Wow – well over 100 names on the Northern Exposure petition already. I’m pleasantly surprised by the reaction.
A few updates:
- I did get one email from someone who claimed to have spoken to Universal employees. He suggested that a release of the show on DVD would never happen. However, I remain optimistic – especially in light of the response here. If there is anyone who can shed any light on the financial / political / logistical realities of releasing a show like this on DVD, please let us know.
- I’ll wait until we get 250 names (or more, hopefully) and then I’ll print them off and send it to anyone and everyone who might influence a release (anyone who has info on who I should send it to or any mailing info, please contact me).
- A few readers also pointed me towards Amazon.com’s Northern Exposure DVD page. Since it doesn’t exist yet, you obviously can’t buy it. However, you can sign up to be notified if (when?) it is ever released. By doing so, you’re also ‘voting’ for the eventual release, as the page on Amazon.com states:
NOT YET RELEASED: The studio is currently not producing this title on DVD, but to be notified when it is available, enter your e-mail address at right. You’ll also be voting for this release; we’ll let the studio know how many customers are waiting for this title.
Thanks to all those who have signed and linked to the petition. Tell your friends.
For anyone interested, things have been a little slow around here as I’ve been working on the next version of aov, and I’ve bought a house.
There are two ways to release a DVD of anything – the right way and the cheap way.
A) The right way entails running the source footage (probably in BetaSP form – or some form of digital videotape) – through a non-real-time, heavy duty number cruncher MPEG-2 encoding system.
B) Key decisions would be made – about whether or not to release a 16:9 version or 5:1 audio. For each of these versions – LOTS of tinkering, adjusting, realligning, etc. would have to be done.
C) Then there’s the issue of the DVD menu – which can range from a single menu of still images – braching off to chapter heads – all the way to video menus, branching off to guided tours (see recent ‘Harry Potter’ DVD.)
D) All of this could easily run from $50k-$250k production costs – not including the costs of the body or entire team of people runing doing things.
E) Then it’s marketing and distribution channel time – not including preperation of marketing materials, ads, sales kits, attendance at trade shows, web sites – you get the point.
F) So even a cheap, rushed, thrown together DVD release is gonna run upwards of $1M.
G) But needless to say – there’s always the cheaper, more underground, on the sly – even illegal scenarios – which start with: getting the shows on tape in any form. If you (and or any of your fellow fans) have any or all shows on tape – then just buy a DVD bruner – and GO FOR IT!
H) I wouldn’t hold my breath on a legal release – so go underground – find the producers – or somebody who’s got ‘access’ to the masters – and just do a run – on the side.
I) This may not be as spetacularly hard – as you think. Have you ever seen: http://aint-it-cool-news.com/ ? It’s one (of many) sites that have access to MANY people who are part “of the underground.” gaffers, script writers, make-up or lighting guys and gals – even extras – have copies of tapes of episodes. Be creative.
Thanks Mark.
Another update on the petition: I did a short interview for the local CBC radio about the petition. It will be on CBC Radio PEI tomorrow morning. Kind of cool, kind of embarassing (of all the causes that I could be on the radio for…).
Not only an item at 6:40 am but also the final item on the news at 7:30! Once again confirming that there is no news on PEI.
No news is good news!
right?
>steven, i’m right in there with you, guy!
i’ve been searching for availability of all episodes of nxp for quite some time! please add me to your petition, and let me know if you get a release date!
>sincerely, stewart brown
I agree with Marc Canter’s post about going underground. The state of technology at this point makes this avenue viable, as evidenced by the number of episodes available for download on various file-sharing platforms. If you have the means and good clear copies of each episode, go for it! Then email me because I want copies! I’m sure we’d all be happy to pay for materials and time.
A cooperative effort could make this work very well. Compare a similar effort by fans of Dr Who meant to digitize and preserve all available prints/video of past shows. This is the kind of thing that fans have to do. I’m a freelance graphic artist and would be delighted to design inlays, disc labels and DVD menus. Who else out there has skills?
(The first season of NX is available in Europe on DVD, which is only useful to you if you have a region 2 or all region DVD player. As these are more readily available than even a year ago, the Euro DVD might be a good start).
Cheers!
Jason
I just submitted my email for the amazon.com notification of Northern Exposure on DVD. I sure hope they release this sometime soon as it is one of the greatest TV shows ever.
I’m still not quite sure how they can release movies such as Bio-Dome and Showgirls on DVD but can’t do an award-winning show such as NX.
If anybody has any information on underground or “above ground” NX releases, please let me know! I would prefer to support the studio and purchase a “real” DVD, but anything would be great at this point!
Just a suggestion if the underground route is decided. Try BitTorrent for distribution.
NORTHERN EXPOSURE (SEASON ONE) is available on DVD from the stores: (hmv.co.uk) and (play.com) – Reasonably priced, Region 2 though.
Also check out (Blackstar.co.uk) every once in a while, as they seem to be ‘in the know’ about upcoming UK release dates for many series on DVD such as TWIN PEAKS (SEASON TWO) – (November 2003).
Good Luck…
Regards,
Paul
Northern Exposure is just one of those rare shows on television with such deep character development that I never tire of watching it! Having the series on DVD is simply a NEED for me as I have worn out two sets of videos watching the show repeatedly. Please add me to your list if it might help motivate people who do the magic of transfer of this medium to DVD. Thank you for all the hard work you have done to compile the list and encourage them of our desire to see this magnificent show on DVD!
Sincerely yours,
Vicki
Because I live in Canada where the original version of NX is still aired daily on a digital station, I bought a digital recorder and now have excellent DVDs of all 110 episodes. I get 5 episodes (without commercials) on a disc so there are 22 discs in the set.
For $299 US (including delivery to anywhere in North America), and at an average of less that $2.75 per episode, I can share this set with anyone who doesn’t want to wait any longer, (and who suspects that all 110 episodes will never be released commercially in any case). Or, I would be happy to send out one disc for $20 to anyone who would like to have a preview first (and then have the option of buying the rest of the set for $279).
art
art, please refrain from posting your dvd’s here. people don’t want to have cheap copies!
If anyone has a copy of VHS tapes of Northen Exposure that wants to make a deal try me.
Also I would like to buy the DVDS of good quality but must see them 1st as there is a Northern Exposure DVD con artist on the loose.
Patty
As Long as Universal keeps making DVDs of Northern Exposure without the original music, I will continur to offer my alternatives with ll he original music. No Matter how much Ted and Barry bad-mouth my discs (which they have not seen) as an alternative to their discs (which have been copied from tapes), people can know that since mine have been digitally recorded from a digital source, they are excellent quality.
I can now offer them for less than $2 per episode. Just mention that you saw this offer on “Acts of Volition” for a money back garantee if you are not satisfied.
art (who, unlike Barry, Ted, or Patty, is not afraid to include his e-mail address, above)