My email to [e-mail]

[MyTatuo]

SUBJ: Greatest American Hero DVDs & music

To Whom It May Concern:

I was extremely happy to find out last year that The Greatest American Hero was coming out on DVD, and now I only have one week left to wait! The only sad part is what I have heard about the music covers not being included in the episodes. While the original Geyer/Scarbury original songs are one of the best elements of the series, I can't imagine not hearing "Rocket Man," "Help Me Rhonda," and even "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" from the episode of the same name!

While I understand this may have been an additional cost to re-license this music for inclusion on the DVDs, and that other Cannell-produced shows do not include non-original music on their respective DVDs, I and many of my fellow true fans would have been willing to pay a higher price per set to have the episodes as originally broadcast. Many of us were praying for the day we could finally retire our old VHS tapes, as well as "retire" the scammers selling bootleg "unedited" versions on tape or DVD-Rs.

I will still be purchasing this wonderful, underappreciated show on DVD as each season comes available, but I was hoping for the possibility of a "Collectors' Edition" coming out in the future for those of us willing to pay more for the original soundtrack of our youth. Thank you for your consideration.

Regards,
Tom "MyTatuo"

[tvshrine]

"scammers"? selling bootleg copies? It wasn't a scam, people who loved the show got a chance to see it again before it was available commerically. And at least the "scammers" provided shows without being too cheap too include the original music.
Here's my letter:
"Because you butchered the first season by replacing the orginal music with lame replacements I will not be buying season 2 or 3 unless the original music is intact."

If you tell them you will buy the set regardless then they have no reason to provide the original music.

[JustMe]

Get real . . . the tone of your email will do nothing but irritate Cannell & Co.

Besides . . . you can bet your bottom dollar that Season 2 is already in the can since it is less than 2 months away. What we get is what we get.

We won the battle to get the eps on DVD, but lost the war to getting them completely intact. Deal with it and move on. If you're not going to buy them . . . fine.

[scenario]

I gotta agree. tvshrine, I'm not trying to be mean, but if you send an angry email out like that you will just come across like a loony no life fan and the people at Cannell Productions will likely pay zero attention to it.


-scenario-

[jasonrobertyates]

:)I am glad these dvd's are out and they thought enough, from what I heard, to clean up the picture.

I will buy these dvd's. :-/But I will also have to go to the scammers to get the original cuts. If anything Connell helped the scammers by doing the recuts. Now die hard fans will either NOT buy the recuts and stick with thier scammer editions. Or buy both. Either way he helped the scammer market flourish. GOOD JOB!!!! ;D

[greenguy]

tvshrine said:

"scammers"? It wasn't a scam, people

It's possible when he said "scammers" it was directed towards individuals who sell 5th and 6th generations duped copies of the original source material. Smeary video, garbled audio and charging top dollar.

[Dan]

Was music changed in the other Cannell DVD releases. ie 21 Jump Street, A-Team?

The music really doesnt bother me, but I swear there were some dubbed in lines added. I've yet to double check myself on that.

[jasonrobertyates]

OH YEAH!!!! Was Hinkley added back in? Rather than Hanley or what ever. Or that plane sound at the airport.

[jasonrobertyates]

SCAMMERS is right. They would sell 'unedited editions' that were actually tv broadcasts with commercials they take out. By the time they edit, then make copies of thier edit, you get 3rd generation copies.

[greenguy]

Dan said:

Was music changed in the other Cannell DVD releases. ie 21 Jump Street, A-Team?

The music really doesnt bother me, but I swear there were some dubbed in lines added. I've yet to double check myself on that.

I have 21 Jump Street, but honestly I'm not familar enough with the original broadcasts to tell what's changed, if anything. The A-Team on the other hand I believe had Jumpin Jack Flash removed from the pilot movie. J-Man can give us more info on that. I haven't bought the 1st season A-Team release, because I had them already from Columbia House. The music in the Hunter set has been changed quite a bit in spots.

As for the dubbed lines, I didn't see anything dubbed in TGAH set that wasn't already dubbed in the original broadcasts as seen on ABC.

[greenguy]

jasonrobertyates said:

OH YEAH!!!! Was Hinkley added back in? Rather than Hanley or what ever. Or that plane sound at the airport.

That plane sound at the airport is still there, and what was changed to Hanley is still Hanley.

[MyTatuo]

To be clear, when I said "scammers," I did mean those who preyed on the fact that these episodes were not available to the common man, and over-charged for poor-quality episodes, if they shipped anything at all. Not your average citizen providing a wonderful service with good quality copies at cheap prices. (Not that Cannell Inc would differentiate between the two)

[Mr. H]

Hmm. Well that is a bummer about the music changes on GAH. Sorta to be expected I guess, and I would rather have these copies on DVD than none at all. I guess that just means my VHS tapes will stay on the shelf instead of being 'retired.'

