Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for Amazon Prime Video

Welcome back to my continuing series matching classic television shows with streaming services. My criteria for a series are that it should not be widely available at the moment and that it should have a realistic shot at being acquired by said streaming video outfit. Last week I looked at Netflix and had to stretch because, let's face it, Netflix isn't in that bidness anymore.

Now it gets fun because we see some moves that might actually happen. In fact, I am moving up Amazon Prime Video in this series before one of my brilliant ideas happens. In particular, I am fascinated by the ongoing deal with Warner Brothers. In recent weeks, the complete runs of The Dukes of Hazzard, Chips, and Kung Fu have all made their way to Prime. Last week, Dawson's Creek followed, but...that's not really the kind of show I want to talk about here. Also, at least one list of stuff coming to Prime in June includes the long-running Lorimar (now owned by WB) series The Waltons. Something is going on here, so Warner shows dominate this list.

1) Night Court: Prime Video has a lot of old shows, but other than some of the stalwarts like Cheers, it isn't exactly a destination for sitcoms. Honestly, Night Court feels more like a Hulu show (Don't worry, folks, I have another long-running WB sitcom in mind for Hulu), but maybe that's exactly why Prime should snag this. It's too bad that it took Harry Anderson's death to put the show back in the spotlight, but the fact is, a lot of people probably thought, "Hey, I'd like to see an episode or two," only to discover it's mostly unavailable, albeit airing on a digital subchannel or two.

At a certain major retailer, I keep seeing a package that combines multiple seasons of the show on DVD--the earliest, less-beloved seasons. Night Court is ripe for streaming, with a whopping 9 seasons and almost 200 episodes of comedy. A show that large benefits from the ability to pick and choose the more memorable moments. It should be streaming, and it's not like Warners is doing a lot else with it right now. Sometimes I think the company is stingy with its properties while it milks DVD sales, but the series has been complete since 2013, so that should not be an obstacle. Make this happen!

2) Wonder Woman: Since Amazon is already adding action/adventure shows from Warners, this one may be more realistic. Really, I am surprised at how little the original CBS/ABC show was hyped in the wake of the blockbuster 2017 feature film. Hey, I don't care how good the movie is; there is no need to be "embarrassed" by the show, and for many of us, Lynda Carter will always be the definitive Wondy. The series has been complete on DVD for years, but other than, what. a run on ME-TV, where else has it been? This would be a great get for Prime.

3) Spenser for Hire: Mainly I just want to see the series and not pay 60 bucks a season for it on DVD. I didn't watch it when it was on, but in recent years I discovered the Robert Parker Spenser novels, and now I'd love to check out Robert Urich's take on the character. And, hey, one of Amazon's most high-profile originals is Bosch, so there must be an appetite for detectives among its membership, right? Like the other two series, this is complete on DVD. I don't know if it's run anywhere in years, and even Warner Archive Instant never streamed it.

4) Alice: 9 seasons and over 200 episodes, all available for digital purchase, though not yet on DVD. Only the first 6 seasons are on home video, so this may be an impediment if Warners thinks a big streaming deal would cannibalize sales of the last few seasons. Those are already niche products, though, exiled to Warner Archive and MOD releases instead of general retail, so I don't see a lot to lose. This is by no means a critical favorite, but it would be nice to cherry-pick notable episodes on streaming. The series has been butchered in syndication, and it is running on Antenna and Logo right now, but so what? Season 1 was streaming on Warner Instant for a very short period of time, so I think the company is not against putting it out there.

5) Get Smart: Another series distributed by Warner, but it has a more complicated ownership history, and its most notable video release was a Time-Life set. Seeing series like Laugh-In  and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts turn up on Prime this year made me think, hey, Amazon is getting a nice collection of not-overplayed 60s comedy shows that had giganda-size DVD sets.

Get Smart has been out a long time, so no need to worry about DVD sales at this point. Mel Brooks was involved with the show's creation, and at first I thought a Mel Brooks Collection deal on Netflix--kind of like what it did with the Albert Brooks movies a while back--might be nice. Then I realized Netflix doesn't collect old sitcoms anymore, and plus I think most of those Albert Brooks movies expired quietly not long after they appeared. So Prime Video it is!