Shout! Factory TV Series Status Page (1 Viewer)

[jcroy]

While those of us who were already in our 30s have no use or even knowledge of many of the 90s dopey and poorly produced Nick or network Saturday morning series, there's a whole generation that grew up with them and has the same fondness for them as many here have for all of the really bad Hanna Barbera 70s cartoons. Difference is that the kids from the 90s are now in their 30s and probably out buy those of us in our 50s by a 10 to 1 margin.

How much of this market for dopey 90's cartoon nostalgia has been superseded by streaming services like netflix, amazon, etc ...?

Do today's thirtysomethings prefer to watch such 90's stuff via Netflix or amazon, instead of buying the dvd/bluray?

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Neil, you mentioned a problem with elements being the main reason Love, American Style has been put on the backburner.

Why would Paramount preserve the original masters for some episodes, but not for others?

 

[Kasey]

Is The Facts of Life another possibility for a complete set? I don't know if its considered mainstream but 5 seasons have already been released, so just 4 more seasons left to go.

Shout have stated they actually lost money on Season 5 and Sony has gone on record stating the music clearances in Seasons 6-9 of Facts are problematic. I would really be surprised if this one came to be; the same goes for Maude. But stranger things have happened. Both shows have big and vocal fanbases who have been pestering Shout Factory for more releases for years.

 

[BobO'Link]

How much of this market for dopey 90's cartoon nostalgia has been superseded by streaming services like netflix, amazon, etc ...?

Do today's thirtysomethings prefer to watch such 90's stuff via Netflix or amazon, instead of buying the dvd/bluray?

I don't know about that group as a whole but my daughter (33) purchases a *few* TVonDVD on occasion. It tends to be mostly Fraggle Rock and Smurfs. I'm sure there are others but she doesn't mention them if there are. She doesn't stream at all but has Dish Network at home. My son (31) likewise purchases TVonDVD occasionally. His is Boy Meets World and He-Man. He's into "clutter reduction" and streams almost everything. He does not have cable/satellite and relies on the few local OTA stations in his area coupled with Netflix and Redbox for his entertainment needs. He has no interest in "ownership" of either physical *or* digital copies and is fully content to make *rare* physical purchases and mostly streaming.

 

[Brian Himes]

If you get ME-TV in your area, it premieres tonight, RHODA that is, at 8:30 PM CT/9:30 PM ET

I didn't catch the entire premier episode tonight on MeTV, but I did catch the ending credits. They showed the original ending credits with the Airport guys and Mary Tyler Moore. So, did they actually show the original opening with Mary? Were there any scenes shown other than the one with Mary that wasn't on the DVD set?

 

[Neil Brock]

I don't know about that group as a whole but my daughter (33) purchases a *few* TVonDVD on occasion. It tends to be mostly Fraggle Rock and Smurfs. I'm sure there are others but she doesn't mention them if there are. She doesn't stream at all but has Dish Network at home. My son (31) likewise purchases TVonDVD occasionally. His is Boy Meets World and He-Man. He's into "clutter reduction" and streams almost everything. He does not have cable/satellite and relies on the few local OTA stations in his area coupled with Netflix and Redbox for his entertainment needs. He has no interest in "ownership" of either physical *or* digital copies and is fully content to make *rare* physical purchases and mostly streaming.

Its funny how things change. I love having physical media, be it my CDs, records, tapes or DVDs. For me, its first the challenge of collecting the material, especially the things that take years of patience and ingenuity to acquire and secondly, being able to watch or listen to whatever I'm in the mood for, whatever or whenever. But, hey, everybody has their priorities and what they choose to spend their money on. Different courses for different horses.

 

[jcroy]

If the DVD had been invented and the craze hit in the 70s, we would have seen all of the 1950s shows. And then add a decade onto both.

Hard to say whether something like this would have happened.

As a close analogy, one could look back and see whether there was ever a "tv on vhs" (or betamax) era.


