Michael Giltz: DVDs: TV Show Boxed Set Rip-Offs http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-tv-show-set-rip-offs_b_109215.html [4/5/2009 2:08:29 PM] APRIL 5, 2009 HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING STYLE GREEN WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY 23/6 VIDEO BLOGGER INDEX ARCHIVE Make HuffPost Your HomePage Get Email Alerts Twitter: Follow Us BIG NEWS : Angelina Jolie | Madonna | Chris Brown & Rihanna | Paul McCartney | More...</p><p> LOG IN | SIGN UP Michael Giltz BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index DVDs: TV Show Boxed Set Rip- Offs Posted June 25, 2008 | 03:26 PM (EST) Read More: Barbara Stanwyck , Battlestar Galactica , Derek Jarman , Dvds, Gunsmoke , Honeydripper , John Sayles , Monk , Movies, The Sopranos , TV Shows , Westerns , Xanadu , Entertainment News I love collecting TV shows on DVD.</p><p> Something that was wildly impractical on VHS (one seasonof a drama would take up a foot or more of shelfspace) is now commonplace.</p><p> Studios should bethrilled -- sales of old TV shows have gone froman insignificant sliver to a billion dollar business.People now buy TV episodes on iTunes and entiresets on DVD season by season and thensometimes buy the entire thing all over again in acomplete boxed set.</p><p> But studios can't leave a good thing alone. it's like Blu-Ray: instead of just introducing this new format at the same price point with backward compatibility and keeping people happy and in the habit of spending $16 billion a year on DVDs (about twice what is spent at the US box office), they use Blu-Ray as an excuse to raise prices dramatically.</p><p> Because, really, when sales are slowing the smartest thing you can do is raise the price, not add value.</p><p> And now TV shows on DVD.</p><p> A spreading practice needs to be stopped right now.</p><p> A number of studios -- led by Paramount/CBS -- are releasing old TV shows in half-season sets.</p><p> You can buyThe Streets of San Francisco Season 2 Volume 1 ($39.98; Paramount) and Jake and the Fatman Season One Volume One ($36.98; Paramount) -- as if anyone in the world has EVER wanted to buy half a season of a TV series.</p><p> When the iconic show Route 66's first season came out in two parts last October and this February, I objected mightily but the people behind the set (a tinycompany) insisted they had to put out the first half just to see if they could justify putting out thesecond half.</p><p> The company was so small I relented a little.</p><p> But now that they're releasing the firstseason in one set just four months after putting out the individual volumes, I'm sorry I did.</p><p> Other shows tease out their releases, but I can only blame instant gratification buyers for being suckered in.</p><p> Battlestar: Galactica has its season spread out over a year with huge gaps in between, Be the First to Submit This Story to Digg Like this story? Get Alerts of big news events.</p><p> Enter your email address Popular Stories on HuffPost Fashion Face-Off! Michelle Obama And Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Finally Meet In France (VIDEO, PHOTOS, POLL) *Video, poll and slideshow Levi Johnston TalksSafe Sex With Tyra Banks (VIDEO) ***UPDATE*** 8:30pm: People.com is reporting that Sarah Palin has issued...</p><p> Oscar de la Renta Slams Michelle Obama's Buckingham Outfit As Major Designers FeelIgnored While Michelle Obamahas made lesser...</p><p> Verena von Pfetten 7 Lessons To BeLearned From Carla Bruni So here's the thing.There's no shortage of articles dedicated to thatcertain je ne...</p><p> Huff TV Arianna Discusses MichelleObama's "Fantastic" Style On CBS' Michael Giltz: DVDs: TV Show Boxed Set Rip-Offs http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-tv-show-set-rip-offs_b_109215.html [4/5/2009 2:08:29 PM]so I don't mind so much when they release the episodes already aired on DVD.</p><p> Everyone knows the entire season will be made available in one set once they've all aired, so the choice is yours.</p><p> Samewith the animated series Avatar The Last Airbender (which M.</p><p> Night Shymalan is turning into a live action film).