Folks, you know this gimmick is on fumes when I am picking TV shows for services that don't exist. Sure, I did this for Disney and DC, but at least we know those are on the way. All we have for Walmart is an increasingly noisy level of chatter, some of it coming from the company itself. The idea is that the retail behemoth can challenge Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon with programming that targets "Middle America."
Hoo boy. Middle America! Anything talking about targeting Middle America is bound to be condescending, generalized, and centered on simplistic stereotypes. So naturally I want in!
What kinds of shows can such a service stream--shows that aren't already available on the umpteen OTT services so many already have? Maybe the idea is that the elites have a dozen different streamers, but 'Murica has maybe Netflix...and it would gladly dump it if it could get a HEARTLAND streaming service.
(BTW, the family drama Heartland, which has horses and ranches, is already available to stream on...Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.)
Here are some things I would like to see:
1) The Brady Bunch: Right off the bat I am breaking one of the rules of this series. See, the Bradys are on Hulu and on CBS All-Access. Ah, but I make an exception here because the Brady brand is perfect for Walmart, and for some odd reason (don't tell me music rights), neither Hulu nor CBS All Access has the complete series.
Walmart could hype the complete series, plus the movies, the variety show, the Brady brides series, the Brady kids 'toon, and, yes, even the ill-fated The Bradys dramedy. It could spur CBS/Paramount to do some kind of retail-friendly repackaging of the DVDs--maybe a Blu-Ray? And it could make at least a mild splash by using the still-famous Brady name as a marquee family-friendly property to tout at launch.
2) Hee Haw: What comes to mind when you think of the long-running syndicated variety show Hee Haw? Country music, cornfields, and corny comedy. Does any of that seem out of place with Walmart? Apart from a few Time Life DVD releases and a regular spot on RFD, the series doesn't have a lot of visibility anymore. Fine! Let Walmart swoop in and buy SVOD rights to a few hundred or so episodes.
3) Johnny Carson: I say Carson instead of The Tonight Show because that's how the show is billed on Antenna TV: Johnny Carson. Who better represents classic TV and "Middle America" than the Midwestern icon of late night?
I bet Walmart could strike a deal with the Carson estate to get a bunch of the episodes on its new streaming services. Again, there could be a neat retail tie-in opportunity. Talk show reruns may not seem like a big deal in 2018, but Hulu has Merv Griffin episodes. I know I would watch the heck out of these. Carson Enterprises was uploading free episodes to YouTube for a while, so it is not totally against streaming.
4) Barnaby Jones or Columbo: Have you ever noticed that the stereotypical conception of "flyover country" is uncomfortable with "smut" but is just fine with crime and murder? Hey, Barnaby is old, he solves crimes, he was on The Beverly Hillbillies--let's throw him and nearly 180 episodes' worth of soothing, inoffensive 1970s detective television on WalmartVision.
Or how about Columbo? Everyone loves this show, and it is a fixture in syndication but a streaming orphan since all the Universal shows left Netflix. Personally, I like Columbo better, but I would get a kick out of the whole run of Barnaby being available at our fingertips. It would be George Utley's dream come true!
5) Davey and Goliath: I grew up watching these Lutheran-Church-produced stop-motion shorts on Sunday mornings. I'd like to think that my strong moral fiber comes from the fact that I learned my lessons from this show instead of actually going to church.
This series has a way more tangled home video situation than it should, but if anyone can sort all of it out and get the entire run on an OTT service, it's Walmart. Trinity Broadcasting has been showing the cartoons in recent years, but I don't think there's any official streaming home for the program. Put it on WalmartView, and you get something for the kids, nostalgia for the adults, and "good values" in one package.
Showing posts with label Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for Shout! TV
Despite its checkered update history on Roku and its massive commercial load, Shout! Factory TV is one of my favorite streaming video on demand services. If it added some more user-friendly functions like watchlists, it would be an A-level service. It already has some of the most fantastic content out there. Here are 5 suggestions for classic TV series to add to its library. I focus on shows that are more under the radar than something like, say, Seinfeld. These series are the kinds that came out on DVD from someone like Anchor Bay instead of Warner Brothers...or maybe by Shout! Factory itself!
1) It's Garry Shandling's Show: Much of the content on Shout! TV has been on DVD for years thanks to the folks at Shout! Factory, but not all of it is still in print. Case in point: This classic, somehow underappreciated 1980s sitcom. Just look at the prices from third-party sellers on this nearly-10-year-old complete series collection.
I thought/hoped that Judd Apatow's epic HBO doc on Shandling's life would spur renewed interest in the show, but maybe the bigger takeaway was the caustic relationship between the star and ex-manager Brad Gray and Shandling's ultimate ambivalence about the whole thing. It's a shame that now, even after Shandling's death, the show is not in reruns, nor easily available on DVD, nor on streaming. It's a perfect fit for Shout! TV.
2) Get a Life: An even cultier sitcom than the previous entry, this Chris Elliott show is one of those rare efforts for which the word "madcap" really, really works. I mean, I think a quarter of the episodes ended with the main character dead, maimed, or otherwise incapacitated in a major way. Fortunately, this got a great DVD release (though without Elliott's participation, which saddens me), but this short-lived but brilliant series would be a great fit with Shout's assortment of cult TV. The show was too weird for mainstream America, but it might find an appreciative audience on an appropriate streaming platfofm.
3) Moonlighting: At least Lions Gate put the whole series out on DVD, but I don't think it's been syndicated in years, and now the discs are out of print. Someone should pick this up, and it would be great on a streaming platform, where you can skip the later seasons and the non-David-and-Maddie episodes if you feel like it.
The series burned itself out way too early, but what a show it was at its peak. In some ways, the show is still big enough that it would seem like a great one for Hulu to pick up. I certainly wouldn't complain if Shout! found a way to acquire it.
4) Ed: Shout! often celebrates quirky, and if you like quirky, boy, do I have a show for you. This 2000-2004 hourlong NBC dramedy from David Letterman's Worldwide Pants often straddled the line and teetered on the precipice of cloying, but I always found it charming. Ed has never even sniffed a DVD release, and I'm sure music rights are an issue, but it did have rerun stints on TBS and Up.
5) Buffalo Bill: This 1980s NBC comedy is constantly hailed as "ahead of its time" and fondly remembered by so many people who should know yet largely invisible. It did get DVD release from--you guessed it--Anchor Bay--albeit with music edits. However, it deserves better than just hit and miss on YouTube or Dailymotion. While we're at it, how about the less hailed and less fondly remembered but still Dabney-esque Slap Maxwell Story?
1) It's Garry Shandling's Show: Much of the content on Shout! TV has been on DVD for years thanks to the folks at Shout! Factory, but not all of it is still in print. Case in point: This classic, somehow underappreciated 1980s sitcom. Just look at the prices from third-party sellers on this nearly-10-year-old complete series collection.
