The Warner Chat 5/7: Official Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[TheLongshot]

While Steve does have a point in that some series might not be economically viable, that doesn't mean that it is always a valid reason for canceling a series. When lay people can see the reason why a series may have had problems and could see potential solutions, it is frustrating when the company can not.

Jason

 

[Gary OS]

Hey, I want those last three seasons of HGWT as much as anyone. But I'm not going to pooh-pooh Paramount for that one thing when they've released far more vintage TV on DVD than any other studio. Look at all the great b&w shows they've put out.

Gary "I can't penalize Paramount or cancel out all those other shows simply because they failed to follow up on the Boone series" O.

 

[TravisR]

Exactly.

 

[brett tolino]

Completely untrue on both counts.

Check the Knots and Dallas website which garnered literally thousands of signatures on a petition which was sent to Warners. The demand was so strong, it got them to release the show in the first place.

And if it wasn't such a strong dvd show, there wouldn't have been as many people asking about it at the Warner's chat, even AFTER they were told no more questions about Knots Landing.

In fact, interest was SO strong, one of the last comments by Warner's was that because interest at the chat was SO strong, they are going to try and reevaluate their position but it may be tough.

You're saying there's no interest.

We're saying there's plenty of interest... but hey, you have to price the product according to what you're offering in the release if you want people to buy it.

Many people want a Mercedes but not everyone can afford it, so not everyone buys it.

By the same token, many people like a Cadillac... but they wouldn't sell as well if you priced them like a Mercedes without the same features as a Mercedes.

 

[brett tolino]

Same answer applies for you Travis...

There's PLENTY of interest for Knots Landing as seen during the Warner's Chat and in the demand to get them to release the show in the first place.

But there's no interest in ANY show priced at how Warner's priced it for the thumbnail amount of episodes.

 

[TravisR]

Internet petitions and chats are not indicative of the real world in any way. The fact that the show didn't meet WB's sales goal prove that. Very few twenty year old dramas have the fan support that it needs to continue coming out. Cheers is one of the most popular comedies of all time and it seems that all the seasons of that show won't be released.

There was also alot of interest in a previous WB chat for Everwood. That show was a full season and failed to meet the WB's goals.

As for the price, I really doubt that many people would have bought it if it was $10 or $20 cheaper. Of course, some people wanted it but could not afford to purchase it but the sales wouldn't have been much better if the price had been lower.

 

[David Levine]

Not what I'm saying at all.

I'm saying there isn't ENOUGH interest. Not that there isn't any. I've never denied that there is a fan base for the show.

And "literally thousands of signatures" would mean poor sales even if everyone of them bought the set. Unless you actually means "closer to 100 thousand".

 

[silverking]

Well if every DVD release has to sell 100,000 to be commercially viable we may as well completely forget about classic TV on DVD.!

Here in the UK we have a company 'Network' which specialises in old home grown TV shows. Now I doubt that many of their releases sell more than a couple of thousand but they continue to release series & seem to be generating a profit.

Likewise there are independents in the States , for example Critics Choice who have released such low profile stuff such as Sergeant Preston of the Yukon ( all 3 series) & presumably wouldn't have done so at a significant loss.

I accept the big boys have different aspirations but unless they are prepared to adjust their expectations in line with likely consumer demand for any particular release then nobody gains.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

The ideal solution would seem to be for WB to licence out shows that don't meet (or aren't expected to meet) their sales targets to smaller labels, like Brentwood (BCI) and others, who can probably get by on selling fewer units.

Unfortunately (for Knots fans, anyway), WB are reluctant to licence out anything they own, whether they intend to release it or not.

 

[Charles Ellis]

Brett, my sympathies are with you! I've been after FOX to release Peyton Place, the FIRST primetime soap, and I have an even more uphill battles since a) FOX isn't that keen on releasing stuff from the 1960s, b) there are 514 episodes, and c) half of those episodes are in B/W! I'm hoping that maybe the show would be leased for DVD to an indie label like MPI or Anchor Bay, but unfortunately in your case Warners doesn't license their shows to other companies for DVD release. Keep fighting, and hopefully the rest of Knots Landing, as well as Falcon Crest and Flamingo Road will come out on DVD! Just wish me luck on Peyton Place........

 

[Gary OS]

I'd still really like to know if this issue of not getting shows from the "big boys" is because they charge an exorbitant amount that just isn't feasible for companies like BCI, MPI, Anchor Bay and others - OR - is it simply that these studios are refusing to lease anything out period, presumably because they are afraid to let go of their own properties. That would tell me a lot.

Gary "it would be bad enough if the big boys are willing to license out, just at a high price - but it would be something else entirely if they aren't even willing to entertain the idea" O.

 

[brett tolino]

Charles,

I hear you and am with you ALL the way. I would LOVE to get Peyton Place on dvd as well as Falcon Crest but if you go by what the dvd braintrust, David and Travis says, there's no hope at all because they're very old shows with no market!

Awww gee.... well, not everyone is as lucky as GET SMART fans, which must be selling well over 100,000 units!

Who knew?



PS. With all of David's knowledge and support, it's a real mystery as to why Warners or some other studio doesn't hire him!

