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"Seinfeld" repeals are everywhere but fans want those bloopers -and, yeah, the salt shakers. '[ Y/~ it.:"t' e f
DVD domain
'Seinfeld' set poised to break record
By MICHAEL GILTZ
'SEINFELD" seems
ready to set new re
cords for the best
selling TV show on DVD
when it hits stores later
this month.
"It could be the biggest
seller of all time," says
Scott Hettrick, the editor
in chief of industry trade
paper "DVD Exclusive."
Hettrick says you should
bet on Jerry, Elaine,
George and Kramer when
they hit stores on Nov. 23
with the extras-packed
DVD in three different
sets.
One volume includes
seasons one and two; an
other volume includes sea
son three; and a boxed set
includes salt and pepper
shakers, playing cards and
a copy of a script with
notes by co-creator Larry
David for $119.95.
With two weeks still to
go before their release,
Amazon com already lists
the three packages at No.
26, No. 11 and -for the
priciest combo set -No.
7.
The best-selling TV
show on DVD is "Chap-pelle's Show: Season One
Uncensored" at 2 million
units.
That passed by "The
Simpsons" 0.9 million
units for its season one)
and "Family Guy" (1.6
million units).
For the record, those
numbers pale next to the
atrical titles like "Shrek 2,"
which just sold 12.1 million
units its first weekend,
grossing $185 million.
But TV shows are often
much pricier.
"I've been starting to
hear some questions
lately," admits Hettrick,
about the chances of
"Seinfeld'; to set records.
"The way it's packaged,
the way it's priced.
There's a huge demand for
it; it will certainly be one
of the biggest ever, if not
the biggest. But there ha';~ '
been so many surprises in
the TV genre. 'Friends'
was on NBC and is one of
the highest rated shows
ever and it didn't sell as
well as 'Chappelle.' "
But "Seinfeld" has been
off NBC for six years, so
fans haven't been deluged
with the show the way
"Friends" was omnipresent when it first hit DVD.
On the other hand, it's
still a major presence in
reruns, reminding casual
viewers how funny the
show is.
And the big batch of ex
tras make the DVD sets
seem more than just a re
packaging of what people
can see for free on TV.
So maybe it won't reach
blockbuster numbers akin
to hit movies -not that
there's anything wrong
with that.
At $1l9.95 each, if the
boxed set can sell just 1.5
million units, it alone will
equal "Shrek 2's" first
weekend sales in dollars
-and that's what really
matters in Hollywood.
Dave Chappelle's show
has been a game-changer
for Comedy Central,
which re-upped him for
two more seasons with a
contract that could be
worth up to $50 million
and includes a hefty piece
of the DVD action.
"Family Guy" is coming
back from the dead with
all new episodes at least in
part because Fox wants to
have more DVD sets to
sell.
DVD domain
'Seinfeld' set poised to break record
By MICHAEL GILTZ
'SEINFELD" seems
ready to set new re
cords for the best
selling TV show on DVD
when it hits stores later
this month.
"It could be the biggest
seller of all time," says
Scott Hettrick, the editor
in chief of industry trade
paper "DVD Exclusive."
Hettrick says you should
bet on Jerry, Elaine,
George and Kramer when
they hit stores on Nov. 23
with the extras-packed
DVD in three different
sets.
One volume includes
seasons one and two; an
other volume includes sea
son three; and a boxed set
includes salt and pepper
shakers, playing cards and
a copy of a script with
notes by co-creator Larry
David for $119.95.
With two weeks still to
go before their release,
Amazon com already lists
the three packages at No.
26, No. 11 and -for the
priciest combo set -No.
7.
The best-selling TV
show on DVD is "Chap-pelle's Show: Season One
Uncensored" at 2 million
units.
That passed by "The
Simpsons" 0.9 million
units for its season one)
and "Family Guy" (1.6
million units).
For the record, those
numbers pale next to the
atrical titles like "Shrek 2,"
which just sold 12.1 million
units its first weekend,
grossing $185 million.
But TV shows are often
much pricier.
"I've been starting to
hear some questions
lately," admits Hettrick,
about the chances of
"Seinfeld'; to set records.
"The way it's packaged,
the way it's priced.
There's a huge demand for
it; it will certainly be one
of the biggest ever, if not
the biggest. But there ha';~ '
been so many surprises in
the TV genre. 'Friends'
was on NBC and is one of
the highest rated shows
ever and it didn't sell as
well as 'Chappelle.' "
But "Seinfeld" has been
off NBC for six years, so
fans haven't been deluged
with the show the way
"Friends" was omnipresent when it first hit DVD.
On the other hand, it's
still a major presence in
reruns, reminding casual
viewers how funny the
show is.
And the big batch of ex
tras make the DVD sets
seem more than just a re
packaging of what people
can see for free on TV.
So maybe it won't reach
blockbuster numbers akin
to hit movies -not that
there's anything wrong
with that.
At $1l9.95 each, if the
boxed set can sell just 1.5
million units, it alone will
equal "Shrek 2's" first
weekend sales in dollars
-and that's what really
matters in Hollywood.
Dave Chappelle's show
has been a game-changer
for Comedy Central,
which re-upped him for
two more seasons with a
contract that could be
worth up to $50 million
and includes a hefty piece
of the DVD action.
"Family Guy" is coming
back from the dead with
all new episodes at least in
part because Fox wants to
have more DVD sets to
sell.