So What Happens With The Stuff CBS Retained? (1 Viewer)

[HenryDuBrow]

The boss at VEI stated 'many more' titles would be released, this of course is exactly what fans love to hear so it remains to be seen what will follow this first batch of announcements. The shorter the show the less expensive for the buyer, Hotel's price tag (and probably Barnaby Jones) is set pretty high, so it'd be great if their next announcements would include things like The Magician, Longstreet, Dan August, Whirlybirds, The Immortal and The Marshal to name some relatively short-lived unreleased CBS/Paramount shows.

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

The boss at VEI stated 'many more' titles would be released, this of course is exactly what fans love to hear so it remains to be seen what will follow this first batch of announcements. The shorter the show the less expensive for the buyer, Hotel's price tag (and probably Barnaby Jones) is set pretty high, so it'd be great if their next announcements would include things like The Magician, Longstreet, Lancer, Dan August, Whirlybirds, The Immortal and The Marshal to name some relatively short-lived unreleased CBS/Paramount shows.

But Lancer is a Fox property, but you could beg Shout or better yet, Olive to release such a set.

 

[Neil Brock]

I think these stalled series are prime candidates for licensing out, so I'm remaining optimistic for now.


As for less remembered series, how many multiple season runs are left unrepresented on DVD that fall under CBS ownership?


To Rome With Love (2 seasons) is one that piqued my curiosity that I'd of liked to have checked out, so I'm sure there's numerous other successful shows that didn't quite become hits and receive regular syndication.


I also don't see The Nurses listed. That ran for three seasons before a change of network and format occurred that apparently saw it become a daytime soap opera on ABC for two more years. Does CBS not own this anymore?

There just isn't a market for many of these shorter run series that never hit syndication. Besides To Rome With Love (essentially a carbon copy of My Three Sons with 3 daughters instead of 3 sons), there's The Smith Family, Governor and JJ, The Good Guys, Run Buddy Run, The Queen and I, The Tim Conway Show (sitcom), Funny Face & The Sandy Duncan Show. And I'm just listing the color shows. But none of these have tape transfers (that I'm aware of, except Funny Face for some reason). You might have an outside shot of someone doing something with some of the shorter run series that were remastered for TV Land, like Paper Moon, Nero Wolfe, Goodtime Girls, Who's Watching The Kids, etc.


As for The Nurses, forget about the soap opera version, which had nothing to do with the series. Its a great but forgotten show. Never rerun, even though there were almost a hundred episodes. Unknown stars. No tape elements. Yes, CBS owns it but the chances of it ever seeing the light of day again are less than zero.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

But Lancer is a Fox property, but you could beg Shout or better yet, Olive to release such a set.

Oh right forgot, I'm erasing that one then.

 

[LeoA]

Yeah, I know it will never happen. I posted those though to demonstrate that there was more in the vaults than just failed 1 season programs and the handful of big successes that people most want to see.

 

[Wvtvguy]

I'm pretty ignorant about the NURSES. I looked it up & found THE DOCTORS & the NURSES with Joseph Campanella? I'm always curious about these early 60's shows as it seems to have been a period of high quality. Makes me want to see THE DEFENDERS a lot!

 

[Flashgear]

Wvtvguy, that's the right show, as apparently THE NURSES was retitled THE DOCTORS AND THE NURSES for it's third and last season, 1964-65 on CBS...I have a single episode from 1963, "A Question of Mercy" (dealing with euthanasia) with guest star William Shatner, and if it's at all representative of this show, I'd love to see the whole 98 episode, 3 season run of the show...it was filmed on location in NYC, so that already made it unusual, and to me, a big draw...when it began, it also featured a then 17 year old Zina Bethune as a student nurse, subordinate to a veteran nurse played by Shirl Conway, who was an Emmy nominee for her work on THE NURSES in 1963, she also did fine work on ROUTE 66 and NAKED CITY...Harold J. Stone was also nominated for an episode, and Ruby Dee gave another hallmark performance in which she received another Emmy nomination, one of the first for an African American actress...Ed Binns played a resident DR., and later Michael Tolan and Joseph Campanella joined the cast...apparently this show was highly regarded as a prestige production, and on occasion, rather daring in the vein of THE DEFENDERS...I remember seeing the show first run, but not in a position to really appreciate it as I was too young...Zina Bethune was truly a radiant beauty and a good actress, going on to a lengthy career...this is another '60s forgotten show that I would wish for...along with BUS STOP, BEN CASEY, EASTSIDE/WESTSIDE, CHANNING, MR. NOVAK, THE DEFENDERS, SLATTERY'S PEOPLE, etc...I wish that vintage and now obscure television would get the same respect and treatment that feature films have...it's a damn shame that they're essentially lost to us now.

