The Brady Bunch 50th Anniversary. Might we finally see a Brady Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Randy Korstick]

Yes I'm sure all the 16mm lower quality inserts they had to use on the DVD is the reason this hasn't been released in HD. Probably a very expensive project since it involves the majority of episodes.

 

[Nelson Au]

Are the 16mm segments on the Brady Bunch visually obvious on the DVD’s?

 

[Jesse Skeen]

In a word, yes.

 

[Nelson Au]

In a word, yes.

Ok, thanks. I had no idea they’d film some segments in 16mm, or why.

Over the weekend during the Catchy Comedy binge, I sampled several episodes, not watching that closely as I was doing other things, I did not notice anything untoward. There are some process shots in the episode that involved seeing UFO’s. But that looked pretty typical of the day. Overall, I thought it looked pretty good.

 

[moviebuff75]

The shots are softer but they didn't look bad. I would take them on Blu.

 

[Nelson Au]

The shots are softer but they didn't look bad. I would take them on Blu.

Thanks. Sounds like if it’s not too soft, some fans may not notice, or bother them.

 

[Ron Lee Green]

Ok, thanks. I had no idea they’d film some segments in 16mm, or why.

They didn't film in 16mm. They filmed in 35mm, but some episodes were edited for syndication back in 1970s, so they replaced the missing segments with 16mm copies for the DVDs because they couldn't find them in 35mm.

 

[Desslar]

They didn't film in 16mm. They filmed in 35mm, but some episodes were edited for syndication back in 1970s, so they replaced the missing segments with 16mm copies for the DVDs because they couldn't find them in 35mm.

Wow. You'd think a major property like the Brady Bunch would have been better cared for.

 

[Nelson Au]

They didn't film in 16mm. They filmed in 35mm, but some episodes were edited for syndication back in 1970s, so they replaced the missing segments with 16mm copies for the DVDs because they couldn't find them in 35mm.

Thanks Ron. I agree with Stephen, hard to believe better care wasn’t taken to organize the 35mm elements. Other shows don’t seem to have had this problem that were heavily syndicated. I would think in the 1970’s, a series like The Brady Bunch, The Odd Couple, Gomer Pyle, Hogans Heroes and Star Trek were not considered classics and just old cancelled TV shows. But we’ve been very fortunate Star Trek and others is more or less well cared for.

 

[jim_falconer]

Yes, very obvious where the syndication cuts occur on the DVDs, and the 16mm prints were inserted back in…quite jarring, tbh

 

[Desslar]

Thanks Ron. I agree with Stephen, hard to believe better care wasn’t taken to organize the 35mm elements. Other shows don’t seem to have had this problem that were heavily syndicated. I would think in the 1970’s, a series like The Brady Bunch, The Odd Couple, Gomer Pyle, Hogans Heroes and Star Trek were not considered classics and just old cancelled TV shows. But we’ve been very fortunate Star Trek and others is more or less well cared for.

The Brady Bunch seemed to be in constant syndication for about a decade after it was cancelled, so although it may not yet have been considered a classic as of the late 70s, it certainly was earning money. So one would think whomever owned it at the time would try to keep the film elements in good shape.

But maybe viewing audiences weren't too fussy back then. I remember as a kid watching on UHF stations lots of TV shows and movies that were only about 10-20 years old, but looked so ragged and washed out one might guess they were 50 years old.

 

[moviebuff75]

Perhaps the negatives weren't touched, but they made ip negatives for repeats. Those may have been used for the DVDs. I hope they find better elements. One Hawaii episode is missing about twenty seconds. All vacation shows are missing the ending squares. I had the rerun of the episode and those missing moments were in Syndication in the early 1990s on TBS.

 

[sjbradford]

Perhaps the negatives weren't touched, but they made ip negatives for repeats. Those may have been used for the DVDs. I hope they find better elements. One Hawaii episode is missing about twenty seconds. All vacation shows are missing the ending squares. I had the rerun of the episode and those missing moments were in Syndication in the early 1990s on TBS.

Paramount made 90-minute versions of both the Hawaii and Grand Canyon episodes for syndication years ago, in case the station wanted to run those in their movie slots. Those versions did not have the squares at the end of each “part”. My theory is that whenever Paramount made the current episode copies, they somehow used those 90 minute versions as the source and that’s why the squares are missing now.

What a shame that Paramount has treated such a valuable property so shabbily.

