# I pit the studios holding on to precious (to some) TV series! (extremely mild) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778 "2008-07-09T01:01:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/21 "2008-07-09T12:46:44Z")
It’s been over a year since the first season of _St. Elsewhere_ was released on DVD. No sign of any subsequent seasons. Grr. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/22 "2008-07-09T13:20:22Z")
This one is weird, I am still waiting on the “The Nanny and the Professor”. I wouldn’t mind seeing “Quark” either. I fear that “The Nanny and the Professor” won’t come close to being as good as I recall it to have been, but I would at least like to see it and find out. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/23 "2008-07-09T13:27:34Z")
It bugs me that you can easily get hold of recent series and awful old series, but that the ones I really want either aren’t available or are pretty hard to get hold of. I keep my eyes open for **The Prisoner**. It rarely shows up in the local stores. You can buy it at The Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. But the last I looked for it at Amazon, they wanted me to buy the entire series. I’d love to have **Connections** and **The Day the Universe Changed** , and maybe **Connections 2** and **3**. I never see whole seasons of **The Dick Van Dyke Show** on DVD. And are they ever going to release another season of **Rocky and Bullwinkle**? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/24 "2008-07-09T13:37:03Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I never see whole seasons of **The Dick Van Dyke Show** [/QUOTE] It [appears that all](http://www.netflix.com/Search?v1=The+Dick+Van+Dyke+Show) of the **The Dick Van Dyke Show** is available on Netflix, so it must be out there somewhere. We have been watching the first season via Netflix’s \*Watch Instantly \* feature. It was interesting seeing Jamie Farr in a repeat roll as a delivery boy in the first season. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/25 "2008-07-09T13:47:09Z")
Yeah, especially in these times when you can download stuff, it’s hard to imagine why they don’t release old stuff. I mean, you don’t have to burn or box it…just having it in digital form would allow the public to see it again. IIRC they don’t ever plan to release WKRP in Cincinnati b/c the show had snippets of actual music hits on it. The record companies agreed to a one-time use or something at the time but they want big bucks for putting it on DVDs so it isn’t economically feasible. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/26 "2008-07-09T13:56:00Z")
[QUOTE=lobotomyboy63] IIRC they don’t ever plan to release WKRP in Cincinnati b/c the show had snippets of actual music hits on it. The record companies agreed to a one-time use or something at the time but they want big bucks for putting it on DVDs so it isn’t economically feasible. [/QUOTE] The DVDs were released but with mostly replaced music. It ruined two or three shows but the rest are fine. They were finally released last year. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/27 "2008-07-09T13:58:04Z")
Where is _Dexter’s Laboratory_? I can get _Dexter_ on DVD but no _Dexter’s Lab_. And _Dexter_ is nothing like _Dexter’s Lab_. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/28 "2008-07-09T13:58:43Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I keep my eyes open for **The Prisoner**. It rarely shows up in the local stores. You can buy it at The Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. But the last I looked for it at Amazon, they wanted me to buy the entire series. [/QUOTE] **Cal** , I’m confused here. Did you only want to buy individual episodes? There are 17 total, so even at (say) $5 each, you’re paying a pretty penny. You can get the [complete set from Deep Discount](http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=5737792) for $50 which seems very reasonable to me. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/29 "2008-07-09T14:08:50Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I fear that “The Nanny and the Professor” won’t come close to being as good as I recall it to have been, but I would at least like to see it and find out. [/QUOTE] “Nanny and the Professor” is available on [Hulu](http://www.hulu.com/). Trust me, it has not aged well. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/30 "2008-07-09T14:40:06Z")
[QUOTE=h.sapiens] It’s been over a year since the first season of _St. Elsewhere_ was released on DVD. No sign of any subsequent seasons. Grr. [/QUOTE] Be patient. It look something like four years between seasons one and two of _Barney Miller_. [QUOTE=CalMeacham] I’d love to have **Connections** and **The Day the Universe Changed** , and maybe **Connections 2** and **3**. [/QUOTE] [Wish granted](http://www.amazon.com/Connections-1-James-Burke/dp/B000NJVY3U/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1215614327&sr=8-1), me too, [wish granted](http://www.amazon.com/Connections-2-5-DVD-set/dp/B0000DIZSF/ref=pd_bxgy_d_text_b), [wish granted](http://www.amazon.com/Connections-Vol-3-James-Burke/dp/B0000DIZSJ/ref=pd_sim_d_1). [QUOTE=What Exit?] The DVDs were released but with mostly replaced music. It ruined two or three shows but the rest are fine. They were finally released last year. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: season one has been released. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/31 "2008-07-09T14:48:55Z")
