Press Release PHE Press Release: The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Richard Gallagher]

On a lot of things, and not just from CBS and Paramount-- Fox has done it too, w/things like The Fall Guy and St. Elsewhere, among others.

We've had stalled movie series, as well. For example, the Michael Shayne private eye series starring Lloyd Nolan consists of six Fox films. Fox released four of them in a nice set, one as a stand-alone DVD, and one as a MOD Fox Cinema Archives release. The sixth, Time to Kill, has never seen the light of day, not even on the Fox Movie Channel. That is incredible frustrating to collectors who want complete sets. Five more were made by PRC with Hugh Beaumont playing Shayne, and those are available in a box set.

 

[dstrong]

Now if only "I Love Lucy" would get a complete series Blu Ray release.

 

[bmasters9]

Now if only "I Love Lucy" would get a complete series Blu Ray release.

Indeed! I bet practically any Lucy fan would snap that up right at release date.

 

[RobertMG]

You can always tell them the cellophane peeled off when you received it and you might be able to get a full refund for it, give it a try.

Will do! Now if Paramount would do a nice set on MY THREE SONS!

 

[timk1041]

Absolutely!

 

[smithbrad]

Will do! Now if Paramount would do a nice set on MY THREE SONS!

Unfortunately, that is less likely, at least on blu-ray. Last documented MTS only had the first two seasons transfered to HD with music substitutions. These new releases appear to be a cash grab based on older existing HD transfers done over a decade ago (not that i'm complaining). I suppose they could complete the color seasons from existing SD masters, like they did the b/w seasons through the MOD program.

 

[John*Wells]

I’ll pick this up. Also, not to get Greedy but I do hope this will lead to a Gomer Pyle USMC Blu Ray release

 

[timk1041]

Anything good is better than nothing at all.

 

[LouA]

Indeed! I bet practically any Lucy fan would snap that up right at release date.

I would!

 

[LouA]

Unfortunately, that is less likely, at least on blu-ray. Last documented MTS only had the first two seasons transfered to HD with music substitutions. These new releases appear to be a cash grab based on older existing HD transfers done over a decade ago (not that i'm complaining). I suppose they could complete the color seasons from existing SD masters, like they did the b/w seasons through the MOD program.

I’d love to see a BD release for MTS , but it would probably take a miracle!

 

[Randy Korstick]

Whatever their plans for Lucy, it'd better be a Final Word release, no missing scenes or extras.

I wouldn't count on alot of extras or anything like the night of broadcast episodes if its going to be bargain priced complete series set vs much higher priced single set releases that have the budget for lots of new extras. I would expect they include most of or all of the previously released extras.

 

[smithbrad]

It will be interesting to see how they approach the previously released content on blu-ray for both TAGS and a hopeful follow up ILL complete series release. The likelihood of anything new is remote, but they could approach this a couple of different ways:

1. Reproduce the previous DVD complete series release, since they seem to be reusing the cover art and DVD sized cases, including the previously released season 1 blu-ray disks verbatim, while adding the remaining episodes in HD and extras in SD.

2. Reproduce the previous DVD complete series release, but in this case just include all the episodes in HD with no carry over at from the previous blu-ray release.

Hopefully, the early images of the packaging is wrong.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

It will be interesting to see how they approach the previously released content on blu-ray for both TAGS and a hopeful follow up ILL complete series release. The likelihood of anything new is remote, but they could approach this a couple of different ways:

1. Reproduce the previous DVD complete series release, since they seem to be reusing the cover art and DVD sized cases, including the previously released season 1 blu-ray disks verbatim, while adding the remaining episodes in HD and extras in SD.

2. Reproduce the previous DVD complete series release, but in this case just include all the episodes in HD with no carry over at from the previous blu-ray release.

Hopefully, the early images of the packaging is wrong.

It'll be far easier/economical just to use the existing masters for the season 1 BD set rather than do the extra work to prepare new duplication masters just to remove the bonus features/integrated night-of-broadcast versions.

Unless they're trying to reduce the disc-count for that season from 4 discs to 3, or something like that.

 

[LeoA]

Even then, we've seen companies avoid reducing disc count just to avoid redoing discs.

 

[smithbrad]

It'll be far easier/economical just to use the existing masters for the season 1 BD set rather than do the extra work to prepare new duplication masters just to remove the bonus features/integrated night-of-broadcast versions.

Unless they're trying to reduce the disc-count for that season from 4 discs to 3, or something like that.

True, but they may prefer to 1) create consistency across the seasons within the new set to align with the DVD set and 2) to not devalue the existing season one blu-ray set any more than it is. Also, recreating new masters for 4 disks out of 32 I wouldn't think would be a big deal once you created the template for the complete series. Just a thought. We will see within a month.

 

[Brian W.]

Now if only "I Love Lucy" would get a complete series Blu Ray release.

Someone with some degree of inside knowledge told me recently that if this Andy Griffith Blu-Ray set does well, then CBS "may" consider an "I Love Lucy" Blu-Ray series set. I was told that the "Lucy Ultimate" Blu-Rays didn't sell well, and that's why there were no more after Season 2.

 

[smithbrad]

Someone with some degree of inside knowledge told me recently that if this Andy Griffith Blu-Ray set does well, then CBS "may" consider an "I Love Lucy" Blu-Ray series set. I was told that the "Lucy Ultimate" Blu-Rays didn't sell well, and that's why there were no more after Season 2.

That's what they stated about the Andy Griffith Show season 1 blu-ray set, and it didn't even get a second season.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

That's what they stated about the Andy Griffith Show season 1 blu-ray set, and it didn't even get a second season.

And look at the prices.

They're selling Andy complete for the same price they sold season 1 solo. There was no demand at that price. Too high for 30ish episodes.

But for the whole series? Great price. No waiting and worrying for the next set. Day one sale.

Plus, these are likely going to be bare bones, slap what we have on disc releases, while the single sets for both were labor intensive affairs restoring them to night of broadcast with lots of extras. That costs. These new sets don't.

 

[smithbrad]

And look at the prices.

They're selling Andy complete for the same price they sold season 1 solo. There was no demand at that price. Too high for 30ish episodes.

But for the whole series? Great price. No waiting and worrying for the next set. Day one sale.

Plus, these are likely going to be bare bones, slap what we have on disc releases, while the single sets for both were labor intensive affairs restoring them to night of broadcast with lots of extras. That costs. These new sets don't.

Totally agree. I like what CBS attempts to do with the quality of their releases but not if they are going to price themself out of reach of consumers ( I bought all three releases, 1 TAGS/2 ILL, upon release anyways in hope for more seasons). I'm a bit surprised like other why TAGS got the nod before ILL. Especially, given they went to the well twice (two seasons) with the ultimate ILL blu-ray releases. I'm not complaining because I prefer TAGS. Possibly, with the upcoming movie they wanted to hold ILL back until a bit after its release.

 

[Harry-N]

I'm happy for bigtime fans of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. I grew up with the show from childhood to young adulthood, and fondly recall the black & white years with Barney, and not-so-fondly remembering the latter color years.

It seems that ANDY will run on television in perpetuity - it's always on some station somewhere, so I never felt the need to buy a DVD or now, a Blu-ray. But for you fans, I'm sure it'll be a treasure in your collection.