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One Season, Some Seasons, or All Seasons (1 Viewer)

MarkHastings

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I've cut back on a lot of tv show DVD purchases because I'm finding that some of the shows that I loved as a child seem like great purchases, but after watching them...they aren't as great as I thought and don't hold my attention after watching several episodes.

Example, after watching the first season of Bullwinkle and The Monkees, I realized that the format of the show got a bit monotonous and I don't want to get any more season sets - i.e. Season 1 is enough for me. Most shows can stand up to several viewings, but others seem to lose their uniqueness.

I was all ready to start getting the Scooby Doo, Flintstones, and Giligans Island seasons, but I thought twice and decided not to.
 

Julia*D

Agent
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Nov 23, 2002
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I think I'm in agreement with Amy -- in some ways, I'm a completist and must have every season of my favorite shows (Buffy, Angel, Due South). If my budget was bigger, I'd definitely love to add to that...

But the main reason I buy TV on DVD is so I can rewatch the episodes I love and I just can't justify buying an entire series on DVD if there's some seasons I can't stand. For that reason, I'll probably stop buying The West Wing after awhile and if seaQuest ever came out on DVD, I'd only buy the first season. But it's hard to resist the urge to complete the collection, even if I know I'm not into the episodes...
 

david_slater

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Jan 22, 2004
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as for me i do pilots or complete sets only
depends on the show. they should release both the pilots as well as the Season sets. this should make everyone happy.
 

John Berggren

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Apart from skipping seasons 8 and 9 of the X-files, I can't think of any TV-on-DVD show that I don't buy full runs of. The only release I have that wasn't followed up on is MTM.
 

MarkHastings

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What's everyones opinion on TV sets that have no extras? If it weren't for the commentaries and deleted scenes, I may have skipped the Futurama sets. The reruns are enough for me to not "Need" these on DVD (even though I have to deal with station bugs and edited episodes).

For me, it just feels like watching TV if they don't have any extras.
 

Rob Gardiner

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Feb 15, 2002
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Mark,

Extras or no, I like having my favorite shows on DVD. No commercials, no station bugs, no cuts (most of the time). Freedom from the scheduling decisions of others. (Our cable system's program guide is practically a work of fiction.) The ability to program my own marathons, such as a season of Sopranos over the weekend, or the 10-episode Dominion War finale to Deep Space Nine all in one sitting.

I consider a home video collection to be a substitute for cable. Now that I have all the STAR TREKs, all the TWILIGHT ZONEs, all the OUTER LIMITS, all the (good) X-FILES, all the PRISONERs, all the MONTY PYTHONs, all the SOPRANOS, a smattering of other shows, a shitload of cartoons, a decent selection of musical programming and documentaries, and thousands of feature films, I haven't watched much cable in the last few years. Most good new shows that I'm interested in (24, Penn & Teller's Bullshit, Oz, Teen Titans, SeaLab 2021, Samurai Jack) inevitably come out on DVD. When my roommate moved out last year, I had the cable shut off and haven't missed it since. (Except for the Oscars. How often does a film that I love sweep the awards? :b )
 

Alex Spindler

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I very easily stopped my collection of The X-Files at season 5. Of course, it actually reaches a very satisfying run into the X-Files movie, so you don't feel like you're left hanging.
 

Amy Mormino

Supporting Actor
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Jan 16, 2004
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You said it perfectly, Rob. Even without extras there's nothing like the freedom to see your favorites whenever you want. I've gone a bit further than you in that I actually don't have a TV set at all right now.

I'm a student studying overseas and the cost of a set and the expensive license fees you must pay in the UK were too much for me. But with my handy laptop and a collection of season sets, I have all my favorite shows and a few new ones at my disposal.
 

Casey Trowbridg

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Apr 22, 2003
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I buy shows that don't have extras all the time, even if they're not what I would call my favorite shows. I made a blind buy of "What's Happening" and it has no extras. But, it was curiosity that pushed me in that direction.
Even still, for a show that I've seen and kind of liked I'd still make the purchase. The reason is that some older shows are not shown in order in sindication and it would be nice to see them in order and not edited or for other reasons.
I don't think there is a TV show in my collection that I was persuaded to buy because it had extras, and not because I had some interest in doing what Rob and Amy said which is being able to watch it when I want and how I want.
 