I thought/hoped that Judd Apatow's epic HBO doc on Shandling's life would spur renewed interest in the show, but maybe the bigger takeaway was the caustic relationship between the star and ex-manager Brad Gray and Shandling's ultimate ambivalence about the whole thing. It's a shame that now, even after Shandling's death, the show is not in reruns, nor easily available on DVD, nor on streaming. It's a perfect fit for Shout! TV.
2) Get a Life: An even cultier sitcom than the previous entry, this Chris Elliott show is one of those rare efforts for which the word "madcap" really, really works. I mean, I think a quarter of the episodes ended with the main character dead, maimed, or otherwise incapacitated in a major way. Fortunately, this got a great DVD release (though without Elliott's participation, which saddens me), but this short-lived but brilliant series would be a great fit with Shout's assortment of cult TV. The show was too weird for mainstream America, but it might find an appreciative audience on an appropriate streaming platfofm.
3) Moonlighting: At least Lions Gate put the whole series out on DVD, but I don't think it's been syndicated in years, and now the discs are out of print. Someone should pick this up, and it would be great on a streaming platform, where you can skip the later seasons and the non-David-and-Maddie episodes if you feel like it.
The series burned itself out way too early, but what a show it was at its peak. In some ways, the show is still big enough that it would seem like a great one for Hulu to pick up. I certainly wouldn't complain if Shout! found a way to acquire it.
4) Ed: Shout! often celebrates quirky, and if you like quirky, boy, do I have a show for you. This 2000-2004 hourlong NBC dramedy from David Letterman's Worldwide Pants often straddled the line and teetered on the precipice of cloying, but I always found it charming. Ed has never even sniffed a DVD release, and I'm sure music rights are an issue, but it did have rerun stints on TBS and Up.
5) Buffalo Bill: This 1980s NBC comedy is constantly hailed as "ahead of its time" and fondly remembered by so many people who should know yet largely invisible. It did get DVD release from--you guessed it--Anchor Bay--albeit with music edits. However, it deserves better than just hit and miss on YouTube or Dailymotion. While we're at it, how about the less hailed and less fondly remembered but still Dabney-esque Slap Maxwell Story?
Monday, July 23, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for Brown Sugar
I think this series identifying classic TV shows that would make good fits for streaming video services is coming to a close. It's time to dig deep this week with a look at Brown Sugar, billed as "Like Netflix, only blacker," and not an outlet that focuses on television. I tried it out last summer and wrote about it here.
It does have Get Christie Love, though, last I checked, so it's not like it doesn't have any vintage television. In fact, Brown Sugar could really distinguish itself by scooping up some TV that isn't currently available everywhere else. The backbone of the channel is its extensive Blaxploitaiton library, but much of that (like the MGM films) is non-exclusive and frequently available elsewhere. These 5 shows are not!
1) Frank's Place: I'll be honest--I didn't watch enough of this back in the day to testify as to whether it is really as brilliant as everyone said it was. I'd love to find out. It had a short run on BET years ago, but I don't think anyone has bothered airing reruns since then, even with the rise of cable nets like Aspire and TV One and diginets like Bounce. One season, 22 episodes--a nice, tidy package for a streamer and a solid bit of prestige for Brown Sugar to go alongside the likes of Disco Godfather and Hell Up in Harlem.
2) Room 222: Speaking of prestige, how about a spot for one of my favorite series of all time, one that tragically tanked on DVD (perhaps in part due to subpar-looking source material) but which won several Emmys in its 1969-1974 run? Aspire shows reruns, but let's face it, who gets Aspire?
3) The Flip Wilson Show: This early 1970s variety show was a huge hit its first two seasons but has been largely forgotten. It's dated, yes, but so what? Laugh-In is also dated, and it's streaming on Prime Video. I'd love to see full hourlong versions of the series on Brown Sugar, but I'd settle for the half-hour cutdowns that circulated on the original TV Land and Aspire.
4) Shaft: These 7 TV movies that aired on CBS in the 1970s are an obvious fit with Brown Sugar's aesthetic, Warner Archive Instant streamed them before that cat split, man, and Warner already licenses some of its movies to this service. So, come on, Brown Sugar, make this happen...SUCKA!
5) Amos and Andy: Well, you have to admit, this would give Brown Sugar some publicity.
In all seriousness, this show is not quite what its toxic reputation indicates, but then again I'm a white dude, so I can't judge how offensive it is for everyone. I do wonder, though, if people knew nothing about the show's history and just sat down and watched the TV episodes, what would the reaction be?
The series' legal status is in doubt, and CBS wants nothing to do with it, anyway, so...you know, maybe this is a non-starter. Maybe we should replace it with...
5) That's My Mama: An amusing Clifton Davis sitcom that has been seen in reruns over the years and is complete on DVD but would still be a nice addition for a streaming video service looking to add something that doesn't suffer from rerun fatigue. Crackle streamed this for a while but isn't doing anything with it right now. It certainly wouldn't be as controversial as Amos and Andy.
It does have Get Christie Love, though, last I checked, so it's not like it doesn't have any vintage television. In fact, Brown Sugar could really distinguish itself by scooping up some TV that isn't currently available everywhere else. The backbone of the channel is its extensive Blaxploitaiton library, but much of that (like the MGM films) is non-exclusive and frequently available elsewhere. These 5 shows are not!
1) Frank's Place: I'll be honest--I didn't watch enough of this back in the day to testify as to whether it is really as brilliant as everyone said it was. I'd love to find out. It had a short run on BET years ago, but I don't think anyone has bothered airing reruns since then, even with the rise of cable nets like Aspire and TV One and diginets like Bounce. One season, 22 episodes--a nice, tidy package for a streamer and a solid bit of prestige for Brown Sugar to go alongside the likes of Disco Godfather and Hell Up in Harlem.
2) Room 222: Speaking of prestige, how about a spot for one of my favorite series of all time, one that tragically tanked on DVD (perhaps in part due to subpar-looking source material) but which won several Emmys in its 1969-1974 run? Aspire shows reruns, but let's face it, who gets Aspire?
3) The Flip Wilson Show: This early 1970s variety show was a huge hit its first two seasons but has been largely forgotten. It's dated, yes, but so what? Laugh-In is also dated, and it's streaming on Prime Video. I'd love to see full hourlong versions of the series on Brown Sugar, but I'd settle for the half-hour cutdowns that circulated on the original TV Land and Aspire.
4) Shaft: These 7 TV movies that aired on CBS in the 1970s are an obvious fit with Brown Sugar's aesthetic, Warner Archive Instant streamed them before that cat split, man, and Warner already licenses some of its movies to this service. So, come on, Brown Sugar, make this happen...SUCKA!
5) Amos and Andy: Well, you have to admit, this would give Brown Sugar some publicity.