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Paramount made 90-minute versions of both the Hawaii and Grand Canyon episodes for syndication years ago, in case the station wanted to run those in their movie slots. Those versions did not have the squares at the end of each “part”. My theory is that whenever Paramount made the current episode copies, they somehow used those 90 minute versions as the source and that’s why the squares are missing now.

What a shame that Paramount has treated such a valuable property so shabbily.

I never knew that about these three-parters... I wish to know if the 90-minute edits exist in their entirety, because I never saw these long-form edits on (W)TBS or elsewhere then.

Speaking of which... were there long-form edits of the following Mission: Impossible multi-part episodes?
* "Old Man Out" (10/8/66 and 10/15/66)
* "The Slave" (10/8/67 and 10/15/67)
* "The Council" (11/19/67 and 11/26/67)
* "The Contender" (10/6/68 and 10/13/68)
* "The Bunker" (3/2/69 and 3/9/69)
* "The Controllers" (10/12/69 and 10/19/69)
* "The Falcon" (1/4/70, 1/11/70 and 1/18/70)

~Ben

 

[Desslar]

I never knew that about these three-parters... I wish to know if the 90-minute edits exist in their entirety, because I never saw these long-form edits on (W)TBS or elsewhere then.

Speaking of which... were there long-form edits of the following Mission: Impossible multi-part episodes?
* "Old Man Out" (10/8/66 and 10/15/66)
* "The Slave" (10/8/67 and 10/15/67)
* "The Council" (11/19/67 and 11/26/67)
* "The Contender" (10/6/68 and 10/13/68)
* "The Bunker" (3/2/69 and 3/9/69)
* "The Controllers" (10/12/69 and 10/19/69)
* "The Falcon" (1/4/70, 1/11/70 and 1/18/70)

~Ben

According to Wikipedia, that did happen with The Council for theatrical release in Europe.

 

[Ron Lee Green]

Wow. You'd think a major property like the Brady Bunch would have been better cared for.

In 1974, the show had just been cancelled and was never really a big hit in the ratings in primetime. It never made the top ten. It was up against Sanford and Son. I think at the time all the producers cared about was making money--not preserving the show unfortunately. They just wanted to produce 100 episodes because that was considered the magic number of episodes needed for syndication back then, and that's when they really make a profit. Once the show ended, they made the cuts and edited the show to 22 minutes. Everyone was surprised when it became a hit in syndication, right behind I Love Lucy and Star Trek. That's why they brought the Bradys back for that ill-fated variety show in 1976.

Perhaps the negatives weren't touched, but they made ip negatives for repeats.

I hope that's the case! Whatever reason, I guess it was more economical for them to insert 16mm footage instead of remastering the original negatives (if they still exist).

 

[Wiseguy]

In 1974, the show had just been cancelled and was never really a big hit in the ratings in primetime. It never made the top ten. It was up against Sanford and Son. I think at the time all the producers cared about was making money--not preserving the show unfortunately. They just wanted to produce 100 episodes because that was considered the magic number of episodes needed for syndication back then, and that's when they really make a profit. Once the show ended, they made the cuts and edited the show to 22 minutes. Everyone was surprised when it became a hit in syndication, right behind I Love Lucy and Star Trek. That's why they brought the Bradys back for that ill-fated variety show in 1976.

I hope that's the case! Whatever reason, I guess it was more economical for them to insert 16mm footage instead of remastering the original negatives (if they still exist).

Back in the 1970s filmed series were syndicated on film unedited. I was still watching uncut Star Trek and later The Rockford Files on local stations. (Of course, the stations themselves could edit the film themselves but that's another topic and didn't involve the original versions.) It wasn't until the 1980s when series were syndicated pre-edited on tape.

 

[Desslar]

In 1974, the show had just been cancelled and was never really a big hit in the ratings in primetime. It never made the top ten. It was up against Sanford and Son. I think at the time all the producers cared about was making money--not preserving the show unfortunately. They just wanted to produce 100 episodes because that was considered the magic number of episodes needed for syndication back then, and that's when they really make a profit. Once the show ended, they made the cuts and edited the show to 22 minutes. Everyone was surprised when it became a hit in syndication, right behind I Love Lucy and Star Trek. That's why they brought the Bradys back for that ill-fated variety show in 1976.

Interesting. I hadn't really connected the syndication success with the variety show. I guess it also explains the two short-lived 80s Brady series.