Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for Netflix

Netflix used to have a great library of old TV shows, particularly those from the Universal library. Now it relies on a few stalwarts like Friends and is focused on creating original content. When it does acquire a high-profile series, it is gone in a year or less (Everybody Loves Raymond, M*A*S*H), and I won't hold my breath waiting for the company to shell out for any more classics in the near future.

However, I can think of one show that would generate enough buzz to maybe be worth a look from Netflix. I think it would be a great addition for Netflix because it has never streamed anywhere else, it has a devoted and passionate fanbase, and it would fit in with its recent emphasis on genre programming.

That show is the original Batman. Now, yes, there is one huge possible impediment--OK, two. One, Netflix has a strong relationship with Marvel that is apparently going to continue even after Disney pulls its feature movies and other content from Netflix in 2019 and launches its own series. Two, who knows if Warner/DC would even want to license this out? Three--OK, there are  many big obstacles--I don't know what the streaming rights are or if they are there. It took years for Warner and Fox to come to an agreement and get the series out on DVD, and who knows what the status is for streaming video. Oh, and one more--DC Comics is slated to unveil its own service next year, and wouldn't the original Batman in glorious HD, streaming for the first time ever, be a great lure?

Yes, it would, but that's still a long way off, and I think there is money to be made here, enough to make a short-term deal viable. Does Netflix have to worry about offending Disney considering the Mouse is already backing away from it? Is anyone making money off streaming Batman now? (Answer: No.)  I can see a nice splashy campaign around this series.

I don't think it's going to happen, but I think it's the only classic show unique and available enough to be a realistic consideration for Netflix, setting aside the issue of it's possible.

So 1) Batman.

The others on my list are easier to acquire but less likely to be desired by Netflix.

2) One Day at a Time: Perhaps the clearest sign in recent years that Netflix just didn't care  anymore about anything older than 10-20 years was when it premiered a reboot in association with Norman Lear yet didn't add the original. Maybe it tried and was rebuffed; I just don't know. The new version is critically acclaimed but eveidently not a popular smash, yet it did just get a third season, so maybe there is a sliver of chance Netflix will get the old ones.

3) The Carol Burnett Show: The above entry proves there is nothing to the theory that Netflix will be interested in an old show if it does business with its principals, but, hey, I said I'd do 5 for each SVOD service. A story circulated last year that CBS was shopping original versions of The Carol Burnett Show--as opposed to the long-syndicated half-hour cutdowns--for digital television, and maybe Netflix could be a fit. It would be a boon for classic TV fans and a nice companion to the current original series that stars Burnett.

4) SCTV: This show has a tangled history and possibly some rights issues, but it's been on DVD for years and is too good and has too devoted an audience to not be available anywhere. Now that Netflix has announced it is commissioning a Martin-Scorcese-directed reunion special, let's all dream that it will also pick up the original series.

5) Late Night with David Letterman: This is the most unlikely of all, but Netflix is now in the Letterman business, as it is with Burnett, it has plenty of room for unconventional material, and it has expanded its foray into talk show/variety programming.  Why not make a lot of people happy by adding some of the great material from the 80s and 90s?

For all I know, Letterman himself is dead set against an official release of the old stuff--didn't he hate the reruns on defunct cable network Trio?--but he could get a nice chunk of change and strengthen his relationship with Netflix. Maybe--just maybe--if we catch him on a good day he is in the mood to think about his legacy and suggest best episodes or tape an intro or two. Netflix's use of Mystery Science Theater 3000 indicates it does not have to stream everything in its entirety, so maybe some kind of curated collection would be doable.

That's a lot of maybes and probably never will bes, but Netflix is #1, so I wanted to start with it. The rest of this series will feature more realistic possibilities. Stay tuned for more!