Other CBS Shows VEI could release (1 Viewer)

[jayembee]

Most of these were not worth remembering, and there are a lot better choices and wants out there however (Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Cade's County etc) I give ClassicTVman credit for coming up with a list. Who knows, maybe a couple of them will get their time to shine...

If I have a problem with Ben's lists, it's that when I see a list that long, my eyes tend to just glaze over. I appreciate his enthusiasm, though.

I have to say, that the one on his list that I would want is Trackdown. But I'm a Robert Culp fan, so there's that. I do have a copy (let's just say it's something of questionable provenance, and let it go at that) of the episode "The Bounty Hunter", that introduced Steve McQueen's Josh Randall of Wanted: Dead or Alive. I'd like to see the rest.

So, anyhoo, I go back aways. Born in the 50s, a child of the 60s, currently in my 60s. Been a TV series fan most of my years, thought interest in them has waxed and waned now and again. Started collecting TV shows after home video became a thing. But at some point, I discovered two things. First, I just didn't have time to watch old series over and over again. Second, a lot of shows that I remembered fondly when I was younger I wasn't so fond of now that I'm older. Most of the time, it's older sitcoms that I can't watch anymore, outside of a handful.

So, these days, I'm really only looking out for the shows that I really, really liked, or that I missed when they were first on, but I'm interested in seeing now because of the genre, or the people who worked on them. In a lot of cases, it's the short-run, somewhat obscure series that I'm most interested in getting.

To that end, one CBS show that I'd be really interested to see -- in the "people who worked on them" group -- is a 2003-2004 series, The Handler. It's creator and primary writer was Chris Haddock, a Canadian who created three really solid series for the CBC: Da Vinci's Inquest (1998-2006), Intelligence (2005-2007), and The Romeo Section (2015-2016).

 

[jcroy]

To that end, one CBS show that I'd be really interested to see -- in the "people who worked on them" group -- is a 2003-2004 series, The Handler. It's creator and primary writer was Chris Haddock, a Canadian who created three really solid series for the CBC: Da Vinci's Inquest (1998-2006), Intelligence (2005-2007), and The Romeo Section (2015-2016).

Unfortunately too many canadian specific first-run shows (ie. produced specifically for canadian tv networks), frequently end up not being released at all on dvd. I strongly suspect is has to do with very little to no interest in the general public in canada, for buying such tv season sets.

For example, the canadian produced procedural show Motive was never released in canada (or america) on dvd. It was only released in europe.

 

[jcroy]

The few canadian specific first-run shows which had all seasons released on dvd in canada (or america), were very few:


- Rookie Blue

- Flashpoint

- Robson Arms

- Republic of Doyle

- Arctic Air

- etc ...

 

[jcroy]

The few canadian specific first-run shows which had all seasons released on dvd in canada (or america), were very few:

- Rookie Blue
- Flashpoint
- Robson Arms
- Republic of Doyle
- Arctic Air
- etc ...

Basically no broad appeal.

 

[jayembee]

Unfortunately too many canadian specific first-run shows (ie. produced specifically for canadian tv networks), frequently end up not being released at all on dvd. I strongly suspect is has to do with very little to no interest in the general public in canada, for buying such tv season sets.

For example, the canadian produced procedural show Motive was never released in canada (or america) on dvd. It was only released in europe.

But that's the thing. The Handler was not a Canadian-produced show that CBS picked up for airing in the US. It was Haddock's first attempt to make it in the American TV industry. The show was co-produced by Viacom specifically for CBS. I imagine that it must've aired on a Canadian network, but that would've been a secondary market for the show.

See https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-handlers-handler-has-no-regrets/article4086606/

Haddock's second attempt at an American TV series didn't even get this far. He tried pitching an American version of his Canadian show Intelligence to FOX, but it never went anywhere.

 

[jcroy]

One current canada first-run show I've been watching is Tribal. It's about a native indigenous cop that works in the city police department (iirc calgary or vancouver), where all the racism, corruption, apathy, etc ... is laid out all in the open within and outside of the police department and city.

I doubt this show will ever be released on dvd/bluray.

 

[jcroy]

But that's the thing. The Handler was not a Canadian-produced show that CBS picked up for airing in the US. It was Haddock's first attempt to make it in the American TV industry. The show was co-produced by Viacom specifically for CBS. I imagine that it must've aired on a Canadian network, but that would've been a secondary market for the show.

See https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-handlers-handler-has-no-regrets/article4086606/

Haddock's second attempt at an American TV series didn't even get this far. He tried pitching an American version of his Canadian show Intelligence to FOX, but it never went anywhere.

Some folks did make it outside of the small canadian market.

For example, Martin Gero was able to get Blindspot on NBC over the past five years without having to go through a canadian network first.

 

[jcroy]

Another current canada first-run show I've been watching is Hudson & Rex. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this show is never released at all on dvd in canada (or america).

More likely for this show to be released on dvd in Germany/Austria or Italy. IIRC, Hudson & Rex was based on an older "Rex" tv show from Austria.

Inspector Rex - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jayembee]

One current canada first-run show I've been watching is Tribal. It's about a native indigenous cop that works in the city police department (iirc calgary or vancouver), where all the racism, corruption, apathy, etc ... is laid out all in the open within and outside of the police department and city.

I doubt this show will ever be released on dvd/bluray.

Probably not. You were right about Canadian TV shows not really being released on DVD/BD. Well, in English-speaking Canada, that is. I have all five seasons of a French Canadian crime drama called Fortier, and a more recent one, 19-2 has been released in Canada.