In all seriousness, this show is not quite what its toxic reputation indicates, but then again I'm a white dude, so I can't judge how offensive it is for everyone. I do wonder, though, if people knew nothing about the show's history and just sat down and watched the TV episodes, what would the reaction be?
The series' legal status is in doubt, and CBS wants nothing to do with it, anyway, so...you know, maybe this is a non-starter. Maybe we should replace it with...
5) That's My Mama: An amusing Clifton Davis sitcom that has been seen in reruns over the years and is complete on DVD but would still be a nice addition for a streaming video service looking to add something that doesn't suffer from rerun fatigue. Crackle streamed this for a while but isn't doing anything with it right now. It certainly wouldn't be as controversial as Amos and Andy.
Monday, July 2, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for Sony Crackle
I haven't had a good relationship with Sony Crackle. The service almost never makes the Streaming Video Power Rankings despite offering lots of free content. It never seems to get the user interface right, its ad load is obtrusive, and when it gets a TV series I enjoy, it ditches it without much warning.
I am not giving up on it, though! It keeps trying with original programs, but no one is paying attention to them. Why not dig deeper into the back catalog of Sony material and throw up some more vintage series to get viewers in this crowded streaming landscape? Here are 5 TV classics that make a good fit for Crackle.
NOTE: Much as I would love to see Burns and Allen and black-and-white series like that here, I am not getting my hopes up since Crackle shows little interest in anything pre-1970. So I am limiting my selections to color TV programs.
NOTE #2: I am talking complete series here. Yeah, it's a free service, but the Crackle move of selecting one season or maybe two and then pulling them after a few months is outdated in today's world. Let's shoot for the whole thing for each of these 5:
1) Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman/Fernwood 2Night/America 2Night: Amazingly, Hartman is on DVD, but I think clearances will keep the Martin Mull talk shows off the format forever. All of them deserve another shot. Fernwood had a great run on Nick at Nite, but its parent show, a soap opera satire that ran over 300 (!) episodes in syndication, has had much less exposure.
300-some episodes is intimidating, perhaps, but there are no limits in streaming! Well, OK, there are plenty of limits, really, but you can't tell me Sony doesn't have the resources to make even a big sprawling run like this available on its platform.
2) One Day at a Time: I thought Netflix would pick this up when it produced the remake, but nooooo, Netflix just doesn't roll like that anymore. In fact, despite runs on Logo and Antenna TV, this series has a remarkably low profile considering it ran 9 seasons AND got a lot of attention for the ongoing revival. It seems like an easy add for Crackle.
3) Barney Miller: It never really goes away, exactly, but this critically acclaimed police sitcom never gets much love, either, and it has been conspicuous by its absence in streaming. It's on the digital subchannels like Antenna and is now complete on DVD (thanks to Shout!), but it hasn't received a nice comfy spot on Hulu. I believe Crackle did show some episodes in the past, so it could turn up again.
4) Fantasy Island: The last time I regularly watched Crackle was last year when it had a selection of Island episodes. So naturally it pulled those, and the show hasn't returned. I don't know what's keeping it off. This series is NOT on DVD, but Shout! isn't doing anything with it. It's been more than 5 years since the season 3 DVD release, and that leaves 4 more seasons in the vaults.
Like Love Boat, the guest stars and goofy premises make this a nice "dip into every now and then" kind of show and therefore well suited for streaming. Some episodes were on Hulu, and the show aired on Cozi and Universal HD, but it's too cheesy to not be available on demand. Crackle really should make this one happen.
5) It's Your Move: This is a personal choice for me. A young Jason Bateman and the great David Garrison squared off in this short-lived Leavitt-Moye sitcom on NBC. As the show went on, producers watered down the original concept and took away some of its edge, but at the time it was a breath of fresh air. It wasn't so much that Bateman's schemer was so audacious in his feuding with the adult Garrison (who played a man dating Bateman's character's mom--Caren Kaye), but that he was sometimes wrong. The kid wasn't always the smart one, and it was nice that the show didn't make the adults look like total idiots.
Clever writing and great performances make this one of the great "what ifs" of the 1980s. The episodes are out there, but I'd love to see them in good quality, and this would be a great and very welcome surprise on Sony Crackle.
I am not giving up on it, though! It keeps trying with original programs, but no one is paying attention to them. Why not dig deeper into the back catalog of Sony material and throw up some more vintage series to get viewers in this crowded streaming landscape? Here are 5 TV classics that make a good fit for Crackle.
NOTE: Much as I would love to see Burns and Allen and black-and-white series like that here, I am not getting my hopes up since Crackle shows little interest in anything pre-1970. So I am limiting my selections to color TV programs.
NOTE #2: I am talking complete series here. Yeah, it's a free service, but the Crackle move of selecting one season or maybe two and then pulling them after a few months is outdated in today's world. Let's shoot for the whole thing for each of these 5:
1) Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman/Fernwood 2Night/America 2Night: Amazingly, Hartman is on DVD, but I think clearances will keep the Martin Mull talk shows off the format forever. All of them deserve another shot. Fernwood had a great run on Nick at Nite, but its parent show, a soap opera satire that ran over 300 (!) episodes in syndication, has had much less exposure.
300-some episodes is intimidating, perhaps, but there are no limits in streaming! Well, OK, there are plenty of limits, really, but you can't tell me Sony doesn't have the resources to make even a big sprawling run like this available on its platform.
2) One Day at a Time: I thought Netflix would pick this up when it produced the remake, but nooooo, Netflix just doesn't roll like that anymore. In fact, despite runs on Logo and Antenna TV, this series has a remarkably low profile considering it ran 9 seasons AND got a lot of attention for the ongoing revival. It seems like an easy add for Crackle.
3) Barney Miller: It never really goes away, exactly, but this critically acclaimed police sitcom never gets much love, either, and it has been conspicuous by its absence in streaming. It's on the digital subchannels like Antenna and is now complete on DVD (thanks to Shout!), but it hasn't received a nice comfy spot on Hulu. I believe Crackle did show some episodes in the past, so it could turn up again.
4) Fantasy Island: The last time I regularly watched Crackle was last year when it had a selection of Island episodes. So naturally it pulled those, and the show hasn't returned. I don't know what's keeping it off. This series is NOT on DVD, but Shout! isn't doing anything with it. It's been more than 5 years since the season 3 DVD release, and that leaves 4 more seasons in the vaults.
Like Love Boat, the guest stars and goofy premises make this a nice "dip into every now and then" kind of show and therefore well suited for streaming. Some episodes were on Hulu, and the show aired on Cozi and Universal HD, but it's too cheesy to not be available on demand. Crackle really should make this one happen.
5) It's Your Move: This is a personal choice for me. A young Jason Bateman and the great David Garrison squared off in this short-lived Leavitt-Moye sitcom on NBC. As the show went on, producers watered down the original concept and took away some of its edge, but at the time it was a breath of fresh air. It wasn't so much that Bateman's schemer was so audacious in his feuding with the adult Garrison (who played a man dating Bateman's character's mom--Caren Kaye), but that he was sometimes wrong. The kid wasn't always the smart one, and it was nice that the show didn't make the adults look like total idiots.
