As release date nears for COLOR HONEYMOONERS, more info is here...

[TV DVD Fan]

http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=MPD007696

It seems, as according to this known e-tailer, that the COLOR HONEYMOONERS release will consist of the TRIP TO EUROPE series of episodes, after all. Notice the slight box art change. Still, no word on the extras for this set that TSoD had mentioned would be on the release.

Pat

[W.B.]

I have noticed that apparently Amazon.com hasn't offered this title for sale yet. Unless they have it under another title?

[VIDEOWACK]

http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=MPD007696

It seems, as according to this known e-tailer, that the COLOR HONEYMOONERS release will consist of the TRIP TO EUROPE series of episodes, after all. Notice the slight box art change. Still, no word on the extras for this set that TSoD had mentioned would be on the release.

Pat

It's good to see the words "re-mastered" and "un-edited" in the DVD description. Also nice to see the "Glea Girls" mentioned.....sounds like the original openings are being put back.

[Bill S.]

3 Disc Set??? Looks like they're jamming them all in there. Hopefully they do something like this with the Lost Episodes instead of putting out 6 $45 box sets.

[VIDEOWACK]

3 Disc Set??? Looks like they're jamming them all in there. Hopefully they do something like this with the Lost Episodes instead of putting out 6 $45 box sets.

Yup, 3 shows to a disc will fit with room for some extras too. Just as long as they don't use double-sided discs......man, I hate those things. I don't think MPI has ever used them, so hopefully they won't start now.

[Bill S.]

Yup, 3 shows to a disc will fit with room for some extras too. Just as long as they don't use double-sided discs......man, I hate those things. I don't think MPI has ever used them, so hopefully they won't start now.
How many discs does the Classic 39 collection have?

[VIDEOWACK]

How many discs does the Classic 39 collection have?

There are 5 single-sided discs.

[Bill S.]

There are 5 single-sided discs.
For 39 episodes? Well there's only ten more in this collection, even though the majority are an hour long. This looks like it'll be a nice set.

[Benno123]

I was thinking about MPI earlier, and wondering if they will continue to release these shows even if the first set doesn't sell as well as they would like. I decided that they will, because MPI isn't like Sony, Paramont, Warner Bros. or the other companies. They seem to cater to the fans more than the major companies do, and I don't think MPI looks at sales figures as much as they do quality. I know the DVD releases weren't the greatest from them for the lost episodes, but I've got to give credit where credit is due, and that is that they did release them. Mistakes and all, the Lost Episodes are available on DVD.

[VIDEOWACK]

I was thinking about MPI earlier, and wondering if they will continue to release these shows even if the first set doesn't sell as well as they would like. I decided that they will, because MPI isn't like Sony, Paramont, Warner Bros. or the other companies. They seem to cater to the fans more than the major companies do, and I don't think MPI looks at sales figures as much as they do quality. I know the DVD releases weren't the greatest from them for the lost episodes, but I've got to give credit where credit is due, and that is that they did release them. Mistakes and all, the Lost Episodes are available on DVD.

I agree, MPI is more tuned into the TV collector than most other companies. Look how many "Dark Shadows" volumes they have put out, along with many other cult favorites. I believe we will see all of these color shows put out, as well as other Gleason shows too.

[Benno123]

And I think MPI has maybe changed their focus on TV releases between when the Lost Episodes were released and now. Look at their releases of The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. I don't own them but I have seen them borrowed from the library, and the prints are awesome and the extras were nice!

Does anyone know if the BH and PC episodes on the MPI DVDs are public domain? It doesn't matter, because I know Hennings estate had a word in the releases, but I was just curious.

[TV DVD Fan]

There are an impressive amount of "Hillbillies" episodes out in Public Domain. As a matter of fact, I believe they own all of the first ninety-five episodes. In the case of PJ, there's only seven episodes out in PD.


I agree with all of you. I'm very impressed with MPI, now more than ever since I've purchased THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES- ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOLUME ONE. They really went all out for that set, I'm won over.

Fantastic company--- slowly, but surely, becoming my favorite DVD Company. You can't put a price on having a RESPECTABLE business that provides for fans with low prices on their merchandise and outstanding quality, both as a company and the effort that they put into their work.

Bravo, MPI.

Pat

[W.B.]

As to the practice of cramming three hour-long episodes onto one single-sided DVD . . . A&E Video's Complete & Unadulterated sets of the unedited Benny Hill Shows (well, except for the adcaps and VT slates/countdowns) often have four 50-minute shows on one disc. And on that basis, I figured there'd be three discs for the upcoming Color Honeymooners #1 collection, just by the number of episodes cited. I certainly am looking forward to the day when Amazon offers it for sale, so I can pre-order . . .

[gilligan fanatic]

here is an update with episodes titles http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5299

looks like there will be ten.

[Bill S.]

here is an update with episodes titles http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5299

looks like there will be ten.
Hmm...I guess all 49 Color Shows will be included in the release. I wonder if the 70's specials will be included as bonuses as well?

[W.B.]

