Are TV Shows on DVD a Dying Breed? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 02-22-2009, 03:03 PM

http://www.newsday.com/services/news...,3191745.story

Your favorite TV show comes out on DVD, so you start your collection by buying the first-season set. Later comes the second-season set. And then ... you wait. And wait. And subsequent seasons never appear.

Call it DVD series interruptus.

Fans of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" have been waiting three years for the classic comedy's fifth, sixth and seventh seasons to hit disc. It's been three years, too, for " NYPD Blue." And four for "Everwood." "Malcolm in the Middle's" first season came out seven years ago. The other four seasons? Still MIA.

DVD collectors now know some music-laden series stop coming out when studios can't balance the high cost of licensing song rights with a fair retail price. That's true for "WKRP in Cincinnati," whose first-season set was slammed for massive music replacement, and for "American Dreams" and "Ally McBeal."

Pet Rock: The Pop Culture blog But the cop drama "Hill Street Blues" seems to be on extended hiatus, too. Ditto " Bernie Mac," "Boy Meets World," "Charlie's Angels," "Kojak" and dozens of other series in DVD suspension. So why are some shows released in a steady stream, while others stop before they're through? And what's a fan to do?

Many vent their wrath about those missing seasons on Internet forums or at Gord Lacey's comprehensive consumer site tvshowsondvd.com. "People are angry at the studios for not continuing to release something," says Lacey, who's been tracking TV DVD since 2001, when season sets were still in their infancy. "But the studios can't keep releasing something that not enough people are buying."

Lacey says distributors expect a dropoff in sales as seasons progress, especially among vintage series. "Sometimes, it's a lot more severe than they think it's going to be."

Hey, wait a minute, say DVD buyers - don't blame me, when studios have hit me in the wallet time and again. Shows discontinued after a season or two have left consumers with remnants of the complete collection they thought they were buying into.

A wait-and-see approach by fans

Fans also feel burned when, after buying every season set for a show, totaling hundreds of dollars, they see a full-series box released at a lower price (sometimes with new bonus features, too). Some buyers now hold off on initial seasons to see what else gets released.

"That's completely the wrong approach from a fan's perspective," says Rosemary Markson, Warner Home Video's vice president of TV and special interest marketing. "If they want to see the next seasons released, they need to support the season that's already released. It's all going to come down to sales. When shows have done well, we've been able to keep it going, which is always our plan from the outset."

But are initial-season sales the best barometer? Sometimes, a show's early episodes aren't representative of the series fans come to love. Both "Barney Miller" and "Night Court" struggled through two seasons of sitcom cast changes before settling on the final ensemble viewers remember. Both shows were stalled on DVD for several years, before recent releases of subsequent seasons. Warner finally releases season 2 of the nighttime soap "Knots Landing" in April, three years later, after it became clear fans were waiting to see Donna Mills join the cast as troublemaking Abby.

"In the case of 'Knots,' and 'Everwood,' which is coming out later in the summer [with season 2]," Markson says, "we saw continuing interest - from letters we get, and different forums we've done online, and from TV Shows on DVD," where users vote which shows they'd like to see released.

Studios also try different packaging strategies to satisfy fans. When "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Mad About You" stalled after first-season sets, their studios released one-time best-of collections to at least provide memorable episodes.

"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." and "Get Smart" initially came out in complete-series boxes aimed at devotees, with single seasons trickling out later for casual buyers. Distributors have even divided classic series into half-season sets, lowering the price point of each purchase. But that approach has angered fans who feel they're being nicked twice as often.

And even when shows long stalled on DVD seem poised to get going again, the solution can upset fans more than the delay did. Lacey's Web site recently reported the last three seasons of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" might finally be coming out - but only in a full-series box - and fans quickly blitzed the still-unannounced set's Amazon.com page with diatribes about having to rebuy the first four seasons.