During the 1980's and 1990's, there were numerous releases of various Star Trek franchise episodes officially released on VHS/betamax by Paramount. (Also on laserdisc and the short-lived CED videodisc format).

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28Betamax%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28VHS%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28LaserDisc%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28CED%29


For other tv shows, it's difficult to find any reliable information online. Though using amazon, there are listings for episodes on VHS for tv shows like Battlestar Galactica, I Love Lucy, Dragnet, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc ... Most of these are listed with 1990's release dates, and a few from the late 1980's.

For better information on earlier vhs/beta releases (if they exist), one would probably have to find some older vhs/beta catalogs from the 1980's or late-1970's.

 

[Ron1973]

Hard to say whether something like this would have happened.

As a close analogy, one could look back and see whether there was ever a "tv on vhs" (or betamax) era.


During the 1980's and 1990's, there were numerous releases of various Star Trek franchise episodes officially released on VHS/betamax by Paramount. (Also on laserdisc and the short-lived CED videodisc format).

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28Betamax%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28VHS%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28LaserDisc%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28CED%29


For other tv shows, it's difficult to find any reliable information online. Though using amazon, there are listings for episodes on VHS for tv shows like Battlestar Galactica, I Love Lucy, Dragnet, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc ... Most of these are listed with 1990's release dates, and a few from the late 1980's.

For better information on earlier vhs/beta releases (if they exist), one would probably have to find some older vhs/beta catalogs from the 1980's or late-1970's.

I have the entire Columbia House output of the Hillbillies. There are enough color episodes to do 3 full DVD's @ 4 hours and probably another one (if I remember right) of 2 hours.

 

[BobO'Link]

Its funny how things change. I love having physical media, be it my CDs, records, tapes or DVDs. For me, its first the challenge of collecting the material, especially the things that take years of patience and ingenuity to acquire and secondly, being able to watch or listen to whatever I'm in the mood for, whatever or whenever. But, hey, everybody has their priorities and what they choose to spend their money on. Different courses for different horses.

If I didn't know better I'd have sworn I posted that! It's my mentality exactly and has been since I started collecting books and records at the ripe age of 16. I'm fortunate that my wife fully understands. She gives me grief every time I make a purchase but she understands.

 

[jcroy]

I have the entire Columbia House output of the Hillbillies.

Doing some more googling, it appears Columbia House released quite a few tv shows on vhs back in the 1990's.

- Airwolf
- All In The Family
- Cheers
- CHiPs
- Dallas
- Hogan's Heroes
- Knight Rider
- Lost In Space
- M*A*S*H
- Maverick
- Miami Vice
- Mission Impossible
- Night Gallery
- Sanford and Son
- Wonder Woman

Some tv shows on laserdisc listed on lddb.com:

http://www.lddb.com/search.php?adv_search=*&category=34


It appears "tv on vhs" and laserdisc, were both highly niche markets back in the 1980's and 1990's.

Personally, I wasn't even aware of Columbia House's "tv on vhs" catalog during the 1990's. Back then, I only ever heard of Star Trek and X-Files being released on vhs or laserdisc. (This was largely due to a friend who was a hardcore fan of both Star Trek and X-Files, who had many of these episodes on laserdisc. Sometimes we watched Star Trek on laserdisc at his place).

 

[BobO'Link]

Hard to say whether something like this would have happened.

As a close analogy, one could look back and see whether there was ever a "tv on vhs" (or betamax) era.


During the 1980's and 1990's, there were numerous releases of various Star Trek franchise episodes officially released on VHS/betamax by Paramount. (Also on laserdisc and the short-lived CED videodisc format).

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28Betamax%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28VHS%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28LaserDisc%29
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series_%28CED%29


For other tv shows, it's difficult to find any reliable information online. Though using amazon, there are listings for episodes on VHS for tv shows like Battlestar Galactica, I Love Lucy, Dragnet, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Beverly Hillbillies, etc ... Most of these are listed with 1990's release dates, and a few from the late 1980's.

