Strike takes toll on TV DVD
24 get special edition but misses season seven tie-in
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 2/29/2008
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FEB. 29 | TV writers may have ended their strike and gone back to business, but TV DVD titles will likely feel the lingering effects of the prolonged work stoppage.
Fewer completed scripts mean certain disc sets will be a few episodes—or more—short of a full season when they are released. Because of striking writers, new episodes of top primetime shows such as Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes have not been seen for weeks. Due to the complexities of certain plots, many shows aren’t expected to return until the fall 2008/2009 season, including Heroes, 24, Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money.
Other titles will miss promotional opportunities, such as 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment’s 24: Season One Special Edition, which was supposed to street concurrent with the end of the series’ seventh season.
The broadcast schedule for 24 has actually been pushed back about a year, as its current season never got off the ground because of the strike.
“Originally we thought it would be timed for the season finale of the season seven broadcast, but this will also be good timing at retail,” said Jyoti Sarda, executive director of marketing at Fox. “Having a special edition will help new fans discover it, and core fans will get to enjoy the new bonus material.”
This 24 set, which is the studio’s first special edition ever for a TV title, contains a new seventh disc filled with extras. All seasons of 24 on DVD were released with a seventh bonus disc except for the original season. During that early time, TV DVD was not adding as many bells and whistles to episodes as they do now.
New-to-DVD elements in the 24 special edition include 25 extended/deleted scenes and the documentary The Genesis of 24.
Additionally, Sarda says that the third season release of Bones will be slightly affected by the strike as well. This Bones set, whose street date has not yet been determined, will likely come three to four episodes short of a full season. The next Prison Break release also will be somewhat truncated, she said.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment believes the weeks-long TV void should boost its truncated releases of Bionic Woman Volume One, with eight episodes,on March 18 and Friday Night Lights: The Second Season on April 22.
“Clearly there’s an intense appetite in the market at present for TV content, which presents a real opportunity for us,” said Hilary Hoffman, senior VP of brand and digital marketing at Universal. “Making the newest episodes of Bionic Woman and Friday Night Lights available on DVD in early spring not only offers early satisfaction to the shows’ zealous fan bases, but also presents a timely and appealing option for consumers looking to augment their current viewing choices.”
The latest FNL setholds four discs spanning the second season’s 15 episodes. That compares to the first season’s five discs spanning more than 20 episodes.
NBC has not yet indicated whether Bionic Woman or FNL will return for a subsequent broadcast season.
Despite the hiccups, DVD producers are promising that fans will hardly notice a difference in the forthcoming releases. The producers are committed to bringing out the same quality of bonus features even if it’s within a compressed time frame.
“I missed about six weeks of work,” said producer David Naylor. “We are going to be able to get back to normal coverage, getting interviews and putting B-roll together. I think there are still going to be robust presentations on DVD.”