Clever writing and great performances make this one of the great "what ifs" of the 1980s. The episodes are out there, but I'd love to see them in good quality, and this would be a great and very welcome surprise on Sony Crackle.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for that new Disney thing whenever it shows up
Disney could really half-ass its new streaming video on demand service when it debuts in 2019, and part of me worries it will be stingy with catalog content. Even without the Fox library, though (much of which is supposed to be showing up on Hulu--still waiting for a lot of that), there are all sorts of great possibilities for Disney Take All Your Money (working title). Here we continue this series of posts with a look at 5 older shows that can be good fits:
1) Every Marvel cartoon ever: Some of these may be locked into other streaming rights deals, but I can't believe this is even in question. I thought for sure that Disney/Netflix deal a few years back meant a bonanza of old 'toons, but in fact, Netflx has dropped animated Marvel product over the years.
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the 1981 Spider-Man used to be on Netflix, but that was a long time ago. Lesser seen in reruns is the 1982 Incredible Hulk. And I am sure there is a tangle of rights with the various Fantastic Four cartoons, but so what? Let's get them all. Get the 1960s limited-animation cartoons with the awesome theme songs. Even recent stuff like the endless variations of Avengers series is impossible to keep track of because Disney buries a lot of it. The Marvel animated library should be a big part of the new service.
2) Disney Channel Flashbacks: A long time ago, The Disney Channel was a premium service that offered programming for little kids in the morning, for older kids in the day, for families in prime time, and nostalgia-oriented shows for adults later at night. We're talking shows like Ozzie and Harriet but also clever originals like Mousterpiece Theatre putting vintage Disney shorts in a fun package presented by a tongue-in-cheek George Plimpton. Ready Steady Go was even a thing on the old Disney. Maybe shows like Welcome to Pooh Corner and Dumbo's Circus are dated 30 years later, but you have kids who watched them back in the day now ready to spend $ on this streaming video service. Why not throw them a dose of nostalgia and make some of this available?
3) The Mickey Mouse Club/Zorro: These series also aired on the original version of The Disney Channel, but I give them their own joint entry. I am talking the original TV versions of each that kids saw in the afternoons. Disney gave up on these after abandoning its Vault Disney concept on the channel, and DVDs are looooong out of print. Again, nothing else is happening with these properties. Add them to the new service.
4) Wonderful World of Walt Disney Presents in Color: There are countless variations of the Disney anthology TV show that had a place on network TV for decades. I don't care what you call it or how you organize it--OK, I care a little bit because it could be really confusing--but all that footage should be available. Even in limited doses, it would be great to see Walt himself have some kind of presence on whatever this Disney OTT venture turns out to be. Nature shows, live action, cartoon collections...whatever. Just give it to us in some form with original intros.
5) The Muppet Show: This also belongs in the "I thought this was a no-brainer, but Disney keeps proving me wrong" category. Disney tries everything to reinvigorate Jim Henson's prized creations except promoting the original series. First the show stalled out on DVD. Then, when streaming video seemed to provide a suitable home, the syndicated variety show remained MIA.
I have no idea why no one seems to want to stream the Muppets, but maybe now Disney is planning on making it a piece of its new offering. The franchise may be a little weakened as a TV and movie thing, but I believe putting up the originals will draw plenty of eyeballs on streaming. The original version hasn't been on Disney Channel in 20 years, so I think it's time for a resurgence of the material that made all these reboots possible.
1) Every Marvel cartoon ever: Some of these may be locked into other streaming rights deals, but I can't believe this is even in question. I thought for sure that Disney/Netflix deal a few years back meant a bonanza of old 'toons, but in fact, Netflx has dropped animated Marvel product over the years.
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the 1981 Spider-Man used to be on Netflix, but that was a long time ago. Lesser seen in reruns is the 1982 Incredible Hulk. And I am sure there is a tangle of rights with the various Fantastic Four cartoons, but so what? Let's get them all. Get the 1960s limited-animation cartoons with the awesome theme songs. Even recent stuff like the endless variations of Avengers series is impossible to keep track of because Disney buries a lot of it. The Marvel animated library should be a big part of the new service.
2) Disney Channel Flashbacks: A long time ago, The Disney Channel was a premium service that offered programming for little kids in the morning, for older kids in the day, for families in prime time, and nostalgia-oriented shows for adults later at night. We're talking shows like Ozzie and Harriet but also clever originals like Mousterpiece Theatre putting vintage Disney shorts in a fun package presented by a tongue-in-cheek George Plimpton. Ready Steady Go was even a thing on the old Disney. Maybe shows like Welcome to Pooh Corner and Dumbo's Circus are dated 30 years later, but you have kids who watched them back in the day now ready to spend $ on this streaming video service. Why not throw them a dose of nostalgia and make some of this available?
3) The Mickey Mouse Club/Zorro: These series also aired on the original version of The Disney Channel, but I give them their own joint entry. I am talking the original TV versions of each that kids saw in the afternoons. Disney gave up on these after abandoning its Vault Disney concept on the channel, and DVDs are looooong out of print. Again, nothing else is happening with these properties. Add them to the new service.
4) Wonderful World of Walt Disney Presents in Color: There are countless variations of the Disney anthology TV show that had a place on network TV for decades. I don't care what you call it or how you organize it--OK, I care a little bit because it could be really confusing--but all that footage should be available. Even in limited doses, it would be great to see Walt himself have some kind of presence on whatever this Disney OTT venture turns out to be. Nature shows, live action, cartoon collections...whatever. Just give it to us in some form with original intros.
5) The Muppet Show: This also belongs in the "I thought this was a no-brainer, but Disney keeps proving me wrong" category. Disney tries everything to reinvigorate Jim Henson's prized creations except promoting the original series. First the show stalled out on DVD. Then, when streaming video seemed to provide a suitable home, the syndicated variety show remained MIA.
I have no idea why no one seems to want to stream the Muppets, but maybe now Disney is planning on making it a piece of its new offering. The franchise may be a little weakened as a TV and movie thing, but I believe putting up the originals will draw plenty of eyeballs on streaming. The original version hasn't been on Disney Channel in 20 years, so I think it's time for a resurgence of the material that made all these reboots possible.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for CBS All Access
We continue our look at old TV shows that make good fits for the major streaming video services with a look at the paid offshoot of the Tiffany Network, CBS. We discussed NBC a few weeks ago, but its competitor takes a different approach. NBC offers tons of content for free. CBS adds tons of content plus some original series for...not free.
CBS All Access offers some intriguing original series, but it has a long way to go to convince me it's worth paying for, and beefing up that back catalog is a great start. I am not talking about all the series that inexplicably are incomplete on here, like The Odd Couple and Taxi, but rather shows that have never been available here in any form.