For better information on earlier vhs/beta releases (if they exist), one would probably have to find some older vhs/beta catalogs from the 1980's or late-1970's.

I think it would have happened. IMHO video tape didn't take off like DVDs because they were bulky, expensive, and easily damaged. Sure I knew people with large libraries but most taped off TV (which is what I did) because purchasing video tape releases tended to be very cost prohibitive. One guy I knew had a massive library but he rented and copied the rental for his library because it was less than half the cost of purchasing directly. The *only* manufactured tapes of TV product I purchased was Star Trek: TOS and it was not cheap. I try not to think about how much those 3 seasons cost on video tape. I picked up a few other manufactured videos but it was mostly for much loved films and can be counted on 2 hands. Most people I knew then had at most a dozen purchased movies with the majority of their library being taped off TV.

 

[BobO'Link]

It appears "tv on vhs" and laserdisc, both appeared to be highly niche markets back in the 1980's and 1990's.

Personally, I wasn't even aware of Columbia House's "tv on vhs" catalog during the 1990's.

Back then, I only ever heard of Star Trek and X-Files being released on vhs or laserdisc. (This is largely due to a friend who was a hardcore fan of both Star Trek and X-Files, who had many of these episodes on laserdisc).

Yes, very much niche. I got those catalogs but couldn't justify the ~$18 per tape for the series. Keep in mind a half hour series had 4 episodes per tape and an hour series had 2. It could get quite pricey. The first Star Trek release by CH was the same individual tapes that Paramount sold at retail. You got 2 tapes per month with a price structure as if both episodes were on a single tape - ~$22 after shipping - ~$900 for the full series! You can see why I don't like to think about it much. In a second cycle they changed it to 2 episodes per tape. That's also how they released Star Trek: The Next Generation with that service.

 

[jcroy]

I love having physical media, be it my CDs, records, tapes or DVDs. For me, its first the challenge of collecting the material, especially the things that take years of patience and ingenuity to acquire and secondly, being able to watch or listen to whatever I'm in the mood for, whatever or whenever.

I can only attribute my interest in owning physical media, largely due to inertia and being "mentally indoctrinated" in the notion of buying audio and/or video on a physical disc (or tape). (ie. I'm too "brain damaged" to think differently).

I suppose I may think differently about this, if I was 10 or 20 years younger. (Hypothetically).

 

[jcroy]

Yes, very much niche. I got those catalogs but couldn't justify the ~$18 per tape for the series. Keep in mind a half hour series had 4 episodes per tape and an hour series had 2. It could get quite pricey. The first Star Trek release by CH was the same individual tapes that Paramount sold at retail. You got 2 tapes per month with a price structure as if both episodes were on a single tape - ~$22 after shipping - ~$900 for the full series! You can see why I don't like to think about it much. In a second cycle they changed it to 2 episodes per tape. That's also how they released Star Trek: The Next Generation with that service.

The pricing sounds a bit like the first Star Trek: TOS releases on dvd, back in 1999-2001. IIRC, each dvd set had two episodes for $20 a pop (or more).

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Star-Trek/3971

Back then, I thought about picking up these 2-episode ST:TOS dvds. But after coming to a realization of the sticker shock, it didn't look very attractive anymore. (ie. 40 dvds at $20 a pop = $800). So I didn't bother buying any of them.

 

[Neil Brock]

Rather than buying pre-recorded VHS tapes, I spent my money in the hobby on purchasing film prints of TV shows. I wasn't all that interested in purchasing tapes of "common" series. It was more interesting to me to buy episodes of shows that it was highly unlikely would ever be aired again. Of course with the cable explosion in the 80s and then the DVD boom in the 00s, some of those choices turned out to be faulty as well. The one thing that you can never go wrong with is a print with original commercials as those aren't popping up commercially anytime soon. And most film prints, unlike those pre-recorded VHS tapes, hold their value. A few weeks ago I saw a print of the 1968 version of Blondie sell on ebay for over $500. Rare shows will always be in demand.

