DVD NEWS FROM WARNER ARCHIVE

[knotsfan87]

Warner Archive has a page on facebook where people can post questions about potential releases and they respond. Anyway, when asked about Valerie/Valerie's Family/ The Hogan Family, they stated severe music clearance issues preclude a release for the series. So I asked if it was impossible? I'm sure it isn't. I know Roberta Flack sang the theme for the series, but there wasn't tons of popular music featured throughout the series. I personally can think of only five instances where it was featured. i'm sure it could be worked out. But that's the latest news on a DVD release for the series.

[AKA]

I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure that, since the theme song was recorded specially for the show, the studio owns it.

[Edster2973]

Actually, actress Edie McClurg stated in an interview that the producers, Miller & Boyett, are holding up the release of the show since they still resent that former show star and TV mom, Valerie Harper stands to benefit from such a release for the WHOLE series since she won her court case that not only exonerated her as a wrongful firing but gave her partial ownership of the show in its entirety. I have the interview as an mp3 if anyone is interested in hearing it. Some speculate that it's Valerie Harper holding up such a release, but it isn't. She stands to only benefit from such a release and would probably contribute her Season 3 episode (her last episode before being fired; it was unaired) as an extra for the release.

Let's hope the producers change their minds...

Ed

[MRPITT]

I have the complete series and music is not a main part of the show that sounds like a cop out to me.

[Edster2973]

Firstly, if you have the complete series, are you able to make copies for anyone else? You'd make quite the sale since it's in high demand.

Secondly, there are some episodes that I remember that had some music in them. One Season 1 episode entitled of Valerie entitled "Benefit of the Doubt" had the episode open to a Tina Turner song "We Don't Need Another Hero"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImhLlfnM6zU

and there were a few others, like "That's What Friends Are For" during the S6 episode where Rich has AIDS, and another pop song whose title escapes me but it was in the 2 part episode where David falls in love with Sarah. Perhaps there were more and there is some merit to this... who knows...

A simple music switch wouldn't work, at least in the S1 episode, because Valerie Hogan and David Hogan reference Tina Turner and the song specifically, so it'd be odd to not have the script match up with the music should a replacement be made.

Ed

[MRPITT]

I dont sale them but would trade. Their is music but its not like The Wonder Years or something where they couldnt do it.

[Sonny Carson]

Hogan Family should definitely be released on DVD, I mean their releasing Hearts Afire on DVD for god's sake!

[ThomasE]

Wait! Valerie Harper appeared in a non-aired season three episode? I didn't know that. Wow!!!

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Wait! Valerie Harper appeared in a non-aired season three episode? I didn't know that. Wow!!!

Yes, originally the Season 3 episode of Valerie was written to exclude the Valerie Hogan character due to Valerie Harper & Lorimar being in negotiations. While the situation had yet to be rectified, Valerie Hogan was written out of the episode as being away visiting her parents back East. The Season 3 episode was to open with Michael Hogan coming into the kitchen with a band-aid on his face and David asks him what happened. Michael then responds that "your mother used my razor before visiting her parents back east". The plot of that episode was what inevitably used in the Valerie's Family episode "Liars and Other Strangers".

About a week later, negotiations between Valerie Harper & Lorimar were worked out and Valerie Hogan was written back into the episode. Mind you, only a few scenes were re-shot so that she was to be included into the episode, but the scenes that wouldn't have featured her anyway (i.e., David at school etc.) were kept intact. Also, actress Judith Kahan as Annie Steck was included in this episode, as detailed in Valerie Harper's new book "I, Rhoda".

This isn't mentioned specifically but she does mention that in her court case against Lorimar, the jury had to look at the tape of that episode's taping, including behind the scenes to determine whether Valerie's conduct was unprofessional or not. Those involved with that episode's taping were subpoenaed (except the boys) and she mentions in the book that Judith Kahan offered to give her testimony of Valerie's professionalism in different languages if necessary, so she as Annie Steck would've had to have been there. This is what would've reached the airwaves had Valerie Harper never been fired.

Alas, the producers had buyers' remorse and NBC, wanting to make good on a previous contractual promise to Sandy Duncan to put her in a new pilot, thought they could write off their contractual obligation by dumping Valerie Harper and replacing her with Sandy. How to get away with it? By dredging up the situation as if it had never been resolved when it clearly already was. That's why Valerie won in the end. She had contractual documentation and videos of her so-called "unprofessional" conduct to prove her case.

