# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **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/455778/41 "2008-07-09T20:32:08Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] 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). [/QUOTE] And starring as the hero, the best voice over guy in the business, [Will Lyman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Lyman), who luckily is still the voice of _Frontline_ (he’s one of the three or so actors I love for their voice alone). ---
**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, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/42 "2008-07-09T20:34:43Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Be careful what you [wish](http://clearvue.discovery.com/productDetail.asp?objectID=20655&mode=browse&type=video&theSubjectID=840) for. [/QUOTE] You know, the minute that link started to open, I remembered having seen that before somewhere. Maybe in a dream, but still. > [@](#): > > There are also…other sources for the DVDs. :makes that “call me” gesture with hand, only the e-mail version, whatever that is: ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/43 "2008-07-09T22:27:58Z")
All I can say is thank goodness for the alt.binaries.multimedia release groups. Practically everything that’s aired at all since 2003 or so has been preserved for the ages. Cavemen? Six Degrees (excellent show, btw)? Four Kings (another excellent show, which the last 8 episodes only aired in Australia, but still got preserved digitally)? I’m sure they even did Starved, although I never heard of it. This is a problem of the past… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/44 "2008-07-09T23:05:54Z")
One that I find amazing is that they’ve never released the original Simpsons shorts from _The Tracey Ullman Show_ on DVD. ---
**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, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/45 "2008-07-09T23:19:50Z")
I’m pretty sure the rights to those are part of the rights to **The Tracy Ullman Show**. When those rights are settled, then the shorts will be seen again. ---
**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 10, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/46 "2008-07-10T00:13:07Z")
[QUOTE=BiblioCat] “Nanny and the Professor” is available on [Hulu](http://www.hulu.com/). Trust me, it has not aged well. [/QUOTE] I just watch episode two, thank you. It was better than I feared. The music was too much but it was still a nice little show. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/47 "2008-07-10T06:00:57Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m pretty sure the rights to those are part of the rights to The Tracy Ullman Show. When those rights are settled, then the shorts will be seen again. It’s been twenty years. I have to assume the legalities aren’t that complex, especially when you consider Gracie Films produced both shows. How difficult can it be for a studio to sell itself distribution rights? If it’s a question of market value, the time is passing. The shorts would have been worth more in 1995 then they were in 2000 and more in 2000 than they were in 2005. In another ten years, the distribution rights might be worth as much _Family Dog_ or _Fish Police_. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/48 "2008-07-10T06:37:09Z")
Apparently, [Matt Groening is embarrased](http://www.pr-inside.com/groenings-r...urn-r14068.htm) by how poor the original Simpsons shorts are. Also, I’m not sure Ullman and the Simpsons are on speaking terms- she unsuccessfully sued in 1992 for shares of the royalties to the series, believing that she was directly responsible for the Simpsons’s success due to their origins on her show. ---
**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 10, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/49 "2008-07-10T12:19:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Quote: > Originally Posted by What Exit? > It appears that all 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. > The Dick Van Dyke Show Complete Series on [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). This has been on my wish list for a while now…when I can afford it. I didn’t say that it wasn’t available – my post notes that some of the series are, like The Prisoner. But I have NEVER seen thios on sale in any video store, despite the fact that I can own the entire run of other, much lesser series both old and new, well-known and obscure. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/50 "2008-07-10T13:07:02Z")
A few months ago I found John Clarke’s website, and there’s mention that they are working on a release of series 2 of **The Games** , due to popular demand. This thread inspired me to send an e-mail to make the demand even more popular. Got a reply, says they’re hoping to do it this year. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/51 "2008-07-10T13:19:52Z")
I’m still waiting for **Andy Richter Controls the Universe**. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/52 "2008-07-10T13:30:05Z")
I came in to wish for _ **Tweny-first Century** _ with Walter Cronkite, but a check shows that it does seem to be available from at least one source. It’d be interesting to see how close they came/are coming 35 years ago to guessing the future. I’d pay handsomely if they’d release _ **People Like Us** _, the BBC docu-comedy, on US DVD. They’ve been available in the UK, but not here. I’ve only seen three episodes, once each, but a show like that needs probably five viewings to catch all the jokes. Also two votes (I’m a big guy) for _ **Mad Movies with the LA Connection** _, a series that aired briefly in the 80s. LA Connection is still around, making stuff, but I haven’t found their original 80s material (legitimately) on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/53 "2008-07-10T14:52:25Z")
Something you gotta understand about the Simpsons Shorts - they SUCKED. Aside from having some of the same characters, there is almost no resemblance to even the first season of The Simpsons. Lisa was simply a female Bart, Marge had no personality at all, Homer was the enforcer of the family but wasn’t stupid…the only characters which were true to their character were Bart and Krusty. Tracy Ullman is not allowing her show to be released on DVD simply because she knows the only reason anyone will buy it will be for the Simpsons, and she’d rather not make money than give those fans that satisfaction. Besides, all of those shorts have been preserved digitally as well and if you look hard enough, you can find them. And then feel let down that you wasted your time downloading them. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778/54 "2008-07-10T15:07:29Z")
I second the 1960’s **Batman**. I’d pay top dollar for that. Also, I was going to ask for an obscure science show from over the water, **The Secret Life Of Machines** , but I just found it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-studios-holding-on-to-precious-to-some-tv-series-extremely-mild/455778.md?page=2)