Paramount TV Boxsets- Walmart Exclusives (1 Viewer)

[TVonDVDJunkie05]

Hey all,

I am sure most have probably seen these already but they only recently started showing up here in Canada. Walmart has started carrying box sets of various Paramount TV series, that include multiple seasons at great prices (for the most part). Here are the classic series that I have spotted so far (prices listed are Canadian):

The Andy Griffith Show- Seasons 1-5 $45
Beauty and the Beast- Complete Series $35
Brady Bunch- Complete Series $45
Cheers- Seasons 1-6 $40
Frasier- Seasons 1-6 $40
Happy Days- Seasons 1-6 $45 (this is a steal, 6 seasons for 45 bucks, although the music edits have held me back from buying it)
Hogan's Heroes- Seasons 1-4 $35
JAG- Seasons 1-4 & Seasons 5-8 $40
MacGyver- Seasons 1-4 $35
Matlock- Seasons 1-4 $30
Mission: Impossible- Seasons 1-3 $40
Perry Mason- Seasons 1-3 $49.97
Rawhide- Seasons 1-3 $40
Sabrina, The Teenage Witch- Complete Series $45
Walker, Texas Ranger- Seasons 1-3 $40

I think these sets are a great idea, I hope other studios follow Paramount and decide to release some of there series in this manner. Some of these don't make sense however, Andy Griffith set is the first 5 seasons but there are 8 total- this set should have been the first 4 seasons which allows them to release another set with the last 4 seasons. The same goes for Hogan's Heroes and MacGyver.

 

[LeoA]

Just be careful of course to compare with what's available in complete form, if you're interested in the complete run of a show. Cheers for instance can be had at Amazon for $70 for all 11 seasons in one box set.

Since season sets appear to be priced at $10 across the board at Amazon for this series, the complete series package represents a savings of $20 compared to buying this Wal-Mart set of seasons 1-6 and then the last 5 seasons piecemeal.

So the up front savings of $20 with the Wal-Mart set compared to just buying seasons 1-6 as standalone releases for $10 a pop on Amazon, actually would end up costing you an extra $20 in the long run if you wanted all 11 seasons.

That's the problem with this idea. Since there's no equivalent seasons 7-11 set for Cheers and so on for these various Wal-Mart sets to make them complete, you're actually overspending if you want it all.

 

[Garysb]

I can understand why the Andy Griffith show is package as the 1st five seasons. They are all the episodes where Don Knotts is a regular and they are all the B&W episodes. People who only want color will be able to get a set with just color and Don Knott's fans will get to see all his episodes ( except when he came back as a guest.)

 

[BobO'Link]

^I know that'd be my draw if I didn't already own the series. I was only interested in the first 5 seasons with Knotts. I only purchased the rest when I ran across a very good sale (~$5 each - new).

 

[Tony Bensley]

I can understand why the Andy Griffith show is package as the 1st five seasons. They are all the episodes where Don Knotts is a regular and they are all the B&W episodes. People who only want color will be able to get a set with just color and Don Knott's fans will get to see all his episodes ( except when he came back as a guest.)

Hi Gary!

When I spotted that set at our Wal-Mart, my thought was, at least the Season 1 - 5 Andy Griffith DVD set DOES make sense for the reasons you cited above, although some will make a case for the first in color 6th season, with Warren as the new Deputy, which I see as questionable, considering that Jack Burns only appeared in 11 episodes in his lone season! As an aside, I find it a bit sobering that the button down milquetoast character Howard Sprague appeared in more TAGS episodes than the goofy, but lovable Gomer Pyle, hilariously portrayed by Jim Nabors! Sheesh, Jack Dodson was even in more episodes than Hal Smith, who played Otis Campbell, the perennial town drunk who would let himself into "his" jail cell! Yes, the first five years really were the best!

On the other hand, why the first 6 seasons of CHEERS when Shelley Long (As Diane Chambers) was gone after 5? Also, the HOGAN'S HEROES Season 1 - 4 DVD set is missing the 5th and last season with Ivan Dixon as Kinchloe!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[LeoA]

The Cheers one puzzled me a bit, too.

