Happy Days - The Fifth Season DVD Review

[TJ]

Relive the original moment that Fonzie (Henry Winkler) rises to the challenge and "jumps the shark," leather jacket, swim trunks and all! Space creature Mork from Ork (guest star Robin Williams) visits the peaceful Cunningham household and newcomers Chachi (Scott Baio) and Leather Tuscadero (Suzi Quatro) take the stage for the first time. These 27 unforgettable episodes feature the whole gang, Richie (Ron Howard), Potsie (Anson Williams), Ralph (Donny Most) and all the good times that made Happy Days Season Five an iconic part of television history.

Read my review here:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/happyda...dvdreview.html

Please post any questions or comments about this set.

[antman67]

I hate it when they substitute music with unknown music. I realize their are (c) issues and they want to protect themselves but why not just get the the (c) approval first? It REALLY takes away from the show when it's edited like this. I HATE THIS. IF I would have know they were going to do stuff like this (head shaking) Man I wish I would have used my VCR more back during the original air dates. REALLY Disappointing I must say.

Here's what I'm talking about:
"Hard Cover" - "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino is replaced by an unknown song on the radio. "It's Late" by Ricky Nelson is replaced by an unknown song on the radio.

REALLY?

[studd911]

You se what i was talking about you wait until the negative reviews stars showing up on amazon CBS is in trouble as i had predicated Happy Days will be no more because of the lack of production

[Colonel Hogan]

Thanks for the very thorough review, Todd. Considering just how much music has been butchered, I'll be skipping this release. I thought maybe I could ignore my beliefs for this release and still buy it if no footage was missing. However, you've pointed out where footage is missing in at least 3 episodes, and with some of those low 25:XX running times on a few, I'll bet there's even more. Couple that with that astoundingly long missing music list you posted, and I'll say no thanks to this release. Some of that music missing is astonishing. Fonzie singing "You're the cream in my coffee?" Really, they couldn't license that? That's the kind of thing they should have just left in and took their chances.

I'll say it again. I don't think music should have to be (re)licensed for DVD releases of shows made before the existence of home video releases of TV shows. A nominal fee or royalty decided by a judge or arbitrator I could see. I really wish some of the studios would take this to court.

The only possible alternative, for fan editors out there, is to buy the series, tape the upcoming Me-TV episodes which will have much of the music in place, and burn your own DVDs. I'd be curious to see just how much footage is missing from these episodes.

Off-topic of Season 5: I taped episodes off The Hub and their syndicated versions had footage that was missing from episodes on the Season 3 DVD set. The Laverne and Shirley episode was butchered, along with the Sticks Downey episode, the 2nd Anniversary Show, etc. The missing scenes from "A Date with Fonzie" aren't even scenes with music. How do they explain that?

[antman67]

The show is so butchered on TV and DVD it's almost unwatchable. What a sad outcome for such a good show.

And yet another disappointment!

[OneWayFilms]

If people are THAT picky about the songs...then BUY THE ORIGINAL MUSIC ON CD!

This is a TV show, and they aren't editing or replacing the music for teh FUN of it, it's because it's costs so Fricking much and they want to make it cost effective for us to buy. This isn't CBS or Paramounts fault....it's the people who hold the copy rights.

Come on, you didn't watch the show JUST because of the music and there's HARDLY an episode that is centered on the exact song that is heard. The music is just BACKGROUND BONUS ANYWAY....sure, we WANT the original music, and I'm sure CBS and PARAMOUNT want it too.....but this is the best they can give us, and I think we should be more grateful to have the TV show. At least I sure am.

[studd911]

Again they are the blames for this which is why again they will not continue on with the series as i said in the previous post they will not get any sympathy for me because how can you get the music for season 3,4 and not 5 i hold them accountable for this because why there lazy tails had us all waiting they should have addressed the issues again its the fans who will not be buying there sets and they no this lets just face the reality as for now season 6,7,8 and so on is dead they will not continue on and as i have said with the lost of music messes up the scenes and you wait until people start posting negative feedback on amazon im happy i did not buy this product as i had predicated i wouldn't invest any money on a crap like this

[Colonel Hogan]

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

If people are THAT picky about the songs...then BUY THE ORIGINAL MUSIC ON CD!

This is a TV show, and they aren't editing or replacing the music for teh FUN of it, it's because it's costs so Fricking much and they want to make it cost effective for us to buy. This isn't CBS or Paramounts fault....it's the people who hold the copy rights.

Come on, you didn't watch the show JUST because of the music and there's HARDLY an episode that is centered on the exact song that is heard. The music is just BACKGROUND BONUS ANYWAY....sure, we WANT the original music, and I'm sure CBS and PARAMOUNT want it too.....but this is the best they can give us, and I think we should be more grateful to have the TV show. At least I sure am.

Complaining about a DVD release with well over 20 missing songs and missing footage can hardly be called "picky".

Buying the music on CD is hardly the same as hearing it where and when it was intended in the show. If you don't get the difference...

If you read Todd's review, they didn't butcher the previous 4 seasons like this. Most recently, the Season 4 release contained most of its original music. Very little was missing, it was about the same price, had a lot of the same music and singers, and yet they wipe this set out and ask the same price.

Some music is too expensive to relicense of course, but not all of it. CBS proved that with the mostly musically complete Seasons 1-4 that went for the same approx. prices. This Season 5 set was just a wholesale butchering. Editing footage of Fonzie singing some bars from "You're the cream in my coffee" and footage of Richie and Mork singing a few lines of "Blueberry Hill"? That's just two examples of over 20.

