SEASON 3: the original first 2 episodes!

[Ed Viveiros]

Hey all!

A thought occurred to me while responding to "Madness's" post (will we ever learn your real name?). Y'know how Valerie Harper went through contract negotiations and didn't shoot the 1st episode of season 3 (Valerie Hogan was said to have been visiting her parents back East)? Then she & Lorimar came to an agreement and she did the 2nd episode, after which she was fired (stupid thing to do, fire her AFTER an agreement was reached; no wonder she won in court!).

Anyway, do you think there's someway to get Lorimar or whoever to make available the original versions of season 3's first & second episodes? I'd love to see it for I absolutely HATE/DESPISE/LOATHE the first episode of season 3. You can tell the whole script was a rush job. Sandy deserved a better script than that for her first episode!!! You also got the sense that the producers were on a revenge trip against Valerie by having her "family" not thinking too much about her death. Such silly dribble, such crap!!!

Anyway, I was thinking that maybe, as a bonus for the COLUMBIA HOUSE series, the episodes could be included? It'd be interesting to see those 2 shows, as well as a treat for us Valerie Hogan fans who'd have 2 extra shows with our fave mom character in it. Anyone think this is possible? Anyone know what channels we'd have to go through? I'm going to try to contact the guy responsible for the official VALERIE HARPER site and see if he can get Val to pull some strings. From what Val has said in interviews, she and the powers-that-be who fired her have not only buried the hatchet, but are friends again. Perhaps, given this circumstance, they may have a change of heart and include it as a HOGAN FAMILY 'rarity' or outtake. I think it's possible...

What d'ya say you guys?

Ed

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Edward Viveiros, Jr.

[Madness]

I'm not too mysterious. My real name is Adam. That's short for nothing.

[TJ]

Were these episodes completely shot? I think it would be completely Lorimar's call and VH's people would have little or no input.

Lost episodes, wow!

[Ed Viveiros]

Originally posted by TJ:
Were these episodes completely shot?

Yes, they were. The first episode was completed and had made reference to Valerie being away visiting her parents back East. It's finished, with laugh track and everything.

The second episode, which included Valerie, everything was back to normal and I think this too was completed right down to the editing. When shows get filmed, it's always before a live studio audience, with some edits made for the final cut.

Valerie Harper had said in an interview that that's why she was confused as to why she was fired. She made her requests, they gave in, she went back to work and shot the 2nd episode of the season, and a week later she was fired. This confused everyone, right down to the cast.

My point is that a week had gone by between the shooting of the 2nd episode and Valerie getting fired, so some (if not all) preparation for the 2nd show must have been in the "finished" stage, music and all. I know for certain though that the 1st show was done.

I think it would be completely Lorimar's call and VH's people would have little or no input.

You're right on one point, but I think since all involved have made up (Valerie has said this in at least two interviews that I know of), I think Val may have success in urging them to release the "lost episodes" as a rarity of sorts, especially if there was evidence that viewers wanted to see them. Having this included on a video boxset of some sort would increase its value and if they knew that there was substantial demand for something like this (in order words if they knew they could make lots of $$$$), they'd give in.

I suspect the first 2 episodes were recycled with Sandy later on in the show, and I think I know at least one of them. Remember the show where David saves his teacher and he dies anyway? Sandy didn't have much to do with the story, (at all!) and no mention of Valerie/mom was made when Dave & Michael/dad were talking of the meaning of life and how death factors in.

I think Sandy would have been the one to have that talk with Dave since she had had many previous "meaning of life" talks with him before, like when he was gambling and when she first moved in to the Hogan house. Michael was never known to open up at all, so this sort of talk is almost out of character for him. But wouldn't it be kind of cool to see the ORIGINAL version of this show (if I'm correct that this is a recycled leftover), especially if Valerie was in it???

Maybe we should all inform Lorimar that, in addition to getting the show put on video, we want the 2 lost episodes included as a bonus or rarity. Anyone game?

Lost episodes, wow!

I'm with ya on that pal. Let's hope sometime down the line we actually get to see them!

Take care!

Ed

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Edward Viveiros, Jr.

[Ed Viveiros]

Originally posted by Ed Viveiros:

Do you think there's someway to get Lorimar or whoever to make available the original versions of season 3's first & second episodes? I'd love to see it for I absolutely HATE/DESPISE/LOATHE the first episode of season 3. You can tell the whole script was a rush job. Sandy deserved a better script than that for her first episode!!! You also got the sense that the producers were on a revenge trip against Valerie by having her "family" not thinking too much about her death. Such silly dribble, such crap!!!

Anyway, I was thinking that maybe, as a bonus for the COLUMBIA HOUSE series, the episodes could be included? It'd be interesting to see those 2 shows, as well as a treat for us Valerie Hogan fans who'd have 2 extra shows with our fave mom character in it. Anyone think this is possible? Anyone know what channels we'd have to go through? I'm going to try to contact the guy responsible for the official VALERIE HARPER site and see if he can get Val to pull some strings. From what Val has said in interviews, she and the powers-that-be who fired her have not only buried the hatchet, but are friends again. Perhaps, given this circumstance, they may have a change of heart and include it as a HOGAN FAMILY 'rarity' or outtake. I think it's possible...

What d'ya say you guys?

Ed

Just letting you all know I did finally hear from the guy in charge of the VALERIE HARPER website (Rob Thomas). He's a nice fellow and answers emails pretty promptly. Anyway, here's what he had to say concerning my suggestion:

> Hello Ed,
>
> No I didn't receive this until now....I'll pass it onto
> Valerie but I don't know if anything could be
> done...its alot about who owns the rights and there
> would also be royalty issues as well as others.
>
> But..like I said ... I'll pass it on and who knows?
>
> Regards,
> Rob

So folks, as you can see, it's a shot in the dark but I say we go for it. After hearing what Valerie thinks of the situation (I imagine she'd be gung-ho about it!), I think we should put our heads together and come up with ideas on how to make Lorimar & Columbia House aware that we want these items. I've already put the Columbia # on my site, but we need more than that. Does anyone have any ideas???? If not, do you think it's a good idea or a bad one? Feedback please!

Thanks!


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Edward Viveiros, Jr.