bacigalup

From blu-ray.com:

Next month, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Media Home Distribution will bring to Blu-ray three classic TV shows: The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy: Ultimate Season 1 and The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1. All three will be available for purchase on May 6th.

While discussing with Home Media Magazine the extensive restoration work that was needed to prepare these classic shows for Blu-ray release, Ryan Adams, director of multimedia services for CBS Television Distribution, also confirmed that CBS is preparing Blu-ray releases of Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, Petticoat Junction, Dynasty, The Beverly Hillbillies, Taxi, and Twin Peaks (with director David Lynch involved with the restoration). According to Mr. Adams, CBS is also more than halfway through a three-year spruce-up of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13843

Shannon Nutt

The actual quote is that they're making those shows "Blu-ray READY" which doesn't necessarily mean they're getting a Blu-ray release (although we know TWIN PEAKS is), and may just mean they'll be used for HD streaming/purchase purposes.

My biggest fear is that the series they've already issued - namely I LOVE LUCY and ANDY GRIFFITH won't sell well enough to warrant releases of all the other seasons.

stingermck

Hell just give me a complete of Hillbillies on DVD. I don't need blu, but the releases so far have been all over the place and taking forever.

Alan Smithee

Saw they have Hawaii Five-O in HDX on Vudu. I heard some DVDs of the Andy Griffith Show 'mistakenly' had audio without the laugh tracks- would be nice if they still included that as an option.

My Other Self

Anyone think this is the case? You'd figure by now here would've been news of their respective second seasons being released.

bsmith

I don't think CBS is in any hurry. While they have many shows prepared for it, you don't find that many being streamed or broadcast in HD yet. They tested the waters and may feel the market isn't quite HD yet enough to support the pricing model they want to use. The first seasons of ILL and TAGS probably proved that. I think we will see a release from time to time to continue to test the market.

PhantomStranger

No, unless sales for their first seasons were truly abysmal. I imagine they internally committed to releasing the entire series if it hit a certain minimum threshold.

Little House on The Prairie is another matter because it is handled by Lionsgate, which has become one of the most unreliable Blu-ray distributors in the past year. I would be surprised if we got every season of that show.

morriscroy

How exactly was Lionsgate unreliable?

morriscroy

According to the-numbers.com, the first week of release of the bluray sets of I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Honeymooners on May 6, 2014, each moved less than 11,846 units. (ie. They don't show up in the top-20 weekly release). So each title sold anywhere from 1 to 11,845 copies in their first week of release. The exact numbers are unknown.

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/05/11


For the first week of release of Shogun (July 22, 2014), it moved less than 6,270 units. (ie. It moved anywhere from 1 to 6,269 units).

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/07/27


For the first week of release of Twin Peaks (July 29, 2014), it moved 12,366 units.

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/08/03

morriscroy

If Shogun, I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith, and The Honeymooners ended up moving below 5000 copies in their first week of release, I wouldn't be surprised if Paramount ends up discontinuing further season sets.

I wouldn't be surprised if these titles (+ Twin Peaks) were Paramount's "trial balloons" to see whether there's a market for classic tv on bluray. Paramount probably already knows there's almost zero market for current non-genre tv on bluray shows (such as CSI, NCIS: Los Angeles, etc ...).

Alan Smithee

Again, here we go with the "if it didn't sell a billion copies in the first week, it's a failure" mentality. The way these sets are priced, they're the sort of thing many people would "save up" for or wait for a "special occasion" to buy. I'm sure they're worth the asking price, but they still aren't the kind of thing that lends itself to impulse-buying.

Gizmo

Under 10k is a failure. Sales don't just suddenly increase unless heavily reduced in price.

Sorry.

Roybq

I was interested in the I Love Lucy blu-rays, but at a $120 list price and currently selling for $68 for just season one on Amazon...nope. Compare that to The Dick Van Dyke show which can be picked up for $59 for the entire series.

PhantomStranger

Speaking directly about I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show, those are the kind of properties that have much longer shelf lives. Pretty much everyone over a certain age has seen them and there is still a viable market for them, even if they don't sell like gangbusters out of the gate. Most people are waiting for a price drop.

morriscroy

For perspective, here are the first week units moved figures for the Star Trek tv blurays. (No data for subsequent weeks).


