Considering that Antenna just got the full-length reruns of Johnny Carson, why couldn't Me-TV do the same thing with Carol Burnett -- the whole load, 12 seasons? Surely Me-TV would want to do something to counteract the super-huge ratings Johnny Carson is more than likely getting. Carol Burnett and Friends is fine -- but it would be even cooler if they forked over the cash to get all the episodes to The Carol Burnett Show -- especially so people could make their own sets! Thoughts?

Maybe the show isn't available and/or it is somewhat expensive for them. I know a DVD Box set containing lost episodes was put out last year.

I asked MeTV through Facebook a very similar question concerning another variety show, the 60s version of the Jackie Gleason Show. i was hoping they would broadcast the episodes that contain the short color Honeymooners sketches as well. They reponded by saying that acquiring those variety shows would be expensive for them.

Maybe the show isn't available and/or it is somewhat expensive for them. I know a DVD Box set containing lost episodes was put out last year.

I asked MeTV through Facebook a very similar question concerning another variety show, the 60s version of the Jackie Gleason Show. i was hoping they would broadcast the episodes that contain the short color Honeymooners sketches as well. They reponded by saying that acquiring those variety shows would be expensive for them.

I wonder if that's the same concept with The Ed Sullivan Show?

I wouldn't mind seeing that show on TV again!

Maybe the show isn't available and/or it is somewhat expensive for them. I know a DVD Box set containing lost episodes was put out last year.

I asked MeTV through Facebook a very similar question concerning another variety show, the 60s version of the Jackie Gleason Show. i was hoping they would broadcast the episodes that contain the short color Honeymooners sketches as well. They reponded by saying that acquiring those variety shows would be expensive for them.

I'm asking because Antenna forked over A LOT of money for Johnny Carson and I wonder if Me would do the same for Carol Burnett.

Maybe the show isn't available and/or it is somewhat expensive for them.

I suspect that's probably the case. Some of those shows may not even exist or be in poor condition due to bad storage. They might require restoration, which costs money.

Also, the half hour CB&F was compiled for syndication in 1977 and one hour shows do not (and still don't) perform as well in syndication as half hour shows.

I would also think that the monologues and musical numbers might seem dated, which is why they were cut altogether or truncated for the syndication version.

By focusing on the sketches, it was a wise move.

But I would love to see an entire show from the late seventies, which is the run I remember.

I imagine the rights to musical numbers could be pricey. Why go through all that when you have the syndicated episodes that aired for years?

Then again, Antenna did get the full Johnny Carson episodes, as opposed to the Carson's Comedy Classics. But again, those full episodes weren't cheap.

Sketches good, musical numbers bad.

Something also tells me that if MeTV were to acquire an expensive variety show, as a part of their per ament so to speak schedule, they would have to add more commercials and credit crunch to get that money back.

I didn't even know all the seasons of it weren't on ME-TV

I imagine the rights to musical numbers could be pricey. Why go through all that when you have the syndicated episodes that aired for years?

Then again, Antenna did get the full Johnny Carson episodes, as opposed to the Carson's Comedy Classics. But again, those full episodes weren't cheap.

That and the 60's Johnny Carson shows are lost because they were taped over!

I imagine the rights to musical numbers could be pricey.

True. This has held back many shows from being released on DVD in their original form or at all.

^That's true, but Johnny Carson is on Antenna with music intact (for the most part?) I don't watch it every night, so I could be wrong. But they are all minus the guest-hosted ones, so I would think Me-TV could handle The Carol Burnett Show.

^That's true, but Johnny Carson is on Antenna with music intact (for the most part?) I don't watch it every night, so I could be wrong. But they are all minus the guest-hosted ones, so I would think Me-TV could handle The Carol Burnett Show.

The later Carson shows were stored in an underground vault that was climate controlled (I saw some footage of this on Entertainment Tonight many years ago), which is probably why MeTV was able to get them.

It's also possible that MeTV is content to show the syndicated half hour Carol Burnett as is.

^Right, and it's Antenna, not Me TV.

The full shows exist and were archived. They could air them.

^Right, and it's Antenna, not Me TV.

