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January 27, 2004 04:48 PM US Eastern Timezone

TV Guide Inks New Licensing Deal; Falcon Picture Group To License TV Guide Brand for Collection of DVDs Featuring Classic Television Programming To Be Distributed by Genius Products

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2004--
First DVD Collection to Hit Retail Stores in September 2004

TV Guide Publishing Group Inc., the worldwide leader in television entertainment news and information for more than 50 years, announced today it signed a new licensing deal with Falcon Picture Group, bringing its powerful brand and expertise in on-screen entertainment to the fast-growing genre of TV shows on DVD.

Under the multi-year deal with Falcon Picture Group, the Schaumburg, Ill.-based maker of DVDs, TV Guide will license a variety of TV Guide brand assets for use in the products and packaging of Falcon Picture Group's newest line, TV Guide brand classic television shows on DVD. Targeting all ages, these DVDs will utilize TV Guide's brand leadership and expertise for a line of digitally remastered classic television shows.

Through its exclusive distribution agreement with Genius Products (OTCBB:GNPI), Falcon Picture Group is developing the first collection of 12 TV Guide brand DVDs, which will include "digitally remastered" classic television programming featuring The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lucy Show, The Milton Berle Show, The Burns & Allen Show, You Bet Your Life, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The Red Skelton Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza and others. TV Guide brand DVDs will also feature famous Christmas episodes from a variety of series; Unaired Pilot episodes from series including The Munsters, Sea Hunt and others; the best in Sci-Fi and Western programming; and others to be determined. Genius Products will work with major retail outlets to distribute the first collection of 12 DVDs to retail stores in September 2004.

Great news! I was thrilled to see Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on the list.

WOW, that IS great news, thanks for the heads up!

Cool! Any news on whether or not these will be in season sets, or just more mix-n-match California episode compilations?

Wow, lots of good shows. Hope they do Ann Sothern's shows too and Love that Bob!

Hey Pat, if ever you want another tape from me, i can include Lucy's guest shot on Ann's show, i have that one! Ann was the one who convinced Lucy to use that lift contraption and Gene Hibbs make up to look so much younger without the need for an actual face lift! Ann Sothern always looked so young, but she was on the chubby side. A break for her meant scoops of ice cream with cookies and fudge topping and she then said she felt a little better after a little sugar. Cuba didn't have that much sugar!:lol:

You know I remember seeing that Ann Sothern show when they were broadcasting it on Christian Broadcasting network (now defunct, how I wished I had recorded more shows!) and tried to bid on it on Ebay but lost the bid. I would love to have that episode but I don't know what else to have you put on the tape.

PM me, i have many many things that can go on there, shows, specials, documentaries, little clips, guest shots, quiz and talk shows, movies, you name it, all i need for you to do is tell me everything that was on your FIRST tape so i don't repeat anything.;)

This is off topic, but I thought what Splain said about Ann Sothern was a bit disrespectful...a person's weight and/or eating habits has nothing to do with who they really are...

I mean, at least Ann didn't go hit the cigs and down some scotch like Lucy always did...:o

I don't think Splain meant any disrespect for Ann Sothern. I think the words just didn't come out like he was thinking, you know how you think one thing and the words come out wrong.

Splain, I need to find my Lucy tape, I think I might have packed it away since I packed some boxes last summer thinking we were moving and then my hubby had a bad accident and was laid up for months. Now we're house hunting again, so I may not find it for a while!

I have always LOVED Ann Sothern, and told that story because i had just read it, i thought it was funny, being over 50 myself i KNOW how hard it is to keep the weight off, so i would never make fun of Ann or any other person having difficulty keeping the pounds off, i just thought her thinking was funny, she was a close friend of Lucy's to the end and she was the one that got her to use that lift thing her whole life which proplonged Lucy's career, you bringing up Scotch for Lucy is worse if you ask me. Thanks Pat, please contact me for a tape, YOU deserve one.

<<<"digitally remastered" classic television programming featuring The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lucy Show, The Milton Berle Show, The Burns & Allen Show, You Bet Your Life, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The Red Skelton Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza and others. TV Guide brand DVDs will also feature famous Christmas episodes from a variety of series; Unaired Pilot episodes from series including The Munsters, Sea Hunt and others; the best in Sci-Fi and Western programming; and others to be determined.

I'M JUST A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS. A LOT OF THESE TITLES SEEM TO BE THE ONES I SEE A LOT IN THE BARGAIN BIN WITH THE SAME HANDFUL OF PUBLIC DOMAIN EPISODES WE SEE ALL THE TIME, FOR INSTANCE THE 6 EPISODES OF DICK VAN DYKE THAT INCLUDE A MAN'S TEETH ARE NOT HIS OWN, THE BANKBOOK EPISODE, ETC. AND WHY WOULD TV GUIDE NEED TO ISSUE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW DVDS WHEN THE ENTIRE SERIES IS IN THE PROCESS OF COMING OUT, CONCLUDING WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO? I SEE MANY PD ANDY GRIIFTH DVDS, SAME FOR LUCY SHOW, MILTON BERLE, BURNS & ALLEN, BEV HILLBILLIES, ETC.

I HAVE A 3 VHS SET OF CHRISTMAS EPISODES FROM MOSTLY 50S SHOWS TOO. THE UNAIRED PILOTS PART OF THE NEWS STORY SOUNDS NEW AND INTERESTING BUT I AM SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE OTHER TITLES MENTIONED.

WELL, SEPTEMBER WE WILL KNOW.

Ooh, never thought of that, let's hope they are new ones!

TV Guy,


Will this offer be available in Canada? I might as well start lining up now! I can't wait 'till Sept!