Curious, are cutting episode recaps common on TV DVDs?
 

First off, I searched and came up with 13 results which didn't include any answers to my question, (in case this has been asked ad nauseam) which is-
Do studios commonly cut recaps of TV show DVDs, or is it just FOX?

Having all the ANGEL sets, I wondered if other shows (that strongly make use of this storytelling feature) have that issue- it doesn't matter what the show is.

All TV discs should be like "The Sopranos" discs. For each episode there's a menu selection where you can play the "Previously On ..." or the "Next Week On ..."

I think only Fox does this.

24 is from Fox but those DVDs have it on the disks. I know since I watched all of htem recently and found it annoying that I had to ff through them. I just watched the previous ep, I don't really need to see a recap of it.

"The Shield" has this (another Fox release).

It's fairly common on Fox DVDs, but they're not consistent. Most of the previouslies on the Buffy/Angel sets are cut, which is annoying, since there are some opening scenes that flow directly from the "previously" (the "previously" ends with the final scene from the last ep, then the new episode starts from the very same scene). Thankfully, they kept the one for "Shells".

The Wonderfalls DVDs have them intact, though. The first season of 24 didn't have any previouslies on the DVDs, either, but they started including them in season 2.

RandyM is right--the menu option is the best way to go. I'd prefer to have the previouslies, but there are times when I could do without seeing them.

For whatever reason, Season 5 of ANGEL had them- but that could be due to the R1 version being released (for the first time in this series) before the R2 version which apparently keeps them. There was such a short gap in the release dates (unlike prior seasons) that they must have figured 'why bother wasting all that time going through every episode, guessing at where the recap ends, and cutting them off with no attempts to fade in or use some other method to lessen the sudden jump into the episode?'

Recaps seem kinda pointless when you can (if you want) simply re-watch the episodes in question. However, as stated, Sopranos and The Shield use recaps but they are optional. I seem to remember Arrested Development *sometimes* having recaps, but as part of the episode. Doctor Who sorta does this-- they repeat the last crucial scene or scenes from the previous episode before starting with the new stuff (but it's a seemless transition). I suspect Twin Peaks may have had recaps but I can't recall. I also think Farscape and Alias may have them.

Yeah, the only DVDs I own which delete the Previously On intros are from Fox, and with the exception of 24 Season 1, they're all Mutant Enemy shows(Buffy, Angel, Firefly). And most of the Buffy and Angel DVD sets I've got are R2 or R4 which have the Previously On's intact.

So I guess what this all means is that it's a Mutant Enemy Region 1 thing.

Nah cause I have Dark Angel Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD and the previously ons are chopped off. Thats not a Mutant Enemy show but its a Fox show.

Twin Peaks Season 1 did in fact have them. It was especially nice since the pilot wasn't included so if you watch Episode 1 without having seen the pilot, you have some idea of what went on.

As has already been stated, I really like the way that HBO handles their TV shows. They give you the option of seeing the previously on as well as the next on. I like that a lot, especially when I'm watching a TV show that I haven't seen before.

Sopranos also has the past seasons' overviews on the first disc of each season.

This is why I bought seasons 3 & 4 in region 2 (as well as Buffy seasons 4-7 in region 2. Got these for widescreen. The recaps were just and added bonus along with the extra resolution). Well that and because they were releaed earlier.

I like them alot. Partly because my best friend comes over and we watch TV DVDs on my theater screen. He can't come over everyday so the recaps would be nice to remind him of everything that happened. He's seen recaps from my old VHS tapes and he also would prefer that the shows have them if there is any on going story or character arcs. So it definitely sucks when a show like "Angel" leaves them out. That's why I bought region 2 sets instead.

Recaps aside, I just wish I was somehow able to get those UK Region 2 ANGEL book-style cases...from the few images I've seen of them online, I am VERY jealous that R1 just gets these damn digipaks.

I like having them on the DVD, but I usually skip through them because I watch a few T.V. eps at a time.

It's annoying to not have the "Previouslys..." on the Buffy/Angel disc, but my bigger pet peeve is TV DVD sets that don't put the first chapter stop right after the opening credits. When I'm watching a marathon of a show like "Reno 911" which is only about 20 minutes long not including the opening, I don't like having to fastforward through each and every opening credit sequence. I'm pretty sure Buffy and Angel put a chapter stop right after the credits - totally the way to do it.

NYPD Blue has a menu where they are optional to watch as well.

The worst case of "Previously On" segments has got to be Murder One where, toward the end of S1, it is like a 10 minute segment (when the series originally aired, it was moved around a lot, so they had to keep lengthening the segments for those that kept missing episodes in the complicated storyline).

I don't think they cut out the recaps for most. I'm planning on getting Roswell Season 3 on August 9th when it comes out and the dvd sets so far have had recaps in all the episodes. I think The Pretender had recaps too on some episodes.

How about when the DVD is too cheap to have ANY chapter stops? I would think at the very least you can add one for each commercial break! Thankfully, the Buffy/Angel DVDs do have a decent amount of chapter stops.

I can't buy into that statement. I'm watching season 5 of Homicide right now and some of the previously segments show clips from previous seasons. It's not just the previous episode. I can't recall if they go as far back as season 1 or not, but they're nice reminders. In fact one episode has them investigating a murder in a prison and most of the people they're speaking with are people they've locked up over the course of the series. Without the previously, I wouldn't have recognized most of them.

I'm also happy that Homicide does it properly by having it be a seperate menu option. Unfortunately they fail the chapter stop test. You have to fast forward through the opening. The only show I have that got everything totally right is Babylon 5.

I say, leave the recaps in! United American Video cut the cliffhanger questions and episode recaps on their Underdog videos, and these were part of the episodes themselves. Then Sony did it too when the series came to DVD, although their edits were a little less jolting.