grundle

From post 15 in this thread:

dsa_shea

This sucks if true. Why bother putting out the sets if theyre the syndicated episodes?

marty888

Removed from my wish list.

LorenzoL

First the Cosby Show, then Roseanne and it wouldn't surprise me if Different World is also using syndicated episodes on the DVD set.

I want to know who's responsible, Carsey Werner or the DVD studios, for supplying the syndicated cuts and releasing them on DVD.

matome

DVDFreaker

Roseanne is the worst show I ever seen in my life but that is bad news for Roseanne fans

digitalfreaknyc

It's bad news for TV on DVD fans. If the production companies continue to find this practice acceptable, they will continue to do it.

vedderstapp

What's the big deal about syndiacted episodes? I mean, I wasn't about to buy Roseanne, but if say... Scrubs were syndicated, it wouldn't stop me buying them...

digitalfreaknyc

If you're cool with having 2-3 minutes cut out of each episode, so be it.

conscience

Damn.

PixyJunket

I wouldn't be totally happy about it, but I'd still buy my favorite show if that was the only way to get it on disc.

ThatGuamGuy

Most shows, when put into syndication, are indiscriminately cut by 2-3 minutes to make room for more commericals. [I say "most" because I know of a few instances, such as 'Everybody Loves Raymond', where somebody involved in the show and very high up does the cutting himself, because he'd rather do it than have somebody unfamiliar with the show do it. Not Romano, whoever the other main exec producer is.] Obviously, this means jokes are lost, but in many cases, actual plot points can be lost or obscured and difficult to follow.

It's basically a slap in the face to fans, like "We couldn't be bothered to find the best elements to put this set together, we're just going to rush it out and assume that you'll buy it, because you're stupid monkeys."

Suppose your favorite movie were 'Pulp Fiction', but when it came out on DVD, it was only the edited-for-TV version. Since Quentin Tarantino himself did the edit, that would obviously be an acceptable release, right?

Non-syndication-edits is the OAR for the new millenium.

bboisvert

Why does the cynical part of me think that they will fix this later and it will become a marketing point during re-releases in 5-10 years?

HD-Roseanne: Each episode with expanded footage!


I've been somewhat lucky so far, since the edited shows haven't been ones I've been interested in buying. Although one borderline title (Alf) was quickly removed from my want list.

Al_Tahoe

This kind of 'logic' ( ) astounds me. What if the only DVD release of The Godfather had 20 minutes edited out of the movie (3 minutes removed from a 25 minute show = 20 minutes removed from a 175 minute movie), would that also be 'no big deal'? Yes, I realize Roseanne is not of the same quality as The Godfather, but the point is still valid.

Chance of my buying Roseanne if released uncut......... 100%
Chance of my buying Roseanne if released syndicated... 0%

Bronkster

I'm in strong agreement with the above posters who support the concept of the unedited versions of these shows being put out. I've gotten very-much into buying TV shows on DVD, many of which I had missed when they were broadcast, or only caught now and then. The DVD format has made the enjoyment of these much greater than trying to find them (in order) on repeat channels, assuming they are even shown any more. I currently have over 30 seasons of various shows to watch.

I had planned on getting both the Cosby Show and Roseanne until I heard they were syndicated versions. I'm sorry, Mr. Studio Exec, but I will not buy your DVDs if I know they are not complete. I know I'm probably in the minority when it comes to the DVD purchasing public but I will stand firm.

<-- Not a stupid monkey

obscurelabel

Just a specific example of an episode that's hurt by the syndication cut ... whichever Seinfeld episode that plays backwards, where they go to the wedding in India. Throughout the episode, George is continually using the phrase "put your sorries in a sack, mister" or something similar, and several times during the show the other characters comment on this odd phrase and wonder where George got it from. When the show aired on NBC, at the very end you got to see the funny payoff of where it came from. This is gone from the version that airs on TBS.

I didn't notice what else was missing, but since I specifically remembered how clever the end of the episode was, I noticed when that was gone.

vedderstapp

Ok, I appreciate what you're saying - though Roseanne is hardly going to now contain huge plot holes if a minute or two is cut here and there.

Here in the UK, we have frequently had things cut from movies which have existed elsewhere, but this would most certainly not stop me from buying something if I liked it.

digitalfreaknyc

Well bully for you then. OTOH, my favorite show is cut at times and it really pisses me off.

ThatGuamGuy

Spoken like somebody who doesn't pay attention to "The Simpsons". There are several episodes where the writers point out, via the commentary, things which were cut from syndication and, thus, rendered the episodes more difficult to follow. Off-hand I can't think of any, but they're there. (I believe the Michael Jackson episode cut something major.) I'm sure other people will have examples they can cite.

In a show like 'Roseanne', with at least a dozen major characters and a few dozen more minor ones, cutting a single line could throw off a character's motivation in other scenes. And in later seasons, 'Roseanne' had arcs which would last through several years. Casual sloppy cutting can only hurt this sort of thing.

Well, that's your prerogative. (And it's at least partially based on a ratings system which is less tolerant of violence and bad language, but more tolerant of sex, right?) I mean, we've had that with some stuff here too (though I *always* try to buy the most complete version, even if it means ordered from another region). But the feeling a lot of people have is that if people keep swallowing their complaints and buying the stuff without a peep, the studios will think there's nothing wrong with these sorts of releases.

Personally, I'm a little disappointed in Roseanne. I thought she was putting effort into this set, the way that Seinfeld did. It's a shame, as I'd been getting really into this show in syndication lately, and was looking forward to starting from the beginning and seeing them uncut, but there's no way I'd bother with a sub-par release like this.

Richard Malloy

Barring something as cynical as "we'll double-dip 'em with the complete episodes next year", is there any reason of a practical nature why they'd release the cut-for-syndication versions? Is it simply a mistake, an oversight? Are there rights issues? Do the complete cuts still exist?

I'm not interested in any of these sets, but this seems to be something of a trend, and one that should be very troubling for fans of these shows. I presume this didn't happen to "The Simpsons" on DVD?

SMB-IL

I can't even believe this crap! This is the only TV on DVD show that was left that I was interested in purchasing -- if only the syndicated episodes are being put on the sets, I'm not interested.

Edited to add, from Carsey Werner's website:
Assholes.

dsa_shea

It is sad to think that Roseanne herself was involved in the production of this set and she accepts this type of release. I thought she had more pride in her show than this but obviously she doesnt care what her fans get.

GuessWho

As you've seen the original versions once (MAYBE twice) and the syndicated ones countless times each.... how would you even remember what you're missing?

JerVL/kg

Probably because they're easier to obtain? The syndicated prints exist at affiliates all across the country, while the original is buried in a vault somewhere.

Well, that's a sunny attitude. If you don't remember it, it must not be important. Didn't Reagan use this excuse in the Iran-Contra scandal?

Besides, it's not about stuff you remember, it's about seeing new stuff you don't remember, if you've only seen the show in syndication. I love watching the early seasons of The Simpsons and Married...With Children and catching little bits that I'd never seen in the show before. If all you get from the DVD is the syndicated version, you might as well buy a DVD Recorder and make your own compilation.

cmleidi

I remember jokes and scenes edited out of Lifetime's showing of THE GOLDEN GIRLS. In one episode, there's a line that says "Blanche has been under more sailors than a nautical toilet." The edited version shown on Lifetime cuts out this sequence, but then leaves in Rose talking about the cut line later in the episode. IT makes no sense. I pre-order the ROSEANNE set, but I'm now going to cancel it.