It is with great sadness that I have to report that Sony has pulled the plug on the upcoming release of Silver Spoons. I have been told that the show is being put on hold because of the poor sales numbers of the Punky Brewster and Diff'rent Strokes sets. Sony has opted that The Facts of Life will come out before Silver Spoons does and for the moment there are no immediate plans to release either series. The news came from the head of the legal department for copyrights at Sony. I'll keep trying folks but at the moment it appears to be a losing battle.

Judith Moose

Terrible news. It looked so good a few months ago.

Pavan, I was hoping you would have some info to contradict this. Didn't I read somewhere a few months ago that there was a change in the department at Sony that handles dvd releases and that they'd possibly be more aggresive in releasing stuff? I can't see them having doubts about releasing Silver Spoons or Facts of Life and putting out That's My Mama and Tabitha. Doesn't make sense.

Poor sales of "Punky Brewster"? Are we sure of this? Punky was released by Shout! Factory and it had 2 dvd releases.

Anyway I too am a Silver Spoons fan, and more so Facts Of Life... Sony are such losers! So no plans for releasing either!?!? Criminal!

Poor sales of "Punky Brewster"? Are we sure of this? Punky was released by Shout! Factory and it had 2 dvd releases.


Sony and Shout! are sort of sister companies. Shout! is affiliated with Sony Music.

When the head of one of the legal departments says it's not happening at the moment, it's not happening. The Punky Brewster and Diff'rent Strokes reason was what they gave and there's not a whole lot one can do to argue the point with them. Anyway, this group is the first place that got told. I still have to tell Erin Gray and Joel Higgins. Doesn't that sound like fun...

I was hoping to get The Silver Spoons on DVD

Sony sucks is all I'm gonna say :cuss:

This is major bad news. I thought Different Strokes sold well. Is there anyone at Sony that fans can write to to voice their opinion and let them know how much interest there really is in Silver Spoons?

I think someone should start an online petition to bring SS and FOL to DVD (and further DS releases... season 1 isn't one of the better years) and then Judith or Pav could show it to people at Sony

I like that idea, but would a petition do any good? I know some companies are hesitant about them because people can sign their names over and over on them to make it look like alot of people signed it.

Maybe a letter writing campaign or something?

I like that idea, but would a petition do any good? I know some companies are hesitant about them because people can sign their names over and over on them to make it look like alot of people signed it.

Maybe a letter writing campaign or something?
There already is a petition for the show to be released. I started it over a year ago when I started the negotiations with Sony to counter their argument that no one would want the series. Todd has a link to the petition on the front page of the Silver Spoons site. Just sign it and I'll keep trying to get them to change their minds.

When the head of one of the legal departments says it's not happening at the moment, it's not happening. The Punky Brewster and Diff'rent Strokes reason was what they gave and there's not a whole lot one can do to argue the point with them. Anyway, this group is the first place that got told. I still have to tell Erin Gray and Joel Higgins. Doesn't that sound like fun...


LOL-but they are all completly different tv shows. What does Silver Spoons have to do with Punky and Diffrent Strokes? What a stupid reason.

There already is a petition for the show to be released. I started it over a year ago when I started the negotiations with Sony to counter their argument that no one would want the series. Todd has a link to the petition on the front page of the Silver Spoons site. Just sign it and I'll keep trying to get them to change their minds.

what about FOL? I'll sign a SS petition if a petition is started for Facts too. I also want more DS, season 1 is the worst season besides the last 2 years and I've been waiting over a year for season 2 to be announced.

LOL-but they are all completly different tv shows. What does Silver Spoons have to do with Punky and Diffrent Strokes? What a stupid reason.

well, they probably count that Gary appeared on Silver Spoons once as Arnold.

Seriously tho, why aren't these being treated better on DVD?

