I tried searching the forums, but I didn't find any specific Joan of Arcadia on DVD thread so I hope it's all right a start one... Okay, so here's why I'm starting one; why the hell did they change the music?! This show was created just two years ago, how come they didn't make a music on DVD deal in the contracts?! They already knew how popular TV on DVD got, so why did they completely ignore this?

I'm really pissed and mad about this, since I think the music in this show is so good and always fits the scenes beautifully. My boyfriend bought it for me anyway, and I thought I'd try watching it, but the pilot was just not the same withouth Tomorrow in the book store scene. Talk about butchering a show...

Here is the answer: the show's owner, SONY.

Sony had a very objectioinable treatment of Dawson's Creek: start out with all the music intact for the first season set, change some in the second, later on change the theme, then finally edit out scenes where the music would have to be paid for. So people buying the first season got snookered into buying a set that in later season sets had its quality compromised.

I'm guessing that Sony had a hand in the change of the music for the first season of Rocky & Bullwinkle (the Jay Ward estate was a party to the release), although I've never seen a full explanation of why they replaced the Frank Comstock music from season one with the Fred Steiner music from season two, but being Sony, I suspect that it could have been done if a company were committed to doing it.

Shout!Factory seem to be carving out a niche as a company that can make original music happen, as they did with Freaks and Geeks, spending $1 million or so to secure the original music. They did probably as good a job as possible with SCTV, with just a few minor music changes (mostly over end credits) that probably had to be done, else the sets would have cost over $100. Check out their recent release of the Dick Cavett show "Rock Icons" for another set with lots of music that had to be licensed.

Sony is certainly not alone (Universal has done something similar to Dawson's Creek with Northern Exposure, I believe, keeping music intact on the first two seasons but changing on the third, although I could be wrong about that) but the Dawson's Creek example is probably the worst treatment any TV series has gotten with music changes.

I understand that everything is a business, but how good a business model is it that leaves a bad taste in consumer's mouths about a show that they enjoy and want to spend money for? Would an extra $10 per season set have been enough to secure the music rights? That could have been part of the marketing campaign, "Joan of Arcadia, complete with all of the original soundtrack songs", etc. I think people would have paid extra if they knew what they were getting for the money.

Sorry for the extended rant, but like many consumers I'm getting worked up over favorite series that I would like to purchase but are compromised by music changes to save money. The Muppet Show is the latest one, which isn't missing a whole lot of music numbers from season one, but there are a few that were cut. I don't know what the answer is, maybe the current situation is a good as we will get, but I hope that the music and movie/tv industries can make some changes that would facilitate companies being able to secure original music for home sales.