Hi,
Another long shot here. Does anyone possibly have on DVD the following
TV series from the early 80's:

Lottery! (1983) starring Ben Murphy (best known for Alias Smith & Jones)

Lottery! originally aired on ABC-TV during the 1983-1984 season for a
grand total of 17 episodes and was quickly cancelled after it got low ratings.
The pilot movie was titled "Being A Winner".

Ben Murphy (aka Kid Curry of Alias Smith & Jones) in Lottery! played
Patrick Sean Flaherty, the representative of the Interstate Bank Lottery
who was assigned to locate the lottery winner and present him or her
with their check. Marshall Colt (previously James Arness' partner in
the equally short-lived 1981-82 crime drama series McClain's Law)
played Flaherty's partner IRS agent Eric Rush, whose job it was to
make sure the US Government got their cut of the prize winnings
from the recipient. The series told the stories of the lottery winners
and what happened to them after they got the money.

So far I haven't been able to find it. I did locate a UK collector who has
the pilot movie on DVD. It of course hasn't been released officially by
any studio or company. To the best of my knowledge it also was never
aired in syndication reruns here in the US.

The pilot movie was however released on home video VHS in the 90's
by Stablecane Home Video, but only in the UK. The series itself
meanwhile has been in recent years aired in Germany under the
title Lotterie! but is only in German. There is no English soundtrack.

I'm interested in this particular show because I'm a Ben Murphy fan and
have three of his other series, specifically Alias Smith & Jones (retail DVD),
Gemini Man (1976) (collectors set but recently released on DVD in France) and The Dirty Dozen-The Series (1988) (collector set).

Any help in locating Lottery! would be most greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Black Sheep One. :)

I have these:


Lottery
1)Blood brothers #1249A
2)The spenders #1249B
3)Sharing #1248A
4)3-2-1 #1248B
5)Bigger volume #1247A
6)The price of freedom #1247B

I have at least one "Winning Can Be Murder" from a summer 1984 ABC rerun.

Hi siblis,
I'm glad you have at least 6 of the episodes. That would be a start.
I would imagine they would be from the original network TV airings
as to the best of my knowledge the series was never aired in rerun
syndication anywhere in the US due to the lack of the standard
100 episodes required for a show to be syndicated back in those days.

Btw I am working on getting the pilot movie Being A Winner but I don't
have it yet. Maybe in a few weeks, a month at the most, hopefully.

Please contact me by E-mail so we can make the necessary arrangements
for a trade. Thanks.

Black Sheep One :)

jim72954@aol.com

Hi Ajm,
Thanks for the reply. I definitely don't have that episode.
Please contact me at your convenience so we can make
the necessary arrangements for either a trade or copying
in exchange for blank disc and funds to cover postage/time.
I would greatly appreciate it as I don't have the series at all yet.
I know someone who does have the pilot movie Being A Winner
and am working on getting it but he is in the UK and it will take
a few weeks, a month at the most, hopefully. Thanks in advance.

Black Sheep One :)

jim72954@aol.com

I have these:


Lottery
1)Blood brothers #1249A
2)The spenders #1249B
3)Sharing #1248A
4)3-2-1 #1248B
5)Bigger volume #1247A
6)The price of freedom #1247B

Hi, an update here:

I now have the pilot episode of Lottery!, Being A Winner uncut
(not from ABC-TV) and episode # 13 San Diego: Bingo!
(Nostagia Television late 80's airing). That's 2 of the 17 total episodes.

Can we trade for the above 6 episodes? Please let me know. Thanks.

Black Sheep One :)

jim72954@aol.com

I have at least one "Winning Can Be Murder" from a summer 1984 ABC rerun.

Hi, I now have the Lottery! pilot episode Being A Winner uncut on DVD
(not from ABC-TV airing) and episode # 13 San Diego: Bingo! (from
Nostalgia Television airing, late 80's) giving me 2 of the total 17 episodes.

Would you be interested in a trade for the Lottery! episode
"Winning Can Be Murder"? If so, please let me know.
Thanks in advance.

