http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=6470

And all I can say is this is as lame an excuse as they get.

I guess this means Season 2 will be the syndicated version too. Well, then it's on to the rest of the series which will be released as seen originally, right? I can't wait until the Bubba and Iola years. :D

This is dissapoining but I still am happy that this show finally came out on DVD. I hope they put the whole show on DVD. If the shows are cut or not, I dont care. I will take whatever I can get. :)

This should have been announced before people preordered the dvd.:mad:

It's a WB production and they don't own the rights. :confused:

This is dissapoining but I still am happy that this show finally came out on DVD. I hope they put the whole show on DVD. If the shows are cut or not, I dont care. I will take whatever I can get. :)
Ok, but don't be surprised if a few years down the road they suddenly "acquire" the unedited episodes and release them. Then you get to buy them all over again.

Thanks for the headsup! I'll keep my complete DVD set I bought off IOffer!

I wonder what company owns the rights to the original uncut episodes?

Ok, but don't be surprised if a few years down the road they suddenly "acquire" the unedited episodes and release them. Then you get to buy them all over again.


If that happens, I will keep what I already have. I am quite happy with what I have now. :)

It's a WB production and they don't own the rights. :confused:
Well, the first two seasons had the JHP (Joe Hamilton Productions), Telepicture and NBC closing logos at the end, if I recall correctly.

The other four had the JHP, Lorimar and Warner Bros closing logos.

NBC and/or Joe Hamilton might have the rights to it. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2006/10/wb-issues-mamas-family-dvd-statement.html

Well, it would be a waste of money for me to purchase this. There is no reason for me considering that I have almost every ep from the syndicated cuts between a local affilate and the TBS airings all in SP mode. I could just transfer then to DVD. LOL. The sad part is that I have the two part wedding episode that was reaired by NBC in 1985 but even they chopped off Harvey's opening when it reaired. Once the unedited versions come to the surface, then I will buy. For those of you that still want to buy it, I am not discouraging you. You go ahead and enjoy! I am just disappointed.

I just emailed John Hamilton (son of Joe Hamilton, i.e. Joe Hamilton Productions). John is now the current president of Joe Hamilton productions, if/when I get a response I will post it up on the Mama's Family Site! www.telelvisionhits.com

The question I asked was; What studio owns the original NBC network episodes of Mama's Family: The non-syndicated cuts.

I was surprised to get the response to get it about 2 hours after I had sent it, but since I was so busy I didn't post the news on the website, but we did hear back from John Hamilton and go visit the website to hear what he did say

www.televisionhits.com/mamasfamily/

we will also let you email us your questions to john hamilton, guaranteed there might not be a response, but we will email him your questions you may have.

It's strange how contracts are agreed upon. John Hamilton owns the rights to the uncut episodes. Yet, there is nothing he can do with them. He is not allowed to release them under the contract with Warner Bros. They can't air them on television because of the running time of each episode. I wonder why they couldn't contractually agree to release the complete uncut episodes are a joint venture. It's confusing. Thanks for doing the research folbartman. I enjoy your sites! :)

It is an odd issue, but Mama's Family had an odd production history. Telepictures/Warner Bros. had nothing to do with the production of the first two seasons. Joe Hamilton Productions owned those shows outright. But after NBC cancelled MF, Joe Hamilton cut a deal with Lorimar/Telepictures to produce new episodes for syndication, with a goal of reaching at least 100 episodes so Telepictures could later strip it for five-day-per-week syndication. The deal allowed Telepictures (later Warner Bros.) syndication rights for the NBC episodes, but apparently not ownership of the original prints. And since Telepictures only needed edited episodes for daily reruns, it makes some sense why they never got the full episodes.

This split ownership is in contrast to a show like "Fame", which also ran on both NBC and it syndication. It was always produced by MGM, and after NBC cancelled it, MGM's syndication division sold it in syndication, so the ownership remained the same. But Joe Hamilton Productions was an independent company without a syndication division, which is why they partnered with Lorimar/Telepictures to distribute the show.

I'm sure that Warner and JHP could work out a deal to sell the uncut episodes on DVD if they wanted to. But there is little incentive for Warner to do that, because they would then have to share revenues with JHP. Let's face it - only the devoted fans will know the difference, and whatever revenue Warner might lose from people refusing to buy edited episodes is likely not as much as they'd lose by having to split it with JHP.

We have emailed as said John hamilton questions people asked about the show, some were not able to be answered because this topic can get very touchy. This is all the information we are allowed to know.

see it at http://www.televisionhits.com/mamasfamily/

Thank you so much for letting us know of the response from John Hamilton.

Take care ...

Sheri

It is an odd issue, but Mama's Family had an odd production history. Telepictures/Warner Bros. had nothing to do with the production of the first two seasons. Joe Hamilton Productions owned those shows outright. But after NBC cancelled MF, Joe Hamilton cut a deal with Lorimar/Telepictures to produce new episodes for syndication, with a goal of reaching at least 100 episodes so Telepictures could later strip it for five-day-per-week syndication. The deal allowed Telepictures (later Warner Bros.) syndication rights for the NBC episodes, but apparently not ownership of the original prints. And since Telepictures only needed edited episodes for daily reruns, it makes some sense why they never got the full episodes.

This split ownership is in contrast to a show like "Fame", which also ran on both NBC and it syndication. It was always produced by MGM, and after NBC cancelled it, MGM's syndication division sold it in syndication, so the ownership remained the same. But Joe Hamilton Productions was an independent company without a syndication division, which is why they partnered with Lorimar/Telepictures to distribute the show.

I'm sure that Warner and JHP could work out a deal to sell the uncut episodes on DVD if they wanted to. But there is little incentive for Warner to do that, because they would then have to share revenues with JHP. Let's face it - only the devoted fans will know the difference, and whatever revenue Warner might lose from people refusing to buy edited episodes is likely not as much as they'd lose by having to split it with JHP.

Actually, Joe Hamilton Productions also owns the rights to the syndicated prints as well.