message to studios to stop splitting seasons into sets!
 

I couldn't find a specific thread about this so here goes. Has anyone started a petition of any kind to send to the various studios to try and get them to stop splitting seasons of TV shows into sets? This does nothing but soak the consumer and create rage! Ok, I may be exaggerating the rage part, but it's not cool.

If this thread isn't necessary, or is a dupe I apologize. I did a search and couldn't find anything.

Thanks for reading!

Yeah I hate the Battlestar Galactica "Season 2.5", etc. crap. I know they split the season when it airs, but it's still one season. It's simply a way to wring more money out of us.

It sucks but its also nice when we get stuff like The Job The Complete Series, Moonlighting: Seasons 1 & 2, It's ALways sunny in Philadelphia: Seasons 1/2 ,Seinfeld: Seasons 1/2, etc.
Battlestar did suck but they made up for it with season 3 which was a great value for everything you got with that set.

I know why they do it, but that doesn't stop me from being pissed off about it.

I don't buy split season sets. It's not really a boycott, it's just there there are enough DVDs that I want that it doesn't take much to push a show off my "must buy" list.

It wouldn't be as bad if they were priced correctly for the half of a season they are, so $20 or so. It's when both Season __ Part 1 and 2 are $50 a piece that it becomes ridiculous.

This is the sole reason I never bought the "Entourage" sets. I know I'm only one person but we have to send a message.

1. Not all the Entourage seasons were split into two. Just season 3.

2. If you wait for the right sale you can get the seasons for <$20 each.

3. If you want to continue to boycott you can always buy used. That way you're getting the DVD's and also sticking it to the man at the same time.

With me... if you're going to split the season in 2 the chances of me buying it will be lower, obviously. When this happens I just wait it out until I can get it during a good sale or buy used.

I know all of that. It's just principle. I'm hoping also that I can wait long enough that I'll get a complete series set.

I just finished Battlestar 2.0 an hour ago and it PISSES me off that I 'll have to go out and buy 2.5 for even more money than it costs for a full season of Friday Night Lights. What pisses me off even more is that I know I'll give in and pay the money anyway.

It sucks even more when the prices drop on the sets. So, instead of over-paying for one TV boxed set, you've over-paid for two seperate boxed sets.

From what I here Battlestar season 4 will be split also

Crazy studios. Trying to make money and what not.

If I like a show enough to actually buy it on DVD, I guess it probably wouldn't bother me too much to have the season split up.

I hate best of sets even more. The morons who released the New Outer Limits as "best of" sets ought to be shot. The morons who do the bean counting there ought to be stabbed, then shot, because they concluded that terrible sales of "best of" sets means that proper season sets won't sell. They only released season 1 of the show long after fan interest had been dissipated by the release of *&$#($#$ "best of" sets.

Or worse is when they lose the rights to the show, in which they had only realeased some seasons (G.I. JOE for example)...if they get rights to shows, they should just release the whole damn thing.

I don't understand how they would lose money by releasing all the seasons at once??? If a person wants a dvd they will buy it - simple as that. People see DVDs the same way as finding a book in a library/bookstore. It's like releasing Encyclopedia Britanicas A through C - and then you have to wait some more years to get D through Z...

You do realize that's how a lot of encyclopedias are sold, right?

The Bus, I understand that the encyclopedias are split...but do you mean that it actually does take years to get the next letter?

Seriously, why can't I have my 65 episode season 1 of DuckTales or my 39 episodes of the Smurfs?


... on the other hand, I guess cartoons work better split. Those would be some mighty expensive seasons.

People still buy encyclopedias in book form?

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LOL, thanks for setting me straight with that blast from the past, Snowmaker! -wink-

Is this really even an issue? There really aren't that many TV series that have seasons split into 2 parts?

The only ones that I have can think of recently are BSG Season 2, The Streets of San Francisco and maybe The Love Boat. Other than that, it seems like 80-90% of the product released is full complete seasons.

I don't mind 'Season 1 Part 1' one-seventh as much as I mind "Season 1-Best Of' or "Our Favorites from the Whole Series." As long as the pricing is reasonable.