</p><p> Each season or "book" comes out in dribbles with five episode sets (such as Book3 Volume 3 out in May for $16.99 from Nickelodeon) but if you wait the entire season comes out inone complete set.</p><p> Blood+ Volume Two ($24.96; Sony) (featuring the Adult Swim anime show) is taking a similar tack, putting out five episodes at a time which annoys me more than intrigues me.</p><p> And I know all the excuses: old shows like Gunsmoke had a lot more episodes each season.</p><p> Gunsmoke The Second Season Volume 2 ($36.98; Paramount) has 19 half hour episodes, which is about the same as an entire season of most network shows today (and more than most cable series).</p><p> But you know what? I don't care.</p><p> Gunsmoke began airing in 1955 -- these episodes are more than 50 years old.</p><p> And it ran for 20 years so they've got 600+ episodes to sell! Do you reallyexpect people to buy roughly 40 boxed sets at $36 each? More than $700 to own one show? What's worse, they released the entire 39 episodes of season one for the same basic price as HALF of what season two will cost.</p><p> How does this make sense? It doesn't.</p><p> Jake and the Fatman and Cannon were journeyman shows at best -- do they really need to be doled out in this way ($36.98 each; Paramount) for half of their first seasons? If 22 episodes of USA Network's modest hit seriesThe Big Easy ($49.98; MPI) can be made available in one set, so can the Fatman.</p><p> I'm delighted the puppy dog cute Kyle Chandler (who came into his own on Friday Night Lights ) can be seen in Early Edition First Season ($49.99; Paramount).</p><p> Now where's his earlier series Homefront? New shows are no better sometimes.</p><p> HBO has always charged a premium for its shows -- $60 for13 episodes of The Sopranos worked out to quite a premium.</p><p> Then they bundled all the seasons together in a boxed set costing more than $500.</p><p> And coming in November, you can buy the entire series with soundtracks and extras for about $400.</p><p> That's the right direction to go in, but since everyone who loved the show has been buying it all along, frankly the 86 episodes should have been even cheaper.</p><p> Other big TV mistakes: releasing The Cosby Show -- one of the most popular sitcoms of all time -- with truncated episodes pulled from the syndication version rather than the original full-length episodes. (Other shows have done this as well.) Releasing some seasons of a show but not the rest -- where in God's name are seasons 5-7 of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the greatest sitcom of all time? Yes, cable shows have fewer episodes so maybe it's no surprise The Closer Third Season ($39.98; Warner Bros.) and Monk Season Six ($59.98; Universal) and Eureka Season 2 ($39.98; Universal) and Psych Second Season ($59.98; Universal) are complete sets. (And no, there's no good reason for Monk and Psych to cost so much more than Eureka except that they're more popular.) But Tyler Perry's House of Payne Volume Two ($29.98; Lions Gate) has 20 episodes, as much as any network sitcom and they're not holding back.</p><p> Neither is Walker Texas Ranger Fifth Season ($49.99; Paramount), the Chuck Norris hit that kickboxes its way into fans' home complete andready to watch.</p><p> The History Channel's Dogfights Complete Second Season ($49.95; A&E) has 17 episodes as well.</p><p> What can you do about it? Don't buy 'em.</p><p> Any show released in fragments is a show you should avoid like the plague.</p><p> No matter how big a fan you are, don't let them double dip, as they'd say inSeinfeld .</p><p> Shows that are 20, 30, or 40 years old don't deserve more of your money than a new series and as a viewer and buyer, you don't deserve any less than full seasons.</p><p> If you don't buy them and DO support full and complete TV shows sold season by season, believe me, they'll stop making 'em.</p><p> NOTE: Some of the DVD sets mentioned are not out yet but will be released in the next few weeks.</p><p> Also out this week:Glitterbox: Derek Jarman X 4 ($74.99; Zeitgeist) -- A wonderful presentation of four major works by the boldly experimental director, including Caravaggio (an unconventional biopic) and Blue ( which is literally a blue screen with voices and sounds ruminating on the color).