I just hopped over to "walnut times" and found this brand new bit of info:

DVDonDVD from Image Entertainment (http://www.thewalnuttimes.com/dvd.htm)

I don't know how Doug's set figures into this. But it looks like we will finally get what we've been waiting for.

B&W "Doug, please let us know what this means for your venture - I for one still want to support your vision for the set" fan

Well, B&WFan,
As I always say concerning those dvds, it's great news -- if it's true!

Steve

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve
Well, B&WFan,
As I always say concerning those dvds, it's great news -- if it's true!

Steve

Well, I'll have to agree with you there, Steve. Until I have the set in my hands, I'll have some doubts. But this sounds really encouraging.

If you notice, David is citing Calvada Productions with this news. On top of this, Doug did tell us that Brownstein was saying the first season would be released in September. And then there is also the news I heard about a month ago from another site where a vice president from Image said the first season set would be released in the third quarter of 2003. Then you have the mysterious Time Life stoppage.

When you add it all up, I believe this is pretty solid evidence that we will get the set in September. I feel real good about it this time.

Now, whether or not Doug is in on this is another story. We'll have to wait on word from him to find out.

B&W "I'm gonna start putting a little bit away now for the set - that's how confident I am that we'll see it happen this time" fan

This is good news. I will be preordering the first season as soon as they make it available.

I gave up on Doug a long time ago!!

Skinny

YESSSSSS!!!! They confirmed it on Larry King Live ...

In short ... we're all expecting ;) DVD on DVD


SIGN NOW ***SIGN NOW ***SIGN NOW ***SIGN NOW ***
http://www.petitiononline.com/DVDKCH03/petition.html
SIGN NOW ***SIGN NOW ***SIGN NOW ***SIGN NOW ***

Originally posted by skinny1

I gave up on Doug a long time ago!!

Skinny

I agree, Skinny. I hadn't given up on Doug, but I found his last post very discouraging. Who needs an ottoman, anyway? I will be pre-ordering this set also, as soon as TVonDVD.com announces it is available. I can't wait!!! Lolac :crazy:

The is a new news item at tvshowsondvd.com:

This morning the folks at DVDEmpire.com have set up a listing for The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season 1. Unfortunately they are very thin on details at the moment, only indicating that this will be a multi-disc set available on September 2, 2003 for a list price of $59.99. Thanks to James Reader for the heads-up!

Paul Brownstein Productions has the following to say at their TVClassics.com website (a.k.a. DickVanDyke.com) about this set:

"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" on DVD! The full-length network version of the series has never been seen since its original CBS broadcast in the '60s. Digitally remastered from the 35mm negatives, with over 3 extra minutes in each episode you've never seen on cable, plus exclusive bonus footage! Season One Boxed Set will be released in September by Image Entertainment.

When are you going to tell us how you fit into all of this Doug?

Christina

I received the following e-mail from TVShowsonDVD.com. In answer to your question, Christina, apparently Doug Denoff does not fit into this picture. I will be ordering this set. I can no longer wait for the Ottoman Collection. Lolac


We've added a news item for "Dick Van Dyke Show, The" to the site. Here it is:

Up for Preorder at DVDempire.com - 8:59 AM 5/09/2003
This morning the folks at DVDEmpire.com have set up a <a href="http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=532130&partner_id=11367434
" TARGET="DVDE">listing</a> for <i>The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season 1</i>. Unfortunately they are very thin on details at the moment, only indicating that this will be a multi-disc set available on September 2, 2003 for a list price of $59.99. Thanks to James Reader for the heads-up!<br>
<br>
Paul Brownstein Productions has the following to say at their <a href="http://www.tvclassics.com/" TARGET="TVC">TVClassics.com website (a.k.a. DickVanDyke.com)</a> about this set:<br>
<ul><i>"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" on DVD! The full-length network version of the series has never been seen since its original CBS broadcast in the '60s. Digitally remastered from the 35mm negatives, with over 3 extra minutes in each episode you've never seen on cable, plus exclusive bonus footage! Season One Boxed Set will be released in September by Image Entertainment.</i></ul><br>
<br>
They also have the following image there:<br>
<img src="http://www.tvclassics.com/images/DVDFront%20Angle.jpg" TARGET="TVC">
<br><br>
We will follow up with Image Entertainment, and post a release listing as soon as more details are available.<br>
<br>
Note that this apparently is NOT the "Ottoman" set that has been discussed at the <a href="http://www.dvdondvd.com/" TARGET="DVD">Dick Van Dyke on DVD (DVDonDVD.com, a.k.a. DickVanDykeShow.com) website</a> since 2001. There has been no update there yet on that subject.

