Don't get your hopes too high. Like other shows of the '80s (including The Hithchiker and Star Trek: the Next Generation0, the show, though shot on film, was post-produced (edited) on one-inch videotape. Unfortunately, there's not a lot that can be done with the picture quality of such shows (without going back to the original elements (if they still exist) and re-do all that post-production work. Not likely to happen.
Don't expect anything better than the picture quality of those two above-mentioned releases.
It might be even worse actually... TFTD was I think the first show to use the film to tape method (either this or Voltron, not sure) and Tribune hadn't worked all the kinks out of the system yet so the quality is subpar even when compared to reruns of first season ST:TNG.
It also wouldn't surprise me, since the show was a bit of a cheapie, if they shot TFTD on 16mm rather than 35mm, which would take a further hit on picture quality.
I've not long been looking at the episode list for Tales from the Darkside on EpGuides.com especially at Season 1, and I noticed that there was a pilot episode called "Trick or Treat" which aired a year before the first season started. Looking again at the first news announcement on TVShowsOnDVD, it says the total running time of the set is 533 minutes. If you divide 533 by 23 or 24 the running time per episode is between 22 and 24 minutes. My question is, will the 1983 pilot "Trick or Treat" be included in the set?
This is great news. Tales From The Dark Side (Season 1), The Invaders (Season 2) and Bewitched (Season 7) all being released on DVD within a week of each other - Should be a FUN winter.
I'm not exactly sure I appreciate them using the series' first logo (the second one looks nicer and tends to be more associated with the show). Still I do like the fact that Paramount has attempted to retain the "dark evil woods" feel of the title sequence.
That appears to be what they were going for with the forest background (a call back to the shot of the trees before the screen "flips over" into the negative background). Damn, I still hate that logo like the plague though.
Bonus points for using Fritz Weaver's daughter from "In The Closet" on it. I just noticed that.
1. Trick or Treat (Pilot): Benard Hughes, Max Wright (ALF), written by George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) 2. The New Man: Vic Tayback (Mel Sharples from Alice) 3. I'll Give You a Million: Keenan Wynn (The Absent Minded Professor) 4. Pain Killer: Peggy Cass (To Tell The Truth) 5. The Odds: Danny Aiello (Do the Right Thing, Moonstruck) 6. Mookie and Pookie: Justine Bateman (Family Ties, Jason's sis) 7. Slippage 8. Inside the Closet: Fritz Weaver (Creepshow) 9. The Word Processor of the Gods: Bruce Davison (X-Men), based on a story by Stephen King. 10. A Case of the Stubborns: Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Genereation) and Christian Slater (Heathers, Young Guns 2, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, and the recently cancelled My Own Worst Enemy) 11. Djinn, No Chaser: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (NBA's all-time points leader, basketball hall of famer) 12. All a Clone by the Telephone: Harry Anderson (Night Court) 13. In the Cards: Dorothy Lyman (Mama's Family), based on a story by Robert Bloch (Psycho) 14. Anniversary Dinner: Alice Ghostly (Bewitched) 15. Snip, Snip: Bud Court (The Toyman from Superman: The Animated Series) and Carol Kane (Taxi) 16. Answer Me: Jean Marsh (Upstairs/Downstairs, Willow) 17. The Tear Collector: Victor Garber (Alias) 18. The Madness Room: Stewart Whitman (Pa Kent from Superboy) 19. If the Shoes Fit... 20. Levitation 21. It All Comes Out in the Wash: Vince Edwards (Ben Casey) 22. Bigalow's Last Smoke 23. Grandma's Last Wish 24. The False Prophet: Ronne Blakley (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
THe back of the box has the now standard disclaimer about episodes possibly being edited, but it also says music has been changed. Does anyone know what copyrighted music was used in the first season? I don't remember any?