Black Sheep One :)

jim72954@aol.com

I've found 2 episodes of Lottery! (1983) TV series starring Ben Murphy and Marshall Colt so far. They are:

San Francisco: Being A Winner (aka Being A Winner)
(from VHS transferred to DVD)

Episode # 13 San Diego: Bingo! (from US TV broadcast)
(* unfortunately, the middle part is missing because of video problems at the original source)

I am still searching for episodes 2-17 including a complete version of episode 13.

The show in past has aired in the US (Nostalgia Television, 1988),
the UK (Sky One, late 80's) in English and in Germany, France, and Italy
(however only in those languages on the last three countries, no English).

If anyone has the show from US or UK airings in English, please let me know.
Thanks.

Black Sheep One :)

Id love to get episodes of Lottery. Contact me if you'd like to trade.

Id love to get episodes of Lottery. Contact me if you'd like to trade.

Hi Silver,
Well, as much as I would like to trade, I wish I actually had something of the 1983 short-lived Ben Murphy series Lottery! to trade for, but at the moment I only have 2 of the total 17 episodes so far.

That having been said, I feel I need to clarify my post a little bit. I am looking for all of the episodes for Lottery! I've found one or two people here who contacted me; one has 6 and another has 1, but they either haven't contacted me to work out a possible trade or haven't had spare time to devote to it.
I keep hoping someone can turn it up. My luck up to now hasn't been very good at all.

Currently, I have the following of Lottery!:

(1) Being A Winner (aka San Francisco, Being A Winner) the pilot episode.
This is from a commercial VHS tape; the episode is unedited but has videotape-related flaws from tape age/wear/deterioration. However,
I consider it watchable.

(2) San Diego: Bingo! (episode 13)
This is from a late 80's Nostalgia Television (now defunct) airing/VHS.
Unfortunately, the middle portion is missing as the videotape at the
source had problems and went out; it has been replaced mostly
with commercials. At this time I regard it as partly unwatchable.
I need a complete version of it with no such issues. This is the
episode with "the Borden twins" as the lottery winners (the clip
is on Youtube) Dora and Flora.

I am basically searching for the remaining 16 episodes including a
better copy of San Diego: Bingo! episode 13. I think I'm good on
the pilot episode though.

In past the show has aired respectively on Nostalgia Television and
Lifetime in the US (late 80's), Sky One channel in the UK (voiceovers
advertising it are in their episodes of the 60's Western series Iron Horse
starring Dale Robertson and Gary Collins during its end credits), and in
Germany, France, and Italy (but the latter are in their languages,
no English soundtrack available). And of course, ABC-TV in 1983-1984
in its one and only season of 17 episodes.

If you have any episodes of Lottery!, a trade would be most welcome.
Thanks in advance and for writing. Have a great day and good weekend.

Black Sheep One. :)

I Have An Ill Friend Battling 3 Diseases In His Body At The Time And The One Show He Is Wanting To See Is Lottery ~ So If Any Help Can Be Given Here To Get A Copy Of Those Shows And Pilot Would Be Greatly Greatly Appreciated :cool:

Hi, to all interested parties, re: Lottery! (1983) (Missing episodes)

I was recently contacted by forum member "Merlin" in reference to the above item.

He has 10 episodes of the series, one of them the pilot episode Being A Winner,
which I previously acquired from a collector. He is willing to provide them to
anyone requesting same.

Interested parties can contact Merlin here at the forum and send him a PM for
exact details of any arrangements.

Just fyi. Thanks.

Black Sheep One. :)

I have at least one "Winning Can Be Murder" from a summer 1984 ABC rerun.

Hi,
I am still interested in obtaining the Lottery! 1984 episode
Winning Can Be Murder either by trade or other arrangements.
I presently do not have it and would like to receive it somehow.
Please contact me at your convenience. Thanks.
Black Sheep One :)

Id love to get episodes of Lottery. Contact me if you'd like to trade.


Hi,
Still missing the remaining 15 episodes of Lottery! (1983).
Presently I only have 2, the pilot episode Being A Winner
and an edited version of # 13 San Diego: Bingo! (see previous post
regarding why it's edited, I recently remastered it having found a
missing section on Youtube and adding it; length-42 1/2 minutes.

