Shirley Booth in HAZEL on August 1?!?!?!?!? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Lugoff]

A participant in an e-mail list I subscribe to is reporting that Sony has announced Shirley Booth's HAZEL, Season One, will be released on August 1.

He's a good source, but I can't find this verified anywhere else.

I've been wanting the Screen Gems sitcoms from the 1950s and early 1960s for a long time, but had given up hope. Now comes this frankly unbelievable announcement.

If it's true, can "Dennis the Menace," "The Donna Reed Show" and especially "Father Knows Best" be far behind?

 

[Tory]

I hope this is true as I know a lot of people interested in seeing this show again, myself included.

 

[Charles Ellis]

This should be interesting as it was one of the first sitcoms to be broadcast in color. The only problem is that its first season was in B/W, but the successes of Sony-owned shows like Bewitched should help Hazel along. Now if Sony can get to the later years of Burns & Allen.....

 

[Bob Hug]

As much as I don't care for Sony (particularly as they have apparently abandoned "Barney Miller"), there may be something to this. A year ago, I would have said "no way," but Sony has released several vintage comedies, including some that I was surprised to see come to DVD, namely "Gidget" and "The Flying Nun," and "Bewitched" has received several full season releases to date. That said, they've just about completely avoided black & white releases, but maybe "Bewitched" sold well enough for them to move into some older catalog titles. Also, a few years ago, Sony released two episodes of "The Donna Reed Show" on DVD as past of a General Mills cereal promotion . . . so maybe they received some positive feedback on this. Sony's own TV-on-DVD catalog (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/tvondvd/) really is slanted towards comedies more so that some of the other studios like Fox or Universal.

 

[Mike Frezon]

That would be swell, Mr. B!

 

[Bert Greene]

Hope this pans out. I've always tended to like "Hazel," and in some ways, it just seems to get better each time I've encountered it over the years. Maybe age has allowed me to appreciate its style of humor all the more. I really wasn't expecting "Hazel" on dvd anytime soon, but as was mentioned, Sony has had a tendency to throw us some unexpected curve-balls lately... from "Gidget" to "Here Come the Brides" to that Buster Keaton comedy-shorts collection. I've found myself buying quite a few of their releases this year.

 

[Ethan Riley]

I've been buying a surprising amount of things, too. Because there's been a lot of 60s shows popping up on dvd that I thought we'd never see...That Girl, The Flying Nun, Brides, and now Hazel?? Wow.

On the other hand, Sony seems committed to releasing only the first season of everything, and that's it. I think they've lost a lot of consumer confidence over the past few years...

 

[marcSo]

this is my first post I am a big fan of a lot of the sreen gems shows of the 50.s and 60,s.Hazel is right up there hazel is listed as scheduled to be released august 1st at videoeta.com in there release section.

 

[Ron Lee Green]

I certainly hope this is true. They might as well release this show. Its not making money anywhere else. Better than just sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

 

[Eric Vedowski]

The first season has one color episode-where Hazel buys a color tv.

 

[Michael Alden]

Is that really true?

Anyway, this isn't one of my favorite SG shows but I would pick it up. It also a good sign if they are looking that far back in their vaults for product. Now, if we can only get The Farmer's Daughter released I would be one happy guy.

 

[Ollie]

According to TVSHOWSONDVD.COM it's now been officially announced by Sony. I'm thrilled...I watched this everyday in re-runs as a child growing up and can't wait to have it on DVD.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5705

 

[marcSo]

I cannot wait for this one. hopefully sony releases the other 4 seasons.also sony owns the rights to the donna reed show.dennis the meanace and father knows best. hopefully now that hazel is getting a release these 3 other shows are not far behind.

 

[Gary OS]

I'll certainly purchase this set, but I am a tad surprised that Sony would choose to dust off this classic from their vault before "The Donna Reed Show" or, even more shockingly, "Father Knows Best." The latter has to be their most well known classic sitcom!

Gary "and come to think of it, I believe 'Dennis the Menace' would have been a more appropriate choice as well - but I'm still thrilled that this is getting released" O.

 

[Bob Hug]

I'm surprised as well. What's strange is that Sony has been running a poll for a few TV show candidates for DVD release at their site for some time now, but "Hazel" isn't even on the list (nor are any of the others mentioned). In any event, classic/vintage TV fans get another show to enjoy.

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/tvondvd/

 

[Michael Alden]

Well, I think the key here is that unlike the other classics mentioned in this thread, Hazel has 4 of it's 5 seasons in color. Donna Reed, FKB, Dennis, B&A, etc. are all completely black and white. You would think they would see how well Naked City did for Image and that maybe it would tell them that black and white shows can sell. I would love for them to do Route 66, another Herbert Leonard classic.

 

[Michael Alden]

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[Michael Alden]

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[Michael Alden]

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[michael_ks]

Bob,

Thanks for the Sony link. I just now voted for "Highway Patrol" which stands at a whopping 0.64 percent in the polls. How can Sony not even have a true classic like "Route 66" in the running at all? If they were willing to release a lesser series like "The Rat Patrol" why not this one? Oh that's right, RP was in color.