Your Holy Grail TV Release for 2016

The start of a new year is often a hopeful time. Resolutions still feel possible. As this particular new year gets underway I thought it might be interesting to ask everyone to pick the one obscure or short-lived or forgotten TV show they’d most like to see released on DVD/Blu-ray/streaming/whatever in 2016. Call it your “holy grail” release for the year.

Of course, many of the shows I’ve written about here at Television Obscurities will likely never see the light of day again. But some have. Over the past five years we’ve seen The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Mr. Lucky, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, My Living Doll, SEARCH, and The Rebel released on DVD. Who knows what 2016 could bring?

We do know that other short-lived shows are on their way. In November of last year, VEI announced it will be releasing a number TV shows on DVD at some point in the unspecified future (but probably in 2016) including The Immortal, The Magician, and Level 9.

To make things a little more interesting, let’s each name two “holy grail” releases for 2016: one realistic and one unlikely and/or impossible.

Realistically, I’d say there is at least a chance Freedom (UPN, 2000-2001) could come to DVD this year and I for one would love to finally have the opportunity to see the unaired episodes and hopefully the original, unaired pilot. Freedom aired alongside Level 9 during the 2000-2001 season. They weren’t produced by the same companies, however, so the fact that Level 9 is coming to DVD doesn’t necessarily pave the way for Freedom. But I’ve got my fingers crossed.

As for my unlikely and/or impossible pick, I could go with the obvious choice and say The New People (ABC, 1969-1970), which is the holiest of my holy grails of television. But instead I’m going to go with Sons and Daughters (CBS, 1974) with Gary Frank and Glynnis O’Connor. It’s not technically impossible but the odds are as slim as can be. If I wanted to go with an actual impossibility I’d chose either Kyle MacDonnell’s Girl About Town (NBC, 1948-1949) or Miss Susan (NBC, 1951) with Susan Peters.

Hit the comments with your own “holy grail” TV releases for 2016 and be sure to check back in twelve months to see which shows–if any–were actually released.


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8 Replies to “Your Holy Grail TV Release for 2016”

  1. I don’t keep track of what is being released on DVDs, for I don’t have the money to buy anything that isn’t a neccesity. So I don’t bother thinking bout what I’d like to own.

    As for the impossible pick, that would be Remember WENN, AMC’s first original series from 1996-1998. The last episode had a cliffhanger ending because there was supposed to be another season, but television executives don’t always make logical decisions.

    Oh well, a few episodes were released on videotape, and as long as my landlord keeps providing free WiFi and my android tablet is in the mood to play YouTube properly I can watch some episodes via the wonders of the world wide web.

  2. “Sons And Daughters”‘ short run in 1974 was actually on CBS.

    As for the “Holy Grail”, how about an authorized DVD release of Ralph Bakshi’s 1966 cult-classic cartoon series “The Mighty Heroes”??

    (There have been bootleg releases of “Mighty Heroes”, but never an authorized release)

  3. How about Casablanca (1955) as one with a decent shot? Warners put out one episode as a DVD extra years ago, and the Warner Archive team has said they are working on resolving clearance issues,

    Less likely but one I’d still love to see in 2016: The Dick Powell Theatre.

  4. My TV Holy Grail is “Hot L Baltimore”. I was extremely young when this old Norman Lear show first (and only) aired on ABC. In fact as I think about it, considering the show’s cutting edge characters and subject matter for it’s time, I’m kind of surprised I was allowed to watch it.

    I’d like the opportunity to see it again not only because I’d like to check it out again, but to also see if it stands up for real, or if it’s just my memories that make it better than it really was.

  5. One-season series: HONDO (1967-68) and GET CHRISTIE LOVE! (1974-75). i think the former is certain to be released eventually by Warner Archive; it’s been very popular streaming at Warner Archive Instant.

    Among hits from the past, THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW/LOVE THAT BOB is long overdue for a proper release.

  6. I’d love to see Story Theater again. It was a TV show that use to do folk tales and started with a horse-drawn stage with performers. Some of the performers were stars beforehand, others became known later. A few went on to do The Electric Company.

    There’s a YouTube video of an episode but they muted the audio:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzop3ku9Fc8

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