WKRP In Cincinnati: The Complete Series Review (See Posts #218 & 356 for Info) (1 Viewer)

[Doris2k]

As someone else pointed out CostCo will be sticking WKRP for 57.99 I found a copy today at my St Louis Park / 394 MN location

I like to think that the extra $40 I spent on mine paid for "Hot Blooded." It's probably not true, but it helps me sleep.

 

[LeoA]

No Costco's around here, too bad they don't seem to sell it online.

As much as I love this show, i'm afraid $100 is a bit more than I can really justify at this time (Although I think it's a completely fair price, especially given the effort and extra expenses associated with this show).

 

[Hasslein]

The Northridge CA Costco didn't have it when I stopped by today. Maybe they are waiting for street. Didn't have Kotter either though. Thanks for posting, I was just getting ready to pull the trigger with overstock...

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

Yeah my Costco had WKRP and Kotter in the same holders so it probably depends on if they put them out early or waiting for Tuesday. That price is redic good too hard to pass up.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

How I wish there was a CostCo within 300 miles of me.

I will pay the $100 for it. It's probably the only show on DVD I'd feel comfortable shelling out that amount for. Shout did a lot of work and laid out a lot of cash for licenses, and I wouldn't want to see them take a bath and decide it's not worth it to go to that much effort.

 

[KPmusmag]

Not yet in my local Costco (Henderson, NV). Darn! But I will stop by on Tuesday after work.

 

[ChrisALM]

My Costco (Ft. Myers FL) didn't have WKRP or Kotter. Just had to check it out before my pre order with Amazon shipped.

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

In case u want to call your local Costco if you give them this item # they can check to see if they will have stock of it. Esp if it saves you money even if they may not have it on the shelf until Tuesday. Something tells me it probably doesn't have a street date listed on it since it also contains copies of WBKotter The item # is 943272

 

[ChrisALM]

In case u want to call your local Costco if you give them this item # they can check to see if they will have stock of it. Esp if it saves you money even if they may not have it on the shelf until Tuesday. Something tells me it probably doesn't have a street date listed on it since it also contains copies of WBKotterThe item # is 943272

In case u want to call your local Costco if you give them this item # they can check to see if they will have stock of it. Esp if it saves you money even if they may not have it on the shelf until Tuesday. Something tells me it probably doesn't have a street date listed on it since it also contains copies of WBKotterThe item # is 943272

Thanks Powell&Pressburger - I'll call Costco tomorrow. Of course, I now see that my preorder has shipped.

 

[spartandrew15]

Just a curiosity for those that have already received their copies... Are subtitles or closed captioning present? I don't have a hearing impairment. I just think it might be fun to "see" some of the great jokes written out. I'm assuming that only English language audio is included. Was the series ever dubbed for distribution in non-English speaking countries? (Would Les Nessman pronounce Chi-Chi Rodriguez correctly if he spoke Spanish?)

Someone posted earlier that WKRP has been shown in Norway; there's also video of WKRP dubbed in Catalan.

 

[younger1968]

It looks like my set is being released this week. I was surprised to see the status that showed my set was being processed as I was told a few weeks ago it was not coming out until November 3-7 week.

I am looking forward to S2-S4 as I had S1 one on dvd. I think may watched the phone cops episode first as I have not seen that episode in over 30 years!!

 

[The Obsolete Man]

My set has shipped, should be in my hands tomorrow.I think the only time I saw WKRP wan on Nick at Nite, and was always hoping a passable DVD set would be released. Fox failed in '07, but Shout's attempt looks like it's going to be good.

 

[younger1968]

My set has shipped, should be in my hands tomorrow.I think the only time I saw WKRP wan on Nick at Nite, and was always hoping a passable DVD set would be released. Fox failed in '07, but Shout's attempt looks like it's going to be good.

Comedy Gold had it many years ago as well. It does not matter now if they show it again as I will have the set!! The next big show for me will be Batman and it is due in about month!!

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Yeah, I've got Bilko coming from Canada (with any luck) next week, Batman is out in two weeks, The Jeffersons, Mr. Ed, and the early shipping Facts of Life to carry me through December.Shout really decided to load up the last couple months of the year.

 

[spartandrew15]

How about Thank Heavens for Little Girls? Is it intact? I find it hard to believe that Shout would suddenly have a tough time clearing it, given they cleared it on Punky Brewster over 10 years ago. Then again, they removed it from a Rhoda episode.

On Brewster, guest star Andy Gibb peformed the song. On Rhoda, a character sang the song too. In contrast, the WKRP "Patter of Little Feet" episode used the original soundtrack recording.

