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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2019 22:18:10 GMT -5
For years I had only my "taped off of WGN version" of the Batman '66 movie.
I had the commercials memorized as much as the movie, and the first time I ever watched it on DVD, I was shocked to find scenes they'd removed for time. I still do a double take on a few of those as they aren't burned into my memory like the edited for time version is.
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 4, 2019 22:22:51 GMT -5
I used to tape Star Trek the original series and only realized later on that they would cut out 5 minutes or more of actual show to fit in more commercials. It wasn't until I saw the collections that I enjoyed the missing scenes. Nothing beats Dvd's. Crazy but true: Philly's channel 48 used to butcher ST all thru the 70s. Usually cutting out a solid 5-minute chunk somewhere in every episode.
But in 1979, channel 17 got the show. In early 80, soon after getting my 1st machine, they began running the show-- UNCUT. The only thing was, I didn't get home until 10 or so minutes in, and had to have my Dad set up the show for me. Also, we had a TERRIBLE signal coming in on an antenna. For many years, I never played those tapes back.
It wasn't until maybe 20 years ago I got hooked on the old show again, watching late-night reruns on Sci-Fi. They cut the show, but they were "sneaky" about it.
Anyway, about 5 or 6 years back, I dug out my tapes. Man, the quality was HORRIBLE. But you know what? The simple fact that they were UNCUT actually allowed me to put up with them.
Since then, I got in the habit of watching some entire runs twice-- like the local UHF stations used to in the 70s. I'd get to the end, then start over again.
But here's an advantage of videotape I hadn't used before. For many years, having every episode allowed me to watch every episode. But now, having every episode doesn't mean I have to watch every one. I began SKIPPING ones I just didn't like-- or, had seen too many times. Each run, I skip more episodes. And each time I do this... the series GETS BETTER.
There are some 60s STs I may never care to watch again. And fans of the show might be shocked at some of my choices.....
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 4, 2019 22:30:24 GMT -5
I'm at a point now, however, that some shows I feel I've watched over and over enough times, and "put up with" my tapes long enough. And so I am slowly beginning to not only buy DVD box sets of shows I never had-- but in some cases, UPGRADE them from videotape to DVD.
Crazy enough... my first full series upgrade was the 1954 Ronald Howard SHERLOCK HOLMES tv series. I got those after already getting the BBC series with Douglas Wilmer, and then Peter Cushing. (I may do the same some day with Jeremy Brett, but I'm not in too much of a hurry.)
This year it was BATMAN. I was getting LOST IN SPACE, and I got BATMAN so I could watch both shows at the same time... just like when they were on at the same time. I'm watching the same 2 stories each week that were on against each other, but now, I get to see both of them in their entirety. It's like re-living 1966!
I'm planning to do this with WKRP IN CINCINATTI-- now that, after so many years, they FINALLY got the "music rights" situation straightened out and have put out a "proper" set with the ORIGINAL music intact. Just like on my old tapes.
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 4, 2019 22:31:19 GMT -5
In the early 80's I taped the BBC show Blakes 7. It was shown commercial free so I got the entire show. I still have the entire series on DVD. I copied it from Video tape to DVD with a dual recorder years ago.
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 4, 2019 22:36:52 GMT -5
I taped BLAKE'S 7 off of PBS... 4 episodes per tape. (4-hour speed) But I have a problem... inexplicably, the 2nd & 3rd tapes went missing some time ago. As far as I know, I never loaned them out. Ever have "black holes" in your house? This means 8 of the first season are MISSING... so, there's no point in ever bothering to re-watch it, unless those 2 tapes turn up. And I didn't like the show enough to ever wanna buy it.
As an aside, Terry Nation is to BLAME for "season ending cliffhangers". In the old days, they'd do a 2 or 3-parter to finish out a season. But when they started splitting the 2-parter over the summer... that was just WRONG. Especially if they weren't sure a show was coming back. Which... too often... they didn't.
Someone once asked me, decades back, "What kind of a way was that to end a show?" I had to explain, episode 52 was NEVER intended as the series finale. It was another cliffhanger.
They just never came back for the 5th season. The BBC hated it too much.
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 4, 2019 23:48:32 GMT -5
I can’t imagine it was a cliffhanger. They all looked pretty dead at the end. Great show.
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Post by chadwilliam on Nov 5, 2019 0:21:44 GMT -5
For years I had only my "taped off of WGN version" of the Batman '66 movie. I had the commercials memorized as much as the movie, and the first time I ever watched it on DVD, I was shocked to find scenes they'd removed for time. I still do a double take on a few of those as they aren't burned into my memory like the edited for time version is. This happened to me with Red Dwarf, a show which I was initially only familiar with when it ran on Showcase television. It never made sense to me that while Rimmer's death was an important element of the series, it was never actually depicted on screen. When I eventually bought the tapes however, I realised that this wasn't the case and that unlike in North America where half hour shows run for only about 24 minutes or so, in the UK they run closer to the full 30. It was like finding hidden tracks on your favorite albums without even looking.
