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Rockford Files R1 12/6 ....!!!!! (2 Viewers)

Paul_Scott

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as per this item on Gords site


woo, and indeed, HOO!

(maybe this means SM$M and TBW, those other two R2 jump starters will be announced soon for R1?)
 

MattHR

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I have the 1994 VHS release of the original pilot movie. The box cover has the title "The Rockford Files: Backlash of the Hunter" and lists a running time of 90 minutes. The label on the cassette indicates the running time as 74 minutes, which is the correct time. The actual program on the video is the correct 74-minute pilot film, as originally broadcast in 1974. There is no "Backlash of the Hunter" on-screen title.

This pilot was expanded, edited into two parts and retitled "Backlash of the Hunter" for syndication. Approximately twenty minutes were added to expand the original pilot to form the two-part version. This extra footage consists of the longest Part 1 "recap" I've ever seen, including repeating the last several minutes of Part 1. After the opening titles of Part 2, there's a seemingly endless montage of L.A. freeway stock-footage. It ruins the pacing of the pilot, and is very awkward to watch. This syndicated version is apparently the version that appears on the recently released R2 set.

These expanded two-part versions of original hour-and-a-half (74 minute net) telefilms are never preferred. Every attempt should be made to present them as they were originally broadcast. Let's hope that the just-announced R1 version will include the original 74-minute version. Since they released it on VHS, there should be no reason to not include it on the DVD in its proper version.

Universal got it right with the many "Columbo" and "Quincy" telefilms, so maybe there's still hope. I'm a bit worried about Universal's upcoming "Six Million Dollar Man" set, since there are three 74-minute pilots that have always been shown as "expanded" two-part episodes. These pilots are notoriously bad in their two-part versions.
 

MattHR

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Message for Gord and/or Dave:

Do you have any contacts within Universal to relay this information? I'm sure much of the info you receive is "one-way", but I'm hoping someone at Universal is at least watching these forums and might actually learn something about their own product. As mentioned many times in this forum, let's hope they do it right the first time. With all the information available here, and other sites, there's no excuse to release substandard product.
 

Brian Himes

Screenwriter
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Dec 8, 2004
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Brian
Can't wait to get Rockford. This has been on my most wanted list of 70s shows for a long time now. I'm doing a little happy dance myself over this.
 

Rodney

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Good ol' Rockfish.

Has this been a great year for television shows or what?
 

David Lambert

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Matt, the time to bring that information to the attention of the studio is before they've announced the product...because by the time they announce it, they are pretty much done with the product and it's in what is close to or at the final form that consumers will see.

Last-minute scrambling happens, of course, but it's rarely in favor of the fans. :)

Then again, the "gotcha" is that there is no point in sending info like that to a studio about an unannounced item, because there's no way to know if they are working on it for DVD release. Even if they were, the horrible truth is that this is likely to fall on deaf ears.

What the studios' producers need to do is reach out to fans via the fansites and ask them for help. On the other hand, the guys at the fansites will start talking about how the release is coming, and in some perverted sense of logic the studios see that as a bad thing (I could never fathom why).

Finally, we have the cover art, but will post it in the morning. I'm sure someone will beat us to the punch, but I've had a long day and need a break! :)


EDIT: whoops, I see someone already beat me to that cover thing! Looks mediocre, doesn't it?
 

ElijahS

Supporting Actor
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Jun 24, 2005
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In the other Rockford thread, someone said that their copy did include it, although it wasn't listed on the website.
 

Aryn Leroux

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Yes the R2 release does indeed include the pilot episode "Backlash of the Hunter", so i would assume the R1 release would aswell (or maybe i shouldn't assume but it seems a-team,knight rider sets are the same)I don't know whether it is the 74 minute or 2-Part, my guess is that it's the 74 minute cut. Only because it is listed as one episode on the specs i was looking at. But perhaps someone who owns it will chime in with a definitive answer.

This has sorta been on the bubble as to whether i would collect it or not. It was a little before my time when it originally aired, i caught some episodes probably in it's last year or two and in syndication from time to time, but even that was so long ago. I don't remember Rockford that well, but i was just listening to the rockford theme and it has me ready to buy it, your probably thinking yeah right i don't think so, I say if your on the fence just have a listen for yourself and you will be sold. :emoji_thumbsup:

For those that know rockford well, is there a specific year this jumped the shark? (I don't really like using that term, but i did, oh well!)I see there are 6 full seasons and like 2 million tv movies that came out in the 90's, which makes me laugh actually heh. I recently pre-ordered Hart to Hart S1 and was saying to myself that had alot of tv-movies and was thinking good luck in me ever probably seeing those released, and now here comes Rockford destroying the Hart's!

Well all in all i am a big PI fan from that time frame so i am sure i will really enjoy this aswell. Still need simon & simon and matt houston though! Now to see if Mr.Roarke and Tattoo are going to make me purchase Fantasy Island!
 

ElijahS

Supporting Actor
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Jun 24, 2005
Messages
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This is probably one of the few dramas, if not the only one, made before 1990 that I'm really interested in. There is something I like about this show. Certainly part is James Garner's undeniable likeability. I'd consider buying Maverick, even though I've never seen an episode, just because Garner's the lead cast member.
 

MattHR

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This quote is from another thread confirming the pilot is on the R2 set. Unfortunately, it is the re-edited 2-part syndication version. I'm hoping Universal does right on the R1 set by including the original 74-minute pilot movie instead.
 

RickardL

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 30, 2000
Messages
538
yes, I wrote that comment on the R2 box set and it is
indeed the two part version of "Backlash of the Hunter".
I am at work but I can give you the lengths later today
if that is interesting to know.

Having only seen it maybe once or twice before, and that
a long time ago, I was pleasantly surprised how good
and solid the pilot is! And I would probably not like
just to have a shorter version. Maybe if it was included
as an extra but never instead of the "expanded" version.
I would imagine if the short version had been included
instead, there would voices demanding the expanded version...

The best way would have been to include both with
seamless branching... :)
 

valB

Auditioning
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Aug 10, 2005
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Regarding Maverick, unfortunately it's not the complete season 1.There will be only few episodes released on dvd.

It's a pity!
 

ElijahS

Supporting Actor
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Jun 24, 2005
Messages
751
I know, and that sucks for fans, but at least it gives people like me who have never seen the show a chance to test a few episodes for a cheap price.
 

MattHR

Screenwriter
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Mar 9, 2001
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Nobody should be demanding the "expanded" two-part version. The only footage added to "expand" the 74-minute pilot into two 50-minute episodes is as follows:

1. Title sequence added to beginning of Part 1.
2. Unusually long "preview" for Part 2 added to end of Part 1.
3. Closing credits added to Part 1.
4. Extremely long (almost 10 minutes!) Part 1 "recap" at beginning of Part 2.
5. Opening title sequence added to Part 2.
6. Opening credit sequence added to Part 2. This is played over an annoyingly long montage of never-ending freeway/traffic footage of Los Angeles. It's just a bunch of stock-footage "filler".

There is no additional footage of Rockford or anything that
pertains directly to the story.

I have the original 74-minute pilot released on VHS, and an off-air VHS of the two-part syndication version from 1980. The two-part version, while watchable, is clearly awkward in its presentation, compared to the other episodes. It just doesn't "feel" right, even without having seen the original 74-minute version.
 

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