In any case, they held over this particular episode, figuring the new season had to open with an episode that explained why Valerie Hogan was no longer there (they killed her off in an off-screen car crash) and who this new woman who was claiming to be the boys' aunt was. Once the lead was worked in on the show, they then aired this re-worked episode as the 4th episode of Season 3, but if you ever get a chance to watch it, notice the boys' hair (particularly Jeremy Licht's; it varies in length from scene to scene) as well as how little Sandy Hogan is involved. The simple reason was that she wasn't envisioned to be in that episode originally... at all.

Hope this explains everything. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Ed

[ThomasE]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

Yes, originally the Season 3 episode of Valerie was written to exclude the Valerie Hogan character due to Valerie Harper & Lorimar being in negotiations. While the situation had yet to be rectified, Valerie Hogan was written out of the episode as being away visiting her parents back East. The Season 3 episode was to open with Michael Hogan coming into the kitchen with a band-aid on his face and David asks him what happened. Michael then responds that "your mother used my razor before visiting her parents back east". The plot of that episode was what inevitably used in the Valerie's Family episode "Liars and Other Strangers".

About a week later, negotiations between Valerie Harper & Lorimar were worked out and Valerie Hogan was written back into the episode. Mind you, only a few scenes were re-shot so that she was to be included into the episode, but the scenes that wouldn't have featured her anyway (i.e., David at school etc.) were kept intact. Also, actress Judith Kahan as Annie Steck was also included in this episode, as detailed in Valerie Harper's new book "I, Rhoda".

This isn't mentioned specifically but she does mention that in her court case against Lorimar, the jury had to look at the tape of that episode's taping, including behind the scenes to determine whether Valerie's conduct was unprofessional or not. Those involved with that episode's taping were subpoenaed (except the boys) and she mentions in the book that Judith Kahan offered to give her testimony of Valerie's professionalism in different languages if necessary, so she as Annie Steck would've had to have been there. This is what would've reached the airwaves had Valerie Harper never been fired.

Alas, the producers had buyers' remorse and NBC, wanting to make good on a previous contractual promise to Sandy Duncan to put her in a new pilot, thought they could write off their contractual obligation by dumping Valerie Harper and replacing her with Sandy. How to get away with it? By dredging up the situation as if it had never been resolved when it clearly already was. That's why Valerie won in the end. She had contractual documentation and videos of her so-called "unprofessional" conduct to prove her case.

In any case, they held over this particular episode, figuring the new season had to open with an episode that explained why Valerie Hogan was no longer there (they killed her off in an off-screen car crash) and who this new woman who was claiming to be the boys' aunt was. Once the lead was worked in on the show, they then aired this re-worked episode as the 4th episode of Season 3, but if you ever get a chance to watch it, notice the boys' hair (particularly Jeremy Licht's; it varies in length from scene to scene) as well as how little Sandy Hogan is involved. The simple reason was that she wasn't envisioned to be in that episode originally... at all.

Hope this explains everything. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Ed

Ed, that was fabulous. I loved the reply. I kept scrolling down looking for more info and kept finding it. How cool, man!!! I must buy that book. I'm a Valerie Harper fan all the way. I love her spirit. I was just watching her again on the 2nd annual TV Land Awards. Always a smile on her face. Thanks, brother.

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Ed, that was fabulous. I loved the reply. I kept scrolling down looking for more info and kept finding it. How cool, man!!! I must buy that book. I'm a Valerie Harper fan all the way. I love her spirit. I was just watching her again on the 2nd annual TV Land Awards. Always a smile on her face. Thanks, brother.

Thanks man. I know about the original version that was intended without Valerie Hogan due to the write-ups in TV Guide. If I can, I'll scan those articles in a couple of days and can send them to you via email. Let me know if you'd be interested. Obviously, in the first attempt to write that episode, Lorimar was far from considering killing off the Valerie Hogan character. It was only when NBC's deal with Sandy Duncan came up that someone got the idea to re-neg on the deal that was already finalized with Valerie Harper. They thought they could save money twice by not following through on what they promised Valerie Harper contractually as well as not having the added expense of developing a new pilot vehicle (that could either succeed or fail) for Sandy Duncan. So in their minds it was a win-win... until Valerie decided to fight back. I'm SOOOOOOO glad she won, and not just because it was her. I HATED how they killed off the Valerie Hogan character, a sweet mother who was those boys' world. It felt "off" when her death barely resonated on anyone's radar except for when she had to be mentioned. It simply wasn't right... at all...


Ed

P.S. I also have mp3s of Valerie Harper, Edie McClurg and Jeremy Licht discussing the firing, in separate interviews of course. It's interesting to note that in her interview, Edie goes on and on about Valerie and how she absolutely loved working with her and made not one mention of Sandy Duncan. Just thought you'd like to know...