Considering all the music they licensed for Seasons 1-4, CBS definitely holds a lot of blame for the wholesale butchering of this set. While you can place some of the blame on the rights holders as always these days, you can't place it all on them in this instance. Many of the songs missing from Season 5 were on the Season 4 set that cost the same price. This was simple cost-cutting to boost the margin over what they got on Season 4. While a corporation exists to make a profit, you have to walk a thin line when you are handling a release of someone else's film or television show for the sake of artistic integrity.

CBS is known for this. In an Andy Griffith episode on DVD, they cut 3 song performances, and the songs are in the public domain!! I think they don't actually research the rights and costs on all their shows.

Actually, music and sound are half the experience, especially when the music plays such a central role in setting the atmosphere for a show like Happy Days. This isn't like Laverne and Shirley, where the music was there but played a far less important role.

[studd911]

Thank you so much and AMEN my brother we both see the light CBS is much to blame because as i said they had plenty of time to take care of the music rights but again they failed us i do not care what anybody else say, they will not continue on with the dvds sets i wouldn;t either based on there lack of production keep bringing this issues up because everybody needs to hear this we waited only God knows for this unacceptable

[FonzForever]

So I read Todd's excellent review and was prepared to not be happy with this release. That said I picked this up at FYE today and just finished watching the Leather two parter. All in all not too bad so far. The instrumentals were decent enough. The first big positive, always the positive is a nice clear sharp pictures. I still have the majority of my VHS tapes from the TV Land/Nick At Nite days. When I've gone back and watched them, I've enjoyed the shows but can't help but have it taken down a notch by the quality of lack thereof of the video.
Keep a few things in mind here, this is my favorite show of all time and watched a decent amount of it (probably season six on) as they were airing as well the some if not the first reruns labeled "Happy Days Again: while the series was still going on.
I'd love every release to like 1, 3 & 4, but a lot has gone on especially in the last few years.



1-Remember there was the lawsuit by some of the actors over merch rights. So that was settled and I'm sure they will get a piece of this. Which means to the bean counters they need to recoup money elswhere. So back to the music rights.

2-The DVD market/shelf space overall is shrinking. I'm lucky my mall has an FYE, they get pretty much everything. When I looked at other chain's sites to day they were only shipping it, not carrying it in the store.
So everyone's fighting over a smaller and smaller pie.

3-We may love it but classic TV DVD's seem to have trouble making the numbers the companies want. Many shows have only the first season released. "Love Boat" got two, and split up at that. "Fantasy Island" got one from Sony who was going to end it there, but Shout Factory licensed it and still only two more seasons were released. These had little to no music issues either. While it took a while we getting are Season Five of HD!

I've seen the approach with this release, taken with other shows: Pay for and leave in the stuff that the episodes can't be without (in this case the Suzi Quatro performances, and the characters singing themselves) and replace the rest. It's usually enough to sell the sets and I hope it is here. So if you really like the show, despite it faults I say this set is worth the buy. The one thing that stood out to me is they were much better handled than season 2 where the replacements stuck out like a sore thumb.

Edit: I want to say I fully respect other opinions and understand their frustration. This is just my take on it after actually viewing a couple of episodes on the release.

[tlc38tlc38]

Originally Posted by Colonel Hogan

In an Andy Griffith episode on DVD, they cut 3 song performances, and the songs are in the public domain!! I think they don't actually research the rights and costs on all their shows.

By any chance do you remember the name of this episode? Hopefully they'll fix this problem when it's released on Blu-ray.

[studd911]

I have said this once where i refused to say it again CBS does not care about the dvds that they put out and again it wouldn't make any sense whats so ever to continue on with the seasons its unfair that we have waited all of this time i do not trust non of these studios you all can buy the dvd if you want but i wouldn't spend a penny on that they took advantage of our trust and as for now CBS doesn't get any respect from me

[tlc38tlc38]

Originally Posted by studd911

I have said this once where i refused to say it again CBS does not care about the dvds that they put out and again it wouldn't make any sense whats so ever to continue on with the seasons its unfair that we have waited all of this time i do not trust non of these studios you all can buy the dvd if you want but i wouldn't spend a penny on that they took advantage of our trust and as for now CBS doesn't get any respect from me

You sound like a smoker who sues when they get cancer.

HELLO, there IS a warning label on the package that tells you about the music edits.

Stop complaining. By now we all know the DVD is edited. You complaining isn't helping anything or anyone.

[studd911]

Look first of all i was voicing my opinion on this dvd which again does a disservice to us who has been waiting for a long time i have to right to voice my opinion just as those who may agree with me im not going to changed my mind about this company who does not give a damn about you me or whomever we deserve more especially from waiting a long time again if you want to buy the dvds sets then do you but mark my word it will not make it to the rest of the seasons what what i tell you and thats far as i am going leave it they suck and suck big time so don't post on here about me complaining when i have the right to do that the freedom of speech. and lets get something else clarified here i am not changing my opinion for you or anybody else on this websites these freaks screwed us over again so i am going to do me if you no what that means you got that

[tlc38tlc38]

Originally Posted by studd911

Look first of all i was voicing my opinion on this dvd which again does a disservice to us who has been waiting for a long time i have to right to voice my opinion just as those who may agree with me im not going to changed my mind about this company who does not give a damn about you me or whomever we deserve more especially from waiting a long time again if you want to buy the dvds sets then do you but mark my word it will not make it to the rest of the seasons what what i tell you and thats far as i am going leave it they suck and suck big time so don't post on here about me complaining when i have the right to do that the freedom of speech

Yes, you do have the right to complain and I also have to right to tell you to stop complaining. Isn't it wonderful!