Syndicated reruns

[treky]

why are a lot of shows never rerun in syndication? And why are some rerun for a while then just dissapear?

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by treky

why are a lot of shows never rerun in syndication? And why are some rerun for a while then just dissapear?

I've always had an unfounded suspicion that sometimes re-runs are pulled out of circulation prior to a DVD release of the series. At least 20 years ago, when some series were hitting DVD for the first time, that's the way it seemed to work.

As far as why some series never make it to syndication, I believe there is a critical mass of minimum number of episodes to make a good "rotation". And it wouldn't surprise me if some series just plain were never preserved, they likely never anticipated an "oldies" cult to sufficiently appreciate them to make preservation seem worthwhile.

I seriously doubt that even the creators for Andy Griffith could ever have anticipated that 60 years later people would still be pointing out that the Rimshaw Mansion was located right next door to Andy's house.

[icecream]

Too many firstrun talk shows and judge shows have pushed the amount of syndicated reruns down a lot less than they used to be. I miss the days when my FOX affiliate aired Happy Days and Family Ties in the 3PM hour, back when I got my first TV in 2003.

[factsoflife]

There are a lot of reasons why some shows never air in syndication, but mostly they all boil down to one of the following:

1) Money: In many cases the studio that owns the series may just feel that there isn't enough money to be made from offering the show for syndication. It could be that the series didn't get high enough ratings or wasn't popular enough in its original run to warrant a syndication run. Or maybe the studio feels the series just wouldn't do well and decides to forego offering it.

2) Lack of Interest: In many cases there just isn't enough interest from the studio in spending the money to offer the show for syndication; which especially for older series could mean tracking down master tapes that could require significant clean-up and remastering and could require the costly and lengthy task of clearing all the music rights and getting all the legal rights cleared before it can air again. In a lot of cases the cost of these two just isn't worth it to the studio and prevents them from trying.

---It is the cost of legal and music clearances that has prevented many older shows from being offered for online streaming; because clearing the legal and music rights for online use is a new set of clearances that can very often prove to be too expensive to warrant the effort. It would be impossible for anybody to make money trying to do so for some series.

3) Legal or Social Issues: In some cases there may be a legal reason the studio can't offer a show for syndication. Perhaps someone involved in the show is blocking the show from airing again (due to ownership claims or other issues). Another reason could be that the material on the show no longer holds up to the social standards of today; perhaps the jokes are dated or the subject matter doesn't stand the test of time so the studio decides it isn't worth it.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by treky

why are a lot of shows never rerun in syndication? And why are some rerun for a while then just dissapear?

Like Chico and the Man

[biffbronson]

There can also be a lack of access to good quality prints of the episodes, when we're considering older series.

This can fall under the Money category as well, as it's costly to restore & remaster when necessary.

Here's another consideration: if a series contains something that is now considered controversial (Dukes of Hazzard) or an actor who has been charged with impropriety (The Bill Cosby Show, Fat Albert, Cosby), that series will no longer air.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

There can also be a lack of access to good quality prints of the episodes, when we're considering older series.

This can fall under the Money category as well, as it's costly to restore & remaster when necessary.

Here's another consideration: if a series contains something that is now considered controversial (Dukes of Hazzard) or an actor who has been charged with impropriety (The Bill Cosby Show, Fat Albert, Cosby), that series will no longer air.

Do you mean the "New Bill Cosby Show" from 1972? Because the Bill Cosby show from 1969 is on DVD

[biffbronson]

I think the OP meant shows no longer aired (on retro channels), so unfortunately we won't be seeing any of Bill's series.

I don't think I've ever seen The New Bill Cosby Show. I have a DVD of the older series' best. My favorites on that one are Bill doing the cereal commercial (lol) and as a teacher (some HOT women in that one).

[treky]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

I think the OP meant shows no longer aired (on retro channels), so unfortunately we won't be seeing any of Bill's series.

I don't think I've ever seen The New Bill Cosby Show. I have a DVD of the older series' best. My favorites on that one are Bill doing the cereal commercial (lol) and as a teacher (some HOT women in that one).

no I meant ON ALL channels, not just the retro-channels.