When I watch a season set it usuallly takes about 4 weeks but when its split it takes forever and you lose interest in the second volume.I hope they release s4 of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea in a complete set if they release it at all.

I think the "best-of" battle still needs to be won here, as noted by some folks, there are far too many piecemeal releases, and not to mention syndication edits and music replacement.

Splitting seasons can be a little aggravating, but it's not that important in the long run.

I can think of alot more. Most are release by Paramount/CBS home Video.
RAWHIDE.
THE FUGITIVE.
CANON.
JAKE AND THE FAT MAN.
GUNSMOKE: SEASON 2 is split in two.
PERRY MASON.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a LOT of this for the shows of the 2008 TV season, with the writers strike breaking up a lot of shows into smaller seasons...

-jason

I really don't mind the split season sets. Sure, I'd like the full season in one set, but as long as they keep releasing them until the show has had all its episodes released, I don't care.

Paramount/CBS Home Video is really the only studio releasing shows in split seasons on DVD. They are making a bigger profit off of one season by splitting them into two releases, but I'm sure they aren't making as much money off them in the long run compared to the full season releases of Mission: Impossible or Hawaii Five-O. I'm a little surprised that The Fugitive got the split season treatment, but I guess the reason for splitting the seasons is either because the fan base is still their but not quite as large as Mission: Impossible or Five-O or the fan base is really large and the studios want to make an even bigger profit. I can see why shows like The Untouchables and The Streets of San Francisco are split up into half season sets, though. They're making money off the releases, but the fan base isn't as large as some of their other titles.

Hate "The Best of", "Fan Favorites", "Season _, Volume _", etc. Just do the job and come out with "Complete Series" instead of hurting consumers' pockets with individual seasons. Stop making us "double dip" on TV series too.

That's way too extreme. You're in a small minority with that opinion. I think most people don't want to shell out over a hundred dollars each time and wind up with 50 or 60 or 100 or more episodes of a series to watch.

Also, many shows change quality/actors/writers/direction/networks between seasons, and lots of people only want the piece of the show that they liked.

Wonder Woman changed direction after it switched networks
The Adventures of Superman was significantly different in the color episodes
Bewitched had a different feel in the final seasons with an actor replacement
Sliders was different in S4 and S5 with different actors
early seasons of MASH are much different from the final ones
Cheers had many cast changes over the years
Space 1999's S2 was radically different from S1

Those are just off the top of my head. There's a reason why "jumped the shark" is now used as a general term instead of just in discussions of "Happy Days."

Sorry, but I think your suggestion is bad. As an alternative, approach it from the other side. Demand that studios stop screwing over the biggest fans and supporters of the shows. Complete Series "bonus discs" or other extras (t-shirts, props, etc.) should ALWAYS be made available separately, and "exclusives" should be stopped altogether. If I (and other fans) loved a show and bought each season as it came out for an exorbitantly high price, and as a result the studio made enough money and determined to release all the seasons, then if anything (and I'm not saying I deserve anything), I should be rewarded in some way, not ignored and excluded from a new "bonus" that's available only in a complete series set that forces me to try to sell of my used seasons to other unsuspecting or less-obsessive fans (for a loss) and double-dip, or just go without (the latter is what I currently do--I will never double-dip on a TV series, and I only double-dip on movies if there's a new cut of the movie that I think looks interesting and I can get it for less than $10). Let me send in proofs of purchase and a reasonable amount of money if I want the bonus disc. Limit the bonus disc to one per household. I mean, really, is it that difficult to come up with a system that doesn't say FU to your most loyal customers?

Yeah, "Complete Series" sets are a little overwhelming/expensive, unless the series is only 1 or 2 seasons. That said, I have bought a few of the complete series megasets, either because I never bought every season, or the seasons themselves were too expensive. But I have been on the other end as well, irked because they released the complete set for half what I paid for the individual seasons. If you wait long enough, it'll be cheaper, that's the marketplace, but they should at least make new content available standalone, or offer some upgrade option.