</p><p> Far from comprehensive (since it doesn't include major works like Edward II, The Last Of England or his music videos), this is a perfect introduction to a director whose stock will soar in years to come and made touching by a tribute film created by his friends after Jarman's death.</p><p> Sure to be one of thebest releases of the year. "Washington Unplugged" Arianna was on CBS' "Washington...</p><p> Alex Leo The "Real Housewives Of New York City" Flowchart Of Hate I'm a little embarrassed tolove this show as much as... "BRUNO" TRAILER! Calamity, African Babies, ChaseScenes And More (NSFW VIDEO) IT'S HERE! The trailer for this July's Sacha BaronCohen...</p><p> NATO Leaders Focus On Afghanistan, But Most Reject Obama's Plea For Troops (SLIDESHOW) STRASBOURG, France — On the eve of the NATO...</p><p> First Lady Fashion At Friday's NATO Concert (PHOTOS) Another night, anotherfashion opportunity forNATO leaders and their spouses! See...</p><p> Diana Palin, SarahPalin's Sister-In-Law, Arrested ForBreaking Into Home ANCHORAGE, Alaska —Police say Alaska Gov....</p><p> John Oliver Explains The Real Reason You Never Touch The Queen (VIDEO) John Oliver was upset enough to drop his monocle when he...</p><p> Obama Teases Reporter From India During Press Conference (VIDEO) Obama held a conferencepacked with press fromaround the world on Thursday.</p><p> He called...</p><p> Jim Cramer DeclaresThe Depression "Over" (VIDEO) On Thursday's episode of "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer declared that the depression...</p><p> Scientists Find Rocket Fuel Chemical In Infant Formula ATLANTA — Traces of a chemical used in rocket fuel were found in samples of...</p><p> Least Wasteful Cities In America (SLIDESHOW) It's great to love the cityyou live in, and better toMichael Giltz: DVDs: TV Show Boxed Set Rip-Offs http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-tv-show-set-rip-offs_b_109215.html [4/5/2009 2:08:29 PM] Michelle Obama's Clothing Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts RICHARD POPLAWSKI,Pittsburgh Gunman, Kills 3Police Officers Dr.</p><p> Rachel Ehrenfeld: DoesIran Harbor Osama binLaden? John Demjanjuk, Ohio ManAccused Of Being NaziGuard, Avoids Deportation Reality Star Jade Goody Buried In Lavish...</p><p> Robert De Niro Nanny Sues For $40,000 Demi Moore's Twitter-Based Suicide Intervention "HGTV's $250,000 Challenge": Families Vie For Mortgage...The Furies ($39.95; Criterion) -- a very fun 1950 Western with Barbara Stanwyck in great form as the willful daughter of a widowed ranch owner.</p><p> When a man kisses Stanwyck with passion, she eyes him and says, "I hope you can chew what you just bit off," a hilarious and sexy and defiant line that encapuslates everything that made her a star in one brief moment.</p><p> Director Anthony Mann made greater westerns (especially with Jimmy Stewart), but this has been overlooked too long.</p><p> Criterion even includes a paperback of the book it's based on.</p><p> They've also just put out Death Of A Cyclist ($29.95; Criterion) by director Juan Antonio Bardem, the uncle of Javier.</p><p> Honeydripper ($27.98; Screen Media) -- a solid if unsurprising entry from the dependable John Sayles about a juke joint needing a quick bit of financial salvation, with his usual talented cast andwide angle look at a community.</p><p> Definitely, Maybe ($29.98; Universal)/ In Bruges ($29.98; Focus Features) -- He's still not picking good movies, but Ryan Reynolds is starting to become a decent onscreen presence.</p><p> In old Hollywood, potential stars would get to make 10 or 20 or more movies to gain experience and findthe style and format that worked for them.</p><p> Maybe that's what we're seeing to a lesser degree fromReynolds -- he might just surprise us.</p><p> Similarly, playwright Martin McDonagh may not havecreated a big stir with his film directorial debut, but there's enough offbeat charm to hope he getsmore chances.</p><p> The Spiderwick Chronicles ($34.98; Paramount) -- A fantasy film based on so-so books is elevated greatly by the presence of Freddie Highmore in dual roles.