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).
They like to come to your blog and see you whine about it. 🙂
And in all seriousness, I have a good friend who is a diehard fan of that show and is thrilled it’s coming out. It takes all kinds.
Mark
Kolchak and Walker, Texas Ranger are on DVD, so I’m happy.
Not to pry, but if a series gets released to DVD, Diagnosis Murder say, would you be getting royalty checks from the sales?
Just curious. I’d like to think that Darren McGavin gets something for the year of hellish misery that was the production of Kolchak the Night Stalker the series.
Thanks to the WGA (and every other union) capitulating to the studios during the last negotiation on DVD royalties…No, I won’t be getting diddly.
That’s just wrong. For me to say anything more about it would be to engage in a profanity filled rant that would even make that Vixen chick blush.
Lee,
Spenser for Hire, that brings back memories! Even though I can barely remember the show, I remember my friends and I would never miss it, and that my boyfriend at the time was extremely jealous.
However, I can’t really empathize. As an unpublished an writer, I’m quite jealous.
So if you don’t get anything from the DVD’s (which I can see both sides of because of costs), why are you so upset your shows aren’t coming out? I always thought it was because you’d get money from it.
As to my comment, if everyone involved with a show got paid for the DVD releases, then the price would be so high fans wouldn’t buy the DVD’s and no one would release them. Of course, it seems like it should be an across the board thing and actors shouldn’t get paid either, which I know won’t be the case.
Mark
Mark,
DVDs are very inexpensive to produce and are bringing in ENORMOUS profits to the studios. Sharing a mere percentage point or two with the writers, actors and directors who made those shows possible wouldn’t raise the retail prices a bit…and would have a negligible impact on the studio profits.
Royalties aside, the reason I want to see my shows on DVD is because…I’m a geek. I want to have the complete series (and my episodes in particular) in pristine shape, digitally remastered with impeccable picture and sound.
My MONK and NERO WOLFE episodes, both available on DVD, look and sound fantastic. ..and take up a lot less space on my shelf than the video tapes I had before.
Lee, I enjoy reading your blog but if you think Seaquest was better that the tv version of The Magnificent Seven, then your perspective has been badly skewered. TMAG 7 didn’t do everything right but it was extremely well cast and had an interesting narrative going on with the characters. It would have been interesting to see where some of the storylines might have gone had the series made it longer.
I wouldn’t say SEAQUEST was any better than MAG7 (one of the characters was a talking dolphin, for God’s sake!). But I would argue that it was more commercially successful, had a larger following and being a scifi show, is likely to sell more units than a little-seen western flop.
I wouldn’t say SEAQUEST was any better than MAG7 (one of the characters was a talking dolphin, for God’s sake!). But I would argue that it was more commercially successful, had a larger following and being a scifi show, is likely to sell more units than a little-seen western flop.
Ah, SEAQUEST. I really regret missing the episode (2nd season?) where they went up against a GIANT SHARK! Must’ve been a sweeps week episode, that one. What with the series starring Roy Schieder at the time, and it being executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
I do remember the giant squid episode where one guy thought he had discovered glowing jewels…turned out to be squid poop.
The third season when Michael Ironside showed up and they tried to give the show “an edge” (with Michael York as the Bad Guy!) was cringy-cheese on a cracker.
I think I just outed myself as a SeaQuest DSV fan. Uh-oh.
I guess where my hesitation on paying people comes is the slippery slope falicy. Do we stop with writer/director/actors? Everyone who’s name was in the credits? Everyone who worked on it period? That can get out of hand.
I do agree the studios are making a killing off them and could certainly share. It just gets to be a question of who should share.
And I can understand wanting your shows on DVD so you can have clean copies. That’s why I want some shows to come out on DVD, too.
I contend that Renegade probably was better than Martial Law, if only because Lorenzo Lamas took of his shirt in every episode. And he’s a hot piece of man ass.
I once met Lorenzo Lamas when I was on vacation in L.A. He stood outside of our hotel, sunglasses on, in an unmistakable “recognize me”-pose. We passed him, and I wondered whether I’d seen him before. I didn’t make the connection instantly, as he was wearing a shirt at the time, but nevertheless I recognized him eventually. So we got our pictures taken with him and he told us about a future project.
Back in Germany, I watched a handful of episodes of Renegade just because I’d met LL. The thrill was gone pretty quickly ,though.
Forget all those shows. Forget THE SOPRANOS, DEADWOOD, GUNSMOKE.
I WANT MANIMAL!
Actually westerns do very well on DVD because there are so few of them in release anymore that aren’t b/w or dubbed spaghetti.
That genre is one retailers (Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, Movie gallery) say they can sell.
I know people who will be thrilled about the release of MAG 7, but then I know people who’d be thrilled with SEAQUEST, too. Me, I want the various and sundry TV editions of Zorro.
I know people who will be thrilled about the release of MAG 7, but then I know people who’d be thrilled with SEAQUEST, too. Me, I want the various and sundry TV editions of Zorro.
I may be two years too late for this blog, but I happen to love The Magnificent Seven tv series, and I have bought series one and will buy series two. How on earth you can think it is what you think it is, is beyond me.
Lol, my name’s Katherine too (last comment defending Mag7 was by “catherine”) and I happen to think Magnificent Seven was a GREAT TV show with a great cast of characters and actors!
That said, I’ve bought Seasons 1 and 2 of SeaQuest: DSV, since I’ve always loved that show, too! I’m almost done with Season 2 and I love it all. 🙂