:lol: Nicholas Colasanto (Coach) died during season 3, which led to Woody joining in season 4. Shelly Long was written out after season 5 making way for Kirstie Alley in season 6. Two cast members departing hardly constitutes "many cast changes."

I'm so glad you took the time to editorialize on one example I provided instead of actually discussing the matter at hand. Bravo! That's time well spent.

I don't even care about Cheers--I don't have the DVDs, and probably won't in the future. I considered buying them once, but decided there are many other shows I'd rather own and watch.

The point was that season 1 has a much different feel than season 4, and both of them are very different from season 9. Different character focuses, different relationships, and yes, some different cast members. Personally I find "Diane" extremely annoying, so I could imagine just buying later seasons, and only picking up the first few if they were dirt-cheap. My apology for trying to simplify my original post and for not doing thorough research first. Next time I'll consult you before posting.


And just to try to bring this back on-topic:

Other examples:
Star Trek: TNG--personally, I think season 1 was completely lame; there's no way I'd spend even $15 for it (yes, it had plot points that are connected to other episodes (and series), but I think the acting is horrible and many of the stories are really weak)
NYPD Blue (many--yes, many--cast changes over the years)
MASH (many--yes, many--cast changes over the years)


And another reason against releasing only complete series sets:

I have bought a few different season 1 or season 2 sets as blind buys just to check out a series that I never watched but thought might be good because it was popular or whatever. Some were good (to me), and I bought other seasons of the show (and await releases of the remaining ones) and some weren't, and I sold the season sets I bought. But it's a much bigger investment to buy an entire series just to see if I like it (although I did that with "Homicide" through a deal at A&E.com, even though I had never seen even one episode of the show before.

Yes, I know there are other options to "check out" a series, but my options are probably more limited than most people's--I don't live in the U.S., and English is not the primary language in the country in which I live, and although I can easily rent movies in English, the selection of American (and British) TV shows is pretty minimal, and basically doesn't include any shows from more than 10 years ago.

Sorry, you're right, there are different types of consumers. I think I have to categorize myself as a collector or completist. When I like a TV show, I buy all seasons regardless without thinking there would be complete series (remember "Friends" or "X Files"). First, I was dissappointed with "Friends", I had to sell individual seasons in order to get the complete series in collectible wood box and it was way cheaper than collecting every season. Same thing with "Twilight Zone" which its complete series box was way cheaper, also "Seinfeld" with its collectible table book or fridge edition from Best Buy. Learning from that kind of mistake, glad that I didn't buy "X Files" individually, instead a collector's box complete series with collectible materials and some.

I bought the X-Files season sets less than 2 weeks before I read the announcement about the series set being released. So I learned my lesson. Now if it's a series I know I'll really want, I wait.

One series I kind of lost out on was Mutant X--first waiting for season sets, and then waiting for the season sets to come down in price. But then they went out of print, so I never got them. Now I'm hoping for a complete set.


As for the split-season sets, I don't mind them if the price is appropriate. I decide the price/value based on the running time. As a consumer, if you set your own limits and stick to them, it doesn't matter how many volumes a series takes to complete a season or an entire series. But the problem is, the prices are not appropriate. And I expect that with the shortened seasons from this past year that studios (for the most part) won't be setting lower prices. And if next year's seasons are back to full length, the studios might use that as an excuse to raise prices again (look, you paid $49.99 for 16 episodes, and THIS season has 22 episodes, so $69.99 is very reasonable!). Or they'll use it as an excuse to start splitting even more commonly.

This is why I stopped buying Family Guy sets...

^Yes, those are outrageously expensive considering there are only 13 episodes on the split "sets" and an insult to the true fan. That smacks of gouging the fans as you will typically pay ~$1.50-$2 per episode when other 30 minute shows are in the ~$.50-$.75 per episode range.

Maybe not if done "right". What needs to happen is the *entire* series should come out at once (for older programs that no longer have "first run" episodes) in a special "box set" but still have the individual seasons for those who don't want or can't afford the box set. Plus make "bonus" stuff available for those who *do* complete the set in individual seasons. This prevents the trend of shows that never see a full release. There are several I'm still waiting for: "Bob Newhart", "Leave it to Beaver", "Night Court", and others. Time-Life sort of did it right with "Get Smart" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." but it's difficult (impossible?) to purchase individual seasons from them. AFAIK you can only purchase the first season of each as "stand alone" and must purchase the "set" to get all seasons.

