I don’t understand the decision-making behind which shows get released on DVD. Take LAW AND ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY for instance. It was a bomb. Viewers soundly rejected it despite massive promotion and two cross-over episodes (with LAW AND ORDER and L&O:SVU). NBC cancelled it without even airing all of the 13 episodes that were produced. And yet, the complete series is coming out on DVD with a sticker price of $59.98. If people weren’t willing to watch the show for free, what makes the studio and retailers think people will shell out sixty bucks for it now (especially since they can catch the reruns on CourtTV)?
TV Shows on DVD
Coming to a Costco Near You
TVShowsOnDVD posted a long list of TV shows that are officially, and supposedly coming to DVD in 2006. The titles include such short-lived bombs as ACTION, SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, THE FLASH, and LIFE WITH LOUIE, and such long-running favorites as HAWAII FIVE-O, STEP BY STEP, GUNSMOKE, GET SMART, CAGNEY AND LACEY, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, ARCHIE BUNKER’S PLACE, WILD WILD WEST, HILL STREET BLUES and THE ODD COUPLE and cult favorites like SHE SPIES, ALIEN NATION, VIP, TIME TUNNEL, ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY, ULTRAMAN and STAR TREK : THE ANIMATED SERIES.
Walking Tall
The long wait is finally over. The 1981 TV version of WALKING TALL is coming to DVD in a boxed set that includes all seven episodes of the show, which starred Bo Svenson as Sheriff Buford Pusser, a role originated on screen by Joe Don Baker. Svenson starred in the two theatrical sequels (Brian Dennehy starred in an earlier, unsold pilot for the series). This just goes to prove they’ll put any TV series on DVD — unless I wrote and produced it.
The Sentinel
TVShowsOnDVD reports that the first season of THE SENTINEL is coming to DVD (that’s the show about the cop with psychic powers) and that the third season boxed set of MURDER SHE WROTE (that’s the show about the elderly mystery author with hundreds of relatives, all of whom get murdered) will include the cross-over episode with MAGNUM PI (that’s the show about the private eye in Hawaii who lives on an estate owned by a reclusive mystery author).
Brilliance for the Price of a Big Mac and Fries
It’s the best deal on DVD — for $5.99, including shipping, you can get set of three classic episodes of MAVERICK from DeepDiscountDVD. My copy just arrived today. The set includes "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" (as fresh today as it was 50 years ago), "Pappy," and "Gunshy," the hilarious spoof of GUNSMOKE. MAVERICK was a ground-breaking show in its day and paved the way for the likes of MOONLIGHTING, THE NIGHT STALKER, and THE ROCKFORD FILES.
MAVERICK also holds the distinction of being the only show revived three times in three years on three networks. For more about that, there’s an excerpt from my book TELEVISION SERIES REVIVALS on the jump:
MISSING Found on DVD
TVShowsOnDVD reports that the Complete Second Season of MISSING, starring Vivica A. Fox, will be released on DVD January 24th (I was one of the writer/producers on the first two seasons). Lions Gate Television seems to be skipping right past the first season, which starred Gloria Reuben, and I really don’t blame them.
SeaQuest…finally, and other DVD News
TVShowsonDVD reports that the DVD boxed set of the first season of SEAQUEST is going to be loaded with deleted scenes…and will be out in December. Can season three, aka SEAQUEST 2032, be far behind?
In other DVD news, on the heels of STRONG MEDICINE’s cancellation comes word that the first season boxed set is coming to stores on January 10. Perhaps this means that MISSING, aka 1-800-MISSING, will come to DVD some day soon. If people will spend $50 for STRONG MEDICINE, hell, they’ll buy anything.
And more details are emerging about the upcoming GUNSMOKE boxed sets, which are going to be packed with extras.
The Way We Were
I remember when the DVD boxed set of UFO came out. I couldn’t wait to watch it. Not only that, I couldn’t wait to show my friends. Unfortunately, I did both at the same time…bringing the DVD into the office to show them during lunch. What a mistake. The series I thought was so unbelievably cool when I was a kid turned out to be an inane bore. UFO looked slick and Barry Gray’s score was still incredible, but everything else sucked — the acting was leaden, the writing was terrible, and the direction was limp. The Onion reports on someone who had the same sad experience when the DVD of LAND OF THE LOST didn’t live up to his childhood memories.
I was pleased to discover, however, that KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER was every bit as good as I remembered it to be… though obviously cheap looking by today’s production standards, which is true when watching any old classics (from STAR TREK to THE ROCKFORD FILES, GUNSMOKE to MAN FROM UNCLE). Mark Evanier, though, can’t get past the el-cheapo production values when he watches HAWAII FIVE-O.
It’s great that so many old classics are coming out on DVD…but how many will live up to our fond memories and changed expectations?
Harley on DVD
HARTS OF THE WEST lasted a mere 15 episodes on CBS back in 1993 and it’s coming to DVD… for a second time. Back in 2002, two episodes were released on DVD. Now, to sate the appetite of the legions of HARTS OF THE WEST fans (who I think are called Westies and are holding their annual convention in Deerpark, Washington this year), all 15 episodes are finally being released in a boxed set.
This is good news for my friend Harley Jane Kozak, who was one of the stars and who remains a red hot sex object to diehard Westies and mystery book lovers everywhere.
The Flash in the Pan
Yet another flop TV series I didn’t write or produce is being released on DVD. All 22 episodes of the one-season bomb THE FLASH are coming to DVD in a boxed set.
Not that this is related to THE FLASH…but since I’m talking about TV shows on DVD today, I thought I’d mention that Universal is finally releasing SEAQUEST on DVD. The complete first season, starring Roy Scheider before his face lift, is being released in December. I’m looking forward to the release of the 13 episodes from Season 3, when the show was retitled SEAQUEST 2032 and starred Michael Ironside (that was the season I worked on).