TVSquad

Is it really be such a bad thing if WKRP In Cincinnati never made it to DVD? Is our desire for old shows that great? Don't get me wrong, WKRP had some very funny episodes -- the turkey episode alone! -- but it's all over syndication so unless they have some really great extras why would you want it?

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Using WKRP as the prime example, if the song is in the background and can be easily substituted without changing the story, then I'm OK with it.



However, if the song is integral to the story, then there's a problem. Given that WKRP is one of the all-time great comedies, I'd personally have no problem if they used sound-alike music in its place, but addressed it directly via the commentary or pop-up notes on the screen. Tell us why the song was important, why it was chosen, etc.



I'd hate to think I could never own a copy of Arthur Carlson insisting he thought turkeys could fly because they'd have to pay some now-obscure band a ridiculous amount of money for ten seconds of a song nobody cares about any longer.



By the way, who caught last week's Arrested Development with Ron Howard's narration to the effect of: "Well, we would like to have used 'Yellow Submarine' here, but who can afford the rights?" (Umm, Ron, I believe you can.)

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I don't think the studios give the audience enough credit, in thinking that they can get away with making significant changes to save money. As if I wouldn't care or notice. Come on... If I'm buying a show on DVD, it's because I'm a big fan.



I don't want the syndication cut version. I don't want the original music replaced with generic studio tracks. I want to see the episodes in their original broadcast state.



I've seen the syndicated WKRP with generic music inserted, and it's just not the same show without the classic rock. It's a bastardized version and I wouldn't pay a damn dime for it. I think most people who remember WKRP fondly would feel the same way.

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A good example of the efforts paying off, though, can be found in Shout! Factory's great Freaks And Geeks set. The music for that show was, to my mind (and to most fans, not to mention Judd Apatow) was crucial to making the "this is the early 80's" vibe work. It was a long, hard road to get clearance for the massive amount of popular and semi-popular songs used in every episode, but they did it and it was the right thing to do. Would the show still be as brilliant without the original music? Certainly. But if the songs were all replaced with generic original music, or even lesser easier-to-license tracks that didn't fit the mood that was being set the episodes just wouldn't have quite the same feel.

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The first such example I came across, some years ago, was not a TV series but a theatrical movie: Wayne's World. In the guitar-shop scene in the theatrical version, Wayne (or Garth) picks up a guitar and plays what are obviously the first several measures of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," whereupon a ticked-off store employee points to a sign on the wall: "NO Stairway to Heaven!" This is completely spoiled in later versions of the movie because the guitarist is playing who-knows-what instead.

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No Jimmy WKRP is not "all over syndication." In fact, where I live, I can't get it at all. TV Land was playing it on Friday nights, briefly, but even that has gone away.



As far as the music goes, I'd like the studios to try and get the music rights, but if that's impossible, then of course I'd like to see my favortie shows on DVD. But there should be an attempt to put in a suitable replacement, and not some stock library nonsense.

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The one I'm waiting to see how it's handled is Cold Case, I've heard rumor even tho it was this late in the TV on DVD game that they do not have full clearances for DVD releases.



However I'd like someone to prove me wrong..

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I have a suspicion that newer shows have their music clearances written in such a way that they can be released on DVD without sudden massive costs to the producers and the company releasing the DVDs. I suspect that older shows - like WKRP - didn't have the foresight to enter into such contracts. Who knew people would want to buy shows on VHS or DVDs, or that a show like "WKRP" would be popular enough to remain in syndication for over 20 years? It was probably a necessary change when you remember that actors like Bob Denver and Dawn Wells were only paid for five airings of "Gilligan's Island" and don't make any money from DVDs. If we assume the situation was similar for the musicians, the change was one that was going to come.

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f/X: the Series. Why? They didn't use but maybe 3 actual songs the entire two seasons. The rest was all done for the show? Will it ever come out on DVD? I guess if shows that only lasted SIX episodes are coming out we can still hope.

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If the choice is between (a) see the episodes, but bastardized, or (b) NEVER EVER SEE THEM AGAIN, then dammit, I choose (a). I can't say I've seen WKRP on TV in syndication ever either.



And I've NEVER seen the turkeys episode. It'd be nice if I could actually see it before I croak.

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