</p><p> He really does seem like the current child actor destined to make the transition to adulthood a la Christian Bale. 10,000 BC ($28.98; Warner Bros.) -- Fans of Westerns and musicals often feel neglected.</p><p> But imagine if you were a fan of caveman movies -- they almost never get to see ANY movies in their favorite genre.</p><p> Which is the only explanation I can think of for this having grossed $270 million worldwide. 8,000 BC anyone? Papaya, Love Goddess of the Cannibals ($29.95; Severin) A sexploitation flick starring Roger Vadim discovery Sirpa Lane.</p><p> I happily quote the liner notes: "Severin Films is shamelessly proud topresent...fully restored -- including the complete Disco Cannibal Blood Orgy sequence -- from anItalian vault print seized from the private collection of a jailed magistrate!" I doubt the film is asentertaining as those notes, but you never know.</p><p> Xanadu Magical Music Edition ($19.98; Universal) -- a notorious flop -- and deservedly so -- starring Olivia Newton John and (god forgive him) Gene Kelly in his last movie.</p><p> Strictly for loversof the truly awful.</p><p> More in Entertainment...</p><p> HuffPost Stories Surging Right Now Ads by Google Cars Women's Rights Michelle Obama Europe Newspapers Bank Of America War Wire Video Financial Crisis MORE BIG NEWS PAGES » Books by this author A cabin of one's own: New England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine) by Michael Giltz Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein.</p><p> In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine) by Michael Giltzlove it for a reason like being green! FastCompany...</p><p> HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES Related Tags Barbara Stanwyck , Battlestar Galactica , Derek Jarman , Dvds , Gunsmoke , Honeydripper , John Sayles , Monk , Movies , The Sopranos , TV Shows , Westerns , Xanadu This Blogger's Books from Michael Giltz: DVDs: TV Show Boxed Set Rip-Offs http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-tv-show-set-rip-offs_b_109215.html [4/5/2009 2:08:29 PM]Comments 8 Pending Comments 0 Classic TV/Movies on DVD Bowery Boys, Amos 'N Andy+More Everything ships Free-Buy On Sale! www.TheOldTimeTheater.com Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to View Comments: Newest First Expand All MKJeeves See Profile I'm a Fan of MKJeeves permalink Wow, I'm impressed.</p><p> You get to watch a LOT of TV . . . bethace See Profile I'm a Fan of bethace permalink If TV shows on DVD are such a huge money maker I wonder why I can't buy season 2 (or any subseuent seasons) of Everwood on DVD.</p><p> Even if they only realeased part of it at a time, I'd gladly be ripped off.</p><p> Aleka4 See Profile I'm a Fan of Aleka4 permalink Ohhh this annoys me as well.</p><p> It isn't like I am a huge TV show buyer anyway - I have to really get to silly obsessed over a show before i will buy it and that just doesn't happen that often.</p><p> But that Battlestar: Galactica thing.</p><p> I didnt get what you were referring to because I still cannot find season 2 in one box, and since i refuse to spend that much money for half a season, I still don't haveseason 2.</p><p> It would be different if they didn't want so much for the .5 season - we would spend 20buckmaybe but not 33-40buck a pop? I don't think so.</p><p> When they put it out in one box for 40-50 buck, that would be when we will buy it, and not before.</p><p> And I don't even care about S4 at this point, I am so po'd about about the whole 1 year break - 10 eps, then another year break thing. 3fingerbrown See Profile I'm a Fan of 3fingerbrown permalink Hey Michael: Have you ever done a buyer-beware post about my number-one DVD pet peeve: Replacing the pop songs on the soundtrack with generic Muzak because the production company willnot or cannot acquire the rights to the original music? It really burned me, after I spent a bundle on some "Odd Couple" seasons, to discover that scenes involving popular music have been altered or cut entirely.</p><p> Deadly for a show that relied heavily on pop culture references.