WB Archive Collection: Discs On Demand!

[Daniel]

The Jetsons: The Complete Original Series is coming in September .. on Blu!

[Dacey]

It says "complete original series" but then says it only contains "Season 1" episodes, so I'm a tad confused.

[droosan]

It's the complete original 1962 prime-time TV series.

When I was a little kid (and for years before that), there were only 24 episodes of The Jetsons. They'd get shown as reruns on local stations, occasionally (mostly just during the summer, though).

When syndication became the rage in the early days of cable, there was a demand for content .. but a requirement for at least 65 episodes (which would allow for 13 weeks of Monday-to-Friday screenings).

The Flintstones (thanks to its 6-season run) was a syndication staple .. which poured money into Hanna-Barbera's pockets. H-B decided to offer The Jetsons for syndication in 1985, and made an additional 41 episodes (the 'second season') to meet the 65-episode threshhold. In 1987, an additional 10 episodes were made (the 'third season') .. bringing the syndicated series' total to 75 episodes.

However -- while the original voice cast was retained, and there were a few key creatives who worked on both the 1962 & 1985/87 'seasons' .. the newer episodes are easily distinguished from the older ones (and not just because of the addition of Orbitty ). They really are two distinct shows, to my mind .. but I do enjoy both!

I also like the 1980s DTV one-shots: The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones and Rockin' With Judy Jetson.

I enjoyed the story & art of Jetsons: The Movie well enough .. but the decision to swap-out Janet Waldo for Tiffany as Judy Jetson rather mars it, IMHO.

[EricJ]

Sort of the same reason the Jonny Quest Blu-ray boxset is the "Complete Original Series", because anything after Season 1...ISN'T.

[Dacey]

Droo is informed, as per usual.

[Daniel]

One easy way to tell the the two shows apart is the original episodes featured a laugh track. Always thought that made them feel more "unique". Like Droo, I very much enjoy both shows. If I had to choose one over the other, I would probably lean more towards the 80's run. More Rosie, what's not to like?

[droosan]

I visited Warner Archive to pre-order The Jetsons .. and was pleased to notice that Popeye The Sailor, the 1940s: Volume 3 is also now available for pre-order, and scheduled for release on September 17th..!

Not only that: but WA is also reissuing the 2008 b&w Fleischer Popeye The Sailor Volume 2 & Volume 3 DVD sets as MOD titles (alongside Volume 1, which was reissued earlier this year).

This means that .. were one so inclined, s/he could buy every Fleischer & Famous Popeye made from 1933-1949 -- 167 cartoons, in all -- in a single purchase of ~US$140 (just 84¢ per cartoon).

What a time to be alive.


Still no sign of Touché Turtle & Dum-Dum, though.

[Daniel]

Did you miss my memo on the last page?

[droosan]

Oh, not at all .. but I'm still checkin' WA's 'upcoming releases' for it, every time I visit.

[Daniel]

Ah... well, I wouldn't expect a turnaround that fast! Though of course I would welcome it. The DVD-R I have that holds a few of their shorts could stand retiring!

[Daniel]

Check out the restoration on Jetsons:




Wow, do those colors pop! Looks really good. And they went the extra mile by including the original sponsor bumpers. Sweet!

[Randall]

I was getting this anyway, but the sponsor bumpers make me even gladder.

[Ben]

Dammit...even I’m impressed here! Don’t tell me that Quest and Scoob look just as good...?

[EricJ]

Check out the restoration on Jetsons:

Yes, imagine the future, when we'd have 3D-TV?

(And then everyone would claim it was a "conspiracy" by "greedy studios" because they'd just bought a new set two years earlier, gamers would think it was a waste of time because they're weren't any games for it, and everybody would make a big deal of hoping for 4K before they knew what it was?...Oh, that crazy science fiction!)

[Dacey]

Do the archive discs normally look that good?

Because one of the only ones we have at my place is "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," which is actually a pretty dirty print of the special (it looks better when it's shown on television).