Indie label white knights

Sometimes, white knights step in. Shout! Factory and other independent labels sometimes license DVD rights to continue shows abandoned by major studios. Shout has recently released new sets of long-stalled "Spin City," "Simon & Simon" and "Adam-12," with "Designing Women" due in May.

But Shout co-founder Garson Foos cautions that even his boutique label finds TV DVD sales to be "hit and miss. Certain shows are either too ubiquitous [on TV], or too mainstream, and people don't feel compelled or passionate enough to buy them."

TV DVD guru Lacey views the situation as a collector, having launched his grassroots site to push for releases he wanted to see. Yet, he believes fans can't just blame the studios or look to indies like Shout.

"I'm thrilled that they're picking up some shows," Lacey says. "But, unfortunately, it rests with the consumer. People have to understand that if something comes out that you want, you have to go out and buy it, so the studios can continue to release them. The [consumer's] 'I'm-gonna-sit-back-and-see-what-happens' mentality is killing TV on DVD."

JulieSomoski · 02-22-2009, 03:08 PM

A dying breed, I wouldn't go that far - at least the 175 TV sets I have on my shelves don't say so. But, I'd say at least a quarter of them are shows with only 1 or 2 seasons released. It really is a shame that greed almost always takes over this business. While studios still make money on these sets, they don't make the amount they wanted to, and therefore the consumers have to suffer.

Mr. Television · 02-22-2009, 03:48 PM

The studios have continually screwed the consumers during all this. People did start out buying their shows on DVD and then when they got stuck with them (without having anymore sets being released), they started to wait to make sure. I don't blame them. I do the same thing for the most part.

TVFactFan · 02-22-2009, 04:19 PM

Why would it be a dying breed? What else would it be released on besides DVD? I will continue to buy tv shows on DVD every time a new season or a tv show comes out on DVD I don't have yet like

Family Matters-no seasons
George Lopez-season 3
Diffrent Strokes-season 4
Jeffersons-season 7
Gomer Pyle-season 5
Rhoda-season 1

ekkostar · 02-22-2009, 05:49 PM

I think TV on DVD is actually a fickle trend that is beginning to grow out with more of the population switching to high speed internet since it is finally beginning to expand.

catlover79 · 02-22-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clint Eastwood Fan

The studios have continually screwed the consumers during all this. People did start out buying their shows on DVD and then when they got stuck with them (without having anymore sets being released), they started to wait to make sure. I don't blame them. I do the same thing for the most part.

AMEN TO THAT!! And they wonder why so many people resort to bootlegs?

PrettyinPink55 · 02-22-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

AMEN TO THAT!! And they wonder why so many people resort to bootlegs?

Amen sista!!!!!

I liked the article, thanks for sharing, Brian!!!

I am REALLY REALLY REALLY looking forward to Everwood's release, as you can see!!!

And I probably will keep on buying my favorites on DVD as long as they keep releasing them, so I hope it's not a dying breed!!!

TV_Fan · 02-22-2009, 06:41 PM

Probably not so much with the casual buyer, but with those who collect sets in earnest, we don't appreciate buying several seasons of a show and then being told you have to re buy them to get the remainder of the series. If anything is contributing to the death of TV shows on DVD it's that.
Although I really don't think it's a dying bredd because many shows are coming to DVD that haven't before (mainly thanks to the independent "white knights" like Shout!). I still see sets being sold in stores like Fye and Best Buy. It may be in decline but it's not dead yet and probably won't be for a long time.

bluthree · 02-26-2009, 09:09 AM

Me turning to bootlegs? No I already been down that road.Geting stuck with DVD's that would not work on any of my DVD players,getting a crappy looking picture. Sorry no more bootlegs for me.
Yeah it does suck when the studios anounce you're favorite TV shows and release season 1 of a show and thats all she wrote for that show. I'm surprised that we got Diff'rent Strokes season 2 and Facts of Life season 3 on DVD. But sadly its been over 3 years since since season 2 of Diffrent Strokes came out. Ticks me off. Glad thoeatleast we get season 1 and 2.But still many of my favorite episodes from Strokes is from season 3 and on.Sad that I will probably never get my favorite episodes?
I was also a litte worried when Universal announced The Incredible Hulk TV show was coming to DVD. I was afraid they would just release season 1 and that was all. But luckly Universal released all 5 seasons of The Incredible Hulk.
Think you Universal for that.Now Universal can we please have the remaining seasons of Leave It To Beaver? That is one classic show I wish I could have all of on my DVD shelf? To bad that Universal would not lease The Beave out to Shout?