You were sent this email because you have expressed having "Dick Van Dyke Show, The" released on DVD. If you no longer want to receive these emails you may change the setting in your User Options - "Change Account Information".

Gord Lacey - http://www.TVShowsOnDVD.com

I just went over to the TDVDS website and there at the top of the page is the announcement that TDVDS is coming out on DVD. However, it links you to Doug's description of the Ottoman Collection then provides a link which says "Write to us and reserve your collection." I wrote to him, all right, and said "How can I reserve my collection when there is no collection to reserve?" I think Doug is in desperation mode now. We have been patient for too long and this Paul Brownstein character apparantly has the rights to the show and is in fact releasing season 1 in September. You can pre-order the set now at a 20% discount at DVDEmpire.com. I can't wait any longer. I want TDVDS on DVD. And what's up with the Time-Life version!? Why did that suddenly disappear off the face of the earth? Just a few unanswered questions I felt deserved to be asked.

Lolac :livid:

Christina, you beat me to the punch on that one! Good job. You are probably like me - you check that site out every day (or get the email updates).

This looks to be pretty much a done deal now. DVDEmpire isn't gonna have a pre-order for something unless it's definite. Let's face it, this news has been out all over the place for a week now - both on TV and the internet. It's on several sites (including Walnut Times) and we can all rest assured it's gonna happen.

Now, as for Doug. I gotta say, I feel really bad for him. He came on here and, to the best of my knowledge, told us the entire truth about this whole 2 year fiasco. I believe it's very apparent that he couldn't get the legalities out of the way with all this.

Remember, he was at the mercy of Image to make the disks (and that company wasn't even his choice - nor would it have been mine). He expressed on numerous occasions how frustrated he was at the slowness of Image in making these discs. Remember, he could do nothing, legally, until the "Brownstein" set came out. He was utterly handcuffed to, and dependent upon, them.

At this point, I have to agree with Lolac that Doug is probably in desperate straights. He's doing all he can to try and keep people interested in his set (which still would have been the way to go if it could have panned out).

As I see it, and Doug can certainly come here and tell us differently, he can't create a set before Brownstein. It's both physically and legally impossible for him. So, whatever he does with the Ottoman Collection, it will be AFTER the Brownstein sets come out. His only hope is that people will be willing to wait for his set. Problem is, we don't know how long after these Image dvds come out that Doug will be able to get his set done. One month? Three months? Six months?

In all of this, I have supported Doug. At times, I've gotten quick replies to emails and felt good about supporting his set. At other times, I've gotten nothing but silence for months at a time from him. I realize he's in a tough spot, and probably hasn't always been able to tell us stuff. But it's frustrating to get no replies when someone is trying to support him and his project and plans to eventually spend serious money on a set he wants to create.

Bottom line is this: Unless Doug can give me some DEFINITIVE answers (including release dates) for his set, I, like most of you, will end up getting these sets from Image. And time is running out.

B&W "this whole thing has been very frustrating - I'm just glad it's coming to an end and we will have the opportunity to get Season 1 in September" fan

Originally posted by B&W fan
Bottom line is this: Unless Doug can give me some DEFINITIVE answers (including release dates) for his set, I, like most of you, will end up getting these sets from Image. And time is running out.

