seymouru

Today's NY Times has an extensive article on the upcoming Sanders set. It's called "Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show," releasing on April 17. Only 23 episodes from the six seasons, but it includes nearly eight hours of supplementary material, including new interviews he did with the cast members and major guest stars, including Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Sharon Stone, David Duchovny, Carol Burnett, Jon Stewart and Tom Petty.

Sounds pretty good, but I (and I think most LS fans) would have preferred full season sets. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that's in the cards, based on this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/ar...on/28stei.html (free reg. req'd)

Accompanying the article is a clip from Garry's interview/sparring match with Alec Baldwin that will be included in the set. Hey, this could be the basis for a whole new series -- "Garry Shandling Takes on the World."

http://nytimes.feedroom.com/?fr_stor...5306bfdf4ad33b

vedderstapp

I know it might not please the hardcore fans of the show, but I'm really pleased they're releasing it in this format.

I just wish they'd do the same for some other shows. I mean, I like Larry Sanders and all, but i'm never going to spend $100, $200 on collecting all the season sets.

darkside

It takes time, but I eventually will buy every season of shows I like. I don't like best of sets, but after reading the article I may consider picking this one up.

calhoun07

For those who don't want to register to read one article, what's the main points convincing fans waiting for season sets to compromise and get a best of collection?

darkside

Basically the article talks about a lot of issues Garry went through at the end of the show and what he has been doing since. It talks about how dedicated he is to this set. Here is a portion of the article talking about his involvement with the DVD.

The article goes on to talk about just how in depth these interviews are. Sounds like some really good stories and info in the interviews. They apparently are largely unedited and he really pins people down to get a lot of stuff on tape we would like to know about.

Basically, the extras seem to be a big draw to buying the set and maybe will push Sony to release the rest of the seasons at some point.

whotony

i won't buy it. season sets only for me.

Mike Adams

Wow, 23 episodes. Sounds interesting, but for a show I've only seen bits of rather than entire episodes, I'd probably be more content with 4 or 5 episodes. Still, I'll definitely give this a rent, if not a buy. I sympathize with ardent fans who want season sets, and for their sake I hope that happens. I'm fine with this, though.

shacmasta

This sounds like a pretty cool set. I was never a big larry sanders fan when it was around, but will probably give this one a looksie.

Jackson_Browne

You're going to have to wait for a long time, because I think this is all we're ever going to get.

calhoun07

I guess I just don't understand how this can't find an audience on DVD. What size audience was the studio looking for (that's not a rhetorical question either...I am genuinely interested to know). Because if they were expecting sales along the lines of other HBO shows like Sopranos and Sex in the City, I guess I can understand the frustration in season one's sales. But if they marketed this show to the smaller audience that enjoys this type of programming, which may be small but are loyal, then they would have a winner on their hands. Just lower the expectations for sales, produce smaller runs of the seasons sets, and maybe raise the price five or ten bucks per seasons, but still keep the prices reasonable. And also license it overseas, where audiences are more receptive of intelligent programming like this.

If we can have thirty seasons of Beastmaster on DVD, then there's no excuse in the world I will buy to not put out all seasons of Larry Sanders. If Sony or whatever studio doesn't want to deal with it, then license the rights to S'more Entertainment or some other smaller studio that likes to put out TV shows to a more specialized audience.

JoeyOhhhh

I've been recently catching episodes from the DVD set recently, so I'll pick this up. Boo-urns on Sony for not releasing any more Larry Sanders

darkside

I've had similar frustration with Night Court. I love the show and want it on DVD, but Warner didn't like the sales of Season 1 and killed any future releases.

If only they would license the series to someone else so we can get it released on DVD.

Bill Needle

So about 25% of the show is being released. This really makes little sense. They could have easily completed the series with only 2 more sets this size (since the extras sound pretty complete with this release). A set of seasons 1/2, 3/4, and 5/6, and done. Like someone said, with all the complete crap that comes out in complete seasons already, how could this not? I just don't understand what is so damn difficult about authoring some additional DVDs from the same source material. Anyone who would buy this coming release would buy those as well. Rickdiculous.

Mike Adams

Well, as I've often said, the biggest role in making sure bootleggers flourish is played by the studios themselves. Not that they want bootlegs made, just that they won't put anything out unless there's enormous profit potential (guess they gotta pay for all the DVD sets that don't sell well), so bootleggers are left to fill in the gaps.

wergo

Why do I just KNOW that most (any?) of my favorite episodes are not gonna be included?

I HATE "greatest hits" albums.

But I guess if that's all that exists in the marketplace...



I'll buy it, but I won't enjoy watching it. And every time I glance upon it on my shelf, my ulcer will grow just a little bit larger.

Mike Adams

I sympathize, but hey, life's too short. Enjoy what you can get, and with any luck you can find the other shows from a fellow collector who has taped them, although I'm afraid I can't help you.

Crocker Jarmen

I loved The Larry Sanders Show as I have no other. Although I initially had no interest in a Best of DVD, the fact that this will have 20 something episodes is pretty good.

After reading that article, I think I would probabely have bought a DVD set of just the extras, so the actual episodes would be gravy.