 

[jcroy]

IMHO video tape didn't take off like DVDs because they were bulky, expensive, and easily damaged.

The same can probably be said of laserdisc.

With that being said. Back in the late 1980's I was wondering why movies were not being released on discs the size of cds. (I wasn't aware of vcd at all).

 

[Ron1973]

If I didn't know better I'd have sworn I posted that! It's my mentality exactly and has been since I started collecting books and records at the ripe age of 16. I'm fortunate that my wife fully understands. She gives me grief every time I make a purchase but she understands.

I download a lot of music from Amazon but I also try to make sure I back it up to an external hard drive (just bought a new one yesterday) and a CD copy. I've had a computer crash before and I almost lost a ton of music. I managed to get it back up and got everything backed up to an external (the one I just replaced, actually).

Doing some more googling, it appears Columbia House released quite a few tv shows on vhs back in the 1990's.

- Airwolf
- All In The Family
- Cheers
- CHiPs
- Dallas
- Hogan's Heroes
- Knight Rider
- Lost In Space
- M*A*S*H
- Maverick
- Miami Vice
- Mission Impossible
- Night Gallery
- Sanford and Son
- Wonder Woman

Some tv shows on laserdisc listed on lddb.com:

http://www.lddb.com/search.php?adv_search=*&category=34


It appears "tv on vhs" and laserdisc, were both highly niche markets back in the 1980's and 1990's.

Personally, I wasn't even aware of Columbia House's "tv on vhs" catalog during the 1990's. Back then, I only ever heard of Star Trek and X-Files being released on vhs or laserdisc. (This was largely due to a friend who was a hardcore fan of both Star Trek and X-Files, who had many of these episodes on laserdisc. Sometimes we watched Star Trek on laserdisc at his place).

They also did "The Dukes of Hazzard" on VHS via Columbia House. My ex-wife and I ordered a few on VHS in the early 2000's.

My set of The Beverly Hillbillies was purchased from a lady on eBay. I made a ridiculous "best offer" of $40 figuring she would counter with something a bit higher but cheaper than her asking price (I don't even remember what it was now). She accepted it, surprising the heck outta me.

 

[derosa]

Yes, very much niche. I got those catalogs but couldn't justify the ~$18 per tape for the series. Keep in mind a half hour series had 4 episodes per tape and an hour series had 2. It could get quite pricey. The first Star Trek release by CH was the same individual tapes that Paramount sold at retail. You got 2 tapes per month with a price structure as if both episodes were on a single tape - ~$22 after shipping - ~$900 for the full series! You can see why I don't like to think about it much. In a second cycle they changed it to 2 episodes per tape. That's also how they released Star Trek: The Next Generation with that service.

Just for laughs, i checked Ebay,
and right now you can buy all 84 tapes of ST:TNG for $75 !!
That's right, it took 84 vhs tapes!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/84-STAR-TREK-NEXT-GENERATION-VHS-LOT-BRAND-NEW-SEALED-COLUMBIA-HOUSE-W-BONUSES-/181056696318?pt=VHS&hash=item2a27d1effe

There are a ton of Columbia House released VHS sets on Ebay,
I had no idea that so many series were sold by them.

 

[jcroy]

(On the original topic).

If Shout Factory is slowly exiting the tv on dvd market, what is the likelihood of somebody else taking it up?

For example, would somebody like Mill Creek or Echo Bridge take up the slack on stalled tv on dvd titles (if the contract terms are satisfactory to them) ?


A few years ago, Mill Creek released/re-released quite a few Stephen J. Cannell tv shows.

Awhile ago Mill Creek was re-releasing a lot of Sony and Touchstone catalog titles, while Echo Bridge was re-releasing a lot of Miramax/Dimension catalog titles on dvd/bluray.

 

[Gary OS]

So is Pee Wee the set that was being hinted at earlier in this thread?


Gary "just kidding, I'm sure that's not the big name series that is supposed to be coming later in the year" O.