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Post by Chris on Nov 5, 2019 3:25:09 GMT -5
I'm planning to do this with WKRP IN CINCINATTI-- now that, after so many years, they FINALLY got the "music rights" situation straightened out and have put out a "proper" set with the ORIGINAL music intact. Just like on my old tapes. I might have to pick up that set, now that it's restored. Especially since I grew up there when the show was originally aired. I remember a lot of the places in the opening credits. But... CINCINNATI! NOT "Cincinatti"! Arggh!
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Post by badwolf on Nov 5, 2019 9:01:55 GMT -5
I taped so many shows back in the VCR days. Doctor Who, Blake's 7, ST:TNG, Batman the Animated Series. I was obsessive about it, I would sit there with my finger over the pause button on the remote for the commercial shows and get very annoyed if I didn't hit it at exactly the right time. It really bugged me if I got a snippet of commercial or missed anything. On the other hand it was very satisfying if I did get a perfect edit!
On the subject of shows that "didn't come back", one of my favorites was The Omega Factor, a paranormal drama that I'm convinced influenced Chris Carter into creating The X-Files, though he's never mentioned it, probably because it's so similar people would immediately see what he swiped. It aired in 1979 and like Doctor Who it ran afoul of Mary Whitehouse and other moral crusaders for violence (very tame by today's standards) and "occult content." I don't recall if it ended on a cliffhanger exactly, but the plot was never resolved. Even so, it's worth seeking out and watching, especially if you are an X-Files fan (and if you're a DW fan, it stars Louise Jameson). Almost surprisingly, it has been released on DVD.
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Post by rberman on Nov 5, 2019 9:08:07 GMT -5
My family was an early adopted for tech; my dad got us a VCR and even a video camera in 1981. We pirated Star Wars from VHS by using two machines, and we watched it a hundred times. We recorded "Superman: The Movie" and Corman's "Battle Beyond the Stars" and "The Muppet Movie" when they aired on network TV. Later I recorded many Dr. Who episodes, four of them on a 6 hour tape.
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Post by badwolf on Nov 5, 2019 10:12:34 GMT -5
We had a VCR early on too. It was a top-loader and if I remember correctly it cost $1000! The remote was wired. One of our neighbors had two (two!) VCRs and they would copy movies for us sometimes.
I also used to stay up late watching MTV's 120 Minutes and tape all the videos I liked (2-hour speed so that it would be more manageable.)
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 5, 2019 10:38:42 GMT -5
CINCINNATI! NOT "Cincinatti"! Arggh! I'm not gonna worry overmuch about G** D*** typos.
And neither should anyone else.
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Post by Cei-U! on Nov 5, 2019 11:02:42 GMT -5
I'm planning to do this with WKRP IN CINCINATTI-- now that, after so many years, they FINALLY got the "music rights" situation straightened out and have put out a "proper" set with the ORIGINAL music intact. Just like on my old tapes. They have?? Do you mean to say I can *finally* buy a complete, unadulterated DVD collection of my all-time favorite sitcom? Sam, you just made my YEAR!
Cei-U! I summon Dr. Johnny Fever!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2019 14:00:13 GMT -5
CINCINNATI! NOT "Cincinatti"! Arggh! I'm not gonna worry overmuch about G** D*** typos. And neither should anyone else.
If you make that typo near someone from Cincinnati, you are placing your life in danger. They do not consider it a triviality, but reason for acquittal in the murder case they will face for killing you. At the very least, they will consider you an uneducated lout and disregard anything you have to say in the future. It is a matter of respect, not typing for them. -M
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Post by beccabear67 on Nov 5, 2019 14:06:15 GMT -5
I remember when we got a VCR for the first time circa 1986 it coincided with an indy channel out of Bellingham, Washington doing am oldies weekend. I still have two tapes at some kind of 4 hour speed full of single episodes of things like Buccaneers, Sheena, Rocky Jones, and Lights Out plus Goodyear Playhouse, Kraft Theater, Colgate Comedy Hour, and Your Show Of Shows. Paused for commercials 'natch... now people go through old tapes from Goodwill shops to find old commercials and put them on youtube or compilation DVDs.
Another early thing I recorded off the air was Abbot & Costello Go To Mars, or Venus, or whatever it was... I would run fast forward and think how much better the effects looked that way.
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