Hmm...I guess all 49 Color Shows will be included in the release. I wonder if the 70's specials will be included as bonuses as well?
I suppose that would also include the sketch from Gleason's 1973 variety special that proved to be Sheila MacRae's last run as Alice?

[TV DVD Fan]

Hmm...I guess all 49 Color Shows will be included in the release. I wonder if the 70's specials will be included as bonuses as well?


No, there's only ten episodes, 1 hour running time per episode. Bonus features to be named at a later date. It appears as if the disc count is up in the air too; TSoD says 3 and Amazon says 4. The cover, though, also says 3.

Pat

[VIDEOWACK]

No, there's only ten episodes, 1 hour running time per episode. Bonus features to be named at a later date. It appears as if the disc count is up in the air too; TSoD says 3 and Amazon says 4. The cover, though, also says 3.

Pat

I believe Bill meant 49 TOTAL episodes to be released when all is said and done, since that is the number of all color episodes produced from the Miami years 1966-70 including hour shows and shorter sketches used to fill out Gleason's variety hours.

[Benno123]

Don't forget that there is a Honeymooners from a 1970 Jackie Gleason special that aired in the fall of that year. It featured Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean as the wives, but what the episode was about I'm not sure. I don't have the description of the special here with me.

[Bill S.]

Don't forget that there is a Honeymooners from a 1970 Jackie Gleason special that aired in the fall of that year. It featured Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean as the wives, but what the episode was about I'm not sure. I don't have the description of the special here with me.
I don't think I've ever heard of this. In John's book there's a gap between 2/28/70 and 10/11/73, no episode listed in between. :confused:

[T-Greg]

It says there is a June 27, 2006 release date. It says 10 episodes, but there are only 9 listed : (no word on what the extras are):

http://www.mpihomevideo.com/?p=25467&pid=1771&pcid=&ccid=

The cheapest place to order it is deepdiscountdvd. It's about $9.00 cheaper ($26.61) than at amazon, and you get free shipping.

http://search.deepdiscountdvd.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=color+honeymooners&search.x=51&search.y=10

[VIDEOWACK]

It says there is a June 27, 2006 release date. It says 10 episodes, but there are only 9 listed : (no word on what the extras are):

http://www.mpihomevideo.com/?p=25467&pid=1771&pcid=&ccid=

The cheapest place to order it is deepdiscountdvd. It's about $9.00 cheaper ($26.61) than at amazon, and you get free shipping.

http://search.deepdiscountdvd.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=color+honeymooners&search.x=51&search.y=10

It mentions a featurette titled "The Great Gleason Express", but what concerns me is the total running time of the set. They state 450 mins. Even with 9 episodes and the featurette included that makes the running time of each episode far less than the time for an uncut episode. According to a prior release given by TVShowsonDVD.com, the shows are said to be unedited. An uncut episode should run about 52 or 53 mins. Maybe they're a bit off on that total time.

[T-Greg]

Re "The Great Gleason Express". I wonder if that's going to be just clips of Gleason and his entourage on the train headed to Miami, or maybe there was an actual documentary of it that was done, but never seen....they really like to keep people guessing. The featurettte may not be included in the total running time.

[VIDEOWACK]

Re "The Great Gleason Express". I wonder if that's going to be just clips of Gleason and his entourage on the train headed to Miami, or maybe there was an actual documentary of it that was done, but never seen....they really like to keep people guessing. The featurettte may not be included in the total running time.

Well, there were 2 "Great Gleason Express" train trips. The first was in 1962 from Los Angeles to NY, when he started his first season of "American Scene Magazine", and the second was in the summer of 1964 from NY to Miami. Maybe it's a compilation of both trips, although I think more footage was shot of the former rather than the latter, since there was a huge amount of publicity surrounding that first trip than with the second. It was a novelty at the time and the public loved it!

[TeeVeeCloset]

Concerning the running time of the set, this is what keeps me worring about these being possibily edited "Goodlife" cable versons, I personally was in contact with Paul Brownstein when he was preparing these for the cable network and there were very serious copyright problems with the June Taylor estate which led to the segments needing to be cut, it was so serious it actually kept the program off "The Hallmark Channel" after they actually advertised them coming to cable, when the Hallmark deal fell apart, Goodlife picked up the series after about a year....it seems odd that the issues now have been resolved, since it is easier to license for television than home video. What also concerns me is these are being marketed as "The Color Honeymooners" which is the exact re-title that Goodlife uses, we better get the original opening but I'm starting to believe we will get the "new" opening titles.

[W.B.]

Well, there were 2 "Great Gleason Express" train trips. The first was in 1962 from Los Angeles to NY, when he started his first season of "American Scene Magazine", and the second was in the summer of 1964 from NY to Miami. Maybe it's a compilation of both trips, although I think more footage was shot of the former rather than the latter, since there was a huge amount of publicity surrounding that first trip than with the second. It was a novelty at the time and the public loved it!
Besides the two trips mentioned above, there was a third "Great Gleason Express" train trip in 1965 - taking the exact route as the 1964 trip. Proved to be his last such publicity junket during his run on weekly TV. There was actually an article about it in TV Guide in September of 1965.