One new DVD release I didn't mention yesterday is WKRP In Cincinnati: The First Season, because I'm not sure I should recommend it.
Let's be clear: WKRP, at its peak, may have been the finest sitcom in TV history: the writing was always character-based, brought to life by an ace cast. It had a nice feel for the quiet desperation and small triumphs of the staff of a low-rated, low-prestige radio station in the midwest. And boy, was it funny.
The problem is, the show used a lot of music. Mostly just in the background--it was set in a radio station, after all--but occasionally for very specific purposes, as when Foreigner's Hot Blooded causes meek newscaster Les Nessman to hilariously assert his manhood. Music licensing fees were relatively cheap when the show premiered in the late seventies, but the rights to the music on WKRP expired long ago, and to renogiate them now would be pricey.
So Fox Home Video, which is releasing the set, didn't bother to try. Some of the episodes in this release are from a syndicated version prepared in the nineties, with significant amounts of footage cut. Others try to preserve the integrity of the show as it first aired, but with the music replaced by generic soundalikes. Other scenes, when music featured prominently, have been cut altogether.
From a business standpoint, it makes sense; Fox has no way of knowing how this show will sell, and there's no point in spending a fortune in music rights without knowing they'll make a profit. But isn't the whole point of buying TV shows on DVD to get the show you originally saw, not the cut-down, time-compressed versions you see in syndication?
So in the name of integrity, you probably shouldn't buy this. But if no one buys it, Fox will never release subsequent seasons, and will feel vindicated in their choice to not spend money on it. And if it should turn out to be popular, thus inspiring Fox to renegotiate music rights for a more complete reissue, anyone who buys this will be burned.
What to do? I'll probably pick it up myself, but I'll probably curse a lot as I watch.
