DRAGNET DVD set. Also, this collection would be the perfect place to include the 1954 color DRAGNET theatrical film (originally a Warner Brothers release, but the rights later went to Universal) and the 1966 DRAGNET made-for-TV movie, which was shot as a pilot for the 1960s version of the series, but didn't air until 1969.

3. ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS (1955-62) Another icon of classic TV, on par with the original TWILIGHT ZONE and OUTER LIMITS series (both of which are now available complete on DVD, and have been profitable). No further explanation necessary, just release more episodes on DVD (and re-release the Hitchcock-directed episodes, included as bonus discs in the badly-thought-out Hitchcock movie DVD box sets, individually).

4. THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR (1962-65) Ditto.

5. SUSPICION (1957-58) 10-episode hour suspense anthology series, shot on film by the ALFRED HITCHCOCK crew. One of the episodes, "Four O'Clock", was directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself (it was run as a special presentation on TV LAND a few years ago), and was terrific-- E.G. Marshall played a man plotting to murder his wife by planting a home-made time bomb in their cellar, but is tied up and gagged by burglars (one is a young Harry Dean Stanton!) unaware of the explosive device.

6. LEAVE IT TO BEAVER (1957-63) One of the cornerstones of classic TV, and still (intentionally) funny almost a half-century later. Another no-brainer.

7. M-SQUAD (1957-60) A TV series starring Lee Marvin, in the DRAGNET mode, except grittier! Theme music by Count Basie (and incidental music by John Williams, among others)! Guest stars like James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Burt Reynolds, etc! A prime inspiration for the NAKED GUN/POLICE SQUAD! movies and TV show! What more reasons do you need to release this on DVD???

8. KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER (1974) Classic stuff, the acknowledged inspiration for the X-FILES, and with only 20 episodes filmed, easy to collect in a single DVD set.

Thanks for listening. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread posts.

Peter M. Fitzgerald (eyes ruined, brain rotted --egads, Mom was right!)

 

[Daniel Kikin]

Maybe this thread should go to the Studio Feedback Forum?

 

[Chris]

I agree. Studios need to know there is an audience that will buy these damn things. If the put every season of Quantum Leap on DVD, I'll own them all And I'm sure I'm not alone!