Hi All I was just wondering if anyone has head about the reaming season of Happy days on dvd Are the coming out ? I know they will Have to take out alot of the Original music beacse of rights its to bad Parmount does not go the extra mile to get the Orignal songs put on the Happy Days dvd's beacse the songs That where On Happy days are such classics but i have read Some where Most of tv Dvd's that are Put out by Parmount don't have the original Music on the dvd i know that was the case For BH 90210 so if any one has head about more dvd's of Happy days please let me know it would be a shame to stop at season 4

Thank you
Matt Handy :wave:

unfortunately we are all waiting with absolutely NO news from Paramount and no reason to believe that they will or won't release any additional seasons at any time in the future...

Aside from the second season, the Happy Days DVD sets have been excellent in terms of inclusion of original music.

which proves that Paramount CAN do a good job with original music on TV DVDs if they try.

Unfortunately using the original music is expensive. That means Paramount would have to sell a large number of these sets just to recover their investment much less make a profit. In the current economy that would be difficult to do which is why there will probably be no new Happy Days sets until there is a change in this equation. That means the economy must improve so sales projections can go up or the cost of music liscensing must go down. And don't hold your breath for music costs to go down. (And they used a lot of music on this show!!)

The thing is, most of the music used on the show doesn't seem to be original recordings by the original artists - more like re-recordings by sound-alike artists. You'd think this would lower costs, but maybe not.

The thing is, most of the music used on the show doesn't seem to be original recordings by the original artists - more like re-recordings by sound-alike artists. You'd think this would lower costs, but maybe not.
Anson Williams is probably demanding big bucks for all the songs he sang! :lol:

Back in the seventies, no one foresaw home video or that these would one day end up on a home video format (VHS, DVD, etc), so they only secured the rights for broadcast TV.

I would think that these days, a producer or movie company who was commissioning music or using popular songs in a show would make sure to secure the rights for home video releases, etc. But even that isn't necessarily the case with some modern shows, from what I've seen.

The producers of WKRP In Cincinnati not only didn't secure the rights to music for home video releases, but a lot of the rock songs they used had to be replaced with generic music for the syndicated versions of episodes that began airing in the eighties.

As I understand it, only the original broadcast versions of WKRP had the original music.

But getting back to Happy Days, I hope they figure out something soon, because the longer they wait to release these seasons on DVD, the more likelihood that the audience will fade away and/or lose interest.:(

also with "WKRP IN CINCINATTI" the reason it was shot on tape instead of film, was because shows shot on tape don't have to pay for the music.

also with "WKRP IN CINCINATTI" the reason it was shot on tape instead of film, was because shows shot on tape don't have to pay for the music.

Are you sure about that? I imagine that tape or not, they had to get some kind of clearance to use the music. Can you point to some obscure copyright law from the seventies that has this provision for shows shot on tape?

no, but I read that in a review of the DVD that was in THE NEW YORK TIMES when the DVD came out. THE NEW YORK TIMES is online though; so maybe you can find the review on their website. I think it's www.nytimes.org

also with "WKRP IN CINCINATTI" the reason it was shot on tape instead of film, was because shows shot on tape don't have to pay for the music.

That is simply not true. I have a Minor in music business from Belmont University and have taken many copyright law classes. You need a mechanical license regarless if it's tape or film.

Are you sure about that? I imagine that tape or not, they had to get some kind of clearance to use the music. Can you point to some obscure copyright law from the seventies that has this provision for shows shot on tape?
i have heard this same story before, but I think it was more along the lines of LESS royalties for shooting on tape instead of film rather than NO licensing costs.

i have heard this same story before, but I think it was more along the lines of LESS royalties for shooting on tape instead of film rather than NO licensing costs.

The issue has less to do with tape or film rather the royalties involved for putting the actual music on a DVD. (you would need a mechanical liscense for CDs, DVD's, cassetes). All songs are negotiated differently between copyright holders, but there is no exlusion for taped shows by the law. Basically, if you want to use copyrighted music for anything you are going to have to pay the owners their due.

The issue has less to do with tape or film rather the royalties involved for putting the actual music on a DVD. (you would need a mechanical liscense for CDs, DVD's, cassetes). All songs are negotiated differently between copyright holders, but there is no exlusion for taped shows by the law. Basically, if you want to use copyrighted music for anything you are going to have to pay the owners their due.
oh, i understand that - I was confirming the existence of a rumor that WKRP was shot on film to get around some music licensing issues, and that is also why they went hog wild using real music on the show (which IS pertinent to the current licensing problems preventing any future releases with original music)

Yes I am eager to know if and when these last HD seasons will be released
many thanks

ive probably said this before im 47 now ill be dead before i see the rest of that series come to dvd.cbs/paramount dont think the return on the show is worth investing any more dvd sets.its a drag but a reality.

