DVD Request for SHOUT! Factory: "Fernwood 2-Night: The Complete Series"

[bengay]

Dear Brian,

I have a proposal for SHOUT! Factory: to make a deal with Sony Pictures Domestic Television Distribution for SHOUT! to release a brand-new DVD compilation titled "Fernwood 2-Night: The Complete Series," showcasing all 130 half-hour episodes of the hit 1977-1978 satirical sitcom "Fernwood 2-Night" complete, uncut and unedited, just the way that they originally aired on the Syndicated Television Network.

Created by Norman Lear, "Fernwood 2-Night" was a satirical sitcom spoof of late-night talk shows a la Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin and Jimmy Kimmel.

On "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," Martin Mull portrayed Garth Gimble, who in late 1976 killed himself on an aluminum Christmas Tree in his Closet; on "Fernwood 2-Night," Martin Mull starred as Barth Gimble, Garth's identical twin brother, with Fred Willard as his idiot of a late-night sidekick, Jerry Hubbard.

Rounding out the main cast of the show was Frank DeVol (the writer of such iconic TV theme songs as "My Three Sons" and "The Brady Bunch") as bandleader Happy Kyne.

After its first season, Jerry Hubbard carried over into "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (which after Louise Lasser's 1977 departure became "Forever Fernwood" in its 2nd season), appearing as Country Singer Loretta Haggers' (Mary Kay Place) manager, in a 2nd season that lasted 6 months.

In April 1978, after "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" ceased production, Norman Lear decided to have "Fernwood 2-Night" come back for a 2nd season, renaming it "America 2-Night" and changing the setting from Fernwood, Ohio to Alta Coma, California, the world's Furniture Capital.

During this 2nd season, many Showbiz celebrities appeared as themselves, among them Charlton Heston, Rob Reiner, Sherman Hemsley and Shari Lewis.

Since SHOUT! already released the Complete Series Library of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," I suggest SHOUT! follow suit with the complete "Fernwood 2-Night" Series DVD with a tentative release date of November 29, 2016 at a cost of $50.00 wherever DVDs are sold.

Reruns of "Fernwood 2-Night" aired on Nick at Nite from April 2, 1990 - April 2, 1993 and resurfaced on sister network TV Land in 2002.

Sincerely,
Ben Gay

[Dave_L]

I'd rather see Shout Factory release Forever Fernwood, which picks up where the already available MH, MH left off.

[stevearino]

Dear Brian,

I have a proposal for SHOUT! Factory: to make a deal with Sony Pictures Domestic Television Distribution for SHOUT! Factory to issue, for the first time EVER on Home Video, "Fernwood 2-Night: The Complete Series," showcasing all 130 half-hour episodes of the cult hit '70s sitcom "Fernwood 2-Night" 100% Complete, 100% Uncut, AND 100% Unedited, just the way that they originally aired on the Syndicated Television Network (First-Run Syndication).

Created by Norman Lear, "Fernwood 2-Night" was a satirical sitcom spoof of late-night talk shows that spun off from the satirical sitcom soap opera parody "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (the Complete Series library of which is already out on DVD).

On "MH2," Martin Mull appeared as Garth Gimble, a wife beater who killed himself on an aluminum Christmas tree in the closet; on "F2N," Martin appeared as Garth's identical twin, Barth Gimble, the host of a fictional local late-night talk show titled "Fernwood 2-Night," where he was joined by buffoonery sidekick/announcer Jerry Hubbard (Fred Willard) and fictional bandleader Happy Kyne (Frank DeVol) and the Mirthmakers.

As a 1977 Summer Replacement for 'MH2" (in its 2nd season renamed "Forever Fernwood" in September 1977 after Louise Lasser's departure from the show), the ratings for the show were, at best, Marginal; however, in April 1978, after retiring "Forever Fernwood/MH2," Norman Lear brought "Fernwood 2-Night" back on the air for a 2nd season, changing the setting from the fictional town of Alta Coma, California and renaming the series "America 2-Night," with the show-within-a-show airing on the fictional UBS Television Network, while the real show continued in first-run Syndication; after voluntarily calling it a night with "Fernwood 2-Night," Norman Lear decided to, in the Series Finale telecast, have Martin Mull and Fred Willard appear as both themselves AND their "F2N" characters Barth Gimble and Jerry Hubbard.

Reruns of "Fernwood 2-Night" aired on Nickelodeon from April 2, 1990 - April 2, 1993, after which the reruns were seen on sister network TV Land in 2002.

Tentatively, SHOUT! Factory shall issue all 130 episodes of "Fernwood 2-Night" for the first time ever on DVD on June 4, 2019 at a cost of only $29.99 wherever DVDs are sold.

Sincerely,
Steve Arino

[1960'sTVfan]

In my opinion, Fernwood 2-Night is garbage but I would like to see the complete series of Forever Fernwood be released on DVD. Mary Hartman was released as a complete series, so Forever Fernwood needs to be released also.