1) The Honeymooners: Putting aside the fact that it's my favorite show of all time--wait, no, let's not put that aside. I was lucky enough to get the Classic 39 on Blu-Ray a while back at a fantastic price. The fact that we can get it so cheap proves CBS has milked all it can out of the 'Mooners on home video. Why has this never circulated on a Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon, unlike other company stalwarts like Star Trek, I Love Lucy, and The Andy Griffith Show? I don't know, but the neglect means that CBS now has something special to add for fans of classics. The Honyemooners' streaming debut is something worth touting.
2) The Fugitive: You want to talk "binge-watching"? How about when I had chicken pox and got hooked on the show in reruns on A&E? I'm not even going to get into the many times CBS/Paramount screwed this up on DVD, but suffice to say the disastrous moves (and, to its credit, the willingness to make good) ensure that this will never be profitable in that medium.
So why not make this landmark drama available on All Access? It's too good a series not to be available, and we know it's not totally toxic because Me-TV has rerun it. Oh, and this should go without saying, but we want it streaming uncut and not timesped and with the original music, please.
3) Mannix: Bear with me while I make some massive, reductive generalizations here: Old people love old things. Old people love detective shows. Mannix is an old detective show. Old people love CBS. CBS loves old people. Old detectives love shows. Love CBS's Mike Connors--wait, I got lost there.
The point is Mannix, all 8 seasons and 194 episodes of it, is fine old-school comfort food that has not been rerun to death. TV Land in its infancy, Me-TV, Heroes & Icons...Other than that, it hasn't been a fixture in syndication. The first season, with its radically different format (Intertect, anyone?) hasn't been syndicated, and I can understand why. It doesn't match the rest of the series. In streaming, though, when you can pick any episode or watch stuff at random, it doesn't matter. Put it all up there! I think this would be a surprise success for CBS All Access.
4) The Streets of San Francisco: Similar to #3 but police detective-y instead of private investigator-y, less episodes, and even less syndication exposure. OK, maybe it's not that similar.
I can't believe a successful Quinn Martin cop show with location shooting, Karl Malden, and Michael freaking Douglas can't get more play in rerun-land/ At least the whole thing is out on DVD. It ain't going anywhere otherwise, so, hey, CBS, stream it for the masses. Call it The STREAMS of San Francisco! Eh? Eh?
OK, maybe not, but Quinn Martin's name alone means this should be more widely available. So we get this, The Fugitive, Barnaby Jones (speaking of old people), and The Invaders for starters. All complete on DVD, all not tied up as far as I know in big licensing deals, all great fits for All Access.
5) Gunsmoke: Bear with me here. Yes, it seems this one, unlike Mannix, HAS been rerun to death. At any given moment, TV Land, Me-TV or Starz Westerns (or whatever it calls itself these days) is probably running an episode.
AN episode.
Maybe it's showing a few episodes in a row. Well, that's OK. There are over 630 of them.
Gunsmoke is such a massive thing that CBS splits it into several syndication packages, and it's not always as easy as the half-hour episodes and the hour episodes. It has to split those packages into different packages. So there's plenty of Gunsmoke to go around. CBS could upload a few seasons' worth and still offer its All Access subscribers a nice dose of classic Western.
Incidentally, Westerns are still way underrepresented in streaming. Hulu has some stuff, and it's not hard to find public-domain episodes (it's easy to find a lot of Bonanza), but apart from Starz, a lot of the old TV oaters are MIA. Starz is just replicating what it is showing on its cable networks, too. CBS All Access may turn its nose up at the likes of Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel as it pushes The Good Fight, but where's the harm in saving some episodes for streaming? It's not like Gunsmoke is gonna just disappear from the likes of TV Land.
If it does, hey, I bet a lot of cable TV watchers will be overjoyed.
CBS All Access offers some intriguing original series, but it has a long way to go to convince me it's worth paying for, and beefing up that back catalog is a great start. I am not talking about all the series that inexplicably are incomplete on here, like The Odd Couple and Taxi, but rather shows that have never been available here in any form.
1) The Honeymooners: Putting aside the fact that it's my favorite show of all time--wait, no, let's not put that aside. I was lucky enough to get the Classic 39 on Blu-Ray a while back at a fantastic price. The fact that we can get it so cheap proves CBS has milked all it can out of the 'Mooners on home video. Why has this never circulated on a Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon, unlike other company stalwarts like Star Trek, I Love Lucy, and The Andy Griffith Show? I don't know, but the neglect means that CBS now has something special to add for fans of classics. The Honyemooners' streaming debut is something worth touting.
2) The Fugitive: You want to talk "binge-watching"? How about when I had chicken pox and got hooked on the show in reruns on A&E? I'm not even going to get into the many times CBS/Paramount screwed this up on DVD, but suffice to say the disastrous moves (and, to its credit, the willingness to make good) ensure that this will never be profitable in that medium.
So why not make this landmark drama available on All Access? It's too good a series not to be available, and we know it's not totally toxic because Me-TV has rerun it. Oh, and this should go without saying, but we want it streaming uncut and not timesped and with the original music, please.
 |
| This pic is, uh, not from the official DVDs. Hopefully All Access would have much better quality. |
3) Mannix: Bear with me while I make some massive, reductive generalizations here: Old people love old things. Old people love detective shows. Mannix is an old detective show. Old people love CBS. CBS loves old people. Old detectives love shows. Love CBS's Mike Connors--wait, I got lost there.
The point is Mannix, all 8 seasons and 194 episodes of it, is fine old-school comfort food that has not been rerun to death. TV Land in its infancy, Me-TV, Heroes & Icons...Other than that, it hasn't been a fixture in syndication. The first season, with its radically different format (Intertect, anyone?) hasn't been syndicated, and I can understand why. It doesn't match the rest of the series. In streaming, though, when you can pick any episode or watch stuff at random, it doesn't matter. Put it all up there! I think this would be a surprise success for CBS All Access.
4) The Streets of San Francisco: Similar to #3 but police detective-y instead of private investigator-y, less episodes, and even less syndication exposure. OK, maybe it's not that similar.
I can't believe a successful Quinn Martin cop show with location shooting, Karl Malden, and Michael freaking Douglas can't get more play in rerun-land/ At least the whole thing is out on DVD. It ain't going anywhere otherwise, so, hey, CBS, stream it for the masses. Call it The STREAMS of San Francisco! Eh? Eh?
OK, maybe not, but Quinn Martin's name alone means this should be more widely available. So we get this, The Fugitive, Barnaby Jones (speaking of old people), and The Invaders for starters. All complete on DVD, all not tied up as far as I know in big licensing deals, all great fits for All Access.
5) Gunsmoke: Bear with me here. Yes, it seems this one, unlike Mannix, HAS been rerun to death. At any given moment, TV Land, Me-TV or Starz Westerns (or whatever it calls itself these days) is probably running an episode.