I couldn't have said it better myself, B&W. I also have supported Doug through all of this, but the silence is frustrating. This is the bottom line for me, also. Lolac :cow:

Since the image for the DVD cover art that was previously posted was not working for me, I will see if I can post it, a WARNING that the picture is a bit BIG, but I thought you would like to see in fine detail:

"The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Complete First Season" on DVD Cover Art:

http://www.tvclassics.com/images/DVDFront%20Angle.jpg

These things take so much time and effort to bring to fruition. And as we all know, it's not what you know, but who you know in show biz. Maybe this other guy had business and/or legal connections that Doug didn't, I don't know, but it seems to me that the more dvd sets that are released, the less likely the later releases are to sell. For example, I have all available T/L discs already, so the "Brownstein" set doesn't appeal to me, except as it picks up where T/L left off. The same will be true, generally speaking, for Doug's set, if it ever gets distributed.
By the way, I think the initial burn for T/L's set had such a poor response, that they decided to discontinue it and not create new releases. The ugly truth is, gang, if we want the whole 158 episodes to ever be released, we have to support whoever is publishing dvds. That's the only way they'll get the green light to publish the next batch. It's just the way it works in publishing today. The T/L set is one example, and so, possibly, is the MTMS set.

Steve

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve
. The ugly truth is, gang, if we want the whole 158 episodes to ever be released, we have to support whoever is publishing dvds. That's the only way they'll get the green light to publish the next batch. It's just the way it works in publishing today. The T/L set is one example, and so, possibly, is the MTMS set.

Steve


Say it ain't so, Steve! You mean we're not going to get all of TMTMS? I've been waiting for season 2 to come out! Lolac

Originally posted by Lolac



Say it ain't so, Steve! You mean we're not going to get all of TMTMS? I've been waiting for season 2 to come out! Lolac

Yeah, it doesn't look too good for season 2 of TMTMS. :crying: I agree with Steve, having seen what happened to TMTMS. All we can do is support whoever brings them out on DVD to show that the fans actually want them.

Kristen

A couple more points:

1) The MTMS 1st Season set (which I bought) didn't sell very well, and FOX indicated that was the reason for no 2nd Season set. It might happen down the road, but it isn't slated for release yet, even though FOX initially thought the response would be great and set an early 2003 release for a 2nd set. Didn't happen, unfortunately.

2) The DVDS set is interesting in that, according to Doug, Mr. Brownstein is all about money and initially didn't believe a full boxed set would sell. So my question is this:

"Is Brownstein/Image fully committed to releasing all 5 seasons as David (from the Walnut Times) says will happen over the course of this year and next?"

What if Season 1 doesn't sell fantastically? Does that mean Brownstein/Image will hold off putting the other seasons out? I hope not, but it's certainly a possibility.

Now, here is where I really hoped Doug's "Ottoman" set would get off the ground. See, Doug was/is committed to getting the ENTIRE show on dvd. I don't think money is the focus as much with him as it is with Brownstein/Image. And that' why I'm bummed he didn't get his set going.

B&W "with Doug, we knew we'd get every episode; with Brownstein, we may only get one season" fan

Originally posted by B&W fan
Now, here is where I really hoped Doug's "Ottoman" set would get off the ground. See, Doug was/is committed to getting the ENTIRE show on dvd. I don't think money is the focus as much with him as it is with Brownstein/Image. And that' why I'm bummed he didn't get his set going.

B&W "with Doug, we knew we'd get every episode; with Brownstein, we may only get one season" fan

Again, well said, B&W fan. Makes me think twice about wanting to purchase this set if Doug can let us know when he will be releasing his. I want all 158 episodes. I've, we've, been waiting years for this. Lolac

:cow:

Kinda going back to what I mentioned before (but expanding on it a little).

I wouldn't be so quick to "ice" Doug out on this thing just yet. Remember, it wasn't Doug's idea to do the Time/Life thing (which was a horrible idea to begin with). Nor was it Doug's idea to let Image doing the disk manufacturing (another horrible choice). These decisions were made by Brownstein, and I can't believe he had the interest of us fans in mind when he made those choices.

Look, Doug may yet have a big part to play in this saga. As I said, what if Brownstein/Image aren't committed to getting the whole series out? What if they plan on testing the market by only releasing Season One and then, based on sales, decide the rest of the set isn't worth doing (ala the MTM 1st Season set)?

If that happens, Doug can and will be able to get Image to finish the entire run and offer us all the episodes. In fact, if it happened that way, we might get all 158 episodes quicker.

This is what I mean. Right now we know that Brownstein/Image has tentative plans to release the remaining four seasons over the course of 2004 (probably one set each quarter). But if they decide not to continue, and Doug takes over, we might get the whole shabang by March of next year. Reason is, Doug isn't gonna wait to give Image the go ahead on production. He'll get them to manufacture the whole set all at once. Right now, with Brownstein in charge, the pace may be intentionally being kept slow.

