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Post by hoosier on Jun 14, 2006 16:47:55 GMT -5
I have to go with RE's statement that they shot 22 episodes. Why would he have said that if it wasn't true? Maybe they did slice and dice them, recutting and using bits of them in the 13 that were actually aired since they did seem to make a point of saying how expensive it was to film this show. That said, the first ones did seem to follow a story arc, as has been stated here, and the last 4, from Doggone to Fancy Footwork, also seem to follow suit, since in DG, Jim tells Christie that maybe they should see a therapist and then all the dancing ensues as they try to recapture the 'fun' in their marriage. Surely they didn't mean to just stop when Jim gives up the gun though it does round it out so to speak. I say, give us all the episodes and let us hash it out! ;D A wonderful little chore that I wouldn't mind one little bit.
One possibilty I would absolutely like to see would be a little background on the year of Jim's rehab, getting Hank and his fight for reinstatement to the force.
Another would be seeing Sonny again!
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Post by maggiethecat on Jun 14, 2006 17:25:42 GMT -5
I'm wondering if this might be -- speculation alert! -- part of the legal mix. If part of ABC's deal with Bochco was that they paid for what's called "first run rights" on Blind Justice, this means that nothing frees up to ancillary markets -- syndication, DVD release, overseas -- until ABC has exercised those first run rights. This could mean that those nine additional episodes won't be available until ABC runs them . . . which I'm guessing will happen at roughly the same time Hell freezes over. This could at least partially explain why only the first 13 were run by HDNet and in Australia. And why the amazon listing (and, really, everything we've ever read about the show) only mentions episodes 1-13. I get the feeling that with most Bochco shows, he -- and we -- have to wait until the rights revert before they're released on DVD/VHS. SB was in a protracted legal battle for years over the rights to Hill Street Blues, which only came out on DVD last year. And Murder One only came out a couple of years ago on DVD, some ten years after it first aired. If past is indeed prologue, we could be in for a long wait.  As for what's in The Missing Nine, Sonny would be nice -- also Ted -- but did we ever get the feeling Dunbar was absolutely finished with Galloway? For that matter, how I wish they used the two-and-a-half minutes of Faux Astaire for a scene in which Dunbar and The Good Doctor discuss giving up the gun!  |
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Post by mlm828 on Jun 14, 2006 17:46:49 GMT -5
I'm wondering if this might be -- speculation alert! -- part of the legal mix. If part of ABC's deal with Bochco was that they paid for what's called "first run rights" on Blind Justice, this means that nothing frees up to ancillary markets -- syndication, DVD release, overseas -- until ABC has exercised those first run rights. This could mean that those nine additional episodes won't be available until ABC runs them . . . which I'm guessing will happen at roughly the same time Hell freezes over. . . . I get the feeling that with most Bochco shows, he -- and we -- have to wait until the rights revert before they're released on DVD/VHS. SB was in a protracted legal battle for years over the rights to Hill Street Blues, which only came out on DVD last year. And Murder One only came out a couple of years ago on DVD, some ten years after it first aired. If past is indeed prologue, we could be in for a long wait. This is more speculation, of course, but we can at least hope that Bochco and his lawyers learned from past experience and negotiated a deal for Blind Justice which avoided the problems which occurred in the past. Of course, this doesn't mean some new problem won't crop up! If the theory about "first run rights" is correct, I wonder if ABC retains them indefinitely, or only for a specified time period. Perhaps mouse's friends in the TV business can enlighten us. It also occurs to me that releasing TV shows on DVD is a relatively new phenomenon, which perhaps wasn't well covered in the original contracts for the other series you mention. This might explain the legal wrangling over the DVD rights to the other two shows. |
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Post by inuvik on Jun 14, 2006 17:54:09 GMT -5
It also occurs to me that releasing TV shows on DVD is a relatively new phenomenon, which perhaps wasn't well covered in the original contracts for the other series you mention. This might explain the legal wrangling over the DVD rights to the other two shows. Excellent point. Presumably they look ahead to DVD rights now as soon as contracts for shows are being negotiated. |
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Post by bjobsessed on Jun 14, 2006 17:56:34 GMT -5
This is more speculation, of course, but we can at least hope that Bochco and his lawyers learned from past experience and negotiated a deal for Blind Justice which avoided the problems which occurred in the past. Of course, this doesn't mean some new problem won't crop up! It also occurs to me that releasing TV shows on DVD is a relatively new phenomenon, which perhaps wasn't well covered in the original contracts for the other series you mention. This might explain the legal wrangling over the DVD rights to the other two shows. Let's hope you're right and they made provisions for all the things you mentioned so we are not old and grey before we see the missing eps and enjoy bloopers and outakes. |
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Post by anna on Jun 14, 2006 17:57:22 GMT -5
Was Bochco counting on his name with the networks to get a second season? I have two words for you: Cop Rock. That's what Bochco's name brings to mind for a lot of people. ;D Absolutely. So, I'm still wondering - why did he shoot 22 episodes when it seems to have been obvious before shooting began that they were not going to air a full season of shows the first year? |
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Post by anna on Jun 14, 2006 18:38:54 GMT -5
One thing about all of this - if there is a quiet legal wrangle going on, it at least explains why information about a DVD release is being treated with the secrecy normally reserved for the activities of CIA operatives. I've often thought, "It's a TV show, for Pete's sake. Is there really no one who can give us a simple answer of yes, no, or maybe regarding a future release?"  |
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Post by mlm828 on Jun 14, 2006 19:04:23 GMT -5