Again, using Time-Life and "Get Smart" to prove your statement. I really only wanted S1, S2, and S3 but had to purchase the entire set to get them. I did not really want the last 2 where Max and 99 got married and had children. While I *did* somewhat enjoy watching S4, and S5 and found them to not be as bad as I had remembered, they still are not as good as the first three and I would not have purchased them if available separately.


Excellent examples. And "Space 1999" is in the "Get Smart" club in that you can only purchase this in the Megaset, so if you only want S1 or just S2 you are pretty much out of luck with domestic releases.

Absolutely. The studios treat fans of TV shows like outcasts in this regard. They tell you that the only way future seasons of a show can/will be released is if people purchase the season sets and when you do so, because you're too big of a fan to wait, you get penalized! As a result you quit purchasing shows when released in order to wait for that Mega Set you "know" will come but never does because all the true fans got tired of getting burned and stopped buying leading to "slow" sales and a discontinuing of the series releases. It goes back to the fact that the studios need to make a commitment to a program to release *all* seasons of a TV program once releases start.

Now that that's all said, I really do *not* like "split" seasons of programs. I have stopped purchasing some series because of that practice if the "sets" do not go on sale cheap enough. BUT if that's the only way a studio will release it and I'm a big enough fan then I'll most likely make the purchase anyway. Especially if there is a *true* reason for this type release (writers' strike, exorbitant cost of seasons, etc.). I feel the studios do this because the average consumer really doesn't pay attention to how much per season a show is when it is done this way. For example, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" is ~~$40-$60/season total. Lots of people will not pay that and will wait for a sale. However, they'll pay the ~$20-$25 per 1/2 season and not even blink. It's a game and we have to convince the studios that we're tired of playing.

So, for example, say I want to buy The Simpsons on DVD. I can't, because the show is still running, so I have to wait until it ends and then buy a 20+ season set?

Or say I only like the first 2 seasons of The X-Files. If I want to own them, I have to buy the entire series?

Not to mention that the "complete season only" plan would put all the studios out of business. It would completely destroy the impulse buy and most likely keep the casual viewer from purchasing the set. Plus studios would be losing a huge annual income stream as they couldn't start selling DVDs until shows were finished. You think Fox would be happy not having 24, The Shield and The Simpsons out there selling MILLIONS of DVD sets?

The only people that would benefit from this would be Blockbuster and Netflix as fewer people would buy and more would rent.

I think there's a market for full seasons and complete series sets. The initial relatively high cost of the season sets should help subsidize the later price drop of the complete series sets, and I'm not necessarily against that--early adopters always pay a premium.
I'd be interested in some sales figures for the complete series sets, for the larger series--Twilight Zone, Buffy, Angel, Seinfeld, etc., and how they compare to the individual season sets. Many "fans" of the show probably already bought all or most of the seasons before the full set, and possibly sold, traded, gave away their seasons to upgrade to the full set, and casual fans might be more apt to buy a couple seasons with their favorite episodes rather than dropping 100-200$ on the megaset.
For most series, I'm a "completist", but there are definitely a few that I either only bought certain seasons, or bought them all then disposed of some (Sliders for one, I got about four eps into S3 and sold that one.)
I think Time Life is a unique situation--they're one of the pioneers of the "buy the first alone, then subscribe to get the rest" sales styles, and I think that's relatively uncommon.
Double dips on TV series are odd--like the new 24 release. Don't think I like that. Megaset doubledips are different, I would expect to get a discount by purchasing the whole set.
Ultimately I guess I like having as many purchasing options as possible to satisfy each consumer; although I still hate "best of" releases (then again, if it's a "best of" for a series that would never see a full release, or that would be inordinately expensive, like the Tonight Show or something like that, I could see myself buying it, depending on the actual content and the pricing.)