I mean, I really have a hard time believing that more people bought Tour Of Duty than Diff'rent Strokes on DVD. IMO, Sony spends too much time on their 70's shows (yet oddly enough, not ODAAT, my fave 70's Sony title) and not enough on the 80's. A lot of people want FOL, SS and more DS on DVD. I understand why those shows aren't given the same care as Seinfeld, but they deserve better treatment than what they get. FOL is in TVShowsOnDVD's top 10 and Silver Spoons is pretty high as well.

well, they probably count that Gary appeared on Silver Spoons once as Arnold.

Seriously tho, why aren't these being treated better on DVD?

I mean, I really have a hard time believing that more people bought Tour Of Duty than Diff'rent Strokes on DVD. IMO, Sony spends too much time on their 70's shows (yet oddly enough, not ODAAT, my fave 70's Sony title) and not enough on the 80's. A lot of people want FOL, SS and more DS on DVD. I understand why those shows aren't given the same care as Seinfeld, but they deserve better treatment than what they get. FOL is in TVShowsOnDVD's top 10 and Silver Spoons is pretty high as well.



Well in defense of Sony in regards to the 70's shows, they were classics. Can't say the same for the Sony shows in the 80's.

Well in defense of Sony in regards to the 70's shows, they were classics. Can't say the same for the Sony shows in the 80's.

I know you're a big fan and all, but I'd say to the average TV viewer, Diff'rent Strokes or The Facts Of Life is a bigger "classic" than That's My Mama, yet Sony saw fit to release both TMM DVD's at once yet they see that FOL is in the top 10 at TSOD and won't do anything about it, and that most people consider the first season of Strokes inferior to seasons 2-6 yet they aren't exactly rushing to get the GOOD episodes out (most of season 1 is Willis whining about how he doesn't want to be a Drummond it seems).

Basically all of my favorite Sony shows (save ODAAT and Seinfeld) had their heydays in the 1980's. I'm not a huge SS fan, but I am all for it getting it's fair treatment on DVD because I know if they treat SS will, they will with DS and FOL as well.

I know you're a big fan and all, but I'd say to the average TV viewer, Diff'rent Strokes or The Facts Of Life is a bigger "classic" than That's My Mama, yet Sony saw fit to release both TMM DVD's at once yet they see that FOL is in the top 10 at TSOD and won't do anything about it, and that most people consider the first season of Strokes inferior to seasons 2-6.

Basically all of my favorite Sony shows (save ODAAT and Seinfeld) had their heydays in the 1980's. I'm not a huge SS fan, but I am all for it getting it's fair treatment on DVD because I know if they treat SS will, they will with DS and FOL as well.



I will agree with you, DS and FOL are better shows than That's My Mama

I will agree with you, DS and FOL are better shows than That's My Mama

I agree totally that AITF, Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford... are classic shows. But there's something wrong with the picture when Sony will release TABITHA and yet keep hesitating to release Silver Spoons, Facts Of Life and One Day At A Time and put more Diff'rent Strokes and Who's The Boss on the shelves.

I agree totally that AITF, Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford... are classic shows. But there's something wrong with the picture when Sony will release TABITHA and yet keep hesitating to release Silver Spoons, Facts Of Life and One Day At A Time and put more Diff'rent Strokes and Who's The Boss on the shelves.


I would think that Silver Spoons would be released before Punky Brewster

Poor sales numbers for Punky Brewster? I had heard that sales for the first two seasons of Punky Brewster were "good" both from tvshowsondvd.com and through personal correspondance with Shout! Factory via e-mail. Shout! had also said that they would definitely be interested in releasing seasons 3 and 4 of Punky if they had the means, but there were rights issues. If sales numbers were "poor", why would they have released season 2 and be enthusiastic about releasing seasons 3 and 4? Shout! is a much smaller company than Sony...so maybe what they consider "good" sales numbers, are "poor" by Sony's standards. If that is the case, Sony should license Silver Spoons and the remaining seasons of Punky Brewster (if they own them) to Shout! Factory for DVD release.

I don't necessarily think its right to compare Silver Spoons to Diff'rent Strokes...maybe to Punky, but I would think SS would sell better than that show, anyway...