 

[Rick Thompson]

There just isn't a market for many of these shorter run series that never hit syndication. Besides To Rome With Love (essentially a carbon copy of My Three Sons with 3 daughters instead of 3 sons), there's The Smith Family, Governor and JJ, The Good Guys, Run Buddy Run, The Queen and I, The Tim Conway Show (sitcom), Funny Face & The Sandy Duncan Show. And I'm just listing the color shows. But none of these have tape transfers (that I'm aware of, except Funny Face for some reason). You might have an outside shot of someone doing something with some of the shorter run series that were remastered for TV Land, like Paper Moon, Nero Wolfe, Goodtime Girls, Who's Watching The Kids, etc.

Two of those, Paper Moon and Nero Wolfe, would be immediate buys for me. I thought William Conrad was an excellent Nero Wolfe, and the supporting cast -- Lee Horsley, Robert Coote, George Wyner, Alan Miller, etc. -- provided able support. Paper Moon is notable for the casting of a young and unknown Jodie Foster in the Tatum O'Neal role, and Christopher Connelly (in the Ryan O'Neal role) had a successful career in TV and films until cancer claimed him at age 47.

 

[Brian Himes]

Paper Moon is notable for the casting of a young and unknown Jodie Foster in the Tatum O'Neal role, and Christopher Connelly (in the Ryan O'Neal role) had a successful career in TV and films until cancer claimed him at age 47.

I wouldn't exactly say Jodie Foster was unknown when cast in Paper Moon. Young, yes, but not unknown. She had done several things by the time she was cast in Paper Moon. Most notably a recurring role on The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Paper Moon may have been her first major TV role, but she wasn't unknown.

 

[Neil Brock]

Wvtvguy, that's the right show, as apparently THE NURSES was retitled THE DOCTORS AND THE NURSES for it's third and last season, 1964-65 on CBS...I have a single episode from 1963, "A Question of Mercy" (dealing with euthanasia) with guest star William Shatner, and if it's at all representative of this show, I'd love to see the whole 98 episode, 3 season run of the show...it was filmed on location in NYC, so that already made it unusual, and to me, a big draw...when it began, it also featured a then 17 year old Zina Bethune as a student nurse, subordinate to a veteran nurse played by Shirl Conway, who was an Emmy nominee for her work on THE NURSES in 1963, she also did fine work on ROUTE 66 and NAKED CITY...Harold J. Stone was also nominated for an episode, and Ruby Dee gave another hallmark performance in which she received another Emmy nomination, one of the first for an African American actress...Ed Binns played a resident DR., and later Michael Tolan and Joseph Campanella joined the cast...apparently this show was highly regarded as a prestige production, and on occasion, rather daring in the vein of THE DEFENDERS...I remember seeing the show first run, but not in a position to really appreciate it as I was too young...Zina Bethune was truly a radiant beauty and a good actress, going on to a lengthy career...this is another '60s forgotten show that I would wish for...along with BUS STOP, BEN CASEY, EASTSIDE/WESTSIDE, CHANNING, MR. NOVAK, THE DEFENDERS, SLATTERY'S PEOPLE, etc...I wish that vintage and now obscure television would get the same respect and treatment that feature films have...it's a damn shame that they're essentially lost to us now.

The Nurses was essentially The Defenders in a hospital. While they were better able to present all types of social issues in a courtroom, The Nurses did a fine job of presenting them as well. As with any of the other shows being shot in New York, there's no comparison to Hollywood when it came to having great actors appear on the show. While it never got quite the acclaim that The Defenders did, The Nurses still stands as one of the great early 60s shows, along with the others mentioned above.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

Being a Joseph Campanella fan, I too would sure like to see that one (Nurses/Doctors) given a DVD release.

 

[Randy Korstick]

She also starred in several Disney Movies in the 70's and played Becky Thatcher in the 1973 Tom Sawyer. She had significant parts in The Little girl who lived down the lane and Taxi Driver. She was definitely known by 1977.