I continue to be appalled that “Max Headroom” is not available on DVD. I echo the above comments re: “Designing Women.” The first season has in most instances not aged well and the last season was almost uniformly awful, but in between was some of the best comedy moments ever. I’d like to see “Molly Dodd” again but I suspect it won’t have held up. I would love to see the Linda Ellerbee historical series “Our World,” that ABC murdered by putting it up against "The Cosby Show. Dick Cavett did a similar series for I think HBO called “Remember When” that I’d also like to see, and I’d love to give them to my mom. “On The Air” created by David Lynch, lasted 7 episodes. “Starved,” killed by FX, also seven episodes. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/32 "2008-07-09T14:52:58Z")
[QUOTE=Kinthalis] Fine, you don’t think you can make back your investment if you release a 3 DVD set of Covington Cross (British Comedy set in medieval times), you’re probably right, but don’t just sit on the video and let it molder in some basement, release it! [/QUOTE] _Covington Cross_ wasn’t a comedy, was it? I’d like to see [Crossbow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossbow_(TV_series)) again, the series about William Tell with one of my favourite [theme tunes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJR1WcnC8Ak) and starring one of my favourite bad guy actors (Nick Brimble). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/33 "2008-07-09T15:00:41Z")
[QUOTE=BiblioCat] “Nanny and the Professor” is available on [Hulu](http://www.hulu.com/). Trust me, it has not aged well. [/QUOTE] I’ll check it out and I am prepared to suffer. I need to know at this point. On the other side of the coin. I had not seen Barney Miller in 20 years and when they showed the first 6 seasons on Tubetime a few summers back, the show was as great as I remembered it and better than any sitcom on TV today. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/34 "2008-07-09T19:14:49Z")
Also “The John Laroquette Show”, at least the first two seasons. Pure comedy gold. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/35 "2008-07-09T19:44:21Z")
At the moment, Bravo is driving me insane. Aside from Project Runway, they release almost none of their shows on DVD. Because of NBC ditching iTunes last year, none of their shows are on the iTunes store anymore. Everything they air is only available through purchase at [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) (if there), and Amazon’s stupid media viewer/purchaser thing isn’t compatible on Macs! Grr. ---
**Author:** ![Viridiana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Viridiana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viridiana)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/36 "2008-07-09T19:59:15Z")
[QUOTE=Neidhart] We get Picket Fences on DVD, but no LA Law? Why, FFS? I’ve never seen anybody give a reason for this. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but they refuse to release more than the one season of PF. I’ve been waiting for years for it! (or was that Living Single? Well, either way, release more seasons of those shows, jerks!) Sorry, I loved PF. 🙂 If it makes you feel any better, **shy guy** , the stupid Amazon thing doesn’t work on my PC either. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/37 "2008-07-09T20:05:39Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] [Wish granted](http://www.amazon.com/Connections-1-James-Burke/dp/B000NJVY3U/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1215614327&sr=8-1), me too, [wish granted](http://www.amazon.com/Connections-2-5-DVD-set/dp/B0000DIZSF/ref=pd_bxgy_d_text_b), [wish granted](http://www.amazon.com/Connections-Vol-3-James-Burke/dp/B0000DIZSJ/ref=pd_sim_d_1). [/QUOTE] Be careful what you [wish](http://clearvue.discovery.com/productDetail.asp?objectID=20655&mode=browse&type=video&theSubjectID=840) for. There are also…other sources for the DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/38 "2008-07-09T20:21:33Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] It [appears that all](http://www.netflix.com/Search?v1=The+Dick+Van+Dyke+Show) of the **The Dick Van Dyke Show** is available on Netflix, so it must be out there somewhere. We have been watching the first season via Netflix’s \*Watch Instantly \* feature. It was interesting seeing Jamie Farr in a repeat roll as a delivery boy in the first season. [/QUOTE] [The Dick Van Dyke Show](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007WFY4S?tag=tvshowsondvdcom&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=B0007WFY4S&creative=373489&camp=211189) Complete Series on [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). This has been on my wish list for a while now…when I can afford it. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/39 "2008-07-09T20:26:31Z")
Jem and the Holograms. They released two sets and then something happened (I think the rights got bought or revoked or something). Silverhawks. You all saw that coming, right? I have all the eps on VHS from when Cartoon Network showed them (before they became the all anime, original shows, movies, and not-freaking-animated movies channel). And I’ll second the Adam West Batman. I thought it was out. That’s outrageous. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/40 "2008-07-09T20:32:04Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] _Covington Cross_ wasn’t a comedy, was it? [/QUOTE] I suppose it was technically a drama series. But _medieval_ drama + plenty of funny moments = comedy to me. I still remember one episode where one of the sons (the womanizer one) gets bitten by a snake while out fishing and wakes up… in a convent stocked full of young noble girls - hilarity ensues! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778.md?page=3)