Favorite TV Shows NOT on DVD

[east side story]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 1:26am

Aside from the first season, "Maude" has yet to be released. Criminal.

And "The Wonder Years." Such a fantastic series, sadly held up for years apparently due to music licensing.

Yours?

[BornThisWay]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 1:50am

"The Wonder Years" is on netflix :)

[bobs3]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 8:36am

"And "The Wonder Years." Such a fantastic series, sadly held up for years apparently due to music licensing."

Unfortunately it is quite common for tv series and some films to have delayed DVD releases because of issues with the music rights.

It took years for HAPPY DAYS to be released on DVD because of issues with obtaining the music rights. WKRP in CINCINNATI was released on DVD but without the songs from the original episodes which ruined every scene (the songs being played on the radio always commented on the scene).

In the 1960s, 1970s and even part of the 1980s, "a new technology clause" was not included in contracts with composers and lyricists. This is no longer the case.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 8:55am

The Adam West "Batman" series.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 9:08am

FAMILY, aside from a 2006 release which compiled the first (5 episode mini-series with Elayne Heilveil as "Nancy" ) and second season (Meredith Baxter-Birney as "Nancy"), the rest of the series has yet to see a release.



Updated On: 12/1/13 at 09:08 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 9:20am

I think I read somewhere that the Adam West Batman series is the most requested / inquired about show at tvshowsondvd.com.

Besty (or anyone else), do you know if the issue is something to do with the rights, or do they just think it won't sell?

[canmark]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 9:40am

The Tracey Ullman Show.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 9:52am

Besty (or anyone else), do you know if the issue is something to do with the rights, or do they just think it won't sell?

It's been tied up in legal issues between DC Comics, Warner Home Entertainment, and Fox Home Entertainment.

The Batman movie, featuring many from the TV cast, had a different contract, so there weren't any legal issues releasing it.

Yes, it is the most requested TV show not currently out on DVD, but they've been at a stalemate on it for over 10 years now.

EDIT: The legal issues have nothing to do with repeat airings, which is why the show can still be televised without causing law suits or injunctions.

Updated On: 12/1/13 at 09:52 AM

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 10:06am

The short-lived adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Karen Sisco charcter (with the underrated Carla Gugino in the titular) is still not yet on DVD.

Believe not all seasons of the Muppet Show are not on DVD

Muppet Babies will probably never be on DVD due to the slew of rights issues.

The Daria series box-set has a lot of noticeable music changes because of the years spent untangling the music rights.

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 10:13am

There's a weird bootleg of the first season of THIRD WATCH out there, but I don't think there was any official DVD version because of music rights. Of course.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 11:22am

I hate it when they put a sample set of episodes out on DVD to see if there is a strong interest. Because that might mean that they'll never put more than that out. Or when they put only a couple of seasons out and never bother with the rest. I get it has to do with sales, but I really don't want to own only 2 seasons of something when there were more. Especially if the show had a closure ending.

That said, I am disappointed that they only have the first 5 seasons, with 1 and 2 combined of The Facts of Life. It isn't on Netflix either. I got addicted to it when the Hub was airing it last year, but they pulled it from their schedule.

[jasonf]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 11:34am

There was a show in the early 2000s called "Ed" that I LOVED. It wasn't that popular, but it lasted three or four seasons. It had Julie Bowen, Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long in it. I would love to be able to get that series.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 11:39am

I loved "Ed" and that Stukeyville was in NJ :)

It makes me sad that Love Boat was stopped after season 2 and CHiPs was stopped after season 1. More please!

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 11:52am

That cast of Ed was kind of an embarrassment of riches in retrospect. Tom Cavanagh, Julie Bowen, Justin Long, Michael Ian Black, Darryl Mitchell, Ginnifer Goodwin, and at one point John Slattery.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 1:06pm

Marianne, when I saw this thread title the first thing I thought of was that there are still four unreleased seasons of The Facts of Life, although I'm not really jonesing for final two "Beverly Ann" seasons.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 1:15pm

RUBICON, which only lasted one season and was never released on home video. I loved the show.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 1:28pm

Rubicon is one of those shows that I think AMC regrets not renewing. They now seems to be renewing programs for filler as their flagship shows are ending. Hate that the late Henry Brommell never got to fully tell his story. He was the only writer on Homeland to get the intel community.

[Plum]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 4:31pm

Cupid - the first one, not the blah remake. Oh, and the American Touching Evil. I'm pretty mystified by the latter never being released, especially - Jeffrey Donovan, Vera Farmiga, and Bradley Cooper all went on to much bigger things since then.

I'd also love a rerelease of Life (the NBC cop show from a few years back) with the original airing music, but I know that's wildly unlikely.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 5:32pm

There was a show on the WB called Young Americans which I adored. Ian Somerhalder played a character dating a girl who was pretending to be a guy at their all boys academy so everyone thought they were gay. It was pretty good. I'll never understand why they released Grosse Pointe on DVD, but not Young Americans.

Posted: 12/1/13 at 5:42pm

Histeria! deserves better treatment.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 6:11pm

i've already signed some petitions years ago to get HEAD OF THE CLASS and JUST THE TEN OF US released on DVD! i freaking loved those shows!!!!!

also... I would love if they released the remaining series of the UK Version of Whose Line is it Anyway on DVD... they only released the first two seasons I believed...

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 6:22pm

Two others that are guilty pleasures from my youth ...

The Banana Splits

The Mickey Mouse Club (1977)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 6:40pm

Knots Landing, the *best* 80s primetime soap. The first two seasons underperformed, sales wise which is why no more were released (although the show didn't even become a full on soap until season 3.)

I loved the 90s show Relativity, wich was created by Jason Katims who had been a My So-Called Life writer and went on to create Parenthood and Friday Night Lights (as well as Rosswell...) It, along with season 3 of the underated Once and Again, are the only Herskovitz/Zwick shows to not have a proper DVD release.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 10:18pm

I loved Once and Again. The characters had depth and developed in a logical way, and there were neither obvious heroes nor villains to root for or against. I also respected that the main focus was on the adult relationships, bucking the usual trend to refocus on the teenage characters when the actors playing them rise in popularity with the teenybopper set.

It ended too soon.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/1/13 at 10:37pm

SISTERS. One of my favorite TV shows.