Comments on Brady Bunch DVD Restoration - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Jack1000 · 07-23-2005, 04:52 AM

Guys,

(Feel free to add to this list as subsequent seasons are released.)

I think considering that we are dealing with a 35 year old show, that Paramount did a very good job on the Season 1 restoration. Sharpness and clarity, while not perfect, I think are well-above average. However, as a sidenote, I think my first two season DVD's of Gilligan's Island look cleaner, image-wise.

I haven't gone through all of the episodes yet, but there are only a few spots where you can tell a "back up" (i.e 16 mm print was used) instead of the original film when they restored the cuts. (Notice in particular in "Father of the Year" when Cindy and Jan are looking for Marcia downstars and tell Carol and Alice they came down for a drink of water. You can see that this scene may have been pulled very early from syndication and that a 16mm print was used. Mike and Carol scanning in the boys' bedrooms looks a little better, but not much. The Alice Skiing sequence I think was even SHORTENED when it was on syndication/TBS. (I don't remember the boys doing all that prep work to get her up on the hayloft.) I think from what I remember from syndication, it always started with her up on the loft.

You can also see the "back up" prints used in TV Land's version of "Bobby's Hero" when Bobby is chasing Cindy in the backyard, pretending to be Jessie James.

Do you think that Paramount couldn't find the original master negatives, or actually did the cuts FROM the original negatives when the series went through its first syndicate cycle in the mid 1970's? It would seem that Paramount would have all of their shows uncut in a vault. BUT considering that people have said that the releases of the uncut Columbia House Brady Bunch Tapes had the same effect in some episodes, I think that they could have done the cuts from the original masters. Even if they couldn't find the original negatives, the consequence is the same. What other scenes do you think show where they used a back-up print on the DVD, or even in TV Land's version?

But not to complain, because we ARE (or will) eventually have fully-restored, uncut Brady Bunch episodes on DVD! That's what's important to the shows' loyal fans!

Jack

falc04 · 07-23-2005, 07:54 AM

Good post Jack. I agree with you on the spots in 'Father Of The Year' that were obvious 16mm portions. I have read elsewhere that when Paramount started releasing their TV shows to DVDs, they would look to see if the Columbia House prints were available first, before going into the vault. Since these prints were readily available, if was easier for them just to utilize them first. If the show in question had not been released via Columbia House yet (like maybe 'The Brady Brides'), then they would search for the original masters.

Like you mentioned, I'm just happy to have these seasons being released, and in (apparently) pretty good condition.

07-23-2005, 04:52 AM	#1
Jack1000 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 05, 2001 Posts: 2,055	Comments on Brady Bunch DVD Restoration Guys, (Feel free to add to this list as subsequent seasons are released.) I think considering that we are dealing with a 35 year old show, that Paramount did a very good job on the Season 1 restoration. Sharpness and clarity, while not perfect, I think are well-above average. However, as a sidenote, I think my first two season DVD's of Gilligan's Island look cleaner, image-wise. I haven't gone through all of the episodes yet, but there are only a few spots where you can tell a "back up" (i.e 16 mm print was used) instead of the original film when they restored the cuts. (Notice in particular in "Father of the Year" when Cindy and Jan are looking for Marcia downstars and tell Carol and Alice they came down for a drink of water. You can see that this scene may have been pulled very early from syndication and that a 16mm print was used. Mike and Carol scanning in the boys' bedrooms looks a little better, but not much. The Alice Skiing sequence I think was even SHORTENED when it was on syndication/TBS. (I don't remember the boys doing all that prep work to get her up on the hayloft.) I think from what I remember from syndication, it always started with her up on the loft. You can also see the "back up" prints used in TV Land's version of "Bobby's Hero" when Bobby is chasing Cindy in the backyard, pretending to be Jessie James. Do you think that Paramount couldn't find the original master negatives, or actually did the cuts FROM the original negatives when the series went through its first syndicate cycle in the mid 1970's? It would seem that Paramount would have all of their shows uncut in a vault. BUT considering that people have said that the releases of the uncut Columbia House Brady Bunch Tapes had the same effect in some episodes, I think that they could have done the cuts from the original masters. Even if they couldn't find the original negatives, the consequence is the same. What other scenes do you think show where they used a back-up print on the DVD, or even in TV Land's version? But not to complain, because we ARE (or will) eventually have fully-restored, uncut Brady Bunch episodes on DVD! That's what's important to the shows' loyal fans! Jack

07-23-2005, 07:54 AM	#2
falc04 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 12, 2004 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 161	Good post Jack. I agree with you on the spots in 'Father Of The Year' that were obvious 16mm portions. I have read elsewhere that when Paramount started releasing their TV shows to DVDs, they would look to see if the Columbia House prints were available first, before going into the vault. Since these prints were readily available, if was easier for them just to utilize them first. If the show in question had not been released via Columbia House yet (like maybe 'The Brady Brides'), then they would search for the original masters. Like you mentioned, I'm just happy to have these seasons being released, and in (apparently) pretty good condition.