WKRP, Kotter finally debut on DVD

Classic shows among first season sets street in next few months

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 4/27/2007

APRIL 27 | Studios this spring are releasing a flurry of first-season TV DVD titles into a maturing disc category.

Upcoming “classic” or nostalgia series making their DVD debuts include 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s WKRP in Cincinnati and Warner Home Video’s Welcome Back, Kotter and The Drew Carey Show.

A variety of reasons have prevented these titles from hitting disc earlier. Music rights issues dogged WKRP, which will be released with extensive music substitutions, and Warner tried select episode compilations of Kotter and Drew Carey under the TV Favorites banner before deciding to release them in full seasons. (See table)

“Part of the idea with the TV Favorites line was to gauge interest in those shows, but it was hard to do because most TV fans want to buy the whole season,” said Rosemary Markson, Warner VP of TV marketing. “We feel complete sets are the dominant way to go and what you’ll be seeing in the future from us.”

Markson said the TV Favorites line is indefinitely on hold. If the studio sees acceptable sales figures on initial seasons of older shows, the series’ subsequent seasons will then be launched.

For the most part, retailers seem pleased to have fresh product, regardless of the timing.

“It would be a shame if everything [TV DVD] had been rushed out all at once, and there was nothing left to release,” Virgin Megastores’ product manager Bob Bell said. “Our TV on DVD business is still very strong and will benefit from titles like WKRP and Kotter that our customers grew up with. I’m much more optimistic about an older series that may have a cult following compared to the average current mainstream sitcom.”

WKRP is being singled out as one of the better first-season prospects. Newbury Comics buyer Ian Leshin believes the late ’70s sitcom should about equal sales of earlier seasons of CBS Top 20 primetime series King of Queens.

“There’s a guy factor,” which matches the heaviest TV DVD buyers, said Leshin of WKRP. “It’s like Hogan’s Heroes or M.A.S.H. where there is also a cult following.”

Still, retail sources believe that, on average, a nostalgia set will sell half or less of what a current series set will sell on DVD.

First seasons coming to DVD