The full shows exist and were archived. They could air them.

I always confuse those two.

I can tell

^That's true, but Johnny Carson is on Antenna with music intact (for the most part?) I don't watch it every night, so I could be wrong.

If you mean the musical guests, virtually every episode Antenna has aired so far has been ones without one originally or it was edited out because it couldn't be cleared. Basically the only music still in it is from Doc and company. With that in mind, even if Me-TV could get the full Carol Burnett shows, they would most likely have to be edited accordingly anyway, which honestly would make getting the rights kind of pointless since you'd then basically wind up with a glorified Carol Burnett & Friends.

sadly, music clearences is the reason why you'll never see a lot of the variety shows on TV in their full length and only on DVD in "Best of..." sets

It's still very possible that MeTV will shell out the cash for the full-length reruns and not the 30-minute ones. After all, what about Antenna and Johnny Carson?

That still doesn't necessarily mean anything. Just because Antenna was able to get full episodes of Johnny Carson (and even then, the musical guests if there was one originally is edited out) doesn't mean Me-TV can get the full Carol Burnett. Even if they did, the music would still most likely be edited out like with Johnny.

The musical guests, according to Antenna for the most part, were cleared. In very few cases they weren't. They are working on it.

Speaking of this topic.

Does anybody know why MeTV still refuses to show two Carol Burnett and Friends?

I've seen many folks ask on Facebook but never be answered.

At 1 episode a weekday with my station being owned by Sinclair means if a game from their American Sports Network is pre-empted, it's roughly 7 and 1/2 months for a re-air.

Can a rights contract actually force MeTV to air only one a day or is it entirely MeTV's decision?

Something also tells me that if MeTV were to acquire an expensive variety show, as a part of their per ament so to speak schedule, they would have to add more commercials and credit crunch to get that money back.

Just what I was thinking-- in fact, I believe that such a thing would rule out people making their own homemade DVDs, as the MeTV logo would be in the bottom right-hand corner on every episode.

You know I just had a quick question that I just randomly thought of.

Obviously Johnny Carson is much more popular and known than Carol Burnett.

Not saying Carol is a by any means a nobody but I think more would recognize the name Carson.

Anyway, back when MeTV announced on Facebook that Carol would be on people went nuts.

Also when Antenna TV on Facebook announced Carson people also went nuts.

One thing I noticed is if you go to YouTube and other sites that had random bits of Johnny, some people put entire eps up that appear to have come from Antenna TV.

Yet it appears nobody ever did that if you type in "Carol Burnett & Friends" or "Carol Burnett and Friends".

I was just a tad surprised with a decent amount of people in the US getting MeTV just as they would Antenna TV, that nobody at all would put even a single MeTV Carol up.

Did the show just not live up to what people expected after they got so excited when they heard it? Because it's not full episodes?

Basically the only music still in it is from Doc and company.

Actually they dont show most of Doc's music the only bit they show is the opening where Johnny comes out which is Ball & A Jack. He didnt have many musical guests. He was more know for Stand Up Comics.

I think there's a pretty big difference between the interest you see on websites like this and the interest you see in the general population. It seems that in places like this, newness itself is more important than the quality of what's being put on. My sense is that is largely because a lot of people are more interested in recording things (either for trade or making collections) than in actually watching and enjoying them.

I did notice on MeTV's Facebook that Carol took a quick turn in opinion.

At first it was like "Wow I can't believe you got Carol."

Then it switched to "Why are you only showing chopped up half-hour shows?" and "Why are you only showing shows with the non-funny skits?".

I was just sort of surprised because in all my years of being on the Internet, I've seen people record various classic shows from TV Land, Nick @ Nite, TBS, etc and put them on YouTube or other various sources.

I figured somebody would have gone "Carol's sort of rare let me put it online."

Though oddly even though MeTV and Antenna TV are "free", I don't see this happening with many of the shows they air.

Even if they did you lose a fair amount of the shows anyway. Mama's Family seems to be a 25 min show but MeTV is like 22 min. The Joey Bishop Show is 25/26 min but only 23min. Maude 23 vs 25 also.