Warner Archive adds older TV series

PHYSICAL: Movie offerings broadened too on manufacturing-on-demand service

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 10/6/2009

OCT. 6 | PHYSICAL: Warner Home Video’s manufacturing-on-demand Warner Archive service is deepening its television category, offering feature-length TV pilots from Star Trek creator Gene Rodenberry, among other first-time-to-DVD titles.

One pilot, 1973’s Genesis, was intended to be one of Roddenberry’s first follow-ups to Star Trek. But the project, starring Alex Cord as an astronaut living in a post-apocalyptic future, wasn't picked up for TV broadcast. Another pilot with similar themes, Planet Earth, aired as a TV movie on ABC in 1974.

The studio’s Warner Archive Collection launched in March with mostly film classics. But the MOD service began bowing TV titles, including campy TV movies Don’ts Be Afraid of the Dark and Bad Ronald, this August. Warner Archive now offers 338 titles that can be pressed to disc upon order or delivered as a download.

Other now-available TV titles are the mini-series Jack the Ripper, starring Michael Caine; The Deliberate Stranger with Mark Harmon playing serial killer Ted Bundy; and Haywire, featuring Lee Remick portraying actress Margaret Sullivan. Also available are mini-series Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder and The Two Mrs. Grenvilles.

Warner Archive also has bowed more than a dozen new feature film DVD premieres on the service, including Every Girl Should Be Married starring Cary Grant, The Mortal Storm with James Stewart and Whipsaw with Spencer Tracy.