If you have any episodes of the series please let me know.
Thanks! Black Sheep One :)

I have these:


Lottery
1)Blood brothers #1249A
2)The spenders #1249B
3)Sharing #1248A
4)3-2-1 #1248B
5)Bigger volume #1247A
6)The price of freedom #1247B

Hi,
Still looking for the above and full version of Sheriff Lobo episode
The Senator Votes Absentee. If you can trade please let me know.
Thanks. Black Sheep One :)

Hi,
I'm looking for the Lottery! episode "Boston." I have a version but it's in German.

Thanks

Hi,
I'm looking for the Lottery! episode "Boston." I have a version but it's in German.

Thanks

Hi, unfortunately Boston: False Illiusion is one of the 7 episodes of Lottery
that I'm currently missing and haven't been able to find. I just found 10
episodes from another source on this forum and he's looking for the same
7 too. We're missing episodes 5-9, 11, and 15.

Episode titles are as follows (do not have any of these):

5 Phoenix: Blood Brothers
6 Portland: Treasure Hunt
7 Kansas City: Protected Winner
8 Charleston: The Spenders
9 New York: Winning Can Be Murder
11 Boston: False Illusion
15 St. Louis: Win Or Lose

Presently member Merlin and I have 10 episodes:
1-4, 10, 12-14 and 16-17. That is all so far.

There are two other members who have 3 of the 7
missing episodes between them but I haven't heard
from either one of them as of yet.

According to online research, there were 8 episodes of Lottery released once upon a time on VHS home video
or so says Worldcat.org that might be in libraries in either film or VHS format. But I would be willing to bet that
if interested parties contacted any of them, they would not even know what the 1983 TV show Lottery was much
less be able to locate it even if they did have it there. Most people in the US have never even heard of or watched it
either originally on ABC-TV or in cable channel airings (late 80's). I do know for a fact that ABC-TV has disposed of
all their original source material for shows from the 80's (film prints/tapes) to make room in their storage vaults.
So from that network's point of view, the older shows are nothing more than trash to be disposed of. More of that
"out with the old, in with the new" junk that's being shoved down our throats today.

Wish I could be of more help. I think I'm doing well to have at least 10
of the total 17 episodes from Lottery at all. Thanks for writing.

Black Sheep One :)

Hi Black Sheep One"

I didn't know ABC did that! No masters or original films??!! As someone who works in tv I find that deplorable. I know I've been looking for The Farmer's Daughter (big William Windom fan. He was in the Lottery! episode I have in German). I have about 85 episodes and they're mostly syndicated prints of 16mm. CBN showed it in the 80s but censored some episodes as they weren't deemed Christian enough. Sony owns them and they were supposed to lend them to Antenna TV in 2011 but reneged. I think it's because the prints were damaged (original 35mm) and there are no masters. Such a shame. I think the Library of Congress should allow people to have access to the shows either during visits or online. Even if a person makes a request for something specific and has to pay a fee to do so. Thanks for the response!

I can't find Merlin. If you're out there hit me up about a trade for Lottery

Hi Black Sheep One"

I didn't know ABC did that! No masters or original films??!! As someone who works in tv I find that deplorable. I know I've been looking for The Farmer's Daughter (big William Windom fan. He was in the Lottery! episode I have in German). I have about 85 episodes and they're mostly syndicated prints of 16mm. CBN showed it in the 80s but censored some episodes as they weren't deemed Christian enough. Sony owns them and they were supposed to lend them to Antenna TV in 2011 but reneged. I think it's because the prints were damaged (original 35mm) and there are no masters. Such a shame. I think the Library of Congress should allow people to have access to the shows either during visits or online. Even if a person makes a request for something specific and has to pay a fee to do so. Thanks for the response!

Yes, I'm afraid that was true. This from a source of mine who knows someone who either worked for in past or currently works for ABC-TV
(I assume this was in either NYC or L.A.). I too found it appalling and horrible not to mention devastating as that is a tremendous loss of what
I consider a tragic senseless waste of valuable film history there.

