Paul Lynde was popular - so why is his show not on DVD please? (1 Viewer)

[Ian K McLachlan]

Paul Lynde was a popular guest star in various series. I believe that he had his own show (which to my knowledge was never screened here in Britain.) I have never seen an episode of it - but I wonder why it has never made it to DVD. When last year My Mother The Car was released on DVD I was hoping that it would be followed by some more old comedy series that I had heard of, but never seen. The Paul Lynde Show seems to fit the bill here.

 

[Jack P]

Lynde's popularity derived from being the "center square" on the game show Hollywood Squares and not so much what he did away from that. His show was a flop, and when he then took over another show "Temperatures Rising" (replacing James Whitmore), it also flopped.

 

[Gary16]

But his recurring role as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched was very popular and those episodes are available.

 

[ScottRichard]

Don't forget The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, which is available on DVD!

 

[John Karras]

Both The Paul Lynde Show and The New Temperature's Rising are owned by Sony, who are essentially out of the TV on DVD business so you'd have to be lobbying Shout to consider these shows. The problem again is that since neither had any syndication activity and there are no tape elements, the cost of new transfers vs. sales potential would be the hurdle.

 

[davidHartzog]

Paul Lynde was also a major asset in many 60s film comedies, including the Doris Day flicks Send Me No Flowers and The Glass Bottom Boat. Mr. Lynde always brought a lot to the party.

 

[Gary16]

Paul Lynde was also a major asset in many 60s film comedies, including the Doris Day flicks Send Me No Flowers and The Glass Bottom Boat. Mr. Lynde always brought a lot to the party.

And "Bye Bye Birdie."

 

[Ron1973]

Paul Lynde was also a major asset in many 60s film comedies, including the Doris Day flicks Send Me No Flowers and The Glass Bottom Boat. Mr. Lynde always brought a lot to the party.

And a guest appearance on The Beverly Hillbillies as a passport agent. He just KNEW he was on Candid Camera when the Clampetts came in!

 

[Duane Alford]

I don't know about popular, but he was so funny! George Carlin was funny and popular and his show isn't out on DVD either. And his show was only 27 episodes!

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Don't forget The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, which is available on DVD!

I believe the Kiss stuff is not complete but cut, isn't it? I'm sure Gene $immons made sure of that.

 

[JohnMor]

"I was married in satin..."

 

[Neil Brock]

Lynde's popularity derived from being the "center square" on the game show Hollywood Squares and not so much what he did away from that. His show was a flop, and when he then took over another show "Temperatures Rising" (replacing James Whitmore), it also flopped.

Actually it didn't really "flop". The ratings were midling, as they were for Temperatures Rising. Both shows could easily have gotten renewed but ABC got the brilliant idea to combine the two and take Lynde from his show and put him into TR, which essentially killed both.

 

[JohnMor]

And as the family doctor on The Munsters.

"Oh, you brought your doggie with you." LOL

[SIZE=14.3999996185303px]And his first appearance on Bewitched (pre Uncle Arthur) as Samantha's driving school instructor Harold Harold, who was so nervous he had to have his tranquilizers in giant wafer form. [/SIZE]

 

[ScottRichard]

I believe the Kiss stuff is not complete but cut, isn't it? I'm sure Gene $immons made sure of that.

I really don't know. They sing 2 or 3 songs so not sure if anything is missing.

 

[MartinP.]

^^^

NO, nothing is missing from that Paul Lynde Halloween Special.

 

[MartinP.]

A poster on another thread had mentioned that Antenna-TV started Saturday afternoon (west coast) airings of a couple one season sitcoms about a month ago. One of them is The Paul Lynde Show. 1972-73. I've always been a huge Paul Lynde fan simply because he makes me laugh.

Often I will watch Paul Lynde in a movie or a TV episode and ponder this question, is this funny because of the writing or because Paul Lynde is just funny. It's usually the latter.

Who knows why Paul Lynde never had a successful long running TV series of his own. He did do several variety specials that were quite popular. It could be that Paul Lynde is such a personality that as a lead he's a lot to take in on a regular basis. It could be (it is) that he was difficult to work with. There's a lot of stories about his meanness toward even his friends, mostly due to drinking.

I missed some, but I have watched three of the episodes of this series aired on Antenna-TV so far and because of Paul Lynde I find myself laughing a lot. Especially when compared to the very static Lotsa Luck with Dom DeLuise which airs following The Paul Lynde Show.

The technical aspects of the Lynde show vary within the 3 eps. I've caught so far. One of them had very problematic sound issues and color inconsistencies are apparent, but, bottom line, I am very happy to be seeing these! Bottom line for me in sitcoms is, if it's a comedy and I find myself laughing, I keep watching. I'd buy the season on DVD if it became available. (But I'd hope it wouldn't be edited.)

This series is based on a play titled "Howie" written by Phoebe Ephron (Nora Ephron's mother). According to info on wikipedia, this play was originally developed for a series, also starring Paul Lynde, ten years previously in 1962, as a replacement for The Dick Van Dyke Show. When The DVD Show's ratings dramatically improved, plans for the series, then titled Howie, was dropped.

The original 1962 pilot is on youtube (in 4 parts) and it's quite amusing. The Howie character, played by Will Hutchins in this pilot, is more a beatnik-type, whereas ten years later, Howie, Paul Lynde's son-in-law, is more of a free-spirit hippie type.

Here's Part 1:




Sometimes I've wondered what other shows might have been like if they'd cast Paul Lynde. For example, and yes I know the actors who were cast were perfect, but what if, say, Paul Lynde had played Murray or Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show?

Has anyone seen any of The Paul Lynde Show on Antenna-TV? What do you think? Would you buy the one season series if it became available to do so?

 

[Blimpoy06]

I've always been a huge Paul Lynde fan simply because he makes me laugh.

Always loved watching Paul Lynde as a child in Bewitched and Hollywood Squares. I currently own his Halloween Special on DVD and would certainly purchase a DVD release of The Paul Lynde Show.

 

[Lecagr]

I think one reason why Paul Lynde's sitcom didn't succeed is that he was better when playing a supporting character, and not as good when having the lead role in his own show.

That being said, I've watched some of the episodes currently showing on Antenna TV and they are fairly amusing. If all 26 uncut episodes would be released on DVD I would probably buy it.

 

[KPmusmag]

Just out of curiosity, I looked Paul Lynde up on imdb, and was surprised to discover he appeared in only 11 episodes of Bewitched (10 as Uncle Arthur). He made such an impression that he made it seem like he was a regular. I remembered that he had been on The Munsters, I Dream of Jeannie (3 times as different characters), The Flying Nun, and some of the others mentioned earlier in the thread, but I had totally forgotten he appeared on That Girl. I must track down that episode (S1 E18) when I get home from work as I have no memory of it, and that is a show I am reasonably familiar with. He also appeared on The Mothers-in-Law, a show I am less familiar with, but I do have the DVD set so I will check that one out as well (S2 E2).

 

[Darby67]

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special is getting re-released on DVD by S'More Entertainment on September 11, 2018: https://www.amazon.com/Lynde-Hallow...pID=51kmk380TjL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch