Two NBC Westerns Coming to DVD with Unaired Episodes
Unbelievable! Two relatively obscure NBC Westerns are coming to DVD next month thanks to Timeless Media Group and both sets will include episodes left unaired during their original network runs. The Oregon Trail, starring Rod Taylor, premiered in September of 1977 and was canceled after just six episodes were broadcast (a two-hour made-for-TV movie that served as a pilot was aired in January of 1976). The DVD comes out on April 13th, complete with the pilot, the six broadcast episodes and another seven unaired episodes. Whispering Smith, starring Audie Murphy, was supposed to premiere at the start of the 1959-1960 season but was held back until January of 1961. It will be released on DVD on April 20th, with the twenty episodes broadcast on NBC as well as five unaired episodes. Read the full announcements at TVShowsOnDVD.com here and here.
What’s next? Coronet Blue on DVD in pristine condition with the two unaired episodes?
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March 13th, 2010 at 4:19PM
It’s about time…I absolutely LOVE Audie Murphy and have been waiting a long time for this series to be released on DVD. Thanks to the “powers that be”.
March 14th, 2010 at 8:08PM
Great news, especially that both series are from the western genre.
If westerns are the sudden vogue, may I put in a word for ‘The Americans’ and ‘The Loner’, two very special sixties series worthy of handling by Timeless.
March 14th, 2010 at 9:11PM
“The Loner” is a Fox property and Timeless doesn’t do business with them. All of the westerns they’ve released are part of the Universal catalog.
March 15th, 2010 at 3:06PM
Fox Video has no intention of releasing “THE LONER” on home video at this time (even though the episodes WERE seen on “TV Land”- the “original incarnation”- over a decade ago) because they feel there’s no “market” for the series. However, NBC/Universal was apparently “cleaning out” its vaults and decided, ‘What the heck, let’s throw these one-season wonders to Timeless, and see if they’re worth something’. Both of those series {“OVERLAND TRAIL”, “WHISPERING SMITH”} lasted a half-season, and weren’t successful when originally aired. If someone “discovers” those series for the first time, they might get something out of them [two guys watching "OVERLAND TRAIL": "Who's that big fat guy?"/"That's William Bendix from 'THE LIFE OF RILEY'!"/"WHO??"]…and might spark more “discoveries” into obscure series. Personally, I’d like to see Dennis Weaver’s 1964-’65 “KENTUCKY JONES” series revived on home video; that was produced by NBC, and that means CBS/Paramount/Viacom might have the rights to those episodes….