Remember, Doug has said on more than one occasion that he can't understand what's taking Image so long. Maybe Brownstein is behind that slow pace. Because to be honest, if Image has been working on this as long as we think, they should have been done long ago! Something is slowing up the pace?!!

Ok, that's enough. I just wanted to encourage everyone from burning bridges with Doug. I don't think it's fair to him, and we may yet need him to get this set finished!

B&W "this has been one long, wild ride" fan

Originally posted by B&W fan
I just wanted to encourage everyone from burning bridges with Doug. I don't think it's fair to him, and we may yet need him to get this set finished!

B&W "this has been one long, wild ride" fan


Ah, B&WFan, our cool voice of reason, again making good sense. Ok, B&W, I'm willing to give Doug the benefit of the doubt on this because I know it has been an uphill battle for him, but don't you think he should be keeping us updated on what's going on? After all, aren't we the fan base he is trying to hold on to? If we don't know what is going on with his collection, what is to stop us from ordering the Brownstein set just to have something? I am willing to wait for Doug's set if I know I'm going to get all 158 episodes, but I need to know that that is really going to happen. I need to know that Doug is fighting for this and fighting for us. Doug Denoff, we need to hear from you. I have not pre-ordered yet, because I want to know I am going to be able to get all 158 episodes. Give us a reason not to jump ship, Doug! Lolac


:seeya:

Lolac,

You are 100% correct!!! I was going to post "the other side" of things later this afternoon and say exactly what you said (good job).

Doug most assuredly could have done a better job at keeping us, his target base, informed of all that has been happening. For instance, I realize we all are busy, but I feel that if he wants any of us to make a big money commitment to his project, he should be willing to answer emails.

Heck, even if he didn't have any more news, he could have responded to a couple of my emails with just a "Hello" and a "Thanks for the continued support - I'll keep you updated."

And his site needed to be, and still needs to be, updated with SOMETHING on a regular basis.

I certainly wasn't trying to imply that you, I, or anyone else should email him and say "reserve my ottoman set." He hasn't shown me enough to do that. I believe, like you Lolac, that this was a "desperation mode" move for Doug in the light of last week's revelation about the 1st Season Boxed Set coming out in September. But without cold, hard facts about what is going on, I'm not gonna tell Doug that I'll bypass the September release in favor of some distant, unverified set by him.

Again, great job Lolac. I think between all the posts in this thread, we've all been quite fair about the different possibilities and told both sides of things (both positive and negative about the "ottoman set").

B&W "Doug absolutely needs to tell us something (whether it be here or at his site via an update) if he doesn't want people to buy this upcoming release because he can match it with something better" fan

:thanks: Thank you, B&WFan! The ball is now in Doug Denoff's court. If he wants that Ottoman Collection to sell, he is going to have to sell it to us. Lolac



present:

I went back to The Dick Van Dyke Show web site and read more carefully what Doug had written there. This is dated May 4, 2003:

WMA offered us a settlement which is hardly worth discussing, (and not consistent with their offer of settlement 6 months ago) but without knowing all the facts of what's going on we can't evaluate it, so we're requested all the information on their dealings with Brownstein, Image Entertainment, Time-Life any any other involved parties.

Brownstein is still claiming publicly that his company s releasing the DVD's, which is not consistent with WMA's claim that the choice was between my original offer and that of Image Entertainment.

Please feel free to email me at doug@dickvandykeshow.com. I hope you will support my original goals and look forward to bringing you the product as originally intended"

So, Doug is still in the thick of all of this and still is trying to release the Ottoman Collection. Whew. This is tiresome but I hope it will be worth it in the end. Lolac,

:confused:


P.S. I e-mailed Doug at that link and let him know that many of us are willing to hang in there with him if he'll just let us know what is going on.

Here is the reply I received from Doug Denoff:

the ottoman collection will absolutely happen. It's in the Image Entertainment contracts with Brownstein. regardless of what brownstein pulls, we're going to make sure that this goes right. Dad and Carl already spoke. it may kill me, but i'm going to make this happen.

doug



I'm willing to wait. I want all 158 episodes. Lolac

Ruth Englehart at WMA brought Brownstein in to work on MY project (the whole 158 episodes). Brownstein solicited Image's bid for US (meaning my venture). Then he and wma cut a deal which excluded me from the piecemeal release, but provided that I would be able to purchase the Image discs at cost to make a full collection.