Sorry to hear that about The Farmer's Daughter. Glad you at least have 85 episodes of it. I've learned that several collectors also have sold sets of
William Windom's other series My World And Welcome To It which has also not been officially released by any studios and like FD and Lottery won't be in future. Supposedly not enough demand or profit potential for such older TV shows, especially since they were short-lived (meaning between 1 and 3 seasons originally on network TV. That doesn't really surprise me about Sony. They and Warner Archive had planned to jointly release Season 1 of the 1966-68 Western series Iron Horse starring Dale Robertson in 2013 (which also aired on CBN among other stations including Antenna TV) but for unknown reasons never happened. So all fans of Iron Horse can get are the collectors sets from TV airings of the 47 episodes and pilot movie Scalplock which I had to settle for (combined CBN, Sky One-UK, and other assorted US stations). Fortunately Scalplock was aired uncut on Encore
Westerns Channel separately from the series.

Sony did however surprisingly release respectively Matt Helm (1975, Tony Franciosa), The Outcasts (1968 Western starring Don Murray and Otis Young), and The Quest (1976 Western starring Kurt Russell and Tim Matheson before movies) in France, but not in the US. Matt Helm and Outcasts were ull Screen, The Quest in digital "small square" TV format, but all in English besides French. I have all three plus Gemini Man (1976, Ben Murphy) and The Sixth Sense (1972, Gary Collins) both from Universal (complete series) also released only in France.

Okay, if you thought what ABC-TV did was bad, when the late Jack Webb (Dragnet) retired from "the business", according to the author of his biography My Name Is Friday, he arranged to have all of his personal film prints of the various shows he created/produced destroyed because he was reportedly too cheap to continue paying storage costs for them. Of his series, Universal has only released complete Dragnet 60's, Adam-12 and Emergency officially on DVD. The rest are either lost or Universal won't release them.

And on the 1964 sitcom My Living Doll which was partially released in 2013 by MPI Home Video, the original 35 mm film prints were destroyed (water damage) in a 1994 earthquake in Northridge CA (water got in the vaults and the films were ruined) contrary to reports that producer/creator Jack Chertok of My Favorite Martian series fame burned them after CBS-TV cancelled the series because of low ratings. This was later proven by his estate to be false. A representative of Jack Chertok Productions who was on this forum (hope he still is) has been looking for the remaining 15 episodes surviving 16 mm. film prints for a Volume 2 of MLD but last I heard hasn't found them. He's come close but film collectors he's contacted won't help him and want more money than the company can pay.

Then there's the matter of the 1968-71 drama anthology The Name Of The Game (Universal). Those original film prints miraculously survived the 2008 studio film vault fire (only the music library was lost reportedly) and they still have them but refuse to pay the costs of remastering and restoring them for DVD ($6000-7000 per episode, there were 76 total, I have 63 episodes from TV airings and assorted collector sets). Also there are background music issues preventing a DVD release and about 40 episodes from airing on TV in syndication. In 2014 Timeless Media Group planned to release Season 1 but two people who owned music rights would not give their permission so the release was postponed then cancelled when Shout Factory acquired TMG in 2016. So all there is are 53 episode sets and 1966 pilot movie in the collectors market. That's it.

I recently learned on Home Theater Forum that the Glen Larson produced/created detective series Switch (1975-78) starring Robert Wagner and Eddie Albert the film print masters were burned in the same fire so that is why Switch isn't officially on DVD and only a 69 episode and pilot movie collector set is available anywhere minus the incomplete Season 2 episode Portraits Of Death (his copy was 18 minutes, it's missing the second half of the syndication TV film reel which is presumed lost). Again, a shame and a terrible loss. Those are from 90's US TV airings.

No wonder these older TV series are disappearing. Even the memories of them are fading. Some people don't remember them or watched them, my family for example. Nor do they care apparently. Only fans and collectors do it appears.

If I was in the TV business, I wouldn't stand for it. They restore old movies. The TV shows are just as important. They are part of our country's heritage and history and they deserve much better than they're getting especially from the studios and networks. Are you listening, Hollywood?

