Time/Life Press Release: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: The Complete Series (1 Viewer)

[AndyMcKinney]

I'm still puzzled at the signature edition set of The Wonder Years for $499. Crazy, in that it is still just DVD, not Blu-Ray

I'm sure it's still DVD only because by the time that show went on the air, even thought shot on 35mm film, it would have been edited on NTSC tape, and the only way to get it into HD would be to re-assemble each and every episode again from the raw film elements. I'm sure that was too cost-prohibitive for Time-Life to have undertaken themselves (assuming each and every scrap of film still survives).

 

[Ron1973]

The show was mostly videotape, though, so for the majority of the footage, true HD is still not possible. Those parts would have to be upscaled. It was pretty much like British TV of the time: studio stuff was on tape and "outside" stuff was on film, and Laugh-In didn't do a huge amount of location filming. Little snippets here and there. Certainly not enough to warrant upscaling alll the VT footage just so the small amounts of film can be HD.

And at any rate, the only way the 16mm footage could even be in HD would be if all those original rolls of film survived. They might have tossed them out, once the full episodes were assembled.

Exactly. Hee Haw was the same way; a few small snippets were shot outside on 16mm film, but by and large it's videotaped, and has always been referred to as such. I have serious doubts that those survive for either series.

Post Edited by Moderator: No personal attacks allowed!

 

[TonyD]

This is incredible news. Too bad I can't buy it until it gets released in season sets.

 

[Ian K McLachlan]

It is strange that this is getting released as only recently I decided to revisit some of the episodes on the two generally released DVDs. However it seems a rather expensive set. However I hope that I might be able to buy it one day....

 

[Lord Dalek]

Nope: it was shot on a combination of videotape and 16mm film. Of course it was edited on tape, as were many other film-shot series of that era. So HD is not an impossibility.

What is an impossibility is the prospect of folk not stating absolutes and spreading misinformation on the internet.

Based on what I've seen of Laugh-In (which admittedly isn't much just some off-airs on YT), I'd estimate the tape to film ratio at about 9.98:.2 and most of it was either the NBC peacock or the Schlatter/Friendly logo. Only one of which probably still exists to be transfered.

 

[MartinP.]

Wondering though if TL is going to come up with truncated versions of the complete series set for this show, ALONG with possible Costco or Wal-Mart exclusive versions to boot.

Their website was having some problems yesterday so I called them to ask a question about their payment plan option for this release and the operator said, "are you inquiring about the 38 disc set or the 18 disc set?" So there's another option out there, though it isn't being advertised on their website at the moment.

This one's a holy grail for me so I have to get it and I really don't want to wait. Of course, I'd want it all, so I didn't ask what the configuration of the 18 disc set is.

 

[MartinP.]

It is strange that this is getting released as only recently I decided to revisit some of the episodes on the two generally released DVDs. However it seems a rather expensive set. However I hope that I might be able to buy it one day....

I hope you can, too!

It does seem rather expensive, but then I considered this: If one had bought the two Rhino sets (12 episodes total) and added in the Guthy-Renker releases (38 episodes total) you'd have paid $469.03 ($547.70 with tax and GR's shipping and handling). So $250 for the entire series plus extras seems like a bargain in that respect!

(There were also some available releases of the three NBC specials and the PBS special program,
all containing content edited from the series.)

 

[Brian Himes]

Ah, but those Costco, Sam's Club or Wal-Mart exclusives will be just about meaningless to those that want the entire series. It's not like Costco, Sam's Club or Wal-Mart are going to get episodes that have not been released on the big set. The big set is going to be everything. So, there won't be any chasing down additional sets or configurations just to get a few more episodes that aren't on the big set. After going through all of that for The Carol Burnett Show, this is a HUGE relief for me. One shot and I get it all.

 

[BobO'Link]

Ah, but those Costco, Sam's Club or Wal-Mart exclusives will be just about meaningless to those that want the entire series. It's not like Costco, Sam's Club or Wal-Mart are going to get episodes that have not been released on the big set. The big set is going to be everything. So, there won't be any chasing down additional sets or configurations just to get a few more episodes that aren't on the big set. After going through all of that for The Carol Burnett Show, this is a HUGE relief for me. One shot and I get it all.

And I've found a couple of those "exclusive" discs are actually part of another set that's been broken out of the main one. There's one I'm looking at right now where one of the 6 discs was the 7th "bonus" disc in a Costco set I already own which makes it harder to justify the purchase.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Ah, but those Costco, Sam's Club or Wal-Mart exclusives will be just about meaningless to those that want the entire series. It's not like Costco, Sam's Club or Wal-Mart are going to get episodes that have not been released on the big set. The big set is going to be everything. So, there won't be any chasing down additional sets or configurations just to get a few more episodes that aren't on the big set. After going through all of that for The Carol Burnett Show, this is a HUGE relief for me. One shot and I get it all.