AN episode.
Maybe it's showing a few episodes in a row. Well, that's OK. There are over 630 of them.
Gunsmoke is such a massive thing that CBS splits it into several syndication packages, and it's not always as easy as the half-hour episodes and the hour episodes. It has to split those packages into different packages. So there's plenty of Gunsmoke to go around. CBS could upload a few seasons' worth and still offer its All Access subscribers a nice dose of classic Western.
Incidentally, Westerns are still way underrepresented in streaming. Hulu has some stuff, and it's not hard to find public-domain episodes (it's easy to find a lot of Bonanza), but apart from Starz, a lot of the old TV oaters are MIA. Starz is just replicating what it is showing on its cable networks, too. CBS All Access may turn its nose up at the likes of Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel as it pushes The Good Fight, but where's the harm in saving some episodes for streaming? It's not like Gunsmoke is gonna just disappear from the likes of TV Land.
If it does, hey, I bet a lot of cable TV watchers will be overjoyed.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for DC Universe
Wait, we don't even know exactly when the new DC Comics streaming service will be, so isn't this a bit early? Well, perhaps, but given the reports last week that DC is prepping its back catalog for this service, I am bumping this post up in my ongoing series of Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming.
We also know it is coming "late August" and that some kind of digital comic book/other branding component will be part of this. Several original series are in production now. I am focusing on the old shows, though. Here are 5 that I think DC Universe should carry right from the get-go:
NOTE: I already suggested Batman (1966) for Netflix and Wonder Woman (1977) for Amazon. Wouldn't it be fantastic if DC, which is reportedly "securing rights" to old shows and movies, is going to announce each will be on DCU instead? I may even shell out for this thing if it gets both of those.
1) The Adventures of Superman: From a modern perspective, the first season is great. The rest of the show, especially the later the show went on...not so much. It's Superman, though! It's an iconic TV classic that I think would linger in the public consciousness even without the sordid demise of star George Reeves.
The sad fact is, Warners has never really treated this series like a crown jewel. The DVD releases included some extras, but it didn't seem like there was a desire to invest a lot of money in restoration and supplemental material. A Blu-Ray release looks unlikely at this point. I want to see the new DCU platform step up and make the entire series available and make a big deal out of it. Warner Archive Instant streamed the series for a while, so this one is a definite possibility.
2) Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: Largely forgotten since it aired, and maybe its serialized nature doesn't lend itself to reruns. It certainly had its highs and lows. Yet it mattered for a while, and I watched it and would like to see it again. It's a part of the legacy of DC's flagship character, and considering it (apparently) has little prospects elsewhere, it should be a part of the new DCU service.
3) The Flash: This 1990s precursor to the current CW staple may have too few episodes (22) to draw huge $ in syndication or streaming, so why not throw the whole run on DC's own joint? Star John Wesley Shipp is a regular presence on the new program (co-star Amanda Pays appears as well), and I would like to see some more credit given to this underrated cult hit.
4) Filmation DC cartoons: I think it's a lock that these will be on DCU. Warner Archive Instant streamed the old Superman with the snazzy theme song, Aquaman, and The New Adventures of Batman (the 1977 series with Adam West and Burt Ward...and Batmite). Throw ALL these on the new streamer, DC, and also the Superboy, Teen Titans, and Atom shorts. I really want to see the late-1960s Batman cartoons, too. Why not? No one else is running this. Here is the chance to do something with them.
5) Justice League/Justice League Unlimited: A lot of people would argue Batman: The Animated Series (streaming...for now....on Amazon) is the crown jewel of the Timmverse of DC animated properties, but the JL cartoons were among my favorite TV shows, period, when they aired. They were on Netflix for years but are now in limbo even though many of the feature films of the modern DC animation area are on Hulu. The show is just too good to not be available anywhere. Its inclusion on DC Universe would give the service a solid fan favorite exclusive.
This is a decent start, right? Take these 5 and the live-action Batman and Wonder Woman series, and you really have something. While we're at it, the 1980s Superboy series is collecting dust, and it would be great to put all the endless variations of Super Friends in one convenient location for our streaming pleasure. Throw all this together, and even someone like me who already watches too much streaming video will have to consider signing up.
We also know it is coming "late August" and that some kind of digital comic book/other branding component will be part of this. Several original series are in production now. I am focusing on the old shows, though. Here are 5 that I think DC Universe should carry right from the get-go:
NOTE: I already suggested Batman (1966) for Netflix and Wonder Woman (1977) for Amazon. Wouldn't it be fantastic if DC, which is reportedly "securing rights" to old shows and movies, is going to announce each will be on DCU instead? I may even shell out for this thing if it gets both of those.
1) The Adventures of Superman: From a modern perspective, the first season is great. The rest of the show, especially the later the show went on...not so much. It's Superman, though! It's an iconic TV classic that I think would linger in the public consciousness even without the sordid demise of star George Reeves.
The sad fact is, Warners has never really treated this series like a crown jewel. The DVD releases included some extras, but it didn't seem like there was a desire to invest a lot of money in restoration and supplemental material. A Blu-Ray release looks unlikely at this point. I want to see the new DCU platform step up and make the entire series available and make a big deal out of it. Warner Archive Instant streamed the series for a while, so this one is a definite possibility.
2) Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: Largely forgotten since it aired, and maybe its serialized nature doesn't lend itself to reruns. It certainly had its highs and lows. Yet it mattered for a while, and I watched it and would like to see it again. It's a part of the legacy of DC's flagship character, and considering it (apparently) has little prospects elsewhere, it should be a part of the new DCU service.
3) The Flash: This 1990s precursor to the current CW staple may have too few episodes (22) to draw huge $ in syndication or streaming, so why not throw the whole run on DC's own joint? Star John Wesley Shipp is a regular presence on the new program (co-star Amanda Pays appears as well), and I would like to see some more credit given to this underrated cult hit.
4) Filmation DC cartoons: I think it's a lock that these will be on DCU. Warner Archive Instant streamed the old Superman with the snazzy theme song, Aquaman, and The New Adventures of Batman (the 1977 series with Adam West and Burt Ward...and Batmite). Throw ALL these on the new streamer, DC, and also the Superboy, Teen Titans, and Atom shorts. I really want to see the late-1960s Batman cartoons, too. Why not? No one else is running this. Here is the chance to do something with them.
5) Justice League/Justice League Unlimited: A lot of people would argue Batman: The Animated Series (streaming...for now....on Amazon) is the crown jewel of the Timmverse of DC animated properties, but the JL cartoons were among my favorite TV shows, period, when they aired. They were on Netflix for years but are now in limbo even though many of the feature films of the modern DC animation area are on Hulu. The show is just too good to not be available anywhere. Its inclusion on DC Universe would give the service a solid fan favorite exclusive.
