The Jeffersons S4 (1 Viewer)

[MatthewA]

Anyone see this set yet? Can anyone tell me whether any episodes have fishy running times?

 

[Pavan_P]

We have it. Review should be up very soon. The 3-part episode on the last disc are each 22 minutes as well as the season finale "Jenny's Thesis." Every other episode is 25 minutes.

 

[MatthewA]

Thanks, Pavan.

With each DVD release, Sony's laziness and hubris is consistently "movin' on up."

 

[Rob P S]

I just knew it - they broke down that 90-minute clip show into 3 separate edited episodes. What about the hour-long premiere episode?

F*** you, Sony.

 

[MatthewA]

That 90 minute clip show was broken down into 3 separate, shorter episodes by T.A.T. Communications at least as early as the fall of 1981 when it first went into syndication, and possibly earlier, for the CBS daytime reruns which started in February 1980. Just like all the other episodes.

My UPN station reruns the show at midnight Tue-Sat and I'll check these episodes when they come around next.

In another thread they described how ALF was distributed to NBC, and what they did with the network tapes after airing and I assume this was the case here (I don't know when they started sending shows via satellite to Canada):


I think Sony just went to whatever was on a non-obsolete tape format, rather than try and locate someone to dub the 2" quad originals onto DigiBeta, Betacam SP, D1, or some other tape format currently in use.

It is unlikely that there wouldn't be at least 1 usable uncut master of the episodes mentioned. It's not as if they have been stored in a damp basement for 27 years.

However, Sony's MGM division is offering exchanges for an edited Stargate SG-1 episode, so there is hope this might be addressed.

Because the DVD versions of some episodes are cut while others are not, don't assume that is all that exists for those episodes.

 

[Pavan_P]

The hour long season premiere is also 2-parts, but looks safe. One is 24 min, and one is 28 or so.

 

[David Rain]

This show may be coming out irregularly but I'm glad they're up to season four. I don't care as much for the later seasons (most hit shows go on for too long) but I'm glad we're at least getting the early classic years. When the show was still classy & sassy.

Just one question:

How come we overcame & nobody told me ?

 

[Andrew Radke]

I'll definitely be getting this despite the cuts. It doesn't look to be too severe. I need my Jeffersons fix. lol. I'm just glad they're picking up the pace with this show. Here's hoping we see S5 by spring.

 

[Pavan_P]

Scratch Jenny's Thesis. That is unedited at 25:15. So, the only edited ones are the three part retrospective episode at 22 min each.

 

[MatthewA]

Okay, thanks for that.

The clip show is the only edited episode. But it's still problematic.

 

[Pavan_P]

Yeah, but not too bad now, since I hate clip shows. It's interesting that nothing is cut from the one-hour season premiere, but Sony has it in two parts. There is no recap or on the next episode preview for that, so it is safe that this wasn't a syndie print.

Disc 1
The Grand Opening, Part 1 (23:30)
The Grand Opening, Part 2 (28:16)
Once A Friend (25:15)
George's Help (25:11)
George's Legacy (25:14)
Good News, Bad News (25:11)
The Visitors (25:10)
The Camp-Out (25:11)
The Last Leaf (25:09)

Disc 2
Louise's New Interest (25:09)
The Costume Party (25:11)
Florence Gets Lucky (25:13)
George Needs Help (25:10)
Jefferson Curve, The (25:08)
984 W. 124th Street, Apt. 5C (25:09)
George and Whitty (25:11)
Lionel Gets the Business (25:11)
The Blackout (25:14)

Disc 3
Florence's Union (25:14)
George and Jimmy (25:12)
Thomas H. Willis & Co. (25:11)
Uncle George and Aunt Louise (24:57)
George and Louise in a Bind, Part 1 (22:05)
George and Louise in a Bind, Part 2 (22:01)
George and Louise in a Bind, Part 3 (22:05)
Jenny's Thesis (25:15)

 

[David Rain]

I'm sure everyone knows of course that the 3 part episode is an extended clip show. I'm just wondering if they cut material from the flashbacks (which would be material that already exists on previous sets) or from the actual story that explains why G&L are reminiscing. Since this show is no longer a spring chicken I wonder if perhaps the missing clips couldn't be found.

I hope fans will still buy this set despite the annoying cuts. They're not a dealbreaker for me in this case and we really need to make sure these sets sell as much as possible so we can keep movin' on up . . . to more seasons.

 

[MatthewA]

I don't like clip shows either, but it still bothers me.

Since none of the non-clip shows are cut, then I guess I'll buy it.

 

[Pavan_P]

Quick take: The Jeffersons S5 is streeting on Aug. 15, 2006. More news will be out tomorrow.

 

[Andrew Radke]

YES! Thanks for the heads-up Pavan! I was curious about whether we'd see season 5 for this show. As I'd said a few times before, every episode of "The Jeffersons" is new to me. I bought season 1 as a blind purchase after hearing about how funny it was. Also, it doesn't air anywhere in syndication in this neck of the woods, so the DVD sets are the only way I can see this great show. I'd be ecstatic if Sony eventually released all 11 seasons. Sure it might take another 6 years to do it, but I'll wait. lol

 

[Ethan Riley]

YAYYYYYY Thank you, Pavan!! It seems like forever between releases, but I guess that only makes 10 months. Didn't we have to wait 2 years between seasons 2 and 3? Well, this is good news.

 

[Pavan_P]

S5 DVD Review:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/thejeff...dvdreview.html

1 episode edited...

 

[MatthewA]

UGGH! That so many great shows (and movies, for that matter) are in the grip of the vile Sony corporation is unconscionable. If this is the way they treat these shows, and their attitude towards consumer complaints is non-existent, they deserve to lose money. The only solution I can see is that Sony needs to sell their entertainment holdings to another company or spin it off as a separate company.

 

[Rob P S]

How are these edited anyway? Is this the version that was made for syndication back in the 80's? I know TV Land does its own editing, leading me to believe that an uncut print exists and that Sony is too lazy to look for it.

 

[MatthewA]

Possibly. Check TV Land when they get around to the episode (it's called "The Ones You Love" and I'll check my ex-UPN station, who shows The Jeffersons regularly next time it airs).

Anyway, this only seems to happen with taped shows. With a film show you can see it's edited if the film reel is shorter. Most prints sent to networks and stations had a short tag saying "Place Commercials Here", and they'd cut in commercials manually. With taped shows, there were 1-minute black spots in the originals (more for syndie tapes), so you would have to view the tape.

If the original 2" tapes of the Judy Garland Show and Laugh-In can survive this long, a 1979 episode of a show owned by a major studio, successor-in-interest to one of the biggest independent producers of the 70s, has to be available uncut somewhere.