Unless they have an exclusive deal on the 1977 episodes. Not likely, but I have to wonder if they were left off of the big set because Time-Life 1). forgot, 2). didn't think anyone would mind (or care) or 3). thought they might make good 'exclusive' material.

 

[Brian Himes]

Unless they have an exclusive deal on the 1977 episodes. Not likely, but I have to wonder if they were left off of the big set because Time-Life 1). forgot, 2). didn't think anyone would mind (or care) or 3). thought they might make good 'exclusive' material.

If that happens I won't be taking the time or effort to track those down. I'm not all that interested in the 1977 episodes. They would be nice as a curiosity but as George Schlatter was sued by Rowan and Martin over those, I really don't see them ever resurfacing. I can't even find out how many episodes from 1977 were produced. Also, Time Life hasn't fully announced every bit of the bonus features on the big set. Those episodes just might be on there.

 

[likewow]

Great news...especially for my DVR which is full with the Decades broadcast episodes...

This is exciting DVD news. but somewhat lessend by the fact that we've gotten the chance to see the whole series on TV, including the rare pilot and sixth season. But, the show has been edited a bit for Decades.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

This is exciting DVD news. but somewhat lessend by the fact that we've gotten the chance to see the whole series on TV, including the rare pilot and sixth season. But, the show has been edited a bit for Decades.

The pilot wasn't really all that rare, though. Besides Decades, it was also shown as part of the run on TrioTv (who showed the pilot and the first 70 regular episodes).

 

[Garysb]

Does Time-Life still have 15% or 20% coupons around the year end holidays? Get Smart, The Man From Uncle, Six Million Dollar Man, and Bionic Woman started as Time Life exclusives and then became generally available. Some with all the bonus features and some with just the episodes. Of course you need to wait year(s) after the initial release for a general release and there is no guarantee that there will be a general complete series release. I am sure it depends on the deal Time Life negotiates with the owners of the material concerning exclusivity .

Always liked that the Decades broadcasts of Laugh In includes the NBC peacock opening. We didn't have a color TV when the peacock was used so it is neat to see it in "Living Color". Wish more stations that broadcast Classic TV did this. However realistically as the episodes are usually cut for time this is probably the first thing to cut.

 

[bigshot]

Would it be possible to get everything except for Alan Seuss?

 

[Tony Bensley]

Would it be possible to get everything except for Alan Seuss?

That's Alan Sues, NOT Seuss.

However, I do wonder whether Alan liked Green Eggs & Ham?

CHEERS!

 

[likewow]

Always liked that the Decades broadcasts of Laugh In includes the NBC peacock opening. We didn't have a color TV when the peacock was used so it is neat to see it in "Living Color". Wish more stations that broadcast Classic TV did this. However realistically as the episodes are usually cut for time this is probably the first thing to cut.


Yes, and on a couple episodes, there were moments of only music being played over the psychadelic background, where originally there was sponsor information. Plus, one episode had the cast doing sponsor plugs!

 

[MartinP.]

Would it be possible to get everything except for Alan Seuss?

I take it you won't be buying the new book about Alan Sues called
Alan Sues: A Funny Man, by Michael Gregg Michaud, just released this month?

 

[MartinP.]

Unless they have an exclusive deal on the 1977 episodes. Not likely, but I have to wonder if they were left off of the big set because Time-Life 1). forgot, 2). didn't think anyone would mind (or care) or 3). thought they might make good 'exclusive' material.

I sure would like to see these, I never have...though I did go to a taping session for one of the episodes. Don't have a guess as to why they might be left out.

[...] I can't even find out how many episodes from 1977 were produced. [...]

According to the Hal Erickson book, there were six of them, conceived at the time as monthly specials.

The air dates and main guest appearances for the episodes were:

Monday, September 5, 1977 (Bette Davis, Barry Goldwater, Henry Winkler)
Monday, October 10, 1977 (Bea Arthur)
Wednesday, November 2, 1977 (Frank Sinatra, Cindy Williams)
Tuesday, December 20, 1977 (Shirley MacLaine)
Wednesday, February 1, 1978 (Susan Ford)
Monday, February 6, 1978 (Martin Mull)

Other celebrities mentioned as appearing in the series were Henry Fonda, James Garner, Roddy McDowall, Roger Moore, Flip Wilson, Seals & Croft, Sonny Bono, Gore Vidal, Ralph Nader, Bella Abzug, Marjoe Gortner, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Rich Little.

Alphabetically, series regulars were Sergio Aragones, Antoinette Atell, John Barbour, Nancy Bleiwess, Ed Bluestone, Kim Braden, Claire Faulconbridge, Wayland Flowers, June Gable, Jim Giovanni, Jack Harrell, Ben Powers, Bill Rafferty, Lenny Schultz, Michael Sklar, April Tatro and Robin Williams.

 

[B-ROLL]

That's Alan Sues, NOT Seuss.

However, I do wonder whether Alan liked Green Eggs & Ham?

CHEERS!

If you are what you eat ...

he was definitely a Ham (but in a good way ) !