This is a decent start, right? Take these 5 and the live-action Batman and Wonder Woman series, and you really have something. While we're at it, the 1980s Superboy series is collecting dust, and it would be great to put all the endless variations of Super Friends in one convenient location for our streaming pleasure. Throw all this together, and even someone like me who already watches too much streaming video will have to consider signing up.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for NBC
Yes, NBC has its own "app!" You can stream (free of charge but with heavy commercials) all kinds of series for free, including what it calls "throwbacks" like Miami Vice. Since the last installment of this series was so Comcast.NBC/Universal heavy, I want to suggest 5 shows NBC can--nay, should--put on its own service. All are Universal shows that I think are controlled by NBC and would be easy adds.
1) Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: This short-lived series used to be on Netflix but disappeared in the big Universal bye-bye a few years ago. The series may draw mixed feelings nowadays and was never a huge success, but the character is too iconic to be forgotten. This show isn't being used anywhere else. Put it up on NBC as a throwback and let us enjoy it.
2) Kolchak the Night Stalker: Another short-lived series that was on Netflix and then vanished. Unlike Buck, this one still shows up on TV, but it would make a nice addition to NBC's lineup of classic series.
3) Voyagers!: NBC could use some more kid-friendly choices in its Throwbacks section, and this short-lived but fondly remembered time travel series would fit the bill. I assume these first 3 series I named, with their relatively paltry inventory, wouldn't draw huge licensing deals. They're all out on DVD. Why not throw them up on NBC.com?
4) Little House on the Prairie: 9 seasons and hundreds of episodes and an enduring legacy that thrives as long as the books stay in print. LHOP has a long and tangled history on DVD, but it seems like NBC finally got it mostly right and delivered uncut episodes to the fans. Now that that task is out of the way, let's make the show available for streaming. Yes, this is a staple of "family" networks and TV stations, but episodes are usually cut to ribbons. Even with frequent ad breaks, it's better to watch anything without drastic editing and time compression.
5) The Six Million Dollar Man: Time-Life licensed this from Universal and made a prestigious complete series DVD set out of this fondly remembered action-adventure show with sci-fi elements. That was over 7 years ago. There's nothing more to protect as far as that goes, and the individual seasons have been heavily discounted for years at retail outlets like Amazon and Target (when Target still carried a lot old TV show DVDs).
Do the exploits of Steve Austin hold up? Well, maybe not as much as some other series, but the show was a big, big deal back in its day and still has many fans. If it's not going to go to Hulu, NBC.com would be a fine spot for this one. And that's the bottom line 'cause--wait, that's a different Steve Austin.
If this isn't enough, how about McMillan and Wife, BJ and the Bear, Banacek, The Bionic Woman...the list goes on and on, and then there are series already streaming but inexplicably for only several seasons, like The Rockford Files, Kojak, and The Incredible Hulk. There's a lot of old Universal TV content not streaming anywhere since the agreements with Netflix expired, and Hulu has not yet stepped it up. NBC could make itself one of the best free streamers out there by adding more of this kind of archival content. I wish it would do it before the 25th century.
1) Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: This short-lived series used to be on Netflix but disappeared in the big Universal bye-bye a few years ago. The series may draw mixed feelings nowadays and was never a huge success, but the character is too iconic to be forgotten. This show isn't being used anywhere else. Put it up on NBC as a throwback and let us enjoy it.
2) Kolchak the Night Stalker: Another short-lived series that was on Netflix and then vanished. Unlike Buck, this one still shows up on TV, but it would make a nice addition to NBC's lineup of classic series.
3) Voyagers!: NBC could use some more kid-friendly choices in its Throwbacks section, and this short-lived but fondly remembered time travel series would fit the bill. I assume these first 3 series I named, with their relatively paltry inventory, wouldn't draw huge licensing deals. They're all out on DVD. Why not throw them up on NBC.com?
4) Little House on the Prairie: 9 seasons and hundreds of episodes and an enduring legacy that thrives as long as the books stay in print. LHOP has a long and tangled history on DVD, but it seems like NBC finally got it mostly right and delivered uncut episodes to the fans. Now that that task is out of the way, let's make the show available for streaming. Yes, this is a staple of "family" networks and TV stations, but episodes are usually cut to ribbons. Even with frequent ad breaks, it's better to watch anything without drastic editing and time compression.
5) The Six Million Dollar Man: Time-Life licensed this from Universal and made a prestigious complete series DVD set out of this fondly remembered action-adventure show with sci-fi elements. That was over 7 years ago. There's nothing more to protect as far as that goes, and the individual seasons have been heavily discounted for years at retail outlets like Amazon and Target (when Target still carried a lot old TV show DVDs).
Do the exploits of Steve Austin hold up? Well, maybe not as much as some other series, but the show was a big, big deal back in its day and still has many fans. If it's not going to go to Hulu, NBC.com would be a fine spot for this one. And that's the bottom line 'cause--wait, that's a different Steve Austin.
If this isn't enough, how about McMillan and Wife, BJ and the Bear, Banacek, The Bionic Woman...the list goes on and on, and then there are series already streaming but inexplicably for only several seasons, like The Rockford Files, Kojak, and The Incredible Hulk. There's a lot of old Universal TV content not streaming anywhere since the agreements with Netflix expired, and Hulu has not yet stepped it up. NBC could make itself one of the best free streamers out there by adding more of this kind of archival content. I wish it would do it before the 25th century.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for Hulu
Welcome back to my ongoing series identifying 5 classic TV shows that should be added to each of the major streaming video on demand services. The idea is that the shows are not currently streaming, and there might be some realistic chance of them appearing. I looked at Netflix and Prime Video, and today it's time to examine the other member of the SVOD trinity, Hulu.
Hulu has acquired so many shows in recent years that it is stockpiling them. I was told on Facebook that, in essence, it is spreading them out, hence the long delay for something like MASH, which was acquired over a year ago but still isn't there. Owned by several major industry players, Hulu should have at least a foot in the door in trying to get some of these series. It has relationships with all the big content providers, so I consider just about everything on the table, but I am not including the Fox and MTM shows because supposedly they are already coming and because many of them are there now in partial form.
1) The Love Boat: CBS' sloooooow pace of DVD releases shouldn't be an obstacle to a big streaming deal. Hulu is a service about TV and celebrating TV, and what show is more quintessentially showbiz and TV-y than Love Boat, with its cheesy theme song, its endless guest stars, and...pretty much everything about it. Beautiful-looking videos of the episodes have circulated online. Bring it to streaming, where we don't have to watch all 250 installments (though I might) but we can seek out interesting guests and goofy plotlines.
2) The Drew Carey Show: This series tailed off a bit in its later years but at its peak was one of the best sitcoms on the tube. Warner Brothers has done very little with it, only releasing one season on DVD and licensing it to little-known diginet Laff.
