Roots - why OOP? (1 Viewer)

[MattPeriolat]

OK someone explain the logic here to me please:

Roots, one of, if not the most popular miniseries in the history of television was released on DVD, but has gone out of print and is being sold for nearly triple digits above it's original price.

What on earth happened here? Why did this go out of print in the first place and why the insanely high price to get it now?

And for that matter, any chance of a reissue at an affordable price? I'd really love to see this mini without going into hock for it.

 

[David Lambert]

Roots, in all likelihood, went out of print due to lack of sales. I know that they had planned to release Roots: The Next Generation a while back (I even posted news about it), but the release was cancelled when they took a hard look at the lack of sales for the original, more popular miniseries' set.

It came out before TV-on-DVD was a big deal, and the price was not super-high but decently high, and not too many stores carried it. A different, new approach would probably work better.

It would be cool if they came out with Roots/Roots:TNG combo set much like the combo set of all three North & South series. I think that, packaged and marketed right and at the appropriate price, would work better this time around. But I don't know of any such plans.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Yep, I agree that it would probably sell better these days as well. It's a great mini-s and I'd get it tomorrow if available. It reminds me of another mini-s of that era "Rich Man Poor Man". I'm waiting for both of these if they get here someday.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Check your local library. Pretty much any library that has DVDs will carry titles like this. (Be sure to check the catalog, because most of the good stuff tends to be checked out when you look.)

 

[ScottR]

I believe it will eventually be re-released, and hopefully uncut this time.

 

[MattPeriolat]

Hmmm, I didn't know it was cut to begin with! Glad I don't have the money to spend!

And yes, you would think with the surge of popularity of TV on DVD and the (percived) success of other minseries like North and South and Thorn Birds that Roots would be a natural for a re-release.

Whose got the rights? Maybe we should start dropping some notes in their direction. Unfortunately, we missed a good shot last year with the 25th Anniversary of the original airing, but maybe a little nudging might get the ball rolling.

 

[Eric Paddon]

What's it selling for now? I got it for Christmas and it was still available at places like Borders for the original price.

And could someone detail what's cut about it?

 

[Rob Gardiner]

 

[AndyMcKinney]

The reason these DVDs are cut is that for DVD (and, possibly, for the previous VHS releases, too), it all has to do with "combining" and re-editing the mini-series into eight 2-hour "movies", even though it wasn't originally aired in two-hour segments (at least, not entirely).

From IMDB:

The episodes (originally) ran as follows:
*Episodes 1,2,6, and 8 were two-hours
*Episodes 3,4,5, and 7 were one-hour each.

Re-broadcasts and VHS and DVD releases are presented in six two-hour installments. (so here, you at least get cut-out credits. I think someone once said some of the credits appear over the action of the episodes themselves, so if this is indeed true, some of the scenes with super-imposed credits would therefore be cut, too, to remove the "offending" credits).

*Several scenes were cut for DVD when the eight episodes were combined into six. Among the deletions: A five minute opening sequence of George Hamilton riding through the countryside on a carriage before he reaches the Moore plantation and several scenes featuring slaves working in the fields as Chicken George returns home from England. The DVD also deletes the opening screen credits for these sequences. The DVD does contain a short sequence at the start of Episode 5, featuring Chicken George and Tom Moore before a cockfight, not seen originally. The DVD also features different closing credits than the original broadcast.

 

[Dane Marvin]

Knowing Warner, they probably have every intention of re-releasing this soon in uncut form. I didn't know it went OOP, but if I see one, I'm buying it and immediately putting it up on e-bay. Warner is the best DVD studio around and I know they'll have the best product available for purchase eventually. Too bad some e-bayers don't realize this.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The 30th anniversary is coming up in 2007, and both the TV on DVD market and the installed base of DVD players is much will be still bigger than even than now, so that might be a logical time for the studio to re-issue the set with some decent extras and (one would hope) as it originally aired.

Regards,

Joe

 

[ScottR]

The opening credits are also slightly different in the original broadcast version. The original opens with the Mural like the dvd, but instead of the title "Roots" being shown over a black screen, the cover of the novel is shown in the center of the screen with the words "An ABC Novel for Television."
Incidentally, I am currently working on a book about the making of "Roots" and have sent proposals out to various publishers. In the book, I have included a complete episode guide for every Roots series, movie, and special.

 

[David Coleman]

I was one of the one's hoping to collect this set!! It's a 3 disc set that if it were released today would probably retail @ $39.95. However the list price of $59.95 is a little steep for a 3 disc set today. If they re-issued and repriced at the $39 I'd buy it in a heartbeat!!

I do hope they come out with NEXT GENERATION but please make it a separate purchase as opposed to buying the whole thing!!

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

Don't forget "Queen".

 

[ScottR]

As good as Queen is, it shouldn't be included with Roots. Queen was the story of Haley's paternal grandmother and that side of the family. If anything, a boxed set should include Roots, Roots: The Next Generations (yes, it has an "s"), and Roots: The Gift. As an added bonus, the 1978 documentary Roots: One Year Later would be nice to include.

 

[MattPeriolat]

I'm all over a DVD release for Queen as I absolutely loved that miniseries, plus you'd think they'd cash in on Halle Berry being in the lead, her first major role. But I agree it should be seperate from Roots proper as it's another side of a story, not a main part.

Back to Roots, yeah, you'd think a re-release would be in order, I just hope they don't make us wait too long because clearly there IS a demand for it.

 

[Ravi K]

I was planning on buying Roots for someone, but I didn't find out until yesterday it is OOP.

WB really needs to re-release Roots uncut, and Roots The Next Generations, which IMO is just as riveting as the first series. TV-on-DVD is huge now.

 

[Brian Himes]

Boy, I'm so glad that I have this set. I have watched it three times since I bought it. It's one of those things that is good the first time you see it and just as good on the 100th viewing.

 

[TonyD]

i have it at the BBV were i work.
check yours.
you can rent it then keep it and pay the difference a week or so later.

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

That's not too cool. Everyone else depending on that Blockbuster to see a copy of the movie will be deprived so one person can "own" it via unintended means.