This old article got me thinking….
There are a lot of TV shows that I’d love to be able to get my hands on in a DVD format. I’m not just talking about the hit shows that are bizarrely unavailable such as any further “King of the Hill” collections or the criminally-unavailable “Night Court”. (I mean, come on… the sales of the first season set were abysmal because the SHOW was abysmal. Every fan knows it gets better in later seasons.)
No, what I mean are the gems that went unappreciated but could find a new audience… or the old shows that probably really suck but nostalgia and curiosity could at least make it turn a profit.
Here are my top five:
- Century City: A sci-fi legal drama about the ethical and legal dilemmas that could exist in the near future. From a man arguing for possession of his clone to a boy band member who refuses to undergo plastic surgery to appear young…from an athlete who may not be allowed to play ball because of his bionic eyeball, to a man asking for the removal of his implant which keeps him from being mentally retarded, this was true science fiction and I truly regret that it was never really given a chance. And yeah, I’ve whined about it in these pages before. There were several episodes that never aired, so a “Complete Series” set would be worth seeing. It was a brilliant show and you all will serve time in purgatory for not watching it.
- Hot Properties: This is a silly show about four women working as Realtors in New York City. I get why it failed to catch on, but you cannot argue that it isn’t funny. I’ll freely admit, I downloaded all the episodes I could after the show was yanked and I’m glad I did, because with a few exceptions the episodes are good for multiple viewings. I watched it just for Nicole Sullivan and ended up loving all of the women on this show; their comic timing was well-honed and the scripts sparkled.
- Quark: A short-lived Star Trek parody from the mid-1970s that lasted for six episodes. It’s about a guy piloting a space garbage ship. As a kid, I loved the way Quark traveled between decks using a slide. I’m sure it’s super-dumb in the same way that most Mork and Mindy episodes have not aged well, but I don’t care. I just want to hear those words again: “Space baggy, straight ahead! Space baggy, straight ahead!”
How about you folks? What shows are you waiting for?
One response to “TV Rarities I’d like to buy on DVD”
Tales of the Gold Monkey – An adventure series that “borrowed” its setting and feel from the then recently released Raiders of the Lost Ark. I’ve read rumors that with the new Indy movie coming this summer this series might make it to DVD then too.
Shadow Chasers – A funny 80’s show about 2 tabloid reporters (1 skeptic, 1 true believer) tracking down all manner of supernatural. I’d think it’d be inexpensive to produce as it only lasted less than a season.
That Was Then – A time travel show from about 5 years ago. A guy would go back in time to his high school days and come back to his present (ala Quantum Leap) whenever he heard a certain 80’s song. Each time he came back some action of his in the past had altered the future and he had to try to go back and fix it. Unfortunately the show only lasted 3 episodes. I’d love to see a complete series set of all the episodes they filmed.
Veritas: The Quest – Another show that followed the tried and true formula of treasure hunters trying to stop the bad guys (this one was set in modern times though). It was also another show that only lasted for about 4 or 5 episodes (I’m started to see a pattern to my viewing choices).