Universal/NBC has a lousy infrastructure (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Willis]

You guys (Gary, Mike_K, Mike_A) hit the target for me as well. I might check out some recent or current series later but for now, there's too much of the late 50's-80's series that I'd like to see released. I know that there are a few good recent series that are worth checking out but it's a matter of time (lack of, that is). I also haven't seen very many commercials in years as Mike_A mentioned. The interesting thing about this, to me, is that my "millenium kid" nephew actually prefers a lot of the series that I have in my DVD sets over anything that's been aired by the networks since the late 90's. Things like the original Dick Van Dyke Show, Get Smart, Hogan's Heroes, etc. Amazing My nephew also says that there are more in his age group out there that like the older stuff than we "old-timers" might have guessed

 

[Jay_B!]

depends on what you consider a "collector". Someone who collects every show that exists? no... Someone who collects the shows he likes? definately.

Maybe if he didn't go off and generalize me over my age and for the fact I like Firefly, I wouldn't get ticked off. But I mean, when it comes to the shows coming in the near future I plan on buying: Laverne And Shirley season 2, Happy Days season 2, Mork And Mindy season 2, Cagney And Lacey, Maude, One Day At A Time, Family Ties, Moonlighting season 5, Roseanne season 7, all but Moonlighting and Roseanne (neither of which are exactly recent at this point anyways) are twenty-five years old or older. But hey wait, I watch Veronica Mars and Joss Whedon type shows, I obviously can't like anything before 1995, can I?

 

[TravisR]

Yes, millions of people watch TV shows every day.

 

[Jeff*H]

I can zip through the interminable 18 minutes of commercials per hour thanks to the greatest invention ever, the DVR. I haven't watched a program LIVE in several years.

 

[LCD22]

deleted

 

[Darren Gross]

My argument with the younger crowd is that they tend to make definitive statements about the current crop of shows being "classics" or "the greatest" without ever having seen 90% of what broadcasting has had to offer. QUOTE]

Has ANYONE, in the history of time seen 90% of what broadcasting has to offer?

Physically impossible, unless you had a primative VCR for the first half of the 50's, then you MIGHT have been able to manage it...

 

[Jay_B!]

actually, age, or lack of age, doesn't mean if something is the best or worst.

Just take Seinfeld for example, that show had only been off the air for four years when it started making "greatest show of all time" and "best sitcom ever" lists starting in 2002. I mean, enough critics felt like Seinfeld was the greatest show ever, even if it was 40 years more recent than Lucy or Honeymooners. Just because it was more recent didn't automatically exempt it from being considered the best series ever if the people who loved it truly felt that way about it. For the record, I love Seinfeld but I don't think it's the "best show ever" but that show is a perfect example of something that wasn't all that old yet many critics and fans felt it was definately in the same league as Lucy and The Honeymooners, two shows which are classics but also have been on for over fifty years and has always been considered classic.

 

[Michael Alden]

A collector is someone who collects TV shows. I can name you dozens of shows that I think are very good which I only got exposure to through "collecting". That is shows that have never aired in my city during my viewing experience, nor on any cable network I received. But as a collector, I've been trading tapes for over 25 years, acquiring programs that have aired in other markets, as well as buying and trading shows from 16mm film. That is what I mean by being a "collector". And yes, I do pay more attention to the shows I like. However, by exposing myself to many more shows other than whatever happens to be offered over the air, I have a broader range of shows that I come to like.
As you obviously seem to not be involved in the hobby to any degree other than buying TV DVDs, this discussion is probably far beyond the scope of your experience. How many programs do you read about that you've never seen that seem interesting to you that you go out and try to acquire? That is what true collecting is all about.

 

[Katherine_K]

Not to get into the arguement going on here... but I would like to point out that I have encountered more classic snobs on this forum than people who wont watch anything made before 1995. I think a quick scan of this thred makes this point very nicely, though I am not about to say that there are not those the other side of the equation.

I watch shows of many eras but honestly I buy very few shows made before about 1977, and most of the stuff in my collection is 1988 and farther recent. Mostly it is because of the genres I collect rather than the era the shows come from. I don't think I own a signel sitcom. Most of my collection are hour long dramas or scifi. I'm not a big fan of scifi pre-1990s outside of Star Trek and Star Wars. I prefer my scifi be a bit more serious than MOST early scifi is (Twilight Zone and other very notable exceptions).

I watch a lot of cop shows, but while Dragnet can be entertaining, and I"m pondering CHiPs pretty seriously, I'm also a woman and prefer watching cop shows of an era that female professional characters are a little more common.