Hasn't a Laverne & Shirley equivalent with the Milwaukee years been spotted by someone on this message board? I swear I remember that being mentioned in the 'CBS/Paramount Complete Series Craze' thread.

I'm still a season short, I think. But if I didn't already have some of the first 5 seasons and if the remaining seasons I was lacking hadn't been so cheap to acquire (I've added three seasons of it to my collection for under $20 at Wal-Mart last summer), this one would've been ideal.

I've seen the California seasons on a channel called The Hub a few years ago, and other than a two part episode that I enjoyed, they were all duds. Even before Shirley disappeared and was married away, I was only watching them since I had never seen them before.

Without that novelty, I don't see much worth in them at this point.

 

[Charles Ellis]

Some Paramount sets (I Love Lucy, Brady Bunch, MacGyver) are available at Target in the U.S. at about the same prices mentioned above. I wonder if one can get those Canadian Wal-mart releases online.

 

[RBailey]

Another unusual Paramount package I spotted at Wal-Mart ... THE UNTOUCHABLES seasons 1-3 leaving out the 4th and final season.

 

[bmasters9]

I've seen the California seasons on a channel called The Hub a few years ago, and other than a two part episode that I enjoyed, they were all duds.

That's why I think the way the Laverne & Shirley lot release was packaged (first five seasons in Milwaukee in the first case, last 3 in California in the other; similar to Andy Griffith, wherein the B/W first five seasons were packaged in one case, and the color last three in the other) helped to ensure something for everyone: because, while you thought that the California seasons were duds, others might have thought differently and thought that the California seasons were just as good, and some might have even thought that the California ones were better than the ones in Milwaukee.

 

[LeoA]

I don't think they released sets with just the latter seasons though, did they?

For these large sets, it's either the earlier more loved seasons in a single package or the complete series from beginning to end.

There is no option provided for the few fans that just wanted the color Andy Griffith Show episodes or the California seasons of Laverne & Shirley, other than buying the standalone season sets.

 

[BobO'Link]

On the other hand, why the first 6 seasons of CHEERS when Shelley Long (As Diane Chambers) was gone after 5? Also, the HOGAN'S HEROES Season 1 - 4 DVD set is missing the 5th and last season with Ivan Dixon as Kinchloe!

Those two are especially puzzling. It's been a while since I've watched Cheers so I looked it up to see if there's anything about S6 that would prompt its inclusion. Nope... nothing. Diane leaves at the end of 5 and Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) comes on in her place. S6 is *almost* a "reboot" of the series in many respects and its events influence several following seasons. If there were a S7-S11 set it'd make more sense but, like TAGS with its two distinct eras, S1-S5 and S6-S11 sets would make even more sense.

That Hogan's Heroes one is especially mystifying. With only 6 seasons total you'd think they'd have put the entire series in the new packaging. But that would pretty much negate the "Kommandant's Collection" set.

Then again... these are at WM. I'm sure they're designed, based on price point, to entice and encourage those people who are "just browsing" to make a impulse purchase. They're *all* in that magic price range which is just low enough for such a purchase but not high enough to trigger a "That's a bit much... not now" response. The price point of a new season of many current shows *and* you get more seasons. So instead of that season of "fill in new show/season" you had your eye on you decide to wait for a BF sale on it and go for one of those Classic TV sets instead.

It'll be interesting to see if these sell enough for WM to offer further sets to either complete or continue the current offerings.

 

[TV_Fan]

I just saw The Twilight Zone the complete series for (I believe) about $50. I guess Image's license ran out because this was under CBS. I'm sure its the episodes only.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I just saw The Twilight Zone the complete series for (I believe) about $50. I guess Image's license ran out because this was under CBS. I'm sure its the episodes only.

