| 4/7/2008 10:07 PM |
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PharOueste
Member since: 4/7/2008 | | "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | | I love SCTV Network 90. I have the whole collection. However, I remember the work those brilliant and crazy people did before that. OH PLEASE!!!! Find a way to release those episodes. |
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| 4/10/2008 10:57 AM |
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braxburger
Member since: 4/10/2008 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | | I'll second that motion, plus the later Showtime shows! I remember hearing about the possibility of other sets being released on one of the episode commentaries, and it was said that the rest of the episodes could be done in about two box sets... is this true? |
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| 4/10/2008 9:08 PM |
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pghjerry
Member since: 2/23/2007 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | yup include me too, i have all the sets too, so does mom, and my aunt connie.  |
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| 4/24/2008 3:54 PM |
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lnc15
Member since: 4/24/2008 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | Wow, thats great. I remember a lot of episodes.
Did anyone catch the recent (erler this year) show that was dedicated to Second City the place where a lot of actors had gotten their sart and was later used as the name of the comedy show?
Good stuff.
Louis
Louis
photography/graphic design |
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| 5/8/2008 7:13 AM |
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TomServo
Member since: 5/7/2008 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | >> "Please release the really early years - all of it"
Wow, do I agree with this. I waited for years for the original syndicated episodes of SCTV to be released on DVD and when they finally did it, they left out many of the best episodes. I'm not buying any of these SCTV DVD releases until I can get a complete set of the syndicated shows that contains every episode. It's their best work.
"Better Smeg Than Dead" -- Red Dwarf |
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| 5/8/2008 10:03 AM |
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B Ward
Member since: 1/12/2007 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | There is a HUGE issue with releasing these episodes. For starters, music licensing is an absolute nightmare. When they were producing the series, they never even thought twice about including super-expensive music, never once thinking about the repercussions of syndicating the series in the U.S. or--gasp--releasing them later on home video! Knowing that the fans would be ticked if we replaced music, we've had to regretfully admit that we cannot release the early years beyond what we already have.
Secondly, as most fans of the show will attest, much of those early episodes are included in the show's first season, but combined to create the longer format. Most of the sketches are there, so we'd be essentially re-hashing a set we've already released.
The ones I'd be most excited about are the later seasons, once they left network television. We're not saying it's not possible, but we have no immediate plans for future sets. Still, Dave Thomas recently announced and presented a quick teaser trailer for his and Rick Moranis' new animated series for the McKenzie brothers, so who knows??
Brian
"Know Thyself"
--Thales |
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| 5/8/2008 10:27 AM |
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TomServo
Member since: 5/7/2008 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | Wow, Mr. Ward, you really put some effort into answering consumer questions. I've been wondering about this for ages, then one post here and like magic, all my questions are answered. Thanks!
>> "much of those early episodes are included in the show's first season, but combined to create the longer format."
I still remember being surprised when the network show first aired and it included existing material from the syndicated shows. I was glad to see that because it kept that great material alive and on the air and based on the information you provided I guess I'll have to eventually content myself with purchasing the first season of the network show on DVD to get as much of that material as possible. I always thought that the shows with Thomas, Ramis, O'Hara, Moranis, Flaherty, Levy, Candy and Martin were the best. I never cared as much for the other cast members who came and went as time went by. I guess I'll have to be happy with what can be released with as much of those people as possible. Thanks again for the explanation as to why other material may not become available. Amazing, I never would have considered that their choice of music would make releasing the show 30 years later cost prohibitive.
P.S. Is there some other relevant factor about the early shows with Harold Ramis other than the music that prevents their release? It certainly appears from the lack of Ramis material on the "Early Years" set that something specifically to do with Mr. Ramis affected the choice of material for that set and caused his wonderful material to be omitted.
"Better Smeg Than Dead" -- Red Dwarf |
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| 5/8/2008 4:50 PM |
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B Ward
Member since: 1/12/2007 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | Not at all. We're big Ramis fans and neither he nor we intentionally kept him off the set.
Brian
"Know Thyself"
--Thales |
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| 5/23/2008 6:46 AM |
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YoshShmenge
Member since: 1/16/2008 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | | I assume music clearances apply to any downloads as well? Is this something Shout or the home video industry in general is looking into since I assume that while music publishing, recording, etc. fees apply, manufacturing and distribution costs would not. Can a company turn a profit on a pay-per-download model or do other costs associated with the alternative method of delivery make it just as prohibitive? |
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| 6/2/2008 3:58 PM |
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B Ward
Member since: 1/12/2007 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | Unfortunately, the numbers aren't really there for downloads, yet. Even the most popular movies and television series aren't getting the number of hits necessary to turn a profit on TV series that have tons of music clearance issues.
Brian
"Know Thyself"
--Thales |
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| 6/3/2008 1:47 PM |
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YoshShmenge
Member since: 1/16/2008 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | | Too bad...I really appreciate your response to my question though. Keep up the great work! |
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| 7/11/2008 9:59 AM |
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texboil
Member since: 7/11/2008 | | RE: "Second City Television" - Please release the really early years - all of it | Brian,
Since the release of Best of the Early Years instead of the proper season three release that was originally planned, I've regretfully accepted the fact that we've seen the last of the SCTV releases on DVD.
However, I have to disagree with some of your points:
Fans would rather have the series released with music changes rather than no release. There were plenty of changes in the five major releases you did, and while many were regrettable -- Bill Murray not singing "Mrs. Robinson" during the "Days of the Week" wedding really diluted it as a "Graduate" parody, for example -- I believe most fans sucked it up and appreciated that Shout! did all it could. The syndicated shows and Cinemax episodes certainly did not rely upon music as heavily as the NBC shows did, so if the NBC shows could get done (as they did), I can't believe there wouldn't be a way to do the syndicated and Cinemax episodes.
The point that "much" of the early episodes were included in the later seasons of the show is simply not accurate. 78 half-hour episodes were produced for syndication. The NBC shows dedicated one entire 90-minute episode and four partial 90-minute episodes to syndicated material. So that means that roughly 12 percent of the original syndicated material was rerun on the shows Shout! released. Not to mention that much of the original syndicated material rerun on NBC was edited down So "some" would probably be more accurate than "much."
Also, Shout! obviously did not worry about re-hashing material for the "Best of the Early Years" set as two of the fifteen episodes included on that set featured long sketches already released on Volume One. (Play It Again, Bob, and Bob Hope In China).
Even though you admit that any future release is unlikely, I would definitely put in a vote for the syndicated shows over the Cinemax shows. Most fans as well as the show's creators, feel the Cinemax shows were not their best work. (If you don't believe me, check out my book: http://www.amazon.com/Second-City-Television-History-Episode/dp/0786431911/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215798828&sr=8-2).
It seems to me that future releases are unlikely simply because the sales were not there. (Of course, pricing a show at $89.98 pretty much eliminates purchases from all but the most hardcore fans.)
Thanks again for the releases you did. I know it is disappointing to you too not to bring out the entire run.
Jeff Robbins |
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