</p><p> What a rip-off! I've heard that the DVD sets of "WKRP" are mere shadows of the original broadcast episodes, which derived so much of its flavor from the actual '70s hits the fictionalstation was playing.</p><p> But anyone willing to buy "Jake and the Fatman" in any form deserves to be hoodwinked. robiform See Profile I'm a Fan of robiform permalink That's been a pet peeve of mine, too! Getting rights to original music is what caused the very long wait for "Miami Vice" (the series, not the movie!) on DVD.</p><p> And if music rights can't beobtained, well you get the experience I had when watching the DVD of the first story arc ofthat memorable series "Wiseguy".</p><p> The last episode was extremely memorable for many Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:20 PM on 06/30/2008 Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:17 PM on 06/27/2008 Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:14 PM on 06/27/2008 Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:56 AM on 06/27/2008Michael Giltz: DVDs: TV Show Boxed Set Rip-Offs http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-tv-show-set-rip-offs_b_109215.html [4/5/2009 2:08:29 PM] HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING GREEN STYLE WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY FUNDRACE ARCHIVE Advertise | Login | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Jobs | FAQ: Comments & Moderation | FAQ: Huffpost Accounts | Contact Us Copyright © 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | Archive | User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type Comments are closed for this entry reasons, one of them being the use of songs like "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues.</p><p> Unfortunately, the producers couldn't get the rights to "Nights in White Satin" and that blew the whole episode out of the water for me.</p><p> Caveat emptor, indeed! jbelkin See Profile I'm a Fan of jbelkin permalink I'm not disagreeing with you but I think it's for the following reasons: a) They know Netflix & Blockbuster cannot "wait" and will buy it anyway no matter the price - and while they won't actually make twice what they would've made by selling a single set, they can make maybe30-40% more so ... why not.b) hardcore fans will pay anyway to be first on the block ...</p><p> Ultimately, months later - "average" fans will buy it when it hits below $30-$40 for a season set.But as you point out, not only is it dumb to issue a truncated edited version, the shows where the original music gets stripped out is POINTLESS.</p><p> It's hard to believe with 5 major studios who own most of the properties cannot work out deals with the music labels (many they own!) and instead try to foist shows on us with new music LIKE WE WOULDN'T NOTICE. booksnmore4you See Profile I'm a Fan of booksnmore4you permalink And in other news: Analysts say TV show downloading with bittorrent reaches recent new high. bored2tears See Profile I'm a Fan of bored2tears permalink I'm already there with you.</p><p> I own Seasons One and Two of "Dynasty," but refuse to buy the third.</p><p> Why? Because CBS/Paramount (is anyone else detecting a trend here?) is releasing 12 episodes as "Season Three, Volume One." The number of outraged pre-reviews of the set on Amazon.com indicate that the fan revolt is on.</p><p> The majority have refused to buy anything but a full-season set.</p><p> If this is how CBS intends to handle future releases of other series, I am more than happy to continue profiting from my short position in the stock.</p><p> You must be logged in to reply to this comment.</p><p> Log in or Ads by Google Classic TV/Movies on DVD Bowery Boys, Amos 'N Andy+More Everything ships Free-Buy On Sale! www.TheOldTimeTheater.com Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:24 PM on 06/27/2008 Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:16 AM on 06/27/2008 Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:28 PM on 06/26/2008 Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:58 PM on 06/26/2008Michael Giltz: DVDs: TV Show Boxed Set Rip-Offs http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-tv-show-set-rip-offs_b_109215.html [4/5/2009 2:08:29 PM]