If they aren't going to release the rest of the seasons they should at least put this iconic show on netflix...

[QUOTE=robyrob]oh, i understand that - I was confirming the existence of a rumor that WKRP was shot on film to get around some music licensing issues, and that is also why they went hog wild using real music on the show (which IS pertinent to the current licensing problems preventing any future releases with original music)[/QUOTE =====so why not use You Tube and have episodes on that? I have a few already.

i honestly think a lot of these companies really missed the boat with classic dvd releases - they got too greedy and wanted to really rake fans over the coals and get every penny they possibly could, and now dvd sales are declining and people are probably going to be turning more to streaming and all-digital versions of shows which these same studios may not be able to make the same kind of money on.

[QUOTE=robyrob]oh, i understand that - I was confirming the existence of a rumor that WKRP was shot on film to get around some music licensing issues, and that is also why they went hog wild using real music on the show (which IS pertinent to the current licensing problems preventing any future releases with original music)[/QUOTE =====so why not use You Tube and have episodes on that? I have a few already.

WKRP was shot on videotape, not film.

[QUOTE=wayne]

WKRP was shot on videotape, not film.
i was just confirming that I had also heard the rumor - not that there was any validity to it.

[QUOTE=Dr. Thong]
i was just confirming that I had also heard the rumor - not that there was any validity to it.

All you have to do is watch it to know it was shot on video. I am reasonably sure you cannot convert film to videotape. :)

I got a nostalgic bug in me last night and started watching select episodes from Season one, which is the only season I have. When I considered looking into the entire series I was shocked to see only six seasons were released.

I understand why it took so long for WKRP in Cincinnati to gather its rights so a proper release could be made. But it boggled my mind to think that was an issue for Happy Days. I never really considered that show to have contemporary music from other artists in it so much as home spun productions like the theme song.

Of course by the end of the 70's I had quit watching Happy Days, so I really can't speak much to how that show looked in the 80's. I was shocked it ran for as long as it did in the 80's since so much of that decade was about rejecting anything that was popular in the 70's. In those days people made fun of Travolta, KISS, Bee Gees, and just about anything that rang 70's. It was refreshing to see the Fonz survive much of that.

I got a nostalgic bug in me last night and started watching select episodes from Season one, which is the only season I have. When I considered looking into the entire series I was shocked to see only six seasons were released.

I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever see season 7 on DVD at this point.

It's really the only season I'm concerned with, as I don't care about the post-Richie seasons.

Even though the releases haven't been perfect (with music substitutions and one hour shows broken up into two parts), they're at least out there.

I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever see season 7 on DVD at this point.

It's really the only season I'm concerned with, as I don't care about the post-Richie seasons.

Even though the releases haven't been perfect (with music substitutions and one hour shows broken up into two parts), they're at least out there.

I hope with Beverly Hillbillies and Love Boat both having another season released this fall, we'll see Happy Days Season 7.

I feel like they should give us at LEAST one more season....so we can give Richie a proper farewell. It's his last season, the show was never as good once he left, and I hope and pray they give us at LEAST one more.

Would I continue to buy after season 7? YES....., but having it stop after season 6 is just TORTURE! I mean.....if they can release that final dreadful season of Laverne & Shirley without Shirley....Then for CRYING OUT LOUD.....GIVE US HAPPY DAYS SEASON 7!!!!!!

I'm sure we'll see the rest of the seasons on DVD eventually. Wasn't there a few years gap between the Season 4 and 5 DVDs?

At least it hasn't been like Perfect Strangers, where we wouldn't see a Season 3 on DVD until 10 years after the release of the first two seasons.

I'm sure we'll see the rest of the seasons on DVD eventually. Wasn't there a few years gap between the Season 4 and 5 DVDs?

Quite a few years, actually. But that was partially due to a lawsuit brought on by some cast members over merchandising royalties. Once the suit was settled, 5 and 6 appeared within a year.

I'm wondering if low sales on 5 and 6 or the alleged slow death of physical media has something to do with no season 7 thus far.

Quite a few years, actually. But that was partially due to a lawsuit brought on by some cast members over merchandising royalties. Once the suit was settled, 5 and 6 appeared within a year.

I'm wondering if low sales on 5 and 6 or the alleged slow death of physical media has something to do with no season 7 thus far.
I hope not. I sure would hate to think that slow death of physical media would be the issue too, but you never know.

I hope not. I sure would hate to think that slow death of physical media would be the issue too, but you never know.

Like I also said, it could have been low sales as well.

Like I also said, it could have been low sales as well.
Well, that's part of my point. Low sales caused by slow death in physical media.

Isn't there a site where we can check and see what the sales were like?