I've read several times about how people don't even bother watching shows on TV, and just enjoy their time with the DVDs.

Now maybe I'm thinking wrong.... but if you don't watch it on TV it won't come to DVD!!

Shows like Alias and 24 are often mentioned as "DVD Only" material.
But if the mega fans (those buying it on DVD) don't watch it, ratings may fail causing the show to end and then you won't have it on TV or DVD.

I say this because even though I know Arrested Development will be 10 times better on DVD than TV.... fans HAVE TO watch it on TV.... or it will be cancelled.

Any thoughts??

I still watch tv shows on tv even if I have them on DVD I have WTB on DVD and will still watch it on N@N.

Even when BMW comes out I'm still gonna watch it on tv cause I love the later seasons. I must the only person who prefers the later seasons of shows the best.

I agree with what you said though :)

I don't have the neilson ratings box. So it doesn't matter what I watch, because no one can find out. I seem to be a jinx. Whatever show I watch in it's original run does poorly in the ratings and is usually cancelled after a few episodes. Some examples are; The Tick, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, George & Leo, The Ellen Show and Bram & Alice.

There are certain shows I won't watch on TV anymore. Some of those are; Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Honeymooners. What's the point? I have them on DVD where they're uncut and uninterupted. Plus I only seem to like Cheers and M*A*S*H on DVD. Like with Cheers, I can watch the whole season on DVD in a short amount of time. Get totally into the show. And then I move on. I never feel the urge to watch it on N@N or TV Land. Same goes for M*A*S*H. Plus, after learning all the cuts made by the cable channels, I feel a whole lot better just watching my DVDs.

Originally posted by barwars

Shows like Alias and 24 are often mentioned as "DVD Only" material.
But if the mega fans (those buying it on DVD) don't watch it, ratings may fail causing the show to end and then you won't have it on TV or DVD.


Any thoughts??

I think that's the reason why FOX this upcoming season is scheduling "24" to run consecutive weeks with no pre-emptions. People (like me) figure the dvd set will be released soon enough that they'd hold out for that as opposed to the weekly watch and wait. I'm not sure how 24 did compared to previous seasons ratings-wise, but there was a stretch where a whole month passed between episodes. 24 is such an engrossing show, you can't have fans waiting that long. With the new season going for 24 straight weeks, I'll most likely watch it on tv for the first time.

I rather watch my shows on DVD:)

Originally posted by TVAdam
I don't have the neilson ratings box. So it doesn't matter what I watch, because no one can find out. I seem to be a jinx. Whatever show I watch in it's original run does poorly in the ratings and is usually cancelled after a few episodes. Some examples are; The Tick, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, George & Leo, The Ellen Show and Bram & Alice.

There are certain shows I won't watch on TV anymore. Some of those are; Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Honeymooners. What's the point? I have them on DVD where they're uncut and uninterupted. Plus I only seem to like Cheers and M*A*S*H on DVD. Like with Cheers, I can watch the whole season on DVD in a short amount of time. Get totally into the show. And then I move on. I never feel the urge to watch it on N@N or TV Land. Same goes for M*A*S*H. Plus, after learning all the cuts made by the cable channels, I feel a whole lot better just watching my DVDs.

I agree on all parts, although I was talking more current shows.
For example, I got into Friends out of the blue -- and decided I liked it enough to buy DVDs.
I got the DVDs 3 or 4 days after I got into the show, and haven't cared about syndication since.

I see your gripe...I had a habit of watching Curb your enthusiam "on demand" right after a new episode cmae on...

Originally posted by vashti1999
I think that's the reason why FOX this upcoming season is scheduling "24" to run consecutive weeks with no pre-emptions. People (like me) figure the dvd set will be released soon enough that they'd hold out for that as opposed to the weekly watch and wait. I'm not sure how 24 did compared to previous seasons ratings-wise, but there was a stretch where a whole month passed between episodes. 24 is such an engrossing show, you can't have fans waiting that long. With the new season going for 24 straight weeks, I'll most likely watch it on tv for the first time.

Ive read that if 24 is ever cancelled, 20th Century FOX plans on justing making it for DVD releases.

TV-Direct-To-DVD.... now thats cool.

Originally posted by barwars
Ive read that if 24 is ever cancelled, 20th Century FOX plans on justing making it for DVD releases.

TV-Direct-To-DVD.... now thats cool.
:nod:

That would be awesome!

Originally posted by barwars
I agree on all parts, although I was talking more current shows.
For example, I got into Friends out of the blue -- and decided I liked it enough to buy DVDs.
I got the DVDs 3 or 4 days after I got into the show, and haven't cared about syndication since.

That reminds me, Friends is another show I only watch on DVD. Whenever it's on in syndication, I turn the channel. However, I buy and watch the DVDs.

Originally posted by TVAdam
That reminds me, Friends is another show I only watch on DVD. Whenever it's on in syndication, I turn the channel. However, I buy and watch the DVDs.

Yup.
Actually.... the only episode I ever watched from beginning to end on NBC was the finale -- then I bought the DVDs 2 days later.