If Diff'rent Strokes S1 sold poorly, that only proves that Sony's TV-DVD polls are pretty useless. DS won the last poll, correct? And now it is selling poorly on DVD... They should pay more attention to stuff like tvshowsondvd.com instead of these shady polls they set up on their site...

Here are some current rankings for shows mentioned in this thread from tvshowsondvd.com...

Facts of Life: Unreleased Rank: 6th(!) Overall Rank: 11th(!!)

Silver Spoons: Unreleased Rank: 96th, Overall Rank: 197th

Punky Brewster: Overall Rank: 292nd

Diff'rent Strokes: Overall Rank: 346th

Facts of Life should be released without hesitation. As for Silver Spoons, it has a much higher ranking than Punky Brewster and is WAY ahead of Diff'rent Strokes in the overall rank as well. Sony probably doesn't care, but that's their problem. They should pay closer attention to that site...that is why it exists; to show companies what shows people want to see on DVD.

Poor sales numbers for Punky Brewster? I had heard that sales for the first two seasons of Punky Brewster were "good" both from tvshowsondvd.com and through personal correspondance with Shout! Factory via e-mail. Shout! had also said that they would definitely be interested in releasing seasons 3 and 4 of Punky if they had the means, but there were rights issues. If sales numbers were "poor", why would they have released season 2 and be enthusiastic about releasing seasons 3 and 4? Shout! is a much smaller company than Sony...so maybe what they consider "good" sales numbers, are "poor" by Sony's standards. If that is the case, Sony should license Silver Spoons and the remaining seasons of Punky Brewster (if they own them) to Shout! Factory for DVD release.

I don't necessarily think its right to compare Silver Spoons to Diff'rent Strokes...maybe to Punky, but I would think SS would sell better than that show, anyway...

If Diff'rent Strokes S1 sold poorly, that only proves that Sony's TV-DVD polls are pretty useless. DS won the last poll, correct? And now it is selling poorly on DVD... They should pay more attention to stuff like tvshowsondvd.com instead of these shady polls they set up on their site...

Here are some current rankings for shows mentioned in this thread from tvshowsondvd.com...

Facts of Life: Unreleased Rank: 6th(!) Overall Rank: 11th(!!)

Silver Spoons: Unreleased Rank: 96th, Overall Rank: 197th

Punky Brewster: Overall Rank: 292nd

Diff'rent Strokes: Overall Rank: 346th

Facts of Life should be released without hesitation. As for Silver Spoons, it has a much higher ranking than Punky Brewster and is WAY ahead of Diff'rent Strokes in the overall rank as well. Sony probably doesn't care, but that's their problem. They should pay closer attention to that site...that is why it exists; to show companies what shows people want to see on DVD.



Sony Polls seem like they are pointless, especially since That's My Mama was released and it's ranked much lower than SS, DS, and FOL.

Sony's release strategy really angers me. I mean they're RE-RELEASING stupid shows like Kingdom Hospital and yet refuse to release popular shows like Silver Spoons. I think they're truly out of touch with what fans really want.

My heart has officially been broken in two. I was so lookng forward to Silver Spoons on DVD. I have a sick feeling that they'll pull the plug on One Day at a Time next since we still haven't heard anything concrete about a release. Sony blows major chunks.

That sucks! Sony is horrible, the were listing ODAAT for relase soon over a year ago, and it's still not out. Now this isn't coming out either. How sad.

Yeah, that's true! Sony acts too damn cheap w/ a lot of their shows! Look at how badly they've crammed eps. of 227's S1 DVD! Then they release both seasons of That's My Mama! all at once!

Does Sony ever stop to wonder why they're getting a lot of terrible responses from critics?

The only thing Sony sometimes does right is hardly keep the old Colmubia logos on local reruns of their shows some of the time. Even Paramount does a much better job w/ their DVD's than what Sony does.

It's sad to not see SS on DVD.

And the Fact that FOL and SS all lasted 5 years or more, u would think that they would get a release before that horibble show called punky brewster