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).
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.
“Monk”, Seasons One and Two are on DVD. “Columbo”, Seasons One and Two are on DVD. “Magnum P.I.”, Season One is on DVD. “Rumpbole of the Bailer”, Seasons One through Four are on DVD.
I want “The PJs” on DVD. Anyone know when or where this treasure of pop culture can be found?
I love how DVD’s let me catch shows I don’t normally watch. If you have a Netflix subscription, it’s almost better than Tivo. I’m working my way through HBO’s THE WIRE right now, anxiously awaiting Season 3’s release.
Lee, did I read that right? You have the entire run of UFO? My wife and I have been having geek moments going through SPACE:1999 (Who mistakenly believed Barbara Bain could act? And why was Barry Morse ditched in Season 2?) and have UFO on deck in the queue.
But I’m finishing THE WIRE first. Priorities, you know.
Anyone find QUARK on DVD yet?
The UFO DVDs are, technically, terrific. The picture and sound are impeccable. I love Barry Gray’s score. The wardrobe is a hoot. The series, however, is a huge disappointment. I remembered UFO as being this super-cool, sexy, intelligent show…but I was like, what, 10 or 12 when it was on? Of course it seemed cool, sexy and intelligent to me then. The series has not aged well. It’s a badly written, badly performed, crushing bore.
I got the entire unaired season of “Wonderfalls” for $30. I was a little afraid that after the first four episodes it would be really bad, and provide some justification for its cancellation after those four episodes, but no; it’s consistently good. Any idea why Fox would purchase 13 episodes of a good show, but only air four? It seems like the least they could have done would have been to show the remaining nine episodes, instead of endless reruns of “The Swan.”
Lee, I’ve had disappointments similar to yours with shows from my youth. I remember being a huge fan of “Square Pegs” when it came out–I was in 9th grade that year and identified strongly with Patty and Lauren, I guess. Not too long ago I ReplayTV’ed some episodes, and, well… let’s just say the show’s dialogue hasn’t aged as well as its star has. 🙂
Dusty’s Trail is on DVD but not The Rockford Files?? Something just ain’t right about that…
So if they can release something like that, can we get more Mary Tyler Moore? Or even Scarecrow and Mrs. King? Or how about the good years of Diagnosis: Murder. You know, the years Lee was in charge. (And I’m not just saying that because this is your blog.)
So if they can release something like that, can we get more Mary Tyler Moore?
As I understand it, Fox (which owns the DVD rights to MTM series) will likely release season 2 sometime this year. They were disappointed in sales for season 1 (particularly in comparison to sales of M*A*S*H), which is probably why it’s taken so long.
It’s sort of ironic, in that season 1 of “Mary” was relatively weak; the series really didn’t hit its stride until the second season. So it’s too bad the rest of the eps have had to languish all these years, with not even a “best-of” DVD — hey, who wouldn’t want to see the brilliant “Chuckles Bites The Dust” again?
I’ve heard rumors of more coming this year as well. Sure hope so. It’s one of the few shows that I knew immediately I had to get on DVD.
And I understand that sales for season 1 didn’t meet expectations. Hopefully they have been lowered so that we’ll get the entire series.
Jaime Weinman’s blog has been covering the MTM release. The first season was done up really big, with extra material and commentary, because they expected it to sell as well as the first season of M*A*S*H. It didn’t, in part because the price point was too high as well.
The second season is definitely coming out, but without all the bells and whistles. Hopefully, their expectations will be lowered as well.
As for myself, DVD gave us a chance to get Futurama, which I never saw (despite being a Simpsons’ fan), and the first three seasons of Soap, which turned out to be excellent, far better than I expected, even if it was shot on videotape.