This part of the article made my jaw drop as I had no idea:

The most voyeuristic moment on the DVD, however, probably comes when Mr. Shandling sits down in a production office to talk to Linda Doucett. On the show she played Hank’s secretary, Darlene, but in real life she was Mr. Shandling’s fiancée, at least for a time. After the engagement ended, she was fired, and in 1996 she sued Mr. Shandling, along with Mr. Grey’s company, for sexual harassment and wrongful termination.

Here's one thing I've wondered about for years that I've never seen adressed: Do you suppose that music clearance rights could be a major contributor to there not being season sets? As the show went on, almost every episode had some popular performer or music group doing a song (or 2). Since this show was produced in the early to mid 90's, is it possible that the proper rights were not secured for home video releases. I wonder if it is possible that the extra expense of getting all these music rights (which could not simply be edited from the show) would raise the cost of producing DVDs so much that it isn't worth it, especially if it is not expected to be an ultra huge seller.

calhoun07

Music rights might be an issue. I also wondered if any of the actors who appeared on the show might be holding out on signing over the rights for their episodes to be on DVD, like the troubles Space Ghost Coast to Coast faced.

seymouru

If you have Times Select, here's an article with a lot of the juicy details...

http://select.nytimes.com/search/res...AA0894DE404482

The case involves Anthony Pellicano, a notorious LA private detective who is accused of using illegal wiretaps to gather dirt on his clients' enemies. And he had some pretty powerful clients, apparently including Brad Grey, whom Shandling accused of "triple-dipping" on the profits from the Sanders show. His ex-girlfriend, Linda Doucett, was a potential witness in the lawsuit, and things got pretty ugly.

dolphinboy

I would buy every season of this show even with a hefty price (same with Ed and PO5), but I will never never buy a best of set.

I'd like to say it's to send a message, but no one is probably listening and that's not really why.

I simply don't want part of a tv show any more than I'd want part of a movie.

It's sad enough to watch tv sets like Firefly and Freaks and Geeks and putting some additional money in the pockets of the people who cancelled those incredible shows, but to know that these episodes are all out there and they, for whatever reasons, only want me to see a few "of the best" episodes only reminds me of the episodes that I'm NOT getting to see.

slop101

I guess I'm more of a "glass half-full" guy than you are.

While I wold love a complete set, I'll take (and love) whatever's available.

ThatGuamGuy

But HBO prices are unreasonable to start with; tacking on another ten bucks would make them ludicrous. Their sets tend to cost at least fifteen dollars per disc.

I was thinking it's probably related to music rights, but I also notice that HBO doesn't seem interested in their own back-catalog. I would think that if they had any real desire to release 'Larry Sanders', they would put it On-Demand, so they could see how much interest there was and which episodes people loved. (Ditto 'Dream On'; I'm sure that show will never be cleared for DVD, but On-Demand? No reason not to.) I know HBO didn't release 'Kids in the Hall', are they releasing 'Tales From the Crypt' or is it somebody else?

dolphinboy

Maybe, but the glass is half-empty.

Mike Adams

I've been over this before, but it really tickles me how people complain about getting a "best-of" and claim they won't buy anything if it's not the complete series. Unless you're sitting on a full set of high-quality bootlegs, if you don't buy what's offered, you get absolutely zero, which in this case is 23 episodes and 8 hours of bonus content LESS than what you'd have if you actually bought that "part of a TV show" you're all complaining about.

I know a lot of people think they're "voting with their money", but what they don't realize is that the only way you can vote "YES" on future season sets with your money is to actually BUY what is offered. When you refuse to buy something, for whatever reason, you're casting the same vote as the people who don't buy it because they don't like the show. In other words, you are casting yet another vote for "no interest", whether that's your intention or not.

Yes, I'm sure a lot of you are thinking that the "one-two punch" of refusing to buy anything less than full season sets and then e-mailing the studio or posting on blogs, forums, or anywhere else that the "real" fans demand season sets will actually work, but no matter how much internet "buzz" there is about a show, if it doesn't show up in the sales numbers, it won't make a damn bit of difference. Studios are very used to being told over and over again how "hot" a particular title is, and hearing from fans how much they absolutely MUST have that title on DVD, and then when they actually release something, many of those fans don't buy it, either because they can't afford it, they simply rent it and realize it's not as wonderful as they'd remembered, or they simply download DVD rips or rent 'n' burn themselves.

So, my advice to anyone who claims to be such a big fan of this or any other show is to buy everything the studio releases, because even if they've already released a couple of "best of" compilations, if they sell well enough, you can bet the studio will want to take more of your money, and no season set is too expensive to make if you've already got the material and you've got sales figures to back up any claim as to the level of interest. The only thing you'll achieve by refusing to buy something because it isn't exactly what you wanted is that not only will you never get what you DO want, you'll have to do without what you are being offered. In other words, if you really want pizza, eat your meatloaf -- it may get you pizza tomorrow night, but simply refusing to eat anything but pizza will not only mean you WON'T get pizza tomorrow, but you'll also go to bed hungry tonight.

slop101

What a horrible way to go through life though - never appreciating anything, because it could always be better - relationships, food, homes, etc. Does owning a 2,500 square-foot home bum you out because it's not 5,000 square-feet? Same principle.