Your Feelings on N@N Only Showing the B&W Episodes - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Adamantium · 04-07-2006, 06:59 PM

When "Bewitched" first came to N@N and for years after, they only aired the first two, black and white seasons. For those of you who watched it on N@N, what were your feelings about that? I wasn't a fan at the time, so I didn't really care. Although now looking back, I think it's kind of strange to only show two seasons of an 8 season show.

However, this way they didn't have to deal with two versions of Darrin, Gladys and Louise. And they also didn't go into Tabitha (except for when she was a little baby).

The first time they showed seasons 3 - 8 was during their "Dueling Darrins" marathon week. And then after that, they continued showing all 8 seasons.

Dr. Thong · 04-07-2006, 07:23 PM

That doesn't surprise me in a way, because when N@N began airing Happy Days in the '90s, they wouldn't show anything beyond the seventh season (not that that's a bad thing). But as I recall it was a long time before they went beyond those years.

Maybe they only purchased the rights to the first two seasons or something like that.

Mr. Television · 04-07-2006, 07:38 PM

the first 2 seasons were the best years anyway but I'm always for showing all episodes of a series no matter how bad they are.

Adamantium · 04-07-2006, 07:46 PM

I remember that treatment for "Happy Days." They also had a week long marathon for that too "Chachi-Nated or De-Chachi-Nated". And from then on they showed all the episodes.

I wonder if N@N had shown M*A*S*H back then, if they would only have shown the first three seasons for years.

frankenmyrrh · 04-07-2006, 08:10 PM

The reason N@N initially showed only the first two seasons is that for many years, only the color episodes had been shown in syndication -- which meant that many viewers had never seen the first two (and best two) seasons. So N@N bought the first two seasons because they weren't in most syndication packages at the time.

benjamoon · 04-09-2006, 07:01 PM

I loved it because they were by far the two best seasons of Bewitched. I remember being mad though when N@N bought the color package in 1998 and stopped airing the B&W episodes in the regular rotation. It kinda defeated their purpose of airing it from the beginning, which was one of their reasons they listed for airing the B&W episodes in their Classic TV Companion book

treky · 04-10-2006, 01:00 AM

I remember when N@N started airing it, I didn't even know there were black and white episodes.

TV Knowledge Fan · 05-10-2006, 04:06 PM

....played only the first two seasons of "BEWITCHED" (the black & white episodes) in the mid-'90s was because that's ALL they could get the rights to!!

Don't forget, the color episodes were still playing in syndication [via the "DFS Program Exchange" on behalf of their #1 client, General Mills] AND on "SuperStation WTBS" at the same time. They had the "exclusive" rights to show those episodes, and didn't want the earlier ones (neither did DFS, which left them out of the "package"). Nick At Nite DID, and had to wait until TBS' contract with DFS was up before they could show the rest of the series! Eventually, Columbia Pictures Television struck new "videoprints" of the show, and gave them exclusively to Nick At Nite/TV Land by 2000, which showed ALL 252 episodes available from then on (they still left out two "flashback" episodes from the second season which were virtual duplicates of the original ones, only with new opening scenes).

treky · 05-10-2006, 04:25 PM

oh, so THAT'S why N@N just showed the black-and-white shows at first! I THOUGHT it was something like that.

04-07-2006, 07:23 PM	#2
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	That doesn't surprise me in a way, because when N@N began airing Happy Days in the '90s, they wouldn't show anything beyond the seventh season (not that that's a bad thing). But as I recall it was a long time before they went beyond those years. Maybe they only purchased the rights to the first two seasons or something like that.
	__________________ "Sunday has been cancelled due to lack of interest. That is all."

04-07-2006, 07:38 PM	#3
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	the first 2 seasons were the best years anyway but I'm always for showing all episodes of a series no matter how bad they are.
	__________________ Sonny

04-09-2006, 07:01 PM	#6
benjamoon Bewitched Senior Member Join Date: Jun 15, 2000 Location: New York Posts: 1,450	I loved it because they were by far the two best seasons of Bewitched. I remember being mad though when N@N bought the color package in 1998 and stopped airing the B&W episodes in the regular rotation. It kinda defeated their purpose of airing it from the beginning, which was one of their reasons they listed for airing the B&W episodes in their Classic TV Companion book
	__________________ My Blog: http://benjamonsterstv.blogspot.com/ My Site: peaktvdatabase.weebly.com My favorite TV shows: Bewitched, I Love Lucy, American Dreams, Mary Tyler Moore, The Office, Happy Days, The West Wing, Modern Family, Friday Night Lights, Friends, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, and Parenthood

04-10-2006, 01:00 AM	#7
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I remember when N@N started airing it, I didn't even know there were black and white episodes.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

05-10-2006, 04:06 PM	#8
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	The reason 'Nick At Nite'... ....played only the first two seasons of "BEWITCHED" (the black & white episodes) in the mid-'90s was because that's ALL they could get the rights to!! Don't forget, the color episodes were still playing in syndication [via the "DFS Program Exchange" on behalf of their #1 client, General Mills] AND on "SuperStation WTBS" at the same time. They had the "exclusive" rights to show those episodes, and didn't want the earlier ones (neither did DFS, which left them out of the "package"). Nick At Nite DID, and had to wait until TBS' contract with DFS was up before they could show the rest of the series! Eventually, Columbia Pictures Television struck new "videoprints" of the show, and gave them exclusively to Nick At Nite/TV Land by 2000, which showed ALL 252 episodes available from then on (they still left out two "flashback" episodes from the second season which were virtual duplicates of the original ones, only with new opening scenes).

04-07-2006, 06:59 PM	#1
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,836	Your Feelings on N@N Only Showing the B&W Episodes When "Bewitched" first came to N@N and for years after, they only aired the first two, black and white seasons. For those of you who watched it on N@N, what were your feelings about that? I wasn't a fan at the time, so I didn't really care. Although now looking back, I think it's kind of strange to only show two seasons of an 8 season show. However, this way they didn't have to deal with two versions of Darrin, Gladys and Louise. And they also didn't go into Tabitha (except for when she was a little baby). The first time they showed seasons 3 - 8 was during their "Dueling Darrins" marathon week. And then after that, they continued showing all 8 seasons.

04-07-2006, 07:46 PM	#4
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,836	I remember that treatment for "Happy Days." They also had a week long marathon for that too "Chachi-Nated or De-Chachi-Nated". And from then on they showed all the episodes. I wonder if N@N had shown MAS*H back then, if they would only have shown the first three seasons for years.

04-07-2006, 08:10 PM	#5
frankenmyrrh Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 8	The reason N@N initially showed only the first two seasons is that for many years, only the color episodes had been shown in syndication -- which meant that many viewers had never seen the first two (and best two) seasons. So N@N bought the first two seasons because they weren't in most syndication packages at the time.

05-10-2006, 04:25 PM	#9
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	oh, so THAT'S why N@N just showed the black-and-white shows at first! I THOUGHT it was something like that.