Commercial break tracks (1 Viewer)

[John*Wells]

I’m curious. I don’t have any seasons of shows the commercial break tracks are included on Ex. “Knight Rider will continue in a moment” was this a digital rights issue? Or did studios just opt not to include them?

 

[ScottRE]

They probably felt nobody wanted to see them. I remember reading a memo from Gene Roddenberry objecting to the Columbia House tapes of Star Trek The Next Generation having the bumpers. Only really collector aimed sets seem to have stuff like that, like The Twilight Zone and Lost in Space.

 

[bmasters9]

Don't know if it fits here, but The Untouchables has bumpers for returning from breaks at the halfway point.

 

[Harry-N]

I think THE UNTOUCHABLES is a special case as those bumpers actually flow into and out of the show. Having them edited out in syndication actually makes the episode seem choppy.

Bumpers were made to be used by the networks as reminders to stay-tuned and to "welcome" viewers back after commercials aired. As mentioned, a lot of collectors and super-fans love these, but really, they're just a relic of network television. I like the way they are handled on some DVD and Bu-ray sets as extras, not ones that clutter up the episode. The only one that's included that doesn't bother me at all is THE TWILIGHT ZONE. They're brief and don't really interrupt the flow of the story.

I've not been tempted yet to dip into the very expensive release of THE FBI, but I've heard that the dramatic "Ford Motor Company" part of the intro has been chopped. That bothers me as it interrupts the flow of the majestic theme song.

 

[Jack P]

There are a handful of episodes where the Ford intro was restored by Warner (one episode even restored a tag by Zimbalist telling people that the network debut of "The Robe" would air next week).

 

[MartinP.]

I don't know if they're included in all different versions of the original Twin Peaks releases, but the Gold Box edition, at least, has several of those included as an extra. One of them is a "Christmas" designed one. Love those.

I had always wished Twin Peaks would have included their "Next Week on Twin Peaks" episode teasers because they were mostly done with still photos and narration instead of the usual clip oriented teasers.

 

[MartinP.]

Also, the last season of Bewitched has the animated "Bewitched will return in a moment" (or similar if that isn't exact) followed by her nose twitch, segment, right before the final tag scene. (The Christmas episode "Sisters at Heart" in the 7th season also includes this, as well as the special introduction for the episode.)

Also, some variety series like The Carol Burnett Show, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and Sonny & Cher include these things.

 

[MatthewA]

These kind of fell out of favor in the 1990s when TV started to really ramp up the amount of commercials.

As for DVD, seasons 3-5 of Gimme A Break! and some episodes of season 4 of Webster still have theirs. There's one episode of The Facts of Life in season 8 that has the music but no accompanying visual. ABC used to put theirs at the end of act II while NBC would put theirs at the end of act I.

The ones whose absence on DVD is the most disappointing is the animated ones from Punky Brewster. I also miss the post-act I musical IDs from The Golden Girls, which haven't been seen or heard since the original syndication run.

 

[Mr. Handley]

The SCTV sets had the bumpers included. Sometimes you'd get two or three in a row!

 

[ScottRE]

The first season of the Untouchables on DVD has the bumpers for every commercial break. From the second season on, they only have the mid-episode bumpers.

 

[bmasters9]

The first season of the Untouchables on DVD has the bumpers for every commercial break. From the second season on, they only have the mid-episode bumpers.

So basically, when an act ends, it fades to black (unless it's in the middle of the episode)?

 

[Dan McW]

The first season of the Untouchables on DVD has the bumpers for every commercial break. From the second season on, they only have the mid-episode bumpers.

I think The Untouchables S2-4 DVDs still have the bumper coming out of the commercial break but not the one going into the break. Season 1 has both bumpers at the beginning and end of each act.

 

[bmasters9]

I think The Untouchables S2-4 DVDs still have the bumper coming out of the commercial break but not the one going into the break. Season 1 has both bumpers at the beginning and end of each act.

That's what I was wondering about!

 

[skylark68]

It's been awhile since I viewed them, but I believe at least one iteration of the original series Transformers cartoon on DVD still had the bumpers on them.

 

[MartinP.]

I think The Untouchables S2-4 DVDs still have the bumper coming out of the commercial break but not the one going into the break. Season 1 has both bumpers at the beginning and end of each act.

But do we actually know if they originally did that when Seasons 2 - 4 aired, or is it just being assumed they still had both bumpers, just because Season 1 had them? Curious. I ask because Columbia House's mail order VHS volumes of The Untouchables mixed episodes on each cassette from various seasons. It doesn't make sense that they'd have the Season 1 episodes with both bumpers and then cut one of the bumpers out for the other episodes on a videocassette.

 

[Ron1973]

Did The Beverly Hillbillies have commercial break bumpers? Naturally, I'm too young to have watched it first run. I know cast commercials were a thing obviously, but I remember as a small kid watching the show on a St. Louis station when visiting my aunt and uncle. When it went to commercial break, they would show a picture of the Clampetts standing in front of the mansion waving and a voice over saying something to the extent of "The Beverly Hillbillies will be right back."

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I'm not one of those members that cares much about opening or closing logos on classic TV series sets (no offense to those that do!), but I do enjoy the kind of bumper being talked about here. Even more so, I like those intro bumpers that air at the beginning of an episode ("The Fugitive...in COLOR!" or the NBC Peacock before a Bonanza ep, for example). I'm happy to see either of these types whenever they're included on DVD sets as extras.

Harry-N is right, though, that they might interrupt the flow of the show proper if they're included within the episode as originally aired. I don't think I'd mind, myself, but I'm sure many other consumers might. A lot of British series sets have them (at least, those programs that aired on the commercial ITV network, like The Mind of J.G. Reeder, Raven, and Ace of Wands). They're far less stylish than their American counterparts, usually taking the form of a simple title card reading "End of Part One," "Part Two," "End of Part Two," etc. They don't really bother me on those sets, either, but I can see how others might get tired of them.

 

[Osato]

I always appreciate bumpers, trailers, etc
Especially if it’s a favorite show.

The avengers, the saint, return of the saint, and the persuaders U.K. Blu- ray and dvd sets include a lot of these type of extras.

I love trailers, tv spots and radio spots too.

Wish all of the 007 films would’ve included more of these. Many have a bunch but of course there is a few that didn’t have as many.

I’ve managed to pick up a lot of the 007 radio spots and I love putting them
In my 007 soundtrack playlists.

I wish they had done a dvd or Blu- ray with all the telrailers, tv spots and radio ads for all of the 007 films.

Did Star Trek tos have bumpers? I later recalled the next time on Star Trek teasers were created in the 70s syndication.

 

[Harry-N]

Early mid-episode bumper for THE FUGITIVE, rescued by me from the NuVentures VHS tapes.

 

[Harry-N]

Later mid-episode bumper from those VHS tapes.