If I do buy THE TWILIGHT ZONE original series, it'll be the upcoming repackaged Blu-ray set, but only if the price point at Amazon Canada drops down enough, as $118 for any single purchase is a bit rich for my blood. I have until almost mid December to decide, and I have placed my pre-order in case of sudden, but brief price drops. Here's hoping, but I've been disappointed before (It seems on Amazon Canada, the price point is just as likely to spike upward, even if it goes down on U.S. based sites!), so I'll just have to wait and see!

As an aside, I never seem to be able to catch THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW for much less than $100 if even that low - Just my hard luck, I suppose!

CHEERS!

 

[bmasters9]

I just saw The Twilight Zone the complete series for (I believe) about $50. I guess Image's license ran out because this was under CBS. I'm sure its the episodes only.

When I first saw it and looked at the back, I saw nothing about bonuses of any kind, so I think you're right about it being a bare-bones release.

 

[LouA]

If I do buy THE TWILIGHT ZONE original series, it'll be the upcoming repackaged Blu-ray set, but only if the price point at Amazon Canada drops down enough, as $118 for any single purchase is a bit rich for my blood. I have until almost mid December to decide, and I have placed my pre-order in case of sudden, but brief price drops. Here's hoping, but I've been disappointed before (It seems on Amazon Canada, the price point is just as likely to spike upward, even if it goes down on U.S. based sites!), so I'll just have to wait and see!

As an aside, I never seem to be able to catch THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW for much less than $100 if even that low - Just my hard luck, I suppose!

CHEERS!

Tony , Will the Blu-ray include the 1980's series as well? I believe the DVD set does .

 

[LeoA]

I don't believe that either the existing or upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray sets of the original series have ever included the complete series of the 1980's revival. You have to buy those separately as standalone season sets or as a complete series of its own, and I think it's DVD only. Haven't heard of any CBS reissues of this one.

And without expensive work, I imagine that the 1980's series is hardly Blu-Ray ready and only exists in complete form as videotape transfers. I imagine like was the norm at that time for special effects, that it was shot on film but edited on video. So you'd have to go back and recreate the special effects and such and add it back to the original film that you've created a HD transfer of (If the 35 mm film elements still even exist), and basically recreate everything.

It's what I believe happened to Star Trek: The Next Generation, if I remember that Blu-Ray thread correctly. And if I'm not mistaken, it was even said in that thread that the rabid Star Trek fanbase wasn't enough to make it financially worthwhile in the end since there were reports that sales were disappointing, and that plans to do something similar with the following tv series from the 1990's were dead.

So I doubt they'll be in any rush to try it again.

 

[LeoA]

They should do this for Home Improvement with the superior first 6 seasons.

And along the lines of that or something like this Andy Griffith set with just the more popular B&W seasons, I wish Shout would do something similar with The Facts of Life.

I know I'm far from the only fan that doesn't care for those final couple of seasons. So a more economical offering of perhaps the first 6 seasons before the transition season where Charlotte Rae reduced her roll before leaving entirely for the final two seasons, would be desirable.

So far I only have seasons 1 & 2. The last I looked, it's a somewhat expensive road ahead to buy the next several seasons standalone, or pay a similar amount and have the final two seasons that I'll never even touch.

 

[Doug Wallen]

Just picked up the first three season set from there at $39.99. Now if they will doe the rest of the series in thirds also.

 

[LeoA]

I bought the Andy set and disc 1 was loose due to one of the tabs being broken that keeps it secured. Disc has played fine through three episodes so far, but I wonder what my best route is to get the problem taken care of?

Contact CBS/Paramount for a new case (Assuming I encounter no playback issues), or try to find this in stock at another WalMart and attempt an exchange?

Won't hurt sending them an email even if I go the other route, so I suppose I'll try that first.

 

[LeoA]

Looks like they've mastered the art of customer service. Just don't provide a way for customers to send you those pesky inquiries when you get a defective product.

Anyone by any chance have an email address for someone there that could be useful for the replacement of a defective case (And potentially, a defective disc)?

I wonder if that one that folks were using for The Fugitive screw up might be worth digging up in that thread?