Personal blog - and temporary home page until new website is finished - of writer, editor and graphic artist Christopher Mills


Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Hey, Warner Archives!

A few years ago, when my wife and I lived in Florida, our cable package included the GoodLife Network. This channel specialized in old TV shows and Rascal scooter/men's enhancement product commercials. But one night a week, they ran a spy night (I Spy, The Avengers and The Persuaders) and on another, it was Warner Brothers private eye night, with back-to-back episodes of the "shared universe" P.I. shows 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye and Surfside Six. (No Bourbon Street Beat, though. I wonder why?) 

Anyway, although my wife can be kinda picky about old television shows, we both enjoyed 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye a lot. The shows were stylish, witty and featured fun ensemble casts and charming leads.

I'd love to have them all on DVD, but they've never been released on disc. I was talking about it with Brandi the other day, and it occurred to me that these shows would be ideal for the Warner Archive manufactured-on-demand DVD program. Like the many Hanna-Barbara cartoon shows that they've been issuing in complete series sets, the WB private eye shows would probably only be of interest to a comparatively small group of fans - but those fans would certainly be willing to pay to have them in authorized, complete season/series sets. They just started putting out The F.B.I. on DVD, so, obviously, they're not opposed to releasing some of their live-action TV back catalog.

I know I would collect them, if affordably priced. Anyone else out there want to see Warner Archives pull these great shows out of the vault?

7 comments:

Michael May said...

I haven't seen either show, but I'd buy them based on their reputations. Especially Hawaiian Eye. That one sounds made for me.

Marty McKee said...

They did run BOURBON STREET BEAT. I managed to record some.

Christopher Mills said...

They must have run Bourbon Street once they finished Surfside, and we'd moved away by then, I'm guessing.

PooBahSpiel said...

Oh, man. Hawaiian Eye! I haven't seen an episode of that since I was a tyke.

Tom Floyd said...

I especially remember one episode of 77 sunset strip that had no dialog in it and was a zimbalist episode, if my memory serves me....I was amazed by it when it was over I think my brother said something like, hey nobody said anything!

Jerry Ahern said...

The no dialogue episode was "The Silent Caper," directed and, I believe, written by Roger Smith. The only "talking" was a dog barking. Good episode. JERRY AHERN

Anonymous said...

i would love to get them all on dvd