So, I'm still wondering - why did he shoot 22 episodes when it seems to have been obvious before shooting began that they were not going to air a full season of shows the first year? Maybe they didn't know, at the outset, that it would be picked up as a midseason replacement. |
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Post by mlm828 on Jun 14, 2006 19:07:30 GMT -5
One thing about all of this - if there is a quiet legal wrangle going on, it at least explains why information about a DVD release is being treated with the secrecy normally reserved for the activities of CIA operatives. I've often thought, "It's a TV show, for Pete's sake. Is there really no one who can give us a simple answer of yes, no, or maybe regarding a future release?" It's a better explanation than mine: I thought they were doing it just to torment us!  |
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Post by doobrah on Jun 15, 2006 16:17:35 GMT -5
I have two words for you: Cop Rock. That's what Bochco's name brings to mind for a lot of people. ;D Absolutely. So, I'm still wondering - why did he shoot 22 episodes when it seems to have been obvious before shooting began that they were not going to air a full season of shows the first year? Because when ABC first ordered BJ, their schedule was in a funk. Then Fall 2004 happened - "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" and then "Grey's Anatomy" & marginally "Boston (Il)legal" & "Alias". In a normal ABC season, there'd be no question that BJ would get renewed. But ABC suddenly had hits it hadn't counted on. So Bochco, apparently a betting man, created 22 BJs, not counting on ABC having some new hits. |
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Post by hoosier on Jun 15, 2006 17:05:00 GMT -5
Maybe Bochco counted on BJ picking up the NYPDB crowd and wanted to be prepared by having a season's worth of eps already in the can. But then again, it was supposed to be on the 2004 fall roster and didn't appear, held over apparently to take over NYPDB slot when that show was retired, so these eps have been around a lot longer than we think! Bochco was able to get Over There released as a dvd pretty quickly. Must have a had a better deal with whatever cable channel it was on. I noticed on the box that it had "a day on the boch lltd " listed, evidently a holding company of Bochco's which I assume handles video releases. I didn't think to look on a copy of Hill Street Blues to see if it appeared there.  Since eps are ordered (you hear of so many shows that get the go ahead to film additional ones when they are picked up for a full season), it seems odd that he did film 22 so he must have had a great deal from Fox! Wonder why he didn't go ahead with Fox, a network which at least seems to give an off-beat show a chance? In my opinion, if a network chooses to cancel a show then they should loss the option of 'first run rights'! I noticed on a dvd my sister got recently that one ep that hadn't been aired was not on the dvd. Maybe it wasn't included for that very reason??? In an interview, RE said that he knew how "it" ended. There just had to be more to it than just dancing ,surely! It would be nice to see Galloway again and meet Esther, the family therapist. |
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Post by maggiethecat on Jun 15, 2006 19:04:55 GMT -5
Bochco was able to get Over There released as a dvd pretty quickly. Must have a had a better deal with whatever cable channel it was on. aired on F/X, and was, I believe, the first TV show to release DVDs (of the first 6 episodes) simultaneous with their being broadcast, so it was part of the deal from the onset. Since eps are ordered (you hear of so many shows that get the go ahead to film additional ones when they are picked up for a full season), it seems odd that he did film 22 so he must have had a great deal from Fox! Wonder why he didn't go ahead with Fox, a network which at least seems to give an off-beat show a chance? Uh, I know that Ron Eldard said something about Fox when he talked to longlashes and bebe, but I do wish that one little word hadn't fallen out of his mouth, since it's amazingly confusing. Blind Justice was made for Paramount Television, as witness the logos at the end of every episode and on the promotional DVDs. Bochco may have had a personal deal with Fox but it never came up in anything I read about the show; or Fox may have been part of the financing mix -- how often have we seen movies that list at least four or five production companies in the credits? As for Fox "giving offbeat shows a chance," I know I've mentioned this at least twice on this board -- and I hate to mention this again, really -- but in a letter Steven Bochco said, and I quote, " Cable could never afford this show." Think about the production values, the high profile TV writers with credits galore, TWO teams of cinematographers, the theatrical directors like Gary Fleder and John Badham, and a cast of seasoned actors with both TV and movie chops . . . and it makes sense that only a major broadcast network like ABC could have afforded to run Blind Justice in the first place. Common sense, really, when you think about it. |
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Post by housemouse on Jun 16, 2006 11:25:30 GMT -5
This whole DVD release/22 episodes thread is starting to give me a headache. I am just going to enjoy the 13 episodes I have on my TIVO, pretend RE said nothing about 9 more episodes, and believe that we will never have an official DVD set.
I know one should never give up hope, but at this point all the speculation is pure torture. Up on the Roof discussion anyone?
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Post by carl1951 on Jun 16, 2006 13:39:22 GMT -5
With all the mergers and acquisitions, I wouldn't be surprised if all the epis were picked-up by another network or possibly a cable network.
Money was spent for 22; they probably want to recoup at least that.
Remember: Money is always a motivator.
Later, Carl
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Post by mlm828 on Jun 16, 2006 14:00:49 GMT -5
This whole DVD release/22 episodes thread is starting to give me a headache. I am just going to enjoy the 13 episodes I have on my TIVO, pretend RE said nothing about 9 more episodes, and believe that we will never have an official DVD set. I know one should never give up hope, but at this point all the speculation is pure torture. Up on the Roof discussion anyone? I'm basically on the same page with you, mouse. Maybe we have the same headache. But I'm a little concerned about how many viewings are left in my homemade DVDs -- especially "Up on the Roof." About the only thing we know for sure about a possible DVD release is that there's a lot we don't know. |
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