Now its one of my faves (not top 10.... but still very good)

I can't stand to watch shows on the local Fox/UPN/WB channels in reruns, they NEVER air the shows in order, and also reruns of Friends and Seinfeld are getting a lot grainier than they should be because of it.

FX has probably aired the first season of Buffy about 15 times now... and the first season is really beginning to look a lot older than 7 years old.

I prefer DVD to TV when it comes to most of these shows because they seem to pick up so many artifacts from airing them over and over

Originally posted by TVAdam
There are certain shows I won't watch on TV anymore. Some of those are; Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Honeymooners. What's the point? I have them on DVD where they're uncut and uninterupted. Plus I only seem to like Cheers and M*A*S*H on DVD. Like with Cheers, I can watch the whole season on DVD in a short amount of time. Get totally into the show. And then I move on. I never feel the urge to watch it on N@N or TV Land. Same goes for M*A*S*H. Plus, after learning all the cuts made by the cable channels, I feel a whole lot better just watching my DVDs.

:nod: Not only that, but I can watch M*A*S*H without a laugh track. Everytime M*A*S*H is on TV and I hear the damn laugh track, I want to throw a shoe at my TV.

Originally posted by AKA
:nod: Not only that, but I can watch M*A*S*H without a laugh track. Everytime M*A*S*H is on TV and I hear the damn laugh track, I want to throw a shoe at my TV.

THATS IT.
The damn laugh track.
The mystery is over -- I KNOW WHY I DONT LIKE M*A*S*H!!

Originally posted by barwars
THATS IT.
The damn laugh track.
The mystery is over -- I KNOW WHY I DONT LIKE M*A*S*H!!

lol

::willing to bet he goes and watches season 1 without the laugh track and turns into a Mash-head::

Originally posted by barwars
THATS IT.
The damn laugh track.
The mystery is over -- I KNOW WHY I DONT LIKE M*A*S*H!!

Was the laugh track added in syndication :confused:

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
lol

::willing to bet he goes and watches season 1 without the laugh track and turns into a Mash-head::

haha
I wouldnt be able to afford it!!
After $30 a pop -- and 6 seasons in -- I should wait to get hooked.


But if I were to do that -- then I pretty much like every sitcom ever.

Originally posted by barwars
THATS IT.
The damn laugh track.
The mystery is over -- I KNOW WHY I DONT LIKE M*A*S*H!!

That could very well be. It's certainly why I used to hate it.

Originally posted by Angela Micelli
Was the laugh track added in syndication :confused:

Even if it weren't -- I was born long after M*A*S*H ended.

Originally posted by Angela Micelli
Was the laugh track added in syndication :confused:

No. The producers didn't want a laugh track, but CBS pretty much forced them to include one, because God knows people need to be let known when something's funny. :rolleyes: So they reached a compromise - they'd include a laugh track, but not in scenes that took place in the O.R.

The show aired in the UK laugh track-free, though.

Here's what series creator Larry Gelbart had to say about the laugh track in a recent interview with IGN FilmForce (http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/317/317390p1.html):

IGNFF: In talking about those dramatic moments, something that excited me about this DVD release is that it gives the option to turn off the laugh track. I remember reading an interview with you in the past where you mentioned that you never liked having to use the laugh track...

GELBART: Hell no. I'm thinking of writing a piece called "Having the Last Laugh Track." It's a pleasure... We never filmed the shows with the actors pausing because we knew we'd put a laugh there, or doing anything other than what was natural timing as the scene and the writing dictated. We never accommodated that eventuality. Consequently, if people watch the show now in this DVD form and choose to watch it without the laugh track, they won't hear any great pauses. The sad thing is, I think a lot of people will miss the laugh track – to those people who've heard it for years and years and years, the timing will seem off. It will all seem very strange, as though, "Where'd everybody go?"

IGNFF: I always found the laugh track to be very unnatural...

GELBART: There was never a good way to deal with it.

IGNFF: Who made the decision to make the laugh track optional on the DVD? I didn't even know the audio for the show, sans track, existed...

GELBART: Oh sure! There was the negative, which we took into post-production, that was free of the track. That's what they resorted to here. And yes, I know that I was responsible – and/or Gene [Reynolds], and/or Burt [Metcalfe] – we sat there and said, "That's a big laugh. That's a little laugh. That's a titter. That's too much. That's too little." We're guilty.

Originally posted by AKA
No. The producers didn't want a laugh track, but CBS pretty much forced them to include one, because God knows people need to be let known when something's funny. :rolleyes: So they reached a compromise - they'd include a laugh track, but not in scenes that took place in the O.R.

The show aired in the UK laugh track-free, though.

yes, 30 years ago, you gotta remember sitcoms like Arrested Development, Scrubs, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Malcolm In The Middle, Sex And The City and animated comedies like South Park and The Simpsons, all of which realize not to underestimate the audience's ability to spot what moments are supposed to be funny, didn't exist.

The funny thing is, I have seen some traditional sitcom fans who complain about the reason they hate Scrubs is because.... there's no laugh track. I think it's crazy because I think laugh tracks take away from the appeal of a sitcom, especially nowadays

I don't mind laughs if the show was filmed/taped in front of an audience. It's canned laughter that gets on my nerves.