Thrilling Days of Yesteryear: Almost the Truth—The Lawyer's Cut

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

“I gotta kill that boy…I just gotta…”


When I learned in May 2010—thanks to TDOY cub reporter and brand-spanking-new Facebook chum Larry Shell—that CBS-Paramount was finally bringing the first season of The Phil Silvers Show to that newfangled home video DVD…I wept with joy.  (Of course, I also wept after I learned the company wasn’t going to do any follow-up season-by-season releases—but that’s a post for another day [in fact, there were several].  And my therapist says I am getting better.)

When I learned in February of last year—thanks to…half a tic: I found out about this one on my own—that Warner Home Video was finally bringing the first season of Maverick to that newfangled home video DVD…I also wept with joy.  (And when I learned that Season 2 is just around the corner…well, let’s just say Niagara Falls, baby.)

When I learned a few hours ago—thanks to my old boss Edward Copeland at his hibernating Tangents blog—that Shout! Factory is planning to bring The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in its entirety to DVD…well, suffice it to say I’m a basket case.  Honest to my grandma, I could win the lottery right now and that would take a back seat to this sensational news.  (Of course—that means I could buy a set for everybody who wanted one…so maybe that wouldn’t be such a terrible thing.)

Dobie Gillis has always been one of my favorite television situation comedies.  It may not rank as high as The Dick Van Dyke Show or Bilko or The Andy Griffith Show…but it would definitely fit snugly in the top ten, along with The Honeymooners, Get Smart, Green Acres, The Odd Couple and a host of others, as William Conrad used to say on Rocky and His Friends (which is also in there as well).  I used to catch it in the wee a.m. hours on Me-TV when the channel ran it on weekdays but now it’s relegated to a 3 a.m. slot on late Saturday nights and there’s no way I can stay up for that unless I start blogging by night.  I have a partial bootleg set of the series—and I say partial because there are some episodes missing.  (It’s a sad state of affairs when you can’t even trust your friendly neighborhood bootlegger.)

So I am ecstatic by this news.  The article also mentions that Timeless Factory has acquired the rights to Fridays, the SNL rip-off that ran on ABC from 1980 to 1982.  I’m sure people will be more excited about that…but as for me—give me Doris Packer saying “Chatsworth!  You nahsty boy!” and I’m good to go.
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3 comments:

  1. Terence Towles CanoteJanuary 22, 2013 at 11:25 PM

    That is indeed good news. Dobie Gillis is one of my favourite sitcoms of all time. And more influential than people think--I see it as a forerunner of many of the way out sitcoms of the Sixties (Get Smart, The Monkees, et. al.). and Maynard was one of the all time coolest characters ever on TV.

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  2. HalJanuary 23, 2013 at 12:14 AM

    Fabulous news Ivan! We're on the same page, first F TROOP was my most wanted, then BILKO, MAVERICK and, with those out, DOBIE is probably number one on my list too. Even though the first season is the best, I hope Shout! gets around to all four.

    Favorite episodes, Ivan? Mine are probably "The Old Goat" and "Names my Mother called me"

    One of my favorite "guilty pleasure" episodes is from Season 2. "Yer Fadder Wears Army Shoes", in which we get to see a different side of Herbert T. I'm not a fan of the Army shows but this one stuck with me.

    Now.....if we can just get a full season of Hickman's first regular sitcom gig, LOVE THAT BOB!

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  3. rockfishJanuary 25, 2013 at 4:12 AM

    I've had limited exposure to Dobie (awkward, yes) but had it on my list of must-haves from the quality people like youse who've held it so highly.... That theory worked well with the kookie Car 54, so I'm eager and willing...

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