Jude The Obscure · 02-26-2009, 11:26 AM

Oh yes, time to blame the consumer as usual....typical studio rhetoric. As fo bootlegs, I'm not inclined to go towards that but I just made a purchase with a fellow poster here who has made a great quality set of a series that will most likely not see the light of DVD officially anytime soon. I applaud Shout! and MPI for coming out with series the studios would have NEVER considered or outright abandoned. I also find that if a star or a star's estate owns the show outright, you are more likely to see a release because they realize a show in a vault is earning nothing for them.

Mickeymouse07079 · 05-23-2009, 09:49 PM

No TV Shows on DVD are not a dying bread. TV shows on DVD are the biggest part of the DVD market. I just wish they would release more TV shows on DVD. I also wish they would release the whole series of a TV show on DVD. Right I have the first season of Fame on DVD and I can't find season 2 or when it is coming out on DVD. For me this is very frustrating.

bencasey · 05-23-2009, 10:14 PM

TV shows on DVD are something to be used as a COMPLIMENT to a TV collection, not the be all and end all. Kind of like being a serious music collector and only collecting CDs. Well, maybe 5% of what was on vinyl ever came out or will come out on CD. With TV shows, it's an even smaller pct., maybe 2%. Home recording has been around for over 30 years and if you are just going to rely on DVDs then you will miss an awful lot of great series that will never be released.