Darren Haycock

Second Unit
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Nov 13, 2002
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At one point I might've felt like you do. That is until I saw Batman & Robin. Then my perspective forever changed! Why get a set of four movies like The Tom Clancy set when you absolutely hate one of them (Sum of All Fears) and can just get the three you like? I understand your mentality, but I had to change my ways. (Batman & Robin was very scarring...)
 

david_slater

Stunt Coordinator
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Jan 22, 2004
Messages
229
same with me, i dropped my dish setup.
no longer watch tv. if its something i like to watch ill buy it. as for the Extras on the dvd's its just iceing.
im not that worried about if they have any Extras or not.
just as long as the shows are released with a clean transfer and in order with nothing edited out. the 2ed most thing i worried about is how the box is made. Babylon 5 so for has the best box set. i like the book setup with the slip in box holder.
best ideal iv seen so far.
i hate the ones like the simpsons is on. at least it had a slip in box, i seen some that dont even offer the slip in box. :rolleyes
 

Chris Stainton

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 16, 2004
Messages
285


Exactly how I feel as well. And I thought I was alone in that area too.

There are several shows where I would only buy certain seasons. Happy Days for example, I would get probably the first four or so. Simpsons, the first seven, maybe eight. And then there are certain shows where I like the later years much better than the early ones. Seinfeld is a good example of this for me.
 

Brooke

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Mar 15, 2004
Messages
56
I must say, I'm a bit of an all or nothing girl with my TV series. I like to have the whole collection (even after the show's 'jumped the shark'). I can't stand things that are incomplete.

It's frustrating when they release one season and nothing more. Thank goodness they have announced the release of season 2 of "Soap". I was too young to have seen it on tele the first time around so bought Season 1 on DVD. My husband and I sat down and watched the lot over a couple of weekends and it ended in a cliff hanger. I know I can look it up on the net but it's a bit of an anticlimax after such an investment in the series.
 

Randy_Cre

Agent
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Feb 7, 2004
Messages
46
I'm a 'complete-ist' when it comes to collecting. Chances are if I'm interested in a show enough to buy one season, I'll buy them all (on a time-table dictated by finances).

But that all seasons don't get released won't stop me from buying the season sets that are available.

The only sets I really have no interest in are "best of" sets. I think I'd get very tired of the same 4 or 5 shows very quickly.

As for the extras, I really enjoy them. Though the extras would have to be really great to sway me to buy a set I'd otherwise pass on.

It'd be great if all sets had extras, though I'll pass on extras if it means the difference in a set being affordable enough to sell well and result in further season sets. There are probably only a handful of shows that can be priced at painfully high prices, yet sell well enough inspite of the price to warrant continued releases.

On the shows where it's a factor, I'd rather see the price raised an extra $10 or so to cover music rights more than to cover extras. There's so many shows out there that so many people really want, I'm willing to settle for extra-less sets if it accomplishes getting those additional seasons released.
 

Ryan Wishton

Screenwriter
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May 17, 2003
Messages
1,130
Depends on the show...

Most shows have a dreadful few last seasons or last season...

Examples: Roseanne, Married with Children, All in the Family, Three's Company, Buffy, X-Files, The Waltons, etc, etc, etc... They range all across the boards... No genre is safe...

The steep downfall in ratings for many shows tends to show that many people dont like loss in quality either...

I Love Lucy for example only had 6 seasons, but they went out while still at the number 1 spot... All shows should go out while still hot IMO...

That way horrible ideas and storylines (Roseanne as Rambo and 50 other characters... Writing the entire 9 year show as a dream for example... Jack Tripper floating into a horrible spin off... X-Files and Buffy's last seasons) dont happen...
 

John Berggren

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Jun 17, 1999
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That's a problem with the American series structure. If series participants only created new material when a great idea was to be had, no show would have an end of life decline. We have gotten used to shows coming back year after year though, so most invevitably hit their creative peak... then keep on trucking.

I think it would be great if we could adopt a system similar to the one in Britain. If a show is popular, it can be brought back for another run whenever the principals are ready. Season 2 would not necessarily follow season 1 in a year. It might be 2, 3, 4 years before you see the follow on.

I think they should consider this with shows that have gone on longer than 5 years. Look at their plan for the next year and decide if they should go for it or take a year off. It seems like HBO has a system in place similar to this. Longer stretches have been taken between seasons of Sopranos or Six Feet Under.

Until the system changes to allow for returning shows to take time off, programs will go on beyond their time. It takes a sharp mind to know when to call it a day. It also requires you to care more about the art/product than you do about the guaranteed paycheck.
 

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