The HitchHiker HBO -series coming to DVD!!! (1 Viewer)

[WaveCrest]

I'd jump at the chance to get this set, IF it's the complete series (and uncut and unedited).


Will there be an HTF review of this title?

 

[AndyMcKinney]

The one thing still kind of shady is if this actually IS going to be the entire series? "The studio could not be reached for comment" on multiple occasions is weird. The price in Amazon.ca is also a little too cheap for 85 episodes, even if they are hal-hour. They'd need at least 6 double-sided dual-layer DVDs to fit the entire series. Until I see actual reviews and specs, I remain skeptical. Something seems off. In around 2 weeks I guess we'll see.

Seems unlikely, but it's entirely possible. Alliance's recent Canadian re-release of Lexx: Season 4 was a six-disc set for the same price-point. Granted, we're talking about 24 hours worth of material (and single-sided discs) in that case, but all of Alliance's "budget TV" releases of the same time frame had the same price point, regardless of disc count (all four Lexx seasons were priced the same, whether they were 4, 5 or 6 discs).

 

[AndyMcKinney]

According to a reviewer on the Amazon.ca page for this title, it may "only" be the 39 HBO episodes (which are the only ones I'm interested in anyway, so long as they're the original unedited versions). I quote:

BUYER BEWARE... Saw a copy of this item in Sunrise today (Oct 5). As previous reviewer noted, "Entire HBO series" is mentioned on the front and back of box. One disturbing piece of info is that the run time is listed on the back as "approx. 12 hr and 30 min". If this is correct, then the best we can expect is the 39 HBO episodes and not the remaining USA episodes. I hope the run time is incorrect."

Of course, there are two different ways to interpret that boxart, and both ways lead to confusion. "The Complete Collection of Terror Tales from HBO" could suffice as a blanket statement for only being the HBO episodes, if not for the phrase "the COMPLETE collection" underneath the series logo. To have avoided confusion (if this is, indeed only the HBO episodes), it would have been better to say "the Complete HBO collection", or "the Complete HBO series" or something to that effect. Might have been even better to have said (at the top) "All 39 Tales of Terror from HBO". Anyway, as long as the episodes are uncut (all gore, language, nudity, etc. intact) and as long as the first three episodes are the original Nicholas Campbell versions, I'll be content.

 

[WaveCrest]

Thanks for sharing that update on the Hitchhiker DVD set. If the first three episodes are indeed the Nicholas Campbell versions, I may consider getting the set. I'll also be wondering which other DVD distributor could release the USA Network episodes.

 

[Esten]

He posted an update, and it was what I feared:

UPDATE (HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT): Curiosity got the better of me, and I bought this set. Big mistake. Set consists of 6 discs with 5 episodes per disc (ie. 30 total). My guess is that "complete collection" consists of previously issued 3 volumes of 10 espisodes each "best of" packages, but I don't have the energy to confirm this. If you are looking for 30 random episodes of this series, then this set is for you. Otherwise, I would give it a pass.

Just the 3 Volumes of he US releases. Thank god I have the full series from the original Canadian release, plus the 3 US volumes and the 2 remianing eps from a trade.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

No wonder the boxart was a carbon copy of the US artwork. Well, if that's all these are, I already picked up the original US releases of those in $3.00-6.00 bargain bins over the last few years. You'd think Alliance would've done a better job, considering they own the episodes in the first place!

 

[Esten]

Maybe they lost the original rights they had back in 2004 and are just distributing for WB now? Would make sense, if all the commentaries are intact and the discs are the exact ones.

 

[WaveCrest]

The TVShowsOnDVD news article (update) on the "Complete Collection" DVD set of The Hitchhiker:



The Hitchhiker Complete Collection - TVShowsOnDVD.com news article

 

[Garrett#79]

The Hitch-Hiker complete season DVD box sets are way too expensive. This was my brothers and I favorite TV show Growing Up in the 80s and 90s.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

The Hitch-Hiker complete season DVD box sets are way too expensive. This was my brothers and I favorite TV show Growing Up in the 80s and 90s.

Garrett:
The reason for this is because these sets are long out-of-print, so now they're considered rare/collectible. I didn't buy mine when they came out (due to a few edits and reports about video quality), but regretted that when they went OOP and the price shot up. The video quality really isn't that bad for a show that was post-produced on videotape, and while a very small handful of episodes are not as first broadcast, overall, that Season One set is worth having if you're a fan.

I got lucky last year on eBay and snagged the "Season One" set (which contains the first three HBO seasons) for less than $20. Before that, I got the three individual "volumes" that were put out by HBO Video. You'll also need those three discs if you want any HBO Season 4 episodes (aka Canadian Season 2), because those episodes were not released on DVD as a season set.

There's a single used Season One set on eBay right now for $79.00 with a 10% off coupon which is, frankly, not a bad price considering the rarity. I think I just got lucky with a seller not knowing the resale value of these. I think they have a Season Three (US Season 5) set for the same price, also, if you're okay with USA Network episodes (I'm not).

The three HBO volumes will get you 11 of the 13 HBO Season 4 episodes (in addition to 19 episodes that would also appear on the Canadian sets) and those three volumes are pretty cheap. Definitely get those.