02-22-2009, 03:03 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Are TV Shows on DVD a Dying Breed? http://www.newsday.com/services/news...,3191745.story Your favorite TV show comes out on DVD, so you start your collection by buying the first-season set. Later comes the second-season set. And then ... you wait. And wait. And subsequent seasons never appear. Call it DVD series interruptus. Fans of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" have been waiting three years for the classic comedy's fifth, sixth and seventh seasons to hit disc. It's been three years, too, for " NYPD Blue." And four for "Everwood." "Malcolm in the Middle's" first season came out seven years ago. The other four seasons? Still MIA. DVD collectors now know some music-laden series stop coming out when studios can't balance the high cost of licensing song rights with a fair retail price. That's true for "WKRP in Cincinnati," whose first-season set was slammed for massive music replacement, and for "American Dreams" and "Ally McBeal." Pet Rock: The Pop Culture blog But the cop drama "Hill Street Blues" seems to be on extended hiatus, too. Ditto " Bernie Mac," "Boy Meets World," "Charlie's Angels," "Kojak" and dozens of other series in DVD suspension. So why are some shows released in a steady stream, while others stop before they're through? And what's a fan to do? Many vent their wrath about those missing seasons on Internet forums or at Gord Lacey's comprehensive consumer site tvshowsondvd.com. "People are angry at the studios for not continuing to release something," says Lacey, who's been tracking TV DVD since 2001, when season sets were still in their infancy. "But the studios can't keep releasing something that not enough people are buying." Lacey says distributors expect a dropoff in sales as seasons progress, especially among vintage series. "Sometimes, it's a lot more severe than they think it's going to be." Hey, wait a minute, say DVD buyers - don't blame me, when studios have hit me in the wallet time and again. Shows discontinued after a season or two have left consumers with remnants of the complete collection they thought they were buying into. A wait-and-see approach by fans Fans also feel burned when, after buying every season set for a show, totaling hundreds of dollars, they see a full-series box released at a lower price (sometimes with new bonus features, too). Some buyers now hold off on initial seasons to see what else gets released. "That's completely the wrong approach from a fan's perspective," says Rosemary Markson, Warner Home Video's vice president of TV and special interest marketing. "If they want to see the next seasons released, they need to support the season that's already released. It's all going to come down to sales. When shows have done well, we've been able to keep it going, which is always our plan from the outset." But are initial-season sales the best barometer? Sometimes, a show's early episodes aren't representative of the series fans come to love. Both "Barney Miller" and "Night Court" struggled through two seasons of sitcom cast changes before settling on the final ensemble viewers remember. Both shows were stalled on DVD for several years, before recent releases of subsequent seasons. Warner finally releases season 2 of the nighttime soap "Knots Landing" in April, three years later, after it became clear fans were waiting to see Donna Mills join the cast as troublemaking Abby. "In the case of 'Knots,' and 'Everwood,' which is coming out later in the summer [with season 2]," Markson says, "we saw continuing interest - from letters we get, and different forums we've done online, and from TV Shows on DVD," where users vote which shows they'd like to see released. Studios also try different packaging strategies to satisfy fans. When "The Larry Sanders Show" and "Mad About You" stalled after first-season sets, their studios released one-time best-of collections to at least provide memorable episodes. "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." and "Get Smart" initially came out in complete-series boxes aimed at devotees, with single seasons trickling out later for casual buyers. Distributors have even divided classic series into half-season sets, lowering the price point of each purchase. But that approach has angered fans who feel they're being nicked twice as often. And even when shows long stalled on DVD seem poised to get going again, the solution can upset fans more than the delay did. Lacey's Web site recently reported the last three seasons of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" might finally be coming out - but only in a full-series box - and fans quickly blitzed the still-unannounced set's Amazon.com page with diatribes about having to rebuy the first four seasons. Indie label white knights Sometimes, white knights step in. Shout! Factory and other independent labels sometimes license DVD rights to continue shows abandoned by major studios. Shout has recently released new sets of long-stalled "Spin City," "Simon & Simon" and "Adam-12," with "Designing Women" due in May. But Shout co-founder Garson Foos cautions that even his boutique label finds TV DVD sales to be "hit and miss. Certain shows are either too ubiquitous [on TV], or too mainstream, and people don't feel compelled or passionate enough to buy them." TV DVD guru Lacey views the situation as a collector, having launched his grassroots site to push for releases he wanted to see. Yet, he believes fans can't just blame the studios or look to indies like Shout. "I'm thrilled that they're picking up some shows," Lacey says. "But, unfortunately, it rests with the consumer. People have to understand that if something comes out that you want, you have to go out and buy it, so the studios can continue to release them. The [consumer's] 'I'm-gonna-sit-back-and-see-what-happens' mentality is killing TV on DVD."
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

02-22-2009, 03:08 PM	#2
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	A dying breed, I wouldn't go that far - at least the 175 TV sets I have on my shelves don't say so. But, I'd say at least a quarter of them are shows with only 1 or 2 seasons released. It really is a shame that greed almost always takes over this business. While studios still make money on these sets, they don't make the amount they wanted to, and therefore the consumers have to suffer.
	__________________ Click here to view some great articles written by my husband and I! All views are appreciated! Watch: Medium, Fridays at 9pm, on CBS! Big Bang Theory, Mondays at 9:30pm, on CBS! The Mentalist, Thursdays at 10pm, on CBS! Old Christine, Wednesdays at 8pm, on CBS! ABC's Comedy Lineup, Starting Wednesdays at 8:30pm, on ABC!