Brownstein didn't pay a dime for the rights. WMA gave him the right to step in my place (when he was supposed to be my partner) and that's why I'm suing. WMA ADMITS THAT THEY DID THIS! After all, the blurb on Larry King didn't say that Calvada or Image Entertainment is releasing the show - they said Brownstein was - yet the SOB didn't pay a nickel. Image paid Calvada for the rights and WMA put brownstein in the middle - probably with some inside deal back to WMA.

They claim the Image bid was a competing bid to my bid, yet Brownstein sent me, and WMA, an email telling us all that WE would be getting a bid from image. That's the nail in their coffin. If we were competing, why would he send me Image's bid?

And the reason I can't commit to a date is because all the manufacturing is being done by Image. They haven't even STARTED on seasons 2-5. And you're all right - they just may release season 1 and then pull the plug on the rest - just what you're all afraid of.

If you all want to buy season 1, and then buy anything else from me, I won't force you to buy season 1 again.

believe what you want, but I've been the only honorable one in this whole project.

doug.

Doug,

Thank you so much for that update! I can't speak for others, but little updates like this make me more than willing to stand by your venture and stick it to Brownstein!

I guess my one question to you would be this: Would you be willing to release the sets Season by Season as Image made them? Or do you plan on only waiting until all 158 are done to offer the set?

I have a suggestion. If you can get the disks as they are being manufactured, and make available to us Season by Season sets (like what Brownstein is attempting), I think most folks would buy from you. This way, there wouldn't be a big time gap between what Brownstein offers and what you will offer. Just a thought, and maybe you can't do it for legal reasons I'm unaware of.

FWIW, I'm still in your corner, and I believe if you keep us updated, the vast majority of folks will back you! We all may not be able to afford the deluxe "Ottoman" collection, but I believe most folks would buy season sets from your site!

Thanks again for clearing things up for us!

B&W "keeping my fingers crossed for this to work out for Doug" fan

speaking for myself and my father, i'm certainly grateful for the loyalty of this group.

i will see what I can do with your suggestions on Monday morning by contacting Image. I can't guarantee they'll be wise, but I CAN guarantee that they'll know what they're getting into.

have a good weekend all.

hope you all had a good weekend.

we're going to be selling the first season on our website at the same time it's released everywhere else. so you can buy at http://www.dickvandykeshow.com and remain loyal.

i suspect that the reason that image is not releasing all seasons all at once is one of money. as many of you have suspected, they may need the profits from season one to invest in producing the next one. of course you may be right that they may also be 'testing the waters' to gauge response.

when I speak with them i'll hopefully find out more.

it was my theory in very early discussions with WMA that releasing a hit like DVDS as a package all at once will get a MUCH better response than parcelling it out season by season. you get people when they are excited. the timing of the 40th anniversary (now past) and all the promo of Larry King, Gin Game, and the special events we were planning would create a momentum which would make buying all 158 episodes at once an exciting prospect.

you've all proven my theory.

doug

Great news, Doug! I'm with you on this one and hope that the news from Image is good.

B&W "btw, please continue to assure us that regardless of what Image says, you will get us all 158 - I need to keep hearing it" fan :crazy:

right now, image is the only entity physically manufacturing the discs.

so our ability to sell seasons 2-5 is dependent presently on them. on the plus side, i must admit that with the exception of the Paul Brownstein logo at the end of each episode and his and his family's credits everywhere, the discs and the content are pretty good. at least using the Time-Life set as a barometer.

i was pleased (and suprised), that when watching Coast to Coast Big Mouth, for example, there is a link to the bonus feature which is a clip from the Emmy Awards show where Eva Gabor and Bob Crane (Hogan/Autofocus) present Bill Persky and Sam Denoff with their writing Emmys.

if I can somehow accelerate the manufacturing, I will certainly do so.