I think with show tunes, the rights holders want to keep the integrity of the original recordings by not having them associated with other media. This is why it's easier to clear the rights to cover versions of show tunes (like on the Punky Brewster DVD; the Happy Days season 5 DVD also cleared Scott Baio singing "Thank Heaven") than the original recordings as comic devices.

Also, Shout probably had more money to spend for Punky Brewster than Rhoda because Punky Brewster as a 1980s show had more sales potential that could offset music costs.

 

[Doris2k]

A cover version would have worked much better than "We've Only Just Begun," which removes the punchline of the whole joke setup with Venus.

 

[Doris2k]

By the way, that episode, with "Thank Heaven" intact, is on YouTube right now for anyone wanting a pretty nice copy of the audio.

 

[Mister Q]

A cover version would have worked much better than "We've Only Just Begun," which removes the punchline of the whole joke setup with Venus.

Could't agree more! Especially considering the fact that Venus is sitting in the booth with a glazed look on his face, head-rocking involuntarily to the once subjectively inappropriate "Thank Heaven (for little girls)"; now (out of time/sync) to "We've Only Just Begun" while clutching in his lap the album cover for the "Gigi" soundtrack (the musical for which this hokey little number was originally composed) magnifying the edit while adding further incongruousness to this once hilarious closing scene.

While I was hoping that Shout Factory would ultimately secure the clearance for the original Maurice Chevalier version (or at least a cover version of "Thank Heaven", this was by no means a deal-breaker for me as I had grown accustomed to cringing at the sound of this music replacement since it was first removed from an early syndication run that included the preponderance of the original music. This was also true in the case of the vintage Rolling Stones songs "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Get Off My Cloud", replaced (if I'm not mistaken) in the second syndication run circa 1983 (the former made obvious by the presence of the easily recognizable Rolling Stones "Hot Rocks-1964-1971" album cover lying beside the only operating turntable in the booth holding a "London/ABKCO" LP, the Rolling Stones record label prior to the group's establishment of "Rolling Stones Records" (the Andy Warhol-designed 'big-red-lips & tongue' logo) & the ongoing rights holders to the early Stones' recordings.

I'm sure that many people will be quick to blame Mick Jagger & Keith Richards for the exclusion of the early Rolling Stones music on this set, in all likelihood, the culpability lies with ABKCO Music; reputedly a less-than-magnanimous organization, rumored at the time to be behind the strong-arm tactics that caused these songs to be removed from future broadcasts of WKRP. In this instance as in most, it's likely not a question of artistic integrity; rather a prohibitively expensive licencing fee for both the Synchronization & Master Usage Licences. To wit:
PRE-RECORDED or PUBLISHED MUSIC
All previously published music or pre-recorded must be cleared, regardless of how
much or how little of that music is used in your project.
Keep in mind there are different rights associated with any piece music. The two that you as a
filmmaker need to be concerned with are:
Synchronization Rights – are the rights to record music as a part of your film. They are usually
controlled by one (or more) Publishers – gives you the right to use the underlying composition
(song or melody) in timed synchronization with your picture.
Performance Rights – getting this right allows you to recite, play, sing, dance or act out a piece
of music.
If you want to use a specific recording ( a CD) then you will need to get:
Master Use License– this is a contract to license a recording. It is usually controlled by a
Record Company.
So, to clear a pre-recorded piece of music you will need the following in writing:
• Performance & Synchronization License (from the publisher(s)
• Master Use License (from the Record company)
• Permission from the performer(s) or other third parties, as advised by either the publisher
or record company.
For example:
If you have a character in your film hum, sing or whistle “Sympathy for the Devil” you will need to get the
PERFORMANCE RIGHTS from ABKCO Music , Inc.
If you want to use “Sympathy for the Devil” from the ROLLING STONES CD (all or part) in your
soundtrack you will need to get the MASTER USE LICENSE and SYNCHRONIZATION RIGHTS
from ABKCO Music, Inc.
If you want to use “Sympathy for the Devil” from the GUNS N’ ROSES CD (all or part) in your
soundtrack you will need to get the MASTER USE LICENSE from GEFFEN RECORDS and the
SYNCHRONIZATION RIGHTS from ABKCO Music, Inc.

(above excerpt taken from "Copyrights, Clearances & Student Filmmaking")

In the case of "Sympathy for the Devil", I'm assuming that any consideration of the Guns & Roses version being used as a replacement was abandoned due to it's popular familiarity as it relates to the obvious chronological issue of it's post-1982 release.

 

[Brian Himes]

A cover version would have worked much better than "We've Only Just Begun," which removes the punchline of the whole joke setup with Venus.

I agree. I was hoping for a cover version of Thank Heaven. Sadly, it was not to be. It's good to know that the original is still around.

 

[Obtuse]

Nice article about the DVD release here:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2014/10/27/wkrp_in_cincinnati_finally_lives_on_in_dvd_format.html