Star Trek TOS


season 2 - 23,315 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2009/09/27

season 3 - below 6,857 units (released on December 15, 2009)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2009/12/20

Origins - below 6,168 units (released on September 10, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/09/15



Star Trek: The Next Generation


The Next Level (sampler) - 22,725 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/02/05

season 1 - 36,086 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/07/29

season 2 - below 36,204 units (released on December 4, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/12/09


The Best of Both Worlds - 16,254 units
season 3 - below 12,736 units (released on April 30, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/05/05


Redemption - 9,428 units
season 4 - 12,405 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/08/04


Unification - below 14,961 units (released on November 19, 2013)
season 5 - below 14,961 units (released on November 19, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/11/24


Chain of Command - below 5,376 units (released June 24, 2014)
season 6 - below 5,376 units (released June 24, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/06/29




Star Trek: Enterprise

season 1 - below 19,736 units (released on March 26, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/03/31

season 2 - below 6,366 units (released on August 20, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/08/25

season 3 - below 14,396 units (released on January 7, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/01/12

season 4 - below 8,098 units (released on April 29, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/05/04

Josh-da-man

I think that programs like I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith, despite their status as classics, have a limited appeal, especially on blu-ray.

The people who are going to be interested in those are most likely over 40 (or probably over 50). If they're really interested in them, they've already bought them on DVD and don't have much interest in shelling out over fifty dollars per season for I Love Lucy.

Catalog movies are a tough sell on blu-ray, and I would extrapolate that catalog television shows are an ever harder sell.

The only television programming I have upgraded from DVD to blu-ray is Star Trek TOS. And even then, I probably wouldn't have bought them if they didn't have the upgraded special effects.

morriscroy

Here's the first week figures of various Paramount tv on bluray sets. (Excluding Dexter and Star Trek).


CSI season 9 - below 5,418 units (released on September 1, 2009)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2009/09/06

CSI: Grave Danger - below 15,149 units (released on February 7, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/02/12


NCIS: Los Angeles season 1 - below 7,808 units (released on August 31, 2010)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2010/09/05


Hawaii Five-0

season 3 - below 4,017 units (released on September 24, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/09/29

season 2 - below 6,848 units (released on September 18, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/09/23

(The season 1 bluray was first released as a BestBuy exclusive).



Beavis and Butthead volume 4 - below 17,736 units (released on February 14, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/02/19


Ray Donovan season 1 - below 10,901 units (released on June 10, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/06/15


Penny Dreadful season 1 - below 6,337 units (released on October 14, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/10/19


The Borgias

season 1 - below 26,022 units (released on December 27, 2011)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/01/01

season 2 - below 19,736 units (released on March 26, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/03/31

season 3 - below 5,797 units (released August 6, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/08/11





South Park

season 13 - below 8,185 units (released on March 16, 2010)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2010/03/21

season 14 - 11,455 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2011/05/01

season 15 - below 12,753 units (released on March 27, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/04/01

season 16 - below 4,017 units (released on September 24, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/09/29

season 17 - below 8,310 units (released on September 16, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/09/21


Key & Peele

season 1 - below 7,927 units (released on September 25, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/09/30

season 1+2 - below 10,607 units (released on March 25, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/03/30

season 3 - below 6,759 units (released on September 23, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/09/28


Workaholics

season 1+2 - below 10,241 units (released on June 5, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/06/10

season 3 - below 8,717 units (released on June 18, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/06/23

season 4 - below 8,562 units (released on June 3, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/06/08


Tosh.0

Hoodies - below 11,345 units (released on June 12, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/06/17

Deep V's - below 33,151 units (released on December 21, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/12/30

Collas Plus Exposed Arm - below 5,642 units (released on June 17, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/06/22

morriscroy

On the surface, it appears Paramount is willing to tolerate 5000-10,000 first week units moved for the Comedy Central stuff. (Most of the comedy stuff was released as one or two disc sets).

Less certain for the Showtime stuff released by Paramount. (The Dexter bluray season sets were moving a lot more than 10k units in their respective first weeks of release). It remains to be seen whether Penny Dreadful and/or Ray Donovan continue to be released on bluray, or end up going dvd-only for subsequent seasons.

For the generic network stuff, most likely Paramount is looking for something that moves more than 10k units in the first week of release. (Possibly why Hawaii Five-0 recently went dvd-only for season 4).

PhantomStranger

Paramount's home video division is not as centrally run as the other studios. Each show gets a Blu-ray release depending on the division that produced it. That is why the Comedy Central and Showtime productions are all more likely to see Blu-ray.

