Mr. Ed(ited)

Shout Factory has done it again, licensing a neglected classic TV property and getting it out there on DVD so the fans can enjoy it again.

OR

Shout Factory has done it again, licensing a neglected classic TV property, getting substandard materials, and sneaking out a flawed set without bothering to inform the fans.

You can look at it one way or maybe both, but the fact is, while Shout pleased a lot of fans with its decision to license "Mr. Ed" from MGM/Fox and issue a Season 1 set (a Best Of was released years ago), it angered many by including edited episodes (this review allows for the fact that there may be time compression, too, which is not much better). Not all are cut syndicated versions, but about a third are--enough to necessitate some kind of heads-up or disclosure, wouldn't you agree?

Shout Factory gets a lot of praise for its willingness to "rescue" underappreciated properties like "Mr. Ed" from larger companies. It certainly deserves credit for getting product out there. Plus the company encourages consumer feedback and does a good job of responding to questions and suggestions on its web site and in other forums.

Or at least, until a DVD set is actually released. Then it seems like the company goes into Maintain Radio Silence mode. This is what I don't appreciate about Shout Factory: The fact that we have to learn about fiascos like the horrible Rhoda Season 1 set or the presence of edited episodes on this "Mr. Ed" collection from online reviewers and other fans. When things are going well, sure, communicating with the public is hunky-dory. But when a set has issues, where is the heads-up? Shout is, in the immortal words of Sean Connery in "Entrapment," playing both SHIDES. It wants the good vibes generated by fostering an accessible, friendly image, but is less enthusiastic about dealing with potential discontent.

I don't blame Shout for not wanting to hire skywriters and trumpet the fact that, "Hey, folks, we've got a crappy DVD set coming out Tuesday! We got crummy elements, so look for faded prints and major edits!" Still, I can't help but conclude that Shout is hoping to draw as many fans as it can as soon as possible BEFORE they find out about the quality of the product. Uneducated buyers who aren't fortunate enough to read online reviews sites and forums won't be any the wiser, and the hardcore fans? Well, maybe once they have the set, they won't bother returning it, and Shout will have its sale.

There are surely legitimate reasons for a company, especially one that is dependent on another to receive physical materials, to release a TV on DVD set with problems. If so, why not be more up front about it? Casual fans who don't care about edited episodes won't bail on a set if you come out and say, "Look. What happened is, MGM couldn't find the originals." In fact, they might never even notice or care. But you know the hardcore fans, the ones who likely are buying other Shout Factory sets, WILL notice, and they will be ticked off. Yeah, you might get the sale, but you lose some goodwill, and you do your own company an overall disservice. If there's some legal reason you can't be more forthcoming, well, maybe you need to rethink the licensing agreement.

So, come on, Shout Factory, just level with us, preferably BEFORE you release the set. Some people will be upset no matter what if the set is substandard. However, others will appreciate knowing the full story ahead of time and will take it into consideration when planning their purchases. And in the future, they'll be able to buy a Shout Factory set with confidence, or they'll be able to enjoy the news that Shout is planning a release of one of their favorites without groaning, "Oh, no, I hope they don't screw THIS ONE up."

Having said all that, Shout, you can go a long way toward winning me over by delivering another season of "Room 222"...