 

[brett tolino]

Oh and if we listen to Travis, GET SMART must have been really doomed since internet petitions have no basis of real world interest. Not only is it a 20 year old show, its a 37 YEAR OLD SHOW!

How that 37 year old show is moving over 100,000 units is a mystery to all!

 

[brett tolino]

And that show LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE, how that show was able to release over 100,000 units for each of the 9 seasons is beyond me too!

Well braintrust, you guys have all the answers, maybe we should just forget having chats with the studios... David and Travis have all the answers so let's just open a thread called 'ASK DAVID AND TRAVIS!'

If they deem a person's show viable, maybe the studio will listen!

One can only hope!

 

[David Levine]

Not all seasons need to sell that much, but first seasons need to get close to that because you have almost a 50% drop off from season to season.

Oh, and LITTLE HOUSE Season 1 sold over 300,000 units. In fact the first 4 seasons all broke the 100K mark. Heck, Season 9 still did twice the numbers of KNOTS Season 1.

You don't have to like what I'm saying, but I'm just dealing in cold facts, not wish fulfillment.

 

[David Levine]

Not interested. I've turned down studios. I like having the creative freedom of an independent studio.

 

[TravisR]

I don't agree with your point so I'm a know-it-all? Namecalling is not exactly a mature approach to take to a disagreement. I'm just trying to tell you the facts as I see them (which are backed up by someone actually in the industry) and it's fine that you don't like them or agree with them but it doesn't mean that I'm a know it all. You want reasons or answers why this or that hasn't happened and I'm trying to tell you.

EDIT: David, I'm glad to get your input on this board (not just this thread) and found it ridiculous to read a comment like "With all of David's knowledge and support, it's a real mystery as to why Warners or some other studio doesn't hire him!". I hope you continue to add to the discussions here.

 

[brett tolino]

And as someone who works in production / manufacturing for the entertainment industry, I've stated that there are much more economically efficent ways of producing them as a way to lower cost and thereby lower projections.


Additionally, a big company is like Warner not necessary a better one.
By nature, because of the size of the company, they have greater overhead therefore, require greater revenue that necessitates sales projections that may not be realistically feasable with the current market. And because there's such a slew of Warner and other studio releases in lingering in 'unmet sales limbo', that is a statement in and of itself. The company as a whole entity realizes this, which is why Ann Moore of Time Inc just spent the better part of last year, drastically reducing their staff by cutting jobs and selling properties hand over foot.

You say there's no hope because demand isn't strong enough. You also say internet petitions aren't good enough. You also state that people should get together and do something the way they did for Get Smart. I informed you that people DID get together and the community sites for both Dallas and Knots Landing WAS enough to get Warners to release dvds.

You said that's still not enough. It appeared to be enough for Warners. You said it's still, STILL not enough to support a release yet Warner keeps releasing Dallas. When Warners was so taken aback by the interest in Knots at their chat and they themselves said they might reconsider but it may be tough -- you took THEIR position and said, no matter what, it's STILL STILL STILL not enough.

I've simply been saying the interest was there, IS there and if it wasn't, they never would have released Season One to begin with. As someone familiar with manufacturing, I pointed out MANY reasons why all those people who got them interested enough to release it in the first place, may NOT have supported the release, you shot down my reasoning again and again repeatedly stating that no matter what, there's NO INTEREST TO SUPPORT IT!

It's a 20 year old show, yadda, yadda, yadda... yet a show like Get Smart which is 2x as old got released, you claim their is much greater interest. No one is interested in a show like KNOTS. To further support my claim, I went on to say there is: Desperate Housewives sells TONS of dvds, the market is there. The interest is there otherwise Warner never would have released it in the first place, and for the right price, the right packaging and promotion, it would perform well.

You still, continuously state, no matter what -- even though WARNER themselves said otherwise at the chat, you still state -- THERE IS NOT ENOUGH INTEREST TO SUPPORT A DVD RELEASE.

Well, since you apparantly know so much better, that led me to my 3 other posts. I believe, if anyone took your attitude, then GET SMART, a 37 year old show, 2x older than Knots would never have been released.

And there's no point in continuing a conversation with someone who KNOWS better than the studios.

 

[David Levine]

Thanks Travis. I got into this business because I love movies and TV. And I post on a handful of forums because I really enjoy talking about DVDs in general, and I like that I have the opportunity to give a "face" to consumers and answer some questions about what we do. I wish more studios would do the same.

If I can offer some insight into other studios and the way things are done because of my experiences, I try to do that too.

 

[TravisR]

I don't think that sounds too hopeful. Granted, they do not say "No chance" but it sure sounds like a long shot. I know you blamed a myriad of reasons for the lack of sales but the main one (that you refuse to acknowledge) is that there isn't a very sizable number of people interested in buying it. Nicolette Sheridan could be on every show on TV today and it wouldn't create people to buy Knot's Landing.

Get Smart is a show that has been on TV for probably forty years straight and has a fanbase. Of course, it would sell well on DVD.

And I never said that I know better than the studios. You're not even twisting my words, you're just inventing things now.