Several hit TV series of the past, including WKRP in Cincinnati, The Wonder Years and Beverly Hills, 90210, have not been released on DVD because they contain popular music on their soundtracks and the producers did not purchase rights to use the songs for home-video, the Wall Street Journal reported today (Friday). Owners of the shows have since learned that relicensing the rights now is either too expensive or too difficult to negotiate. Sony has produced DVD versions of four seasons of Married ... With Children, but without the theme, Frank Sinatra's "Love and Marriage," because it was unable to reach a licensing deal for it, the newspaper said.
That seems incredibly short-sighted of the owners of the rights -- a popular DVD is only going to generate interest in their music and an unpopular one seems unlikely to do them harm.
However, it renews my amazement that Miami Vice is out on DVD.
miami vice probably had the foresight to secure the rights.
Perkins, come here and you'll have two hours taken care of.
I know people who are afraid Supernatural will never be released on DVD for that same reason.
a popular DVD is only going to generate interest in their music and an unpopular one seems unlikely to do them harm
I don't think they foresaw the market. How many TV shows did you own on video? All I had was what I'd taped. Now, on DVD, I have bought a brazilian. It would be very easy to not see that technology shift coming.
Boss² doesn't seem overly concerned. Which means either he's going with our estimates or I've had the project yanked.
On my short walk I passed a brunet with blond highlights wearing a blazer over a T-shirt. He was wearing loafers, but unlike Sonny Crocket, there were socks. Otherwise, minus a shift in colour palette, pretty good impersonation.
It would be very easy to not see that technology shift coming.
Syndication was the brass ring for TV shows, where they generated mucho profit. Even then the producers didn't always secure the rights for the music, and WKRP syndicated eps were infamous for having generic rock replacing the hits used as the show originally aired.
One reason why Joss preferred to use unsigned bands at the Bronze.
However, it renews my amazement that Miami Vice is out on DVD.
miami vice probably had the foresight to secure the rights.
I had heard that it was a problem for them. I haven't gotten anything definitive from googling but they seemed to have spent a boatload on rights for what's on DVD but have not necessarily committed to acquiring all the rights for unreleased seasons.
I can't believe how good Michael Mann is at that stuff. I think he's simply a better music stylist than a director.
Huh. Do they ever show that WKRP episode where the boss walks in while Pink Floyd's "Sheep" is playing, and he asks, "Do I hear sheep?"
It'd be a pitty if that bit were lost forever due to licensing issues....
Speaking of Buffy, from the Chicago Tribune's Watcher blog:
The May 15 finale of “How I Met Your Mother” is a feast for fans of Joss Whedon’s work. Guest actor Alexis Denisof, real-life spouse of “Mother” cast member Alyson Hannigan, is, like his spouse, a veteran of Whedon’s “Buffy” and “Angel,” and another guest star, Amy Acker, played a crucial role on “Angel.”
“We cast Alyson because we’re such enormous fans of `Buffy,’ ” says Craig Thomas, co-creator of “How I Met Your Mother.” “And we’re also huge fans of ‘Angel.’ So when I showed up to the table read of the finale, with Alexis and Alyson and Amy, the ‘Buffy’/`Angel’ nerd in me just freaked out. I had to try to contain it so I didn’t seem to dorky in front of the entire room. I had to excuse myself and do a little dance.”