02-22-2009, 03:48 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 studios have continually screwed the consumers during all this. People did start out buying their shows on DVD and then when they got stuck with them (without having anymore sets being released), they started to wait to make sure. I don't blame them. I do the same thing for the most part.
	__________________ Sonny

02-22-2009, 05:49 PM	#5
ekkostar Coffee, Tea & Larroquette! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 16, 2005 Posts: 1,077	I think TV on DVD is actually a fickle trend that is beginning to grow out with more of the population switching to high speed internet since it is finally beginning to expand.
	__________________ "All my sitcoms had an audience, with four or five cameras, so working this way has always been appealing to me." - John Larroquette A living legend, five Emmys and a Tony award! Your favorites could never...

02-22-2009, 04:19 PM	#4
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,125	Why would it be a dying breed? What else would it be released on besides DVD? I will continue to buy tv shows on DVD every time a new season or a tv show comes out on DVD I don't have yet like Family Matters-no seasons George Lopez-season 3 Diffrent Strokes-season 4 Jeffersons-season 7 Gomer Pyle-season 5 Rhoda-season 1

02-22-2009, 06:41 PM	#8
TV_Fan Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 15, 2005 Location: USA Posts: 876	Probably not so much with the casual buyer, but with those who collect sets in earnest, we don't appreciate buying several seasons of a show and then being told you have to re buy them to get the remainder of the series. If anything is contributing to the death of TV shows on DVD it's that. Although I really don't think it's a dying bredd because many shows are coming to DVD that haven't before (mainly thanks to the independent "white knights" like Shout!). I still see sets being sold in stores like Fye and Best Buy. It may be in decline but it's not dead yet and probably won't be for a long time.

02-26-2009, 09:09 AM	#9
bluthree Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 23, 2007 Location: New London MO Posts: 362	Me turning to bootlegs? No I already been down that road.Geting stuck with DVD's that would not work on any of my DVD players,getting a crappy looking picture. Sorry no more bootlegs for me. Yeah it does suck when the studios anounce you're favorite TV shows and release season 1 of a show and thats all she wrote for that show. I'm surprised that we got Diff'rent Strokes season 2 and Facts of Life season 3 on DVD. But sadly its been over 3 years since since season 2 of Diffrent Strokes came out. Ticks me off. Glad thoeatleast we get season 1 and 2.But still many of my favorite episodes from Strokes is from season 3 and on.Sad that I will probably never get my favorite episodes? I was also a litte worried when Universal announced The Incredible Hulk TV show was coming to DVD. I was afraid they would just release season 1 and that was all. But luckly Universal released all 5 seasons of The Incredible Hulk. Think you Universal for that.Now Universal can we please have the remaining seasons of Leave It To Beaver? That is one classic show I wish I could have all of on my DVD shelf? To bad that Universal would not lease The Beave out to Shout?

02-26-2009, 11:26 AM	#10
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	Oh yes, time to blame the consumer as usual....typical studio rhetoric. As fo bootlegs, I'm not inclined to go towards that but I just made a purchase with a fellow poster here who has made a great quality set of a series that will most likely not see the light of DVD officially anytime soon. I applaud Shout! and MPI for coming out with series the studios would have NEVER considered or outright abandoned. I also find that if a star or a star's estate owns the show outright, you are more likely to see a release because they realize a show in a vault is earning nothing for them.

05-23-2009, 09:49 PM	#11
Mickeymouse07079 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 23, 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 18	No TV Shows on DVD are not a dying bread. TV shows on DVD are the biggest part of the DVD market. I just wish they would release more TV shows on DVD. I also wish they would release the whole series of a TV show on DVD. Right I have the first season of Fame on DVD and I can't find season 2 or when it is coming out on DVD. For me this is very frustrating.

05-23-2009, 10:14 PM	#12
bencasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: Long Beach Posts: 1,692	TV shows on DVD are something to be used as a COMPLIMENT to a TV collection, not the be all and end all. Kind of like being a serious music collector and only collecting CDs. Well, maybe 5% of what was on vinyl ever came out or will come out on CD. With TV shows, it's an even smaller pct., maybe 2%. Home recording has been around for over 30 years and if you are just going to rely on DVDs then you will miss an awful lot of great series that will never be released.