Between the Canadian season sets and the three HBO volumes, that's the entire run except for two HBO Season 4 shows: Minuteman and Doctor's Orders.

 

[Garrett#79]

Garrett:
The reason for this is because these sets are long out-of-print, so now they're considered rare/collectible. I didn't buy mine when they came out (due to a few edits and reports about video quality), but regretted that when they went OOP and the price shot up. The video quality really isn't that bad for a show that was post-produced on videotape, and while a very small handful of episodes are not as first broadcast, overall, that Season One set is worth having if you're a fan.

I got lucky last year on eBay and snagged the "Season One" set (which contains the first three HBO seasons) for less than $20. Before that, I got the three individual "volumes" that were put out by HBO Video. You'll also need those three discs if you want any HBO Season 4 episodes (aka Canadian Season 2), because those episodes were not released on DVD as a season set.

There's a single used Season One set on eBay right now for $79.00 with a 10% off coupon which is, frankly, not a bad price considering the rarity. I think I just got lucky with a seller not knowing the resale value of these. I think they have a Season Three (US Season 5) set for the same price, also, if you're okay with USA Network episodes (I'm not).

The three HBO volumes will get you 11 of the 13 HBO Season 4 episodes (in addition to 19 episodes that would also appear on the Canadian sets) and those three volumes are pretty cheap. Definitely get those.

Between the Canadian season sets and the three HBO volumes, that's the entire run except for two HBO Season 4 shows: Minuteman and Doctor's Orders.

Yes I did see that on eBay and actually three days ago on eBay there was complete season 3 and 4 on there but the seller took it off it just vanished so yeah I know it's just I'm Canadian and paying $130 hundred and $50 with shipping is kind of you know astronomical but I do want to get them all it's my favorite show and yeah I have the three volumes 10 episodes volume 1 2 and 3 they are great but it's too bad that whoever caught entertainment or whatever whoever puts it out didn't release the entire collection all in one shot every episode all 85 uncut unedited

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Yes I did see that on eBay and actually three days ago on eBay there was complete season 3 and 4 on there but the seller took it off it just vanished so yeah I know it's just I'm Canadian and paying $130 hundred and $50 with shipping is kind of you know astronomical but I do want to get them all it's my favorite show and yeah I have the three volumes 10 episodes volume 1 2 and 3 they are great but it's too bad that whoever caught entertainment or whatever whoever puts it out didn't release the entire collection all in one shot every episode all 85 uncut unedited

Koch would have liked to put out the entire lot, but for some reason, they couldn't figure out how to acquire the Canadian distribution rights to US Season 4 (aka Canadian Season 2). That's why there is not a "Season 2" set from them.

The reason there were able to be Season 4 episodes on the HBO volumes is that those three sets were originally released by HBO in the US (HBO retained US distribution rights). The "Collection" set of these that came out years later in Canada was just a re-release of the HBO discs. Redistributing an existing release as-is will always be easier than trying to put together a 'new' one with added/different content.

The only difference I can find in the production of the Season 4 episodes and the previous ones is that at the end of the closing titles, DIC is credited as one of the production companies/distributors. Maybe they (and their successors) have/had a stake or say-so in the distribution rights outside of the US? I've heard other Canadian viewers say that those last 13 HBO episodes were never included in the rerun packages on Showcase. I know that when I had a Canadian taper recording this for me about 20 years ago, there were never any HBO Season 4 shows in what he sent to me.

 

[Garrett#79]

Koch would have liked to put out the entire lot, but for some reason, they couldn't figure out how to acquire the Canadian distribution rights to US Season 4 (aka Canadian Season 2). That's why there is not a "Season 2" set from them.

The reason there were able to be Season 4 episodes on the HBO volumes is that those three sets were originally released by HBO in the US (HBO retained US distribution rights). The "Collection" set of these that came out years later in Canada was just a re-release of the HBO discs. Redistributing an existing release as-is will always be easier than trying to put together a 'new' one with added/different content.

The only difference I can find in the production of the Season 4 episodes and the previous ones is that at the end of the closing titles, DIC is credited as one of the production companies/distributors. Maybe they (and their successors) have/had a stake or say-so in the distribution rights outside of the US? I've heard other Canadian viewers say that those last 13 HBO episodes were never included in the rerun packages on Showcase. I know that when I had a Canadian taper recording this for me about 20 years ago, there were never any HBO Season 4 shows in what he sent to me.

I'm from BC Canada and I had 80 out of 85 episodes on video tape recorded straight off of showcase and I started recording them in 1996 so some of the season 4 or if you're going by the US Way season 6 were on syndication in Canada but I don't know for how long I know in 1996 97 they were but who knows they might have changed after that but I know I had 80 out of 85. one of them that I didn't have was called Minuteman but I saw that someone loaded that up on YouTube. Unfortunately all my VHS that are recorded straight off of showcase or misplaced and thrown out in 2007 I was devastated. Do you have all four seasons DVD box sets and or how many episodes in DVD quality do you have out of the 85?

 

[Garrett#79]

Is there an update if the HITCHHIKER DVD/BLU-RAY Project is coming along ok? I’d love to own the entire 85 episodes on DVD or BLURAY