Most of my BDs of Canadian shows have been released in Germany: Call Me Fitz (only the first season, though), Cardinal, The Bridge (no, not the one you might be thinking of), ReGenesis, Strange Empire, King et alia.

 

[jcroy]

Most of my BDs of Canadian shows have been released in Germany: Call Me Fitz (only the first season, though), Cardinal, The Bridge (no, not the one you might be thinking of), ReGenesis, Strange Empire, King et alia.

Bluray is even worse for canadian first-run shows.

Back during bluray's heydays (circa late-2000s -> early-2010s), I was hoping the entire run of Rookie Blue and Flashpoint would be released on bluray. The first two seasons of Rookie Blue and first season of Flashpoint were indeed released on bluray in canada. (Flashpoint was released on bluray in germany).

 

[jayembee]

Another current canada first-run show I've been watching is Hudson & Rex. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this show is never released at all on dvd in canada (or america).

More likely for this show to be released on dvd in Germany/Austria or Italy. IIRC, Hudson & Rex was based on an older "Rex" tv show from Austria.

Inspector Rex - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hunh. I didn't know there was a new Canadian version of that show. The provenance is complicated. There was a Canadian show back in the 80s/90s, called Katts and Dog (Katts being the human officer's name, of course). Around the same time (or slightly thereafter) it aired in the US on CBN/The Family Channel under the title Rin Tin Tin: K9 Cop. The dog's name was "Rudy" in Canada, but the American version dubbed in the name "Rinty". Inspector Rex started up a few years after that. Although it's the same exact premise, there has never been a suggestion of a connection that the Austrian show was based on the Canadian one. And now, it seems to have come full circle.

 

[jcroy]

For shows which are originally first-run in places like canada, uk, israel, etc .... I mainly look for ones which are more than just cheap "carbon copies" of big american tv shows (such as CSI, etc ...).

In the case of Tribal, the surrounding issues of racism, corruption, etc ... inside and outside of indigenous communities and big cities, is much more interesting and "organic" than its generic procedural "cop show" format. It is obvious the writers/producers either did a lot of background research and/or knew about a lot of first hand experiences.

 

[Darby67]

An early post to respond to, but...



I always wondered why Shout never got past S1 of The Defenders. I figured it was lack of sales on that first set. It's a show I loved back when, and I've been interested in the other shows of that era from Plautus/Herb Brodkin. I've got the Kino release of Coronet Blue, and the Network (UK) release of the UK co-pro series Espionage, and would love to see the others that I never caught back when they were first on, like the one you mentioned above, [The Doctors and] The Nurses. I've never seen any episodes of Brenner (I know there's a DVD release of a bunch of episodes that I need to get), and only one of For the People.

East Side/West Side is another one I was fascinated by as kid, and would love to see again. I've only seen one episode of Way Out and I would love to see more.

Actually a Shout Factory rep did confirm that sales for the first season of The Defenders were quite strong for a classic tv title but the fact that Shout had to pay for the transfer costs and, as Neil Brock has pointed out in a previous post in The Defenders thread (see post #822 at https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...e-released-on-dvd.252349/page-42#post-4715773), the high cost of music licensing were the two most likely factors for additional season releases being stalled.

 

[ian McLachlan]

That is a great shame because I was delighted when the first season was released. I have tried to get Network DVD in Britain to be interested in co-releasing the Defenders. No success sadly so far.

 

[timk1041]

The few canadian specific first-run shows which had all seasons released on dvd in canada (or america), were very few:


- Rookie Blue

- Flashpoint

- Robson Arms

- Republic of Doyle

- Arctic Air

- etc ...

Also Heartland.

 

[jcroy]

Also Heartland.

Heartland is still on the air. It remains to be seen whether further seasons will continue being released on dvd by eOne (or somebody else).

Also eOne was bought up by Hasbro awhile go. It seems like eOne is looking more and more like a "zombie" company, since then.

 

[Neil Brock]

I always wondered why Shout never got past S1 of The Defenders. I figured it was lack of sales on that first set. Out and I would love to see more.

There were music clearance costs, transfer costs, etc. The amount of sales were not enough to justify further releases, given the other costs.

 

[timk1041]

Heartland is still on the air. It remains to be seen whether further seasons will continue being released on dvd by eOne (or somebody else).

Also eOne was bought up by Hasbro awhile go. It seems like eOne is looking more and more like a "zombie" company, since then.

It finished its 13th season on CBC a few months ago. There is no official word for a 14th season on CBC. The 12th season was released on DVD earlier this year, but it says Universal on the case as the distributor and it also says eOne too. I guess when the 13th season comes out on disc later this year, it will be the same distributor I guess.

 

[jcroy]

It finished its 13th season on CBC a few months ago. There is no official word for a 14th season on CBC. The 12th season was released on DVD earlier this year, but it says Universal on the case as the distributor and it also says eOne too. I guess when the 13th season comes out on disc later this year, it will be the same distributor I guess.

It appears eOne largely gave up on doing their own distribution, and outsourced it to Universal.

Another canadian movie company Elevation also outsourced their dvd/bluray distribution to Universal, since its inception in the early-mid 2010s.

 

[jcroy]

More specifically in the case of eOne, over the years I got the impression they were mostly releasing the better Lionsgate produced movies while sometimes adding in a french language track + subtitles. (The american versions of the same Lionsgate movies, usually didn't have a french track). It seems like since the Hasbro merger, eOne has largely given that up too.