I Love Lucy only came out in May, give it time. Every season will get released on Blu-ray unless the entire Blu-ray market implodes.

Gizmo

"Most" as in people you make up? What retailers even carry these shows on Blu-ray?

After the first 3-4 weeks of sales, the titles won't show much of any movement unless heavily reduced in price. If they are even lucky to still be on shelves at that point.

Gizmo

Give it time? It's been out for 6 months. It's dead stock (BestBuy.com even shows it as Online only). CBS probably won't even press more copies of it. People that would typically enjoy these types of shows are certainly not going to go crazy for Blu-ray when they still are fine with VHS and maybe DVD. This needs to go sub $15 to even move the existing stock CBS pressed. Even crap studios like Mill Creek stopped That 70's Show when it somewhat appeals to the Blu-ray demographic and was selling for $10. No sales = dead.

When is Season Two coming? A show like this should be pumping out Seasons like crazy as shelf space is limited (like the appeal). There is a reason studios stopped putting out catalog titles.

morriscroy

The relation between Paramount and CBS is complicated.

The "old" Viacom split up in late-2005, into a "new Viacom" and CBS. In terms of tv on dvd/bluray relevance (in this thread), CBS owns the CBS Studios+Network, Showtime, and 50% of The CW network. The "new Viacom" owns the Comedy Central, MTV, Spike, BET, Nickelodeon, etc ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viacom#Assets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...s_owned_by_CBS

The "new Viacom" owns Paramount Home Media Distribution which handles the dvd/bluray releases of the "new Viacom" assets and distributes some stuff from CBS Home Entertainment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_Home_Entertainment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_Tel...n_Distribution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_Television_Studios
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramou...a_Distribution

morriscroy

Here's the first week numbers for Little House on the Prairie, and other Lionsgate tv on bluray titles.


Little House on the Prairie

season 3 - below 5,471 units (released on September 9, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/09/14

season 2 - below 11,846 units (released on May 6, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/05/11

season 1 - below 10,607 units (released on March 25, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/03/30



Mad Men

final season part 1 - below 9,937 units (released on October 21, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/10/26

season 6 - below 14,180 units (released on November 5, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/11/10

season 5 - 19,924 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/10/21

season 4 - 28,102 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2011/04/03

season 3 - 11,270 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2010/03/28



Duck Dynasty

season 6 - below 7,784 units (released on October 7, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/10/12

season 5 - below 5,376 units (released on June 24, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/06/29

seasons 1, 2, 3, 4 - below 14,396 units each (released on January 7, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/01/12



Hannibal

season 2 - 10,932 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/09/21

season 1 - 7,432 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/09/29



Orange Is The New Black

season 1 - below 10,794 units (released on May 13, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/05/18



Anger Management

volume 3 - below 19,300 units (released on Apri 15, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/04/20

volume 2 - below 10,539 units (released on October 15, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/10/20

volume 1 - below 14,892 units (released on January 8, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/01/13



Nurse Jackie

season 5 - below 10,377 units (released on February 18, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/02/23

season 4 - below 11,896 units (released on February 12, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/02/17

season 3 - below 12,240 units (released on February 21, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/02/26

season 2 - below 19,213 units (released on February 22, 2011)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2011/02/27

season 1 - below 20,868 units (released on February 23, 2010)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2010/02/28



Weeds

final season - below 11,896 units (released on February 12, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/02/17

season 7 - 28,237 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/02/26

season 6 - 32,416 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2011/02/27

season 5 - 34,302 units

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2010/01/24



Boss

season 2 - below 12,108 units (released on April 9, 2013)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2013/04/14

season 1 - below 12,033 units (released on July 24, 2012)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2012/07/29


Crossing Lines

season 1 - below 9,448 units (released January 21, 2014)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2014/01/26


Blue Mountain State

season 1 - below 7,574 units (released October 5, 2010)

http://www.the-numbers.com/home-mark...art/2010/10/10

Spiderbite

I believe that many of the people who buy TV shows on BD and DVD are waiting for complete series releases instead of individual releases on most all shows whether old or current.

Alan Smithee

^ Some people have that mentality, which is another reason not to judge success only by the first week's sales. I'm sure the studios would rather get the money for them as they're put out, but some may be waiting just to make sure all the seasons DO get put out!