Warner retools Smurfs DVD's

[Super Leviathan]

14 bucks will net you 5 episodes from the second season this time around.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Smurfs-Season-2-Volume-1/10988

If Warner is trying to take the Smurf DVD line into a recession-friendly direction, then this seems like a flawed way to go about it (especially since the earlier DVD's were split up into volumes as it is, and from a price-per-episode standpoint, the new DVD will be a horrible deal compared to the volumes). A flipper containing the usual 13 episodes would've been preferable.

[Old School Joe]

Well....that just sucks! How about giving us an opition of 1 or 2 discs?

[Tobias]

Only 4 episodes? I say 4 because only of those cartoons is a half hour episode; the rest are only 11 minute shorts.

Considering that pretty much every season consisted of at least 16 - 26 half hours (The Johan & Peewit spin-off season might have been a 39 episode year), this is a pretty stupid way to go about it.

[Ioz]

Well, I won't be getting anymore of these. Couldn't they have fit more than 5 episodes on it? I don't buy these types of releases (i.e. the Real Ghostbuster single ones). I thought just two discs was bad enough the way it was. There is just too many episodes in the series to go at this snail of a pace. I don't think dropping from two to one discs will create a huge sales increase. You will both gain and lose consumers because of this, so it will be a wash. There is no way this series gets a complete release now unless they do a complete series release like the Real Ghostbusters which is doubtful.

[Martianinvader]

Wow, I really hope that isn't an indicator of things to come.

[madara]

V2 has yet to even do 20 percent of first volume, which likely shocked WB. So before you say your done buying Smurfs because of this make sure you actually are one of few that did buy a legit dvd of smurfs volume 2. This is likely the last test run for getting all of the smurfs on dvd fellow smurflings.

[Super Leviathan]

Unless you have industry contact, how could you even know that?

[madara]

The same way we knew that Volume One did well we know it's done very poorly so far:
main Billboard chart
Top Kid Video
Top TV DVD Sales
BCI DVD guy at heman org commenting as well, plus the wording at tvshowsondvd was a clear sign something was up with economic hints dropped in for reasons why its 1/3 the size of volume two.

[Tobias]

I got my copy of V2 the week it was released, but if this is how S2's getting released, yeah, I'm not going for it either.

I just hope they don't pull this with the remaining Superfriends episodes.

[Mister Intensity]

It seems that Warner is trying to milk the cow as much as possible. They need to figure out a better way to release their shows. Why don't they release a regular sized season set and a budget priced version that contains one disc of the regular season set (which would contain about three or four 90-minute episodes) instead of a four half-hour episodes single disc set like they are doing with Smurfs and Scooby-Doo Where Are You?

[Super Leviathan]

OR better yet, make the seasons more affordable and use flippers if necessary. The Powerpuff Girls set coming out costs a fraction of what most of the other complete sets cost and puts more episodes on fewer discs (by way of flippers), and just might do well because of it.

[Mandouga]

Update courtesy of TVShowsonDVD:

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Smurfs-Volume-1/11009

Apparently, it will only be a "best-of" collection of 5 stories from season 2. So for now, we should assume that they haven't given up on full season sets. It does seem to me however, that they are doing this in order to "test market" future season releases, probably given the whole aforementioned economic thing.

Another thing, I don't like how they're releasing this under "Hanna-Barbera Kids Collection". It sounds like they are implying something...

[chadhobbick]

Again though, if we don't buy this best-of season 2 release, will we be causing the doom of season 2 vol 1 not being released? I'm not liking where everything is headed at this point, I mean where is A Pup Named Scooby-Doo S2 at already? Did the first season not sell well?

[Tobias]

Yeah, I really don't want to double dip if and when a season 2 is released. It's why I'm holding on the Shaggy & Scooby Doo Get A Clue and Legion of Superheroes volumes, in the hopes they'll get season sets down the line.

[Ioz]

I still think it means that they aren't doing any more bigger season type volumes any more. If this sells well, then they will probably think that this is the route to go from now on. If it bombs, they probably abandon the Smurfs. Unless there is a specific episode I am really wanting (like the Christmas special), I'm not buying these few episode releases. It isn't worth my time because I know they won't complete it.

[Super Leviathan]

With almost 300 episodes of the Smurfs to release, eventual cancellation of the series is almost a forgone conclusion

[snowpeck]

Again though, if we don't buy this best-of season 2 release, will we be causing the doom of season 2 vol 1 not being released? I'm not liking where everything is headed at this point, I mean where is A Pup Named Scooby-Doo S2 at already? Did the first season not sell well?

The final 3 seasons (14 episodes) have been scheduled for release on 3/17/09.

http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Pup-Named-Scooby-Doo-Seasons-2-and-3-and-4/11053

Greg

[Tobias]

I thought 'Pup' only had 3 seasons. I want to know how 3 additional seasons only produced a measly 14 episodes.

[rainstorm46]

I thought 'Pup' only had 3 seasons. I want to know how 3 additional seasons only produced a measly 14 episodes.

Pup named Scooby Doo does have three seasons. There were 13 episodes in season 1. 8 episodes in season 2 and 9 episodes for season 3.

For more information en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pup_Named_Scooby-Doo

[snowpeck]

Pup named Scooby Doo does have three seasons. There were 13 episodes in season 1. 8 episodes in season 2 and 9 episodes for season 3.

For more information en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pup_Named_Scooby-Doo


I think they're counting the batch that aired in September 1990 and the batch that aired in July 1991 as two separate seasons.


Greg

[rainstorm46]

I think they're counting the batch that aired in September 1990 and the batch that aired in July 1991 as two separate seasons.


Greg

The episodes that aired in sep.1990 and july 1991 are part of the third season. They just are in differerent volumes. The first four sept.1990 episodes are in pup named scooby volume 6. The five in july 1991 are part of pup named scooby volume 7

[snowpeck]

I'm not disagreeing that they should be counted all as one season. I'm just saying I think that's how Warner is counting them.

Greg

[rainstorm46]

I'm not disagreeing that they should be counted all as one season. I'm just saying I think that's how Warner is counting them.

Greg

Yes they are organizing the volumes in not a very good way.

[Tobias]

Yes they are organizing the volumes in not a very good way.

As long as we're getting complete seasons, I'm not complaining. Now they just need to start working on the Smurfs as season/half season sets instead of this budget release stuff.

[dth1971]

If the BEST OF Smurfs DVD collection works, would it be the same for other Hanna-Barbera cartoon shows previously or yet to be on DVD/Blu-Ray as well as other Warner Bros. cartoon shows and Warner Bros. TV shows?

[Tobias]

I doubt it. It didn't work for the "Popeye & Friends" releases, which got canceled after only one volume, and the "Legion of Superheroes" and "Shaggy & Scooby Doo Get a Clue" volume releases still haven't yielded season sets, even after three years.

However, I'm almost willing to wager that WB will go the 'volume' route with Flinstone Kids when that show comes up for relese.

[Elven Moon]

I'm sorry to bump this, but I didn't think I should make a whole new thread to ask this question.

Last month I saw that single DVD at Target, but honestly thought it was some kind of "filler" for people who weren't interested enough to get the season sets, so I ignored it. Is it actually supposed to be a continuation, and this is their new release format (not Season Two, Part One or whatever)? I really hope not. It's been so long since S1 P2 came out I thought there'd be news by now.

[CartoonCrazy]

I'm gonna ignore this. Not too long ago, I bought the first half of the first season for about the same price!