Same thing happened on Quantum Leap which actually bothered me more.

MyTatoo: You letter did a nice job of balencing out the concerns of the fan and the commerce needs to sell the discs. I sadly doubt anything will come of it- Anchor Bay probably did some initial research to find out what price range GAH would sell well at and they aimed to get it there even if it mean music changes. At least a little disclaimer saying this would be nice.

I only think someone's a scammer if they claim to have master copies and are selling 6th gen ABC prints. Or if they claim they're unedited but intstead are edited FX or Candadian runs. I'm lucky to have probably the best quality unedited copies on VHS from the L.A. KDOC run in 2000. Most are missing the pre-teaser preview but the episodes themselves are intact.

I do wonder if they'll try and put any of the vintage Culp or Katt interviews form the era on the later seasons- those would be awesome.

Does Cannell mention anything about unproduced episodes or where the show might have gone post-Season 3? I guess I'll find out myself tonight when I get home with my new DVDs- but I thought I'd ask.

[The J-Man]

The A-Team on the other hand I believe had Jumpin Jack Flash removed from the pilot movie. J-Man can give us more info on that.

When Columbia House originally released The A-Team on video in the late 90's, the pilot episode was intact. When they re-released it on DVD in the last few years, JJF is removed and replaced with crappy music from I-don't know-where; the brief scene of Murdock singing along is cut out altogether. Oddly enough, if you listen to the Spanish Language soundtrack, JJF is still there. I haven't purchased the Season One box set, so I don't know how that was handled.

Also, the Columbia House series doesn't include "The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing", "When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?", and about half of the episodes from about the end of the second season until the fourth season premier, which is where the Columbia House series ends (so far).

I don't have the Jump Street DVDs, but I've read that all the music has been changed; same with Hunter. Don't have the Hunter DVDs, but I can see the changes on TVLAND.

[Dan]

greenguy said:

As for the dubbed lines, I didn't see anything dubbed in TGAH set that wasn't already dubbed in the original broadcasts as seen on ABC.

Yeah, the old taped version of the pilot that I have doesnt have that father talking to the cop nor Ralph saying anything when he comes out of the bathroom, Ralph comes out and just walks away.

Those dubbed lines that the father says to the cop are bad regardless. ;D

It's quite ammusing seeing "new" stuff, that is not in the edited airplays that I have. ;D

[tvshrine]

I didn't actually send the email, it was sarcasm, get a clue. I guess they need to make a sarcasm smiley.
It's pointless to send any email to them, they don't care, it's about the money, they figured this was the largest profit margin to cut the songs and sell at the lowest price to get more sales. I'm just opposed to the idea of being a cheerleader for Cannell, like lets not disturb the God or something by criticizing
As far as "scammers" you shouldn't criticize unless you yourself have a specific example that happened to you and the name of who did it, otherwise you are calling other people who have legitimate tapes scammers.

Here is a link to a DVD collection made from the broadcast masters that have no commericals and are the full original run length with origianl music. If the dvd release is considered "A+" quality then these are "A" if not "A+"level. Paypal secure seller varified.
www.bradybunchshrine.com/gahforsale.htm

[jasonrobertyates]

In the DVD set the booklet has THIS site listed in a special thanks. Some one was listening.

I dont think anyone believed you sent that letter. YOUR anger is what is in dispute. We dont know WHAT happened in the finances of this DVD so getting mad about what you THINK happend is more absurd than people using the word 'scammers' which is completely appropriate.

Maybe if you sent a nice email your site would have been listed in the DVD booklet. Dont be mad. I like your site.

[Maxwell - F.B.I.]

I am still working on finding a good MAILING address (non-email) for Cannell, as I think actual letters will draw far more attention from the higher-ups than emails will.

-Frank

[scenario]

^It may take me a while, but I can find you a good mailing address for Stephen J. Cannell Productions. I have one laying around somewhere here when I used to mail Cannell back in the day. I doubt anyone has Cannell's own personal mail. But you can send Cannell Productions mail and his longtime personal assitant and close friend Grace Curcio will actually read it and may even run it by the big man himself.

Just don't be rude or act mental with them, and believe it or not (pun intended) they will read it. Seriously. Ofcourse when I sent them mail back in the 90s, they may not have been recieving the heavy fan mail they would today because of the DVD releases (or upcoming DVD releases or movies) of GAH, A-Team, Wiseguy, etc, etc.

-scenario-

[Dan]

You know if it comes down to either changing the music or not releasing the dvd, I'll choose change the music every time.

I am very grateful this is out on dvd finally, and I greatly anticipate the other 2 seasons. ;D