Originally posted by ddenoff

when I speak with them i'll hopefully find out more.

it was my theory in very early discussions with WMA that releasing a hit like DVDS as a package all at once will get a MUCH better response than parcelling it out season by season. you get people when they are excited. the timing of the 40th anniversary (now past) and all the promo of Larry King, Gin Game, and the special events we were planning would create a momentum which would make buying all 158 episodes at once an exciting prospect.

you've all proven my theory.

doug


When do you meet with Image, Doug? And I agree with you about the timing of the release. I really, really want all 158 episodes!! I don't want to be stuck with an incomplete collection. Thanks for your updates and please keep us updated on any further progress!
Lolac



:wave:

This is depressing news.

Doug, in all honesty, you have one shot at this and you had better take it. You need to get with your lawyer and file an injunction against Brownstein immediately.

There's just no way dueling sets of the same material are both going to sell. And no way single-season sets are going to sell for $60 anyway. That's way out of whack with what the rest of the industry is charging. Is that a figure Brownstein is using to try and sabotage the series? As much as I love DVD, that's just not a cost-effective purchase decision even for me.

With all this material competing and all these unpleasant fights, I don't see how Image would want to press seasons 2 and up.

You need to unite Calvada, get them talking about this, and you need to stop Brownstein from getting that set out.

It's disappointing that MTM didn't sell well. Maybe if Fox had actually publicized it, people would have been aware it existed. These things don't just magically sell themselves, even with a good fan base. You know, spend money to make money? Screwing the fans over by promising a season 2 and not delivering was a poor long-term decision as well. Now they'll have a harder time getting fans enthusiastic about future releases. And this well-written, pre-political correctness-b.s., "classic" television is an absolute gold mine if properly publicized. If Fox and the others had clue one what they were doing, every video store in the country would have a shelf completely dedicated to classic television.

Very depressing. I wish there was something I can do, it just seems like no one has a clue how to market this material.

Joe, you are so right. marketing is everything. after all, Good Times Entertainmenet had the DVDS on VHS in 1995. they sold a handful of copies. of course, this was pre-internet.

The original plan, tying the 40th anniversary with the release, would have been more spectacular. I was in discussions with the Smithsonian about an even (to be taped for broadcast as a special) to put some of the memorabilia in the permanent collection alongside Fonzie's leather jacket.

But publicity surrounding The Gin Game and all the desire for nostalgic TV, combined with all the articles about the lack of good Sitcoms, can still be used well, and I intend to do so.

At this point, it's not battling collections. It's multiple sources of product and that's not really terrible. We'll just be better than the others at promoting it.

But an injunction is in the works.

Doug.

er...that's EVENT. not 'even'.

and I can spell Entertainment. just can't type this morning.

Originally posted by ddenoff
At this point, it's not battling collections. It's multiple sources of product and that's not really terrible. We'll just be better than the others at promoting it.

But an injunction is in the works.

Doug.

Doug, are you saying that you are trying to legally stop the 1st Season set from coming out in September, or do you mean something else by "an injunction"? Just wondering. While I'm with you 100%, I'd kinda hate to see a seasonal set pushed back, time wise, again.

What I'd love to see is you getting the "rights" (or however it needs to be phrased to be legally correct) to this 1st Season set and it STILL come out in September! I will buy the set from you (and I'm sure others will too), but I honestly cringe at the thought of getting nothing in September. I'm sure you understand that. Most of us have waited so long for something (I'm not even counting Time/Life), that we hate to see another release date come and go.

Hope all is working out for you. Thanks for the updates.

B&W "any news from Image themselves yet, Doug?" fan

The DVD case is awesome looking!!! I am so buying it when it comes out!

Originally posted by Joe F
It's disappointing that MTM didn't sell well. Maybe if Fox had actually publicized it, people would have been aware it existed. These things don't just magically sell themselves, even with a good fan base... If Fox and the others had clue one what they were doing, every video store in the country would have a shelf completely dedicated to classic television.
Joe F,
I couldn't agree with you more. I recently remarked to another board member that if the MTM set had had 1/4 of the marketing of those "Girls Gone Wild" videos, it would have been a success. And there's no reason why so many long running, obviously well loved, Classic TV series don't have a special place on the shelves of video stores, except for the lack of vision by their owners, and the people involved in marketting these items.

Steve

Originally posted by *ShortCake*
The DVD case is awesome looking!!! I am so buying it when it comes out!

I'm definately buying it too, if I have the money when it comes out! I can't wait for September...