Thanks for reading and caring. Black Sheep One. :) (Robert Conrad fan) :)

Hi Black Sheep One"

I didn't know ABC did that! No masters or original films??!! As someone who works in tv I find that deplorable. I know I've been looking for The Farmer's Daughter (big William Windom fan. He was in the Lottery! episode I have in German). I have about 85 episodes and they're mostly syndicated prints of 16mm. CBN showed it in the 80s but censored some episodes as they weren't deemed Christian enough. Sony owns them and they were supposed to lend them to Antenna TV in 2011 but reneged. I think it's because the prints were damaged (original 35mm) and there are no masters. Such a shame. I think the Library of Congress should allow people to have access to the shows either during visits or online. Even if a person makes a request for something specific and has to pay a fee to do so. Thanks for the response!

Know where I can find the 7 episodes of Lottery?
pisodes 5-9, 11 and 15. Anyone?

I can't find Merlin. If you're out there hit me up about a trade for Lottery


If you can't find or contact Merlin, I have the same 10 episodes from him
and they're transferred to DVD now (from mp4). I have episodes 1-4,
10, 12-14 and 16-17 plus the original network promo for the series.
These are from original ABC-TV airings, not in great shape but watchable and under the "better than nothing" category.

I am missing 7 episodes total of the 17 that ABC-TV originally aired.
Need episodes 5-9, 11 and 15 in English. Willing to trade for these
if you or anyone else has them. It's extremely rare and collectors
I know don't even have it much less ever heard of or watched it.
At least I have over half of the series including an uncut version of
the pilot episode Being A Winner.

Hope to hear from you. Thanks.
Black Sheep One :)

If you can't find or contact Merlin, I have the same 10 episodes from him
and they're transferred to DVD now (from mp4). I have episodes 1-4,
10, 12-14 and 16-17 plus the original network promo for the series.
These are from original ABC-TV airings, not in great shape but watchable and under the "better than nothing" category.

I am missing 7 episodes total of the 17 that ABC-TV originally aired.
Need episodes 5-9, 11 and 15 in English. Willing to trade for these
if you or anyone else has them. It's extremely rare and collectors
I know don't even have it much less ever heard of or watched it.
At least I have over half of the series including an uncut version of
the pilot episode Being A Winner.

Hope to hear from you. Thanks.
Black Sheep One :)

I sent you my list before. I guess I don't have anything you are looking for.

I sent you my list before. I guess I don't have anything you are looking for.

Hi Silver,
Yes I did get your list in the PM when you asked about Fall Guy before.
I need to explain my current situation though; not going into too much
details but in August I was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer.
I'm undergoing treatment for it. At the present time I won't be able to
do anything trading or DVD related because of procedures, medical
appointments, budget and so forth (can only spend money on priority
things, of which DVD's are not included).

I also saw your recent want list of TV shows from the 80's and I was
amazed at the volume. I have a lot of shows ranging from the 50's
through the 90's on DVD mostly from retail and I basically have the
same series you do only more but unfortunately since they are retail
they can't either be copied or traded (the latter according to the rules
of the forum). I do have some collectors sets of shows but they are
from older TV series that not many here have expressed interest in
or apparently are familiar with. Then again 80's shows are now
considered "old" too and I was surprised you listed so many of them,
some of which I know about but not all.

One show on your 80's want list you did not list and I didn't see is
The Rousters 1983) starring Chad Everett and Jim Varney. I have
the complete series, all 13 episodes, recently remastered. I was
missing episodes and finally found them. I also have all 13 episodes
of The Devlin Connection (1982, Rock Hudson) as well; previously
collectors have only had 9. Trauma Center I have 11 episodes of
plus the Fall Guy crossover episode Trauma; I'm missing 2 episodes of it
(# 11-12, Line Of Fire, Win Or Lose that were unaired). You also do not
have the 1983 sitcom Small And Frye (Darren McGavin) listed; I have 3
episodes from CBS-TV airings, the first 3 of that series and looking for
the last 3. But most of what I have being retail can't be copied for
legal reasons. Just wanted you to know. It's not that I'm not interested
in trading, current circumstances I have no control over prevent me from
doing it right now, mostly medical. Thanks for understanding.

