Question about the retro networks in general

[anotherguyTN]

I asked this question in an earlier thread on Me TV but it got buried fairly fast by other threads, so I'll try it again:

It seems that with every discussion of retro TV channels the topic comes up of the limited number of episodes that are shown, and it's been brought up that in a lot of cases that they are limited to the first few seasons of a series. This has been brought up in discussions of RTV, Antenna TV, Me-TV, and even TV Land at times. Is this caused by the owners of the shows only allowing a limited number of seasons in their deals with the channels, or is it that the channels themselves are only buying the rights to the limited number of episodes when they actually could make deals for more seasons and they don't?

 

[Bob1370]

Each deal involving a show and a network could be different.

From the networks' point of view, I can see how you might buy 2 or 3 seasons' worth of a series , or buy it all but hold later seasons in reserve for later play, if you think of it this way; there are hundreds of series with potential rerun appeal, and any one network may want to cycle through a lot of them in a matter of a few years' time to keep up viewer interest.
Then you can bring them back for later play, or finish out a series' run in future years, to keep the scheduled varied and interesting to viewers.

 

[landtuna]

Another issue is that a lot of retro series were begun in B&W then switched to color part-way through their run. The B&W episodes are not shown as often even though they may be the better episodes. And a lot of 50's series won't be shown at all because of the theory that people won't watch B&W. (That old saw should be doused by 'I Love Lucy'.)

 

[notalkallstatic]

And a lot of 50's series won't be shown at all because of the theory that people won't watch B&W. (That old saw should be doused by 'I Love Lucy'.)

I've never understood that thinking; I'm a "child of the 80s," and even today in my 20s, I love watching B&W shows. Hell, I think some of them are much better quailty (casting, writing, directing, etc) then today's program.

 

[anotherguyTN]

A lot depends on the shows. I have two nieces in their early 20's who love The Twilight Zone.

 

[cd637299]

With few exceptions, IMO *none* of the color "Beverly Hillbillies" hold a candle to the B&W's...of course that had something to do with the Clampetts' fish-out-of-water plot. Once they were in color, they were more "wise" to being in the city.

IMO the show kinda ran about 3-4 years too long, for that kinda plot.....

cd

 

[Tim L]

It's been said that nearly every TV show that started out in B@W that lasted long enough to convert to color..That the B@W episodes are better. Would we say the same thing if Color TV was universal at the beginning..Say there was found a way to do prime time network color in 1948?

I think the "problem" if there is one, is more the fact of shows just lasting longer..Possibly reused plots, writing quality going down, which might have happened, color or not..

 

[landtuna]

I think the "problem" if there is one, is more the fact of shows just lasting longer..Possibly reused plots, writing quality going down, which might have happened, color or not..

I think you are absolutely correct. I can't think of many, or any, series that got better at the end than it began - with maybe one exception, that being "My World and Welcome to It" which was reportedly cancelled due to cost reasons.

 

[therealjm12]

Producing color programing was very expensive in the 60's. They used film, almost no tape in those days. The producers had to cut costs somewhere. Unfortunately it seemed to be mostly the writing that took the hits.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Producing color programing was very expensive in the 60's...Unfortunately it seemed to be mostly the writing that took the hits.

You mean Aunt Bee was correct when she mentioned to others at a party that the
only bad thing about the show was the writing?

(Let me turn off the sarcasm mode now.)