frenchjr25
05-14-2006, 12:48 AM
For some strange reason the only Desilu shows that are in reruns are I Love Lucy, Mission Impossible, and Star Trek. Shows such as The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show were produced at Desilu, but were not produced by Desilu. Desilu produced a lot of TV in its short life, and helped produce some of the greatest shows in history.
Most of the comedys produced by Desilu had great lives in reruns until the mid 70s. Then, for some strange reason, Paramount (who gained the rights after its parent company, Gulf & Western, purchased Desilu in the late 60s) decided to only focus on the shows they produced themselves, other than I Love Lucy.
Both December Bride and Our Miss Brooks (which were in the top 5 of the raitings of the 50s) have not been on the air in 30 years. Sadly, they are sitting in vaults at Paramount (which is now a part of CBS). There are more than enough episodes available for syndication and it suprises me they they have not been made available to TVLand.
The cost to air shows from the 50s is quiet small, seeing that there are no risiduals getting paid to the casts (risiduals did not start until the late 60s and early 70s). December Bride is owned entirely by CBS. It was part of the deal when Dezi Arnaz and Lucille Ball sold I Love Lucy so that they could buy RKO. I am not sure who owns Our Miss Brooks, but I know that CBS still has some ownership of it. Eve Arden also owned a part of it.
These are two great shows (out of dozens of truly garbage sitcoms of their decade) and deserve to be back on the air.
I would urge you to write to CBS Paramount Television and ask that they make them available to TVLand. At the least, they could release them on DVD, which has been done with I Married Joan and other less than worthy sitcoms of the era.
CBS Paramount Television
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Most of the comedys produced by Desilu had great lives in reruns until the mid 70s. Then, for some strange reason, Paramount (who gained the rights after its parent company, Gulf & Western, purchased Desilu in the late 60s) decided to only focus on the shows they produced themselves, other than I Love Lucy.
Both December Bride and Our Miss Brooks (which were in the top 5 of the raitings of the 50s) have not been on the air in 30 years. Sadly, they are sitting in vaults at Paramount (which is now a part of CBS). There are more than enough episodes available for syndication and it suprises me they they have not been made available to TVLand.
The cost to air shows from the 50s is quiet small, seeing that there are no risiduals getting paid to the casts (risiduals did not start until the late 60s and early 70s). December Bride is owned entirely by CBS. It was part of the deal when Dezi Arnaz and Lucille Ball sold I Love Lucy so that they could buy RKO. I am not sure who owns Our Miss Brooks, but I know that CBS still has some ownership of it. Eve Arden also owned a part of it.
These are two great shows (out of dozens of truly garbage sitcoms of their decade) and deserve to be back on the air.
I would urge you to write to CBS Paramount Television and ask that they make them available to TVLand. At the least, they could release them on DVD, which has been done with I Married Joan and other less than worthy sitcoms of the era.
CBS Paramount Television
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038