Can HELLO LARRY Be Far Behind?

Lotsaluck_completeseriesAfter years of letter-writing, praying and dreaming… the long wait is finally over. All 22 episodes of the 1973 flop sitcom LOTSA LUCK, starring Dom DeLuise, are coming out on DVD.

And if you’re one of the tens of thousands of people who’ve been pining for the DVD release of the 1967 flop sitcom GOOD MORNING WORLD, the complete series of 26 episodes starring Ronnie Schell is  also headed to a Best Buy near you. While you’re there, don’t forget to pick up the complete series sets of THE JOEY BISHOP SHOW,  FAR OUT SPACE NUTS, THAT’S MY MAMA, NED AND STACY, TABITHA and PINK LADY AND JEFF.

Another Show Nobody Wants to See Coming to DVD

MGM is releasing the flop series version of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN on DVD. I think they release shit like this just to make me crazy wondering why shows I worked on like SEAQUEST, MARTIAL LAW, and SPENSER FOR HIRE remain in the vaults (are they any worse than THAT’S MY MAMA, RENEGADE, AIRWOLF or BEASTMASTER? I know what it is…it’s me. I’m the reason why they aren’t being released).

GUNSMOKE on DVD

Gunsmoke_50thann_v1TVShowsOnDVD.Com reports that in early January Paramount will release twoGunsmoke_50thann_v2 DVD boxed sets of classic GUNSMOKE episodes. If you’ve been a reader of this blog, you know I’m a sucker for this show. The sets are packed with extras, including commentaries (by James Arness), bloopers, behind-the-scenes footage, talk show appearances and much more.

Obscure TV on DVD

There’s no logic behind the TV shows that are turning up on DVD. Is the world really clamoring for the complete "The Joey Bishop Show," "Dusty’s Trail," "The Doris Day Show," "Highlander: The Raven," "Baa Baa Black Sheep," "Beastmaster," "Doc," "That’s My Mama," "Guns of Will Sonnet,"  "What’s Happening?" and "Earth 2?"

And yet, where are the shows I’ve done? Where are those lost classics  "She-Wolf of London," "Murphy’s Law," "Likely Suspects," "Deadly Games," "Cosby Mysteries," "SeaQuest," "The Highwayman," "Cobra," "Diagnosis Murder," and, of course,  the complete "New Adventures of Flipper" starring the teenage Jessica Alba?

On the other hand, some real gems are coming out… I was thrilled to learn from the folks at TVSquad that all 26 episodes of the classic sitcom "Buffalo Bill" are coming to DVD in September.

Now if they’d only put out "Harry O," "Spenser For Hire," "The Night Stalker,""Search,"  "The Rockford Files," and "Maverick"…

Dusty’s Trail

It’s amazing what you can find on DVD nowadays… you can own the complete series of DUSTY’S TRAIL, all 21 abysmal half-hour episodes of the 1973 syndicated sitcom starring Bob Denver, for just $10 ($4.99 for the 17 episode set plus $4.99 for a seperately released DVD with the first four episodes).Dustystrail 

DUSTY’S TRAIL was a frontier rip-off of GILLIGAN’S ISLAND, about a wagon train lost in the west.  Forrest Tucker took on the "Skipper" role while Denver basically played Gilligan all over again.  They even had a wealthy guy and his wife, a showgirl and.. well, you get the picture. Sherwood Schwartz, the creator/exec producer of GILLIGAN, was the comedic mastermind behind this one as well.

Being a TV geek, I can’t get over the idea that I can own an entire series, even a crappy one, for ten bucks.  The mind boggles at what other complete packages of short-lived, obscure series might show up on DVD.

Already I own on DVD the complete series of NERO WOLFE,  the original STAR TREK, the British series COUPLING and KAVANAGH QC… as well as seasons of ALL IN THE FAMILY, GREATEST AMERICAN HERO, CRIME STORY, THE SHIELD, UFO, NIP/TUCK, SEINFELD,  MARY TYLER MOORE, SPACE 1999,  ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, SOPRANOS, DEADWOOD,  BOOMTOWN, I SPY,  MONK, SLIDERS,  COLUMBO, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, and MAGNUM PI. Granted, those shows cost more than $10, but still… I own them. For a guy who has every TV Guide that’s come into his hands since 1970, this is a big deal.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go light some candles and kneel in front of my poster of Heather Locklear.