Black Sheep One :)

Hi, unfortunately Boston: False Illiusion is one of the 7 episodes of Lottery
that I'm currently missing and haven't been able to find. I just found 10
episodes from another source on this forum and he's looking for the same
7 too. We're missing episodes 5-9, 11, and 15.

Episode titles are as follows (do not have any of these):

5 Phoenix: Blood Brothers
6 Portland: Treasure Hunt
7 Kansas City: Protected Winner
8 Charleston: The Spenders
9 New York: Winning Can Be Murder
11 Boston: False Illusion
15 St. Louis: Win Or Lose

Presently member Merlin and I have 10 episodes:
1-4, 10, 12-14 and 16-17. That is all so far.

There are two other members who have 3 of the 7
missing episodes between them but I haven't heard
from either one of them as of yet.

According to online research, there were 8 episodes of Lottery released once upon a time on VHS home video
or so says Worldcat.org that might be in libraries in either film or VHS format. But I would be willing to bet that
if interested parties contacted any of them, they would not even know what the 1983 TV show Lottery was much
less be able to locate it even if they did have it there. Most people in the US have never even heard of or watched it
either originally on ABC-TV or in cable channel airings (late 80's). I do know for a fact that ABC-TV has disposed of
all their original source material for shows from the 80's (film prints/tapes) to make room in their storage vaults.
So from that network's point of view, the older shows are nothing more than trash to be disposed of. More of that
"out with the old, in with the new" junk that's being shoved down our throats today.

Wish I could be of more help. I think I'm doing well to have at least 10
of the total 17 episodes from Lottery at all. Thanks for writing.

Black Sheep One :)

Hi, unfortunately Boston: False Illiusion is one of the 7 episodes of Lottery
that I'm currently missing and haven't been able to find. I just found 10
episodes from another source on this forum and he's looking for the same
7 too. We're missing episodes 5-9, 11, and 15.

Episode titles are as follows (do not have any of these):

5 Phoenix: Blood Brothers
6 Portland: Treasure Hunt
7 Kansas City: Protected Winner
8 Charleston: The Spenders
9 New York: Winning Can Be Murder
11 Boston: False Illusion
15 St. Louis: Win Or Lose

If anyone has the above 7 episodes of Lottery! from 1983, please let me know either in reply to the post or by PM. Willing to trade for DVD's only. I don't have the technological expertise to do any downloads of TV show episodes. I was just barely able to download the 10 I did find as it is. That is an experience that I would prefer not to repeat if I can help it. Downloads are beyond my knowledge. DVD's I know about. Thanks.

Siblis and ajm, I know you have between you 3 of the missing 7 episodes which include Blood Brothers and Winning Can Be Murder. If you have any of the 7 in English please let me know. Any help at this point is greatly appreciated. Black Sheep One

Presently member Merlin and I have 10 episodes:
1-4, 10, 12-14 and 16-17. That is all so far.

There are two other members who have 3 of the 7
missing episodes between them but I haven't heard
from either one of them as of yet.

According to online research, there were 8 episodes of Lottery released once upon a time on VHS home video
or so says Worldcat.org that might be in libraries in either film or VHS format. But I would be willing to bet that
if interested parties contacted any of them, they would not even know what the 1983 TV show Lottery was much
less be able to locate it even if they did have it there. Most people in the US have never even heard of or watched it
either originally on ABC-TV or in cable channel airings (late 80's). I do know for a fact that ABC-TV has disposed of
all their original source material for shows from the 80's (film prints/tapes) to make room in their storage vaults.
So from that network's point of view, the older shows are nothing more than trash to be disposed of. More of that
"out with the old, in with the new" junk that's being shoved down our throats today.

Wish I could be of more help. I think I'm doing well to have at least 10
of the total 17 episodes from Lottery at all. Thanks for writing.

Black Sheep One :)