 

[Gary OS]

If I may, based on what you've written I would like to recommend one series that dates back before your preferred era. That is if the series is released on dvd. I'm speaking of a show that many people feel is the greatest drama series of all time - "The Fugitive." I've yet to meet any person, of any age, who didn't absolutely love this show when they saw it for the first time. Hopefully we will see it released soon.

Gary "I do disagree with the thought that it's the 'classics crowd' that comes off as more condescending and snobbish - I think that award easily goes to the 'modern tv' crowd" O.

 

[David Williams]

Jay hit the nail on the head. The problem, invariably, is someone starts a thread off with "Buffy, Simpsons, 'Insert Recent Show Here' sucks! Why can't we get 'Insert Beloved Old, Obscure Show Here' on DVD?"

Can't we all just get along?

 

[Katherine_K]

Gary: Thanks for the recommendation! I was looking for new shows and that would certainly go on my list. I'm currently sort of poking at Doctor Who and debating that, and thinking about Voyage to the Bottum of the Sea. So I'll be glad to add the Fugative to the list.

 

[beatlejam]

I just wish Universal would finish what they start!

To have *ONLY* the first seasons of QUINCY, HARDY BOYS/NANCY DREW, INCREDIBLE HULK, NIGHT GALLERY, etc., is brutal! I wish they would "farm out" their catalog to other companies, do mail orders, or something to satisfy the fans.

I want my shows COMPLETED!

 

[Jeff*H]

I'm crossing my fingers that with the upcoming new movie "The Hardy Men", in which Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller portray the Hardy Boys all grown up as middle-aged men, that Universal will seek to capitalize on the publicity by releasing Season 2 of "HB/ND". Unfortunately this movie isn't scheduled for release until 2008.

 

[Gary OS]

Yea, to move this thread back into it's intended direction I'll add an "amen" to those comments. Universal is still at the bottom of the list for me personally when it comes to releasing and following up on Classic TV. On my personal wishlist I'm looking at, first and foremost, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. We are at a dead stop on this one and it's killing me. No updates, no hints or rumors (Gord, Digital Bits, or anyone else that has access to people at Universal), no nothing!!! Since we already have been given some Universal titles for the month of May, it's getting to the point where we are looking at running past a full year between releases - and that's assuming the show isn't completely dead in the water (as far as Universal is concerned).

Then we've got shows like QUINCY, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, and NIGHT GALLERY that are languishing on the sidelines with no apparent continuation dates in sight.

Yep, Universal is at the bottom of the heap in my book.

Gary "and they own many other series I'd like to purchase that haven't seen even one release yet" O.

 

[Bob Hug]

I’ve started a thread over at Shout! Factory’s Community forums section for Leave It to Beaver under “Classic TV I’d Like to See on Shout! Factory DVD.” It’s a long shot, but now that Shout! Factory is distributing a couple of Universal titles -- McHale’s Navy and Ironside -- maybe they would consider pursuing the licensing of LITB for the balance of the series (and other Universal series that seemingly have been abandoned). At least SF now has a working relationship with Universal. Feel free to add your comments there; it certainly can’t hurt the cause.

 

[Jeff*H]

I would love to better understand Universal's criteria/sales forecast models for TV-DVD releases. There was 6 months between Rockford seasons 1 and 2, then 9 months between season 2 and 3. Whereas Emergency!, another show I love, had 6 months between season 1 and 2, then a year for season 3. Yet other shows had 1 year between season 1 and 2, then are never seen again. In the case of Magnum P.I. and A-Team, those had releases on 1 or 2 occasions that were 3 months apart.
On a side note, I am extremely dismayed that Leave it to Beaver and other shows have been abandoned. I had figured Emergency! for a goner too after season 2, so imagine my surprise when season 3 earned a release. I wonder if it was planned that way all along, or if they revisited it later on and decided it merited another chance.

 

[michael_ks]

I really wish Universal would license out "Night Gallery". It's coming up on 2.5 years since S1 was released. What I'd like to know is are sales figures for NG really all that different when compared with "Emergency!" and "Airwolf"?

 

[Jay_B!]

I would consider checking The Fugitive out on DVD, but please explain why you feel the way you do about the latter?

I mean, "gee guys, there are a lot of decent shows from the past 20 years, give some of them a shot instead of having the preconceived notion that if it's not 30+ years old, it could be any good" be more condesending than "how could you be such an idiot at 7 years old not to tape uncut season 1 episodes of The Cosby Show, knowing that in 22 years, you'd want to see it again?". I fail to see how people who happen to find redeeming qualities in Veronica Mars, Lost (at least season 1), Buffy, X-Files, Angel, Firefly, Six Feet Under, etc... are more condescending than people who'll outright dismiss anything that came from after their generation as crap, even if the critical acclaim is there and many people who watched these shows with an open mind discovered they were actually good?