Would you believe this ran for 9 years and over 230 episodes? That's a staggering total--great inventory for a big streamer like Hulu. The show was hilarious at its best and deserves better than the semi-obscurity it now endures. Carey himself said music clearance issues prevented further DVD releases and streaming deals. Is that true? I don't know; it doesn't seem like streaming always follows the DVD rules, but what do I know? I tell you what I know: I know that I want to see those early seasons of this series again.
3) Columbo: Now we get to the "used to be on Netflix" portion of the list. Netflix used to have a broad deal with Universal that gave it access to tons of classic TV from that studio. At first I thought maybe Universal (Comcast/NBC/whatever it calls itself now) denied a renewal of the deal so it could save properties for its own streaming services. Then SeeSo came and tanked, and we never got the classic cop/detective show service I thought we might. Netflix didn't bother replacing any of it, and now I think Netflix just didn't want to pay for any of it.
Well, that leaves a whole lot of stuff floating around without a streaming home. Cloo was supposed to be the cable home of the old detective shows, but that didn't work out so well. You can still see Columbo on Hallmark and Me-TV but it needs a streaming home for uncut episodes. Hulu would be a great spot for the show.
4) Quincy, M.E.: See above. Hulu has made a habit of picking up shows that Netflix loses, including Universal properties like 30 Rock, so why not add another one? Yes, I want to see Quincy on Hulu.
5) Leave It to Beaver: One of the iconic baby boomer sitcoms deserves a spot somewhere. It's another Universal show in limbo after leaving Netflix, and Hulu could stand to beef up its library from this era after hitting the 90s and up hard the last couple years. There are 234 episodes for the taking here.
Shout Factory licensed home video rights years ago and put the series out on DVD, but does it have streaming rights? I dunno. If it does, hey, my feelings won't be hurt if the series appears on Shout! TV, but since Shout and Hulu already have a working relationship, I think one way or another The Beav could make a great addition to either service (The Munsters is in a similar situation, only with about a couple hundred less episodes).
Hulu has acquired so many shows in recent years that it is stockpiling them. I was told on Facebook that, in essence, it is spreading them out, hence the long delay for something like MASH, which was acquired over a year ago but still isn't there. Owned by several major industry players, Hulu should have at least a foot in the door in trying to get some of these series. It has relationships with all the big content providers, so I consider just about everything on the table, but I am not including the Fox and MTM shows because supposedly they are already coming and because many of them are there now in partial form.
1) The Love Boat: CBS' sloooooow pace of DVD releases shouldn't be an obstacle to a big streaming deal. Hulu is a service about TV and celebrating TV, and what show is more quintessentially showbiz and TV-y than Love Boat, with its cheesy theme song, its endless guest stars, and...pretty much everything about it. Beautiful-looking videos of the episodes have circulated online. Bring it to streaming, where we don't have to watch all 250 installments (though I might) but we can seek out interesting guests and goofy plotlines.
2) The Drew Carey Show: This series tailed off a bit in its later years but at its peak was one of the best sitcoms on the tube. Warner Brothers has done very little with it, only releasing one season on DVD and licensing it to little-known diginet Laff.
Would you believe this ran for 9 years and over 230 episodes? That's a staggering total--great inventory for a big streamer like Hulu. The show was hilarious at its best and deserves better than the semi-obscurity it now endures. Carey himself said music clearance issues prevented further DVD releases and streaming deals. Is that true? I don't know; it doesn't seem like streaming always follows the DVD rules, but what do I know? I tell you what I know: I know that I want to see those early seasons of this series again.
3) Columbo: Now we get to the "used to be on Netflix" portion of the list. Netflix used to have a broad deal with Universal that gave it access to tons of classic TV from that studio. At first I thought maybe Universal (Comcast/NBC/whatever it calls itself now) denied a renewal of the deal so it could save properties for its own streaming services. Then SeeSo came and tanked, and we never got the classic cop/detective show service I thought we might. Netflix didn't bother replacing any of it, and now I think Netflix just didn't want to pay for any of it.
Well, that leaves a whole lot of stuff floating around without a streaming home. Cloo was supposed to be the cable home of the old detective shows, but that didn't work out so well. You can still see Columbo on Hallmark and Me-TV but it needs a streaming home for uncut episodes. Hulu would be a great spot for the show.
4) Quincy, M.E.: See above. Hulu has made a habit of picking up shows that Netflix loses, including Universal properties like 30 Rock, so why not add another one? Yes, I want to see Quincy on Hulu.
5) Leave It to Beaver: One of the iconic baby boomer sitcoms deserves a spot somewhere. It's another Universal show in limbo after leaving Netflix, and Hulu could stand to beef up its library from this era after hitting the 90s and up hard the last couple years. There are 234 episodes for the taking here.
Shout Factory licensed home video rights years ago and put the series out on DVD, but does it have streaming rights? I dunno. If it does, hey, my feelings won't be hurt if the series appears on Shout! TV, but since Shout and Hulu already have a working relationship, I think one way or another The Beav could make a great addition to either service (The Munsters is in a similar situation, only with about a couple hundred less episodes).
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
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!
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!
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: Introduction
Starting tomorrow, I will unveil a new series giving each of a host of major streaming video services 5 new TV series. I'm trying to be realistic about this, assigning classic shows where they A) fit and B) might have a realistic chance of landing. So even though I'd love to see Bachelor Father, I don't include it in this series because I just don't see it happening right now.
I take into consideration who owns the streaming rights (as far as I know), what each streamer is currently doing in terms of old-school content, and whether it is already available. Magmum P.I. would make a great addition to several different channels, but it is viewable through Starz right now, so it is ineligible. However, something that was streaming before but is not right now--say, --is eligible and in fact is probably a great candidate for one of these lists.
I'll begin tomorrow with the big dog of streaming video, Netflix, even though it has all but given up on acquiring old TV series. I have 4 wish list items that I don't think will really appear and one show that has never been streamable and is iconic enough to make me think Netflix might actually bother with and promote.
Later in this series, I'll name selections for Hulu, Prime Video, and others, and I'll even make some picks for services that don't exist yet, naming some series they should carry when they launch. It all starts tomorrow, so tune in then and see if I don't make some iota of sense.
I take into consideration who owns the streaming rights (as far as I know), what each streamer is currently doing in terms of old-school content, and whether it is already available. Magmum P.I. would make a great addition to several different channels, but it is viewable through Starz right now, so it is ineligible. However, something that was streaming before but is not right now--say, --is eligible and in fact is probably a great candidate for one of these lists.
I'll begin tomorrow with the big dog of streaming video, Netflix, even though it has all but given up on acquiring old TV series. I have 4 wish list items that I don't think will really appear and one show that has never been streamable and is iconic enough to make me think Netflix might actually bother with and promote.
Later in this series, I'll name selections for Hulu, Prime Video, and others, and I'll even make some picks for services that don't exist yet, naming some series they should carry when they launch. It all starts tomorrow, so tune in then and see if I don't make some iota of sense.
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