Remaining DVD sets — what's up with this?

Marianna

Marianna

Dedicated Member
I'm monitoring for the next DVD set, probably more than a year in advance of release, and a search for 'Last of the Summer Wine - Series 27-28' retrieved this, among other records:
http://www.cinemaparadiso.co.uk/rentals/last-of-the-summer-wine-series-27-and-28-147470.html

Different cover art from the usual, and says it will include the complete series 28-30. I doubt if the cover art is for real because they have the sets that have been released so far, and they're displayed on the site in their familiar cases. Because of the 'Series 27-30' designation, I wonder if they know something about the next release, like that the next two sets are to be released at the same time(?).

Marianna
 
Remaining DVD sets -- what's up with this?

Thank you for the information Marianna I like many are puzzled and annoyed by this drip feed policy that seems to have been adopted by BBC in terms of releasing the remaining episodes to DVD. I struggle to understand the reluctance. In the UK it continues to be shown on channels which the BBC have a controlling interest so financially or from the perspective of licensing to DVD it cannot be a question of losing revenue by releasing to DVD and thus perhaps therefore reduce the opportunity to syndicate to other countries and networks.

With all due respect LOTSW is not the biggest money spinner for the BBC and releasing to DVD clearly does not preclude the ability to syndicate the programme or to continue to broadcast episodes on channels who currently show them[ Only Fools and Horses is one of the BBC's biggest money spinners and has been available on DVD for some considerable time] . It constantly generates paranoia and anger amongst fans I have seen many letters , tweets to the BBC , a lot asking if there is any chance of a release before the person dies . I have no idea of the process involved in the release do they have to gain assent from the writer and all actors [or families of those who have sadly departed] before they can consider releasing I imagine it is something we will never be privileged to know.

I am sure we have all tried in vein to get answers but have wholly failed to secure one , it is just so frustrating that effectively you cannot in anyway exert any influence to change their policy . It reminds me of the Music business where releases are held back to generate almost hysteria and as such guarantee increased sales .
 
I'm sure it has nothing to do with rights or anything like that. This is purely a marketing/sales approach that is common to most disk based media sales. The idea is to simply maximize release sales, and you do that by spreading it out. The potential consumer for something like the next series of Summerwine has other pulls on their money so if you release Summerwine stuff too close together a lot of potential buyers would have to put off getting it. Throw in that we are now talking about the show's least popular (at least in terms of ratings) period, and I'm sure the publisher has no reason to rush the rest out.
 
I know, I know ... here I go again, but ... many years ago on another
(now pretty much dead) SW forum, several of us who had accumulated
all the SW episodes set up DVDs of some of those episodes, usually
by series. Then we assembled a mailing list of forum members. Then we
sent one set of DVDs off to the first on the mailing list. That person
copied the DVDs to a hard drive and forwarded the discs to the
next on the list. Etc. Etc. Something like a dozen members got
copies of that DVD. And this was well before there were discs
available commercially.

I am only saying that, if the beeb does not sell you the rest of the
series, you could do something like that again.
 
It would probably be easier these days, with the improved technology. Provided someone has the programmes recorded. The problem would rise when the issue of copyright comes along (whoops! I just brought it out, sorry)
 
Remaining DVD sets - what's up with this

Hello Sarkus whilst I partly acknowledge your explanation , there are certain shows like Only Fools and Horses where it maybe does not stack up . All episodes are out on DVD and have been for some time and I can only imagine that Fools grossed far more money from the DVD market than LOTSW will . In addition it has been the mainstay of UK Gold along with LOTSW and other BBC programmes for some time so it is always in the public eye and available but it did not prevent the BBC from releasing all episodes to DVD . Its clear this has been discussed at length sorry for pouring fuel on the fire this is my last word on the subject.
 
captain clutterbuck said:
Hello Sarkus whilst I partly acknowledge your explanation , there are certain shows like Only Fools and Horses where it maybe does not stack up . All episodes are out on DVD and have been for some time and I can only imagine that Fools grossed far more money from the DVD market than LOTSW will . In addition it has been the mainstay of UK Gold along with LOTSW and other BBC programmes for some time so it is always in the public eye and available but it did not prevent the BBC from releasing all episodes to DVD . Its clear this has been discussed at length sorry for pouring fuel on the fire this is my last word on the subject.
Click to expand...

Well sure, but Only Fools and Horses had 7 series and a bunch of specials, compared to 31 series for Summerwine. And those seven series were released over 3 years, which is more or less the pace that Summerwine has been released at two series per year. Altogether Only Fools has about 70 total episodes released to DVD over six years (according to Wikipedia); Summerwine has nearly 300 episodes and since 2007 they've released at least 2 series a year on DVD. They more or less started releasing both shows at the same time but the pace for Summerwine isn't any slower, its just a much longer running show.
 
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Yes the other longer running series often went to about 60 or 70 episodes so we are talking four times as many for SW. Actually when that is considered it is truly a remarkable part of TV history - 37 years. TV has been running from 1935 - 1939, 1945 onwards so I make that about 76 years - Summer Wine has been running for 50% of the life of UK TV!!!
 
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