Will we ever see older TV shows make it to Blu-ray?

[Kap6289]

I would love to see "The Fact's of Life" on blu-ray. It's my favorite TV show. Lol. Hell, at this point I just want the rest of the series on DVD! Only four more seasons need a DVD release!

[SuperNova2012]

Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Universe Season 2 Would be easy Because filmed in HD ,
And MacGyver, Plus The New Outer Limits Series

[*PREACHER*]

Head of the Class
The Equalizer
Twin Peaks
All in the Family
Moonlighting

[L.A. Guy]

Originally Posted by Emcg0211

I'd love to see every show on Blu-ray, but most shows would be too much of a risk to come to Blu-ray. The only ones that I want that might have a chance are Buffy (with special effects upconverted), Angel, Batman:TAS (Dini says they still have film elements on an episode of Fatman on Batman, I believe), the early seasons of Smallville (HD versions on iTunes, some seasons on HD DVD), The Oc (pretty sure it was shown in HD), and Arrested Development

Yes, absolutely! Also, THE HONEYMOONERS & ER!!!

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by darkpoet25

I would love to see Taken get a blu ray release, really liked it. Would also like to see The Munsters get a release as well as The Addams Family(more a fan of The Munsters though).

Oh yeah, how could I forget Addams Family and the Munsters. Addams family, although not as laugh-out-loud funny as the Munsters actually was way ahead of its time in terms of dark, strange humor. It's sheer weirdness though was a lot tamer than the comic it was based upon.

[WolletBullet01]

The first 3 seasons of Dukes of Hazzard were filmed....sadly the last 4 were videotape

still... I would give WB an arm,leg & first born for those first 3 on BLU

[DuaneB]

I would love to see a Blu-ray release for NYPD Blue, but since 20th Century Fox never bothered to release anything beyond the first four seasons on DVD, I'm not holding my breath.

[ZoetMB]

It comes down to the market and the technological cost.

The first question is do most of the people who care about viewing old TV shows also care enough to want them in a high-definition format?

The second is, would the people who care about these old shows buy them on BD considering that most are available either on cable channels or on such services as Hulu and YouTube, frequently for free? A few months ago, I watched a few episodes of The Lone Ranger, which was produced beginning in 1949.

If there's still a market after those questions are answered, then there's the technological issues. If a show was shot on film and the negatives or high quality prints were preserved, there's a far better chance it can find its way onto BD because a 35mm film original can make a great BD.

The "I Love Lucy" show is frequently heralded as a great technological feat because not only was it always shot on film, but Desi Arnaz, as co-owner of Desilu Studios, got Karl Freund to come out of retirement and be the cinematographer on the show. Even when video became commonly available, the show was still shot on film.

If a show was shot on standard SD video, as later situation comedies were, like All In The Family and The Jeffersons, among many others, then it's unlikely, because the quality would be inferior for BD. On the other hand, if it was shot on film, there's more likely to be deterioration and loss of color, whereas if it was shot on videotape, unless the tape is of a vintage that had binder problems (not sure if this was a problem for video as it was for audio tape), chances are it will still look as it did when first broadcast, if you can find a machine to play it.

Shows shot on video in the 1960s-1980s were recorded onto 2" videotape. AFAIK, there's not many machines around that can play them back and there's fewer and fewer engineers left who understand them and know how to align them. Most of the companies who produced that hardware, like Ampex, have gone out of business. Whether the restoration houses still have them, I don't know.

Whether film or video, unless they crop, it's going to be presented in 1.33:1, so then the question arises as to whether BD customers would accept that (they have for Star Trek) or whether they would feel it's worth the up charge over buying the DVD version. And if they do crop to get a wider image, people will scream that it's not like the original presentation.

In my own very personal opinion, there are few, if any TV shows that I thought were so wonderful that I would pay to see them on BD. But obviously, as per the above comments, people disagree with me on that issue and I'm frequently very surprised by the shows that I believe to be absolute crap, that I wouldn't even watch for free, that people want on BD. But "different strokes...."

[LMN8R]

The one that would be day one for me is the late 60's Adam West Batman series. It looks now to be more possible than it seemed a year or two ago.

[Canuck21]

I can't wait to own The X-Files. I wish Fox would release the complete series at once like Friends, but I highly doubt it.

I'm waiting for the complete series of The Office now that the TV show will end soon.

Right now, beside Friends, the only other TV show I own on BD is Bones, but I only have season 4 and stopped because it bothers me that the first 3 seasons are not out. I might as well wait for the end of the series which I hope will end soon and buy the complete series.

Same thing with House and Grey's Anatomy where only a few seasons are out.

There are so many shows I want on BD, but I guess those with better chances are Angel, ER and Frasier.

The ones I dream, but probably will never happen are Three's Company, Dynasty, Moonlighting, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared.

Heck, I'm still waiting for newer shows like 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation to be released on BD.

[Atreyu]

Originally Posted by Midnight Rambler

"Jack Horner" was right about videotape. Ha ha.

It's sad too, a real classic like The Rockford Files or M.A.S.H. deserved better.

Not sure about Rockford, but M*A*S*H was shot on film.

[jblank]

Originally Posted by Canuck21

I can't wait to own The X-Files. I wish Fox would release the complete series at once like Friends, but I highly doubt it.

Has there been ANY new info about it? It's at the top of my most wanted list, but it's like Fox has just dropped it or something.

[Atreyu]

Originally Posted by darkpoet25

I would love to see Taken get a blu ray release, really liked it. Would also like to see The Munsters get a release as well as The Addams Family(more a fan of The Munsters though).

The Munsters is my fave, and I'd love to see The Odd Couple (well at least the movie is hitting blu).
Also I'd love to see my favorite British sitcom on Blu: Fawlty Towers.

[12vElectronics]

I want Will & Grace on Blu ray...

[Drewbee87]

I'd love for James Cameron to use some of his $$ to put Dark Angel on Blu. I'd also love for Buffy, Angel & Will & Grace.

[WyldeMF]

You gotta wonder if we'd even want to watch some of these older shows on blu, I mean a show like Threes Company, even if it were shot on film, I don't think it would look right in HD. There might even be stuff that we're not supposed to see.
If I were to guess, I'd say Threes Company was shot on video tape.


Sent from my Tricorder

[true.harv]

Still hoping to see MASH!!!!

[Funcha]

I want to see the first two miniseries of the original V. I think they have HD masters as they were presented on DVD in anamorphic widescreen (cropped). V the series ... Not so much.

[Batmon77]

Regular folks dont care about Bluray. They are happy to have TV classics on free tv, internet, or DVD.

Im content to have many classics shows available on DVD.

[Quad]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Miami Vice

Would like to get that as well. If my memory serves me it was one of the few shows at the time to film in 35mm so it should be a good transfer depending on the print.