From this really good DVD-Talk review, it appears some, if not all, of the episodes are edited.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=27168

I was toying with the idea of checking this out as I remember all the controversy the show caused when it first aired and staying up late to see what it was all about, but it's definitely a no-sale now.

Well, my interest has just plummeted. I was planning to pick this up as a blind buy because I always hear about the show. Now I don't know. I'm too young to have seen it new, but I'm not sure I want to support a set of edited episodes even if I won't personally know the difference.

I watch this when I was a kid back in the day,this is very sad news for sure.Why mess with at all?

I looked at the review briefly, searching for "edit" in the text...it doesn't really say what was edited. If it's the fact that it's using syndication episodes, then that will probably be the best we can get because that's what's been preseved for all these years. You're talking about a series going on nearly 40 years old....would great master copies of the original episodes as they were broadcast be in great shape?

I am not holding my breath for Sony to correct this. If these are the same episodes they showed on Nick at Nite, then I really don't see the problem...did anybody notice if those were edited or were they the original episodes? Because if they were the originals on Nick at Nite, then Sony has some 'splain to do!

It's 30 years, and there have been a lot of TV series older than this released in great shape.

Age shouldn't be the factor, but who knows about the state of the masters.

True dat, but we also know that there are older shows that have had more of a demand to be seen in syndication. I don't believe the entire series of Mary Hartman Mary Hartman has been aired on TV in its entirety since it first aired. And who knows the state of the masters...there are some old episodes of MASH on DVD that look like crap compared to some of the other episodes, and one they just could not use the original master for at all and had to go with the syndicated version. If some of the old masters of MASH were doomed, and that show is on the air ALL the time, then it really makes me wonder about Mary Hartman.

Let's make some noise!

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I just looked and it does give an example:

"Don't buy it. And it's very simple why you shouldn't: these episodes are edited and incomplete. One of the most disturbing sequences in the first season of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman involved the Haggers' journey to Nashville . . . two hillbillies right out of Deliverance assault Charlie and suggest raping Loretta. . . . it's not here in its complete form."

Check out this thread from Home Theater Forum, as spotted by Mister Kite / Gary on the Hoffman board.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...78#post3116978

Very disappointing. This gets added to the growing list of shows that I had interest in buying (and I've bought quite a few, SONY! ) that I found out were edited versions. They should stamp "Reader's Digest Version" on these so the public knows what its getting.

30 years, & i bought Maude:Complete first season last tuesday and through the episodes don't look top notch, they look pretty damn good for a 30 year old show.
there the original uncut episodes of the show running almost approx. 26 min an episode! (don't see that on shows anymore, were lucky to get a full 21min), & through Maude was never shown in syndication that much it was shown in its entirety when it was.
theres alot of great older shows on dvd that are unedited & its called digital resteration.
hell bewitched is way older then MH,MH & its episodes are unedited running 25mins an episode, so there is no excuse for edited episodes.
if the video is crap-i would rather have shit video then edited episode or heres a novel idea include both! (but that will never happen).

Off the subject, but what three TV series were spun-off from this show?

Fernwood Tonight, America Tonight. Not sure about #3.

I probably wasn't going to buy this anyway, but the edited shows make it a no for sure.

Fernwood 2-night, America 2-night, and

Fernwood Forever:

"A spin-off of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." After Mary ran off with her policeman boyfriend and left town, the focus shifted to her heart-broken ex-husband Tom, and the rest of the oddball residents of Fernwood, Ohio."

Maude has also stayed in reruns quite a bit, including a run on TVLand not too long ago. The entire Mary Hartman series has never been show in its entirety since the original broadcast...that's my point. Again I am not defending this decision to edit the episodes, nor am I happy about it, but to compare what condition the originals MIGHT be in (we don't know yet, do we? I don't see online yet where Sony has issued a statement about this issue) to shows that have had successful runs in reruns is kind of pointless. I wish all TV shows and all old movies were all treated the same in storage for eventual re-release later on, but they aren't.

I'm not happy about it...I'm just hoping that Sony comes out and issues a statement and lets us know exactly why this happens. I will save my anger about it until then. If the edited episodes are all that are available for the DVD release, then they should have placed a disclaimer on the box. Either way, it's sloppy handling of the release.

I see what you mean,
of course sony is known for its sloppy releases so i guess i shouldn't be surpised about this happening.
I don't get TVLand so i didn't know that they were showing reruns of Maude. I couldn't agree with you more that every movie/tv series deserves the same treatment but sadly alot of good shows get shit treatment on DVD.