Warner doesn't shop their shows around, but apparently they're open to talks if approached about specific titles. I asked Warner about this after posted my comment earlier, and the situation was explained to me. Basically they have a policy of not licensing material out, but there's also a chance it could happen. They don't have a "list" of titles that they put out there though.
Yup, old and new. Look at Shout! Factory picking up "Sports Night" - that's not an old show.
The article stirred up some news, and we'll have news on one "stalled" show up on the site tomorrow! And no, I'm not giving you any hints. I'm also following up on another lead.
Thanks Gord. I can only hope that one or two of the vintage shows I want are being considered.
BTW, speaking of this very thing, did anyone have a chance to listen to Shokus and hear about "Leave it to Beaver"? I didn't have an opportunity to tune in.
Gary "boy I wish that show would be licensed out to someone" O.
I don't normally post lists, especially wish lists, but something about this thread and the news article that started it got my interest. Here are the series I want that started being released and have gone a year and a half without a follow-up (or had news that stated/implied no more are on the way):
- Adventures of Pete & Pete: I loved the Nick Rewind collection and would like to buy more from it. Finishing off with the final season of Pete & Pete (and the remaining unreleased shorts) would at least give me some closure.
- Animaniacs: Doesn't really fit this thread, since WB is holding it back for unknown reasons (IIRC, one poster said music issues, then retracted that statement).
- Beverly Hillbillies: We got cut off when the public domain episodes ended. Paramount definitely has a buyer ready, willing, and able for the rest.
- Boomtown: The last six episodes weren't great (that's what happens when you try to get higher ratings and alienate your existing base in the process), but I'd still like to buy that season. Probably a long shot (even more so than the other titles on this list) at this point.
- The Flintstones: Give us the specials and movies WB...
- The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air: Music rights issues here too, but still a stalled series, right?
- Green Acres: Lost in rights acquisitions limbo from what I recall.
- The Jetsons: IIRC, restoration needs done on the remaining series.
- King of The Hill: Honestly, I just want season 7. Though, for the sake of the other fans, I hope Fox does something with the rest of the show too.
- Life With Louie: Not really a stalled series since we've gotten nothing so far. But, Louie Anderson keeps saying they're on the way, so I thought I'd mention it anyway since it got stalled, just early in the process.
- The Mole: We got the first and third seasons, so how about two, four, and the brand new fifth season?
- Rocky & Bullwinkle: I'd buy the volume releases if they only came with all the episodes from one of the remaining seasons. Either more season sets or more best ofs (with unreleased content only please - no more double dipping).
- Taxi: Just kind of dropped off without any word
- Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego: Probably won't get a buyer since even Shout doesn't want to release it anymore, but I can hope, can't I?
- X-Men Evolution: Season four would look great with the next X-Men movie, WB.
This news gives me a glimmer of hope for seeing more releases of King of the Hill and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Those 2 series and Superboy are the only shows that I've been buying that are considered stalled or abandoned.
OK, so here's the deal. I was just about to give up on this hobby, because every series I collect is either completed or "stalled" Here's my list of hopefuls which will make my collection complete. Many of which are long in coming;
Charlie's Angels Simon & Simon T.J. Hooker Hart To Hart The Fall Guy Hunter Taxi WKRP It should be noted that most are Sony product, so if they can find someone to release the classic Spelling- Goldberg stuff, it would be great. For me, if these were completed, my collection would be a wrap!!
Dave/Gord, will there be a smile on my face soon??
Rhino did this, and I guess unless their license lapses that and the Guthy-Renker subscription discs (which I bought) will be it. Although with Dick Martin's death and the show's 40th anniversary there is an opportunity to try for season sets. The only music issues would be the first few episodes; most of the musical material after that is original to the show. Even if they (or anyone) did put out season sets the last season would probably not be released. George Schlatter, who didn't produce them but got their copyrights in a court battle, really hates them, and supposedly they're not that great anyway. When Trio aired the show they only went to 1970.
I don't see why, if Paramount would let them, MPI couldn't release the rest of the Beverly Hillbillies picking up from where they left off.
MGM still owns Green Acres but they basically don't exist, except to provide $40 bare-bones Blu-Rays and non-anamorphic DVDs. What was the last TV show they released?
King of the Hill is probably a music rights nightmare. They dropped all extras after season 2 to clear music for seasons 3-6, and it ate into profits.
I don't put WKRP in the list of stalled shows, but the list of unreleased ones. Maybe we will see redoes of shows like that were screwed up the first time. (*cough*ALF*cough*)
Sony has tons of Screen Gems, Norman Lear/Embassy, Aaron Spelling, etc. shows just hanging there, not to mention almost every game show not by Goodson-Todman. They're not going to do anything with them, so they should let someone else have them (BCI, are you listening?)
Believe me, the people I'm involved with have no interest in Mama's Family or any other 80s shows. The Warner shows that a company would want are the westerns and detective shows from the late 50s - early 60s. When someone says "Warner Shows", that is what people think of and are referring to.
For me I'd love to see a continuation of "Have Gun Will travel"and the "Big Valley", and would perhaps entertain a naive hope for "The Defenders", "Bus Stop" and "It's a Man's World". The only B+W sitcom I'd die for is "Dobie Gillis", would love to have the chance to rediscover others that I couldn't fully appreciate as a dumb kid. "Boris Karloff's Thriller" and an assured continuation of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents/Hour would light me up too. The Warners's Western and Detective holdings like "Cheyenne" , "Maverick", 77 Sunset Strip" Hawaiian Eye" etc. are long sought after. For more recent stuff "Larry Sanders Show" and "Franks Place" from the late '80s (The Tim Reid show set in New Orleans) Other folks on here have mentioned plenty of other gems too, and I really appreciate this hopefull "Intell" on possible licensing to the established and maybe new independent companies. Who knows, maybe even a few real vintage TV fans may yet become involved. The best thing about this site is how much you can get to learn from our knowledgeable members with industry connections.
Well, that really is the question, isn't it? Guess they have to make up their minds on whether they want to release the rest of it themselves or go ahead and licence out. The fact that a few of the B/W episodes didn't fall into P.D. makes Paramount just "picking up" a little more awkward (i.e. if they could've just started with "season 3", it would be a lot easier than releasing that with "what's left of" season 2).
Of course all of us are going to hope for a series that probably won't happen -- my first thought, of course, was WKRP, but I just doubt anybody can afford to pick it up even if Fox shopped it around -- but this is good news nonetheless.
In the past, the pattern has usually been that shows can get licensed out, but a studio won't usually "shop around" a show that it's already started releasing itself, even if it has no real possibility of finishing that show. But the last few seasons of a great show are in many ways a more valuable property for an independent company than the first season of a more obscure show, and at this point, many of us are more anxious to see the incomplete Fox or Paramount or Sony series continued, on whatever label, than to see shows that haven't been released yet. (There are some shows I still want, but there are more shows that I just want to see completed.) Let's hope for some good news, and thanks to Gord for the encouraging hints.