I wouldn't exactly say Jodie Foster was unknown when cast in Paper Moon. Young, yes, but not unknown. She had done several things by the time she was cast in Paper Moon. Most notably a recurring role on The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Paper Moon may have been her first major TV role, but she wasn't unknown.

 

[TVonDVDJunkie05]

The boss at VEI stated 'many more' titles would be released, this of course is exactly what fans love to hear so it remains to be seen what will follow this first batch of announcements.

As I posted in the VEI thread about their deal with CBS, based on trends I have observed regarding CBS discontinuing their releases of the shows VEI has acquired the rights to, I think the following series may be next on the list of releases from VEI:


Caroline in the City

Dave's World

Early Edition

Evening Shade

Jake and the Fatman


The CBS releases of all of the above shows have been discontinued in recent months which leads me to believe that perhaps VEI has acquired the rights to them.


The following unreleased shows are others that I think VEI might look at releasing:


Brooklyn Bridge

Dear John

 

[Flashgear]

Being a Joseph Campanella fan, I too would sure like to see that one (Nurses/Doctors) given a DVD release.

Please forgive me for going off topic on a tangent here, but Joseph Campanella is a favourite of mine also, Henry...as a New York actor he apparently made numerous appearances on THE NURSES before he became a regular cast player...his guest star work on NAKED CITY, ROUTE 66, RAWHIDE, THE FUGITIVE, THE FBI, THE VIRGINIAN and COMBAT among others, are all memorable...and I love the interplay with Mike Connors on season one of MANNIX...and his later work on THE BOLD ONES too...I remember a great showcase role for him in the short lived anthology series WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO THE CLASS OF '65?...haven't thought about that for a long while...another tv curio worthy of recall.

 

[Regulus]

As I posted in the VEI thread about their deal with CBS, based on trends I have observed regarding CBS discontinuing their releases of the shows VEI has acquired the rights to, I think the following series may be next on the list of releases from VEI:


Caroline in the City

Dave's World

Early Edition

Evening Shade

Jake and the Fatman


The CBS releases of all of the above shows have been discontinued in recent months which leads me to believe that perhaps VEI has acquired the rights to them.


The following unreleased shows are others that I think VEI might look at releasing:


Brooklyn Bridge

Dear John

If ANYONE releases the two remaining seasons of Early Edition I'll buy them in a heartbeat. As it stands I lost my patience a number of years ago and "took things into my hands".

 

[Mike Frezon]

There have been WAY too many allusions in recent TV on DVD threads about the purchase of bootlegs.


We have been lenient for too long.


It has got to stop.


We have given an inch and a mile has been taken.

 

[ChrisALM]

I really wish CBS would finish The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and One Step Beyond. They started releasing these shows, and it seems to me, they could make profits from cable/streaming deals that would justify remastering the remaining seasons and releasing them on DVD. Of course there are other shows that would be great to have from CBS, but I'm trying to be somewhat realistic.

 

[Ron1973]

I really wish CBS would finish The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and One Step Beyond. They started releasing these shows, and it seems to me, they could make profits from cable/streaming deals that would justify remastering the remaining seasons and releasing them on DVD. Of course there are other shows that would be great to have from CBS, but I'm trying to be somewhat realistic.

The first four would suit me okay and add in My Three Sons. I've gotten hooked on the 30 minute Gunsmoke shows recently, but I still love the hour long color episodes, so I want those finished off, too.

 

[ChrisALM]

My Three Sons has been handled so badly by CBS.

I do not remember the b/w My Three Sons original run. I first saw them on Nick at Night way back when. Having remembered the color seasons, I was surprised at how good the b/w seasons were. I would pick up the b/w seasons, unedited, as soon as they became available.

I know the DeVol music was said to be a problem, but how did Family Affair avoid a DeVol music problem?

With My Three Sons, even with the DeVol music removed, they still released a second season. There must have been a demand for season 1 for CBS to release season 2.

So, maybe My Three Sons will be another VEI release at some point. For me, if I can get an official release of the b/w seasons, that is great. If I can get the color seasons, then I will be getting those too.

 

[JMas]

If the color Gunsmokes and the WB detectives ever get released, I would be satisfied with what I have. Unfortunately, the chances are looking slimmer for the former and unlikely for the latter.