Please Release The Wonder Years on DVD and Blu-ray – #1

This is the first entry of another column that I’m planning on writing somewhat regularly.   It’s pretty self explanatory, so I’ll just get right to the point.

The Wonder Years

Here’s a show that has many hurdles to overcome to ever be released on DVD and Blu-ray.   It is a fantastic show that deserves a great release with interviews and features galore.   The show would be an instant hit on DVD, and could potentially help to bring back some of the DVD market that has hit a slump with the current recession.   I think that the time to restore all of the footage should be taken to make the release worth owning.

The biggest problem that the series faces in ever being released is the music.   More precisely: BMI and ASCAP.   These two companies own the licensing rights to pretty much all of the music that is released by a record label.   They are in place to help artists make a fair amount whenever their songs are used in tv shows, movies, and the like.   If the companies were able to reach out to all of the artists whose music appears in the series, and were able to make deals with all of them, it would be the smartest thing for all of them.

You see, the music in the show cannot be replaced with different, cheaper, songs.   There are a lot of DVD releases with music replacements, and for the most part I haven’t noticed anything odd.   But in The Wonder Years, the lyrics speak to what is happening in the episode, and sometimes the dialogue between the characters is also reflective of that.

Right now, not a single artist involved in The Wonder Years is making any money from the series apart from anything they might be making with the show in syndication.   Neither is BMI, nor is ASCAP.   But I offer a simple solution that can make all of them a lot of money.   Make a deal, get the series released while people still remember it in larger numbers.

I know that I’m over simplifying the whole thing, but perhaps I’m not.   Perhaps the studios are simply over complicating it.   There will have to be compromise, for sure, but can’t we all agree that some money is better than no money at all?

The Wonder Years not being released on DVD or Blu-ray is bringing in money for nobody involved.   And it’s the number one most requested DVD release on the website TVshowsonDVD.com with 6,565 requests for the release.   It’s topped the list for years without any progress.

Back in 1998, there were two Wonder Years DVDs released: The Best of the Wonder Years and The Best of the Christmas Wonder Years.   There isn’t much data about the changes to the music in the Christmas release, but the other disc had most, if not all, of the music replaced with either covers of the songs, or generic music, negatively effecting the presentation.   The Best of the Wonder Years also includes only a couple of episodes, and a special highlights episode, the “Looking Back” special.

But that is not enough.   It’s been twelve years since these releases, and the DVD market is much larger than it was back in 1998.   Let’s get this show onto our shelves as soon as possible.

UPDATE: Just announced: The Wonder Years: The Complete Series is coming to DVD!

31 Comments

  1. Hi.
    I whole heartedly agree with you.
    I tried out of desperation.
    Four different bootleg boxsets.
    Which I normally never bother with.but I’ve given up any hope.
    Of the Wonder years ever coming to DVD.
    If it ever does I’ll buy all six seasons with bells on.
    I tried calling fox.
    I found a comment line
    The phone number is 18773697867.
    The Fox associate I spoke with said rhat .
    They hav’nt received any requests recently for the Wonder years on DVD/but if they get enough requests .
    That Fox might release the Wonder years on DVD.

  2. WOW! I am shocked that Fox hasn’t recieved enough requests for The Wonder Years ! This was my absolute favorite show growing up. I have been searching as well for DVDs for my own kids to watch with no luck. They don’t make many great shows that the whole family (our children are ages 7-18) can sit down and enjoy together. Thank you Paula B. for the comment line #. I will definetely be calling! hopefully other fans will see this and call as well. Come on people! lets not lose the chance to pass down one of the best family shows of our generation!

    • I’m glad to see atleast one respons.
      I hope tat we can do some good
      Right now it sure sucks to be a fan of the Wonder years.
      I’m very discouraged.

  3. Hi.
    I completely agree.
    Unfortunetly I have little reason to believe that Fox cares about fans of the show.
    However I do have a email address http://www.foxconnect.com
    It requires a order # just put all zeros.
    I’m not happy with Fox at all .
    Fore not even trying to release the Wonder years on DVD
    but maybe if they get enough emails they’ll see the light.

  4. I actually work at BMI. If there was anything I could do, I would do it. I actually have Wonder Years news updates sent to me every week from Google, with the hopes that I will find out the show is being released. I too also bought a Bootleg and sent it right back. I’m beginning to think that may be my only chance to get the show. Does anyone know if it’s currently in syndication? It had a run on ION a few years back. It was incredible.

    • Hi Brad.
      I feel your pain.
      I too have been trying to get atleast a good bootleg of the Wonder years.
      After about five try’s.
      I finally found one that works pretty well/but because I think of the age of the tapes.
      That ION used to broadcast the Wonder years .
      There are some issues.
      I exsperienced freeze ups that lasted between ten and twenty seconds.
      In about six of the episodes.
      The seller that I bought the bootleg from sells through ioffer.com.
      He says he got all the episodes of the Wonder years off the internet.
      However after I bought the set he seemed to have dropped out .
      Atleast for the time being.
      The bootleg is a twenty disk set.
      I have watched all the disks .
      And they all worked well.
      Their was also some image breakdown/but none of the issues that I exsperienced was the fault of thi disks.
      The freeze ups were tape freeze ups.
      Becaus I was able to rewind the disk back to the same spot and in each instant.
      The numbers that dislay the progress on the disk kept moving forward.
      Also I just read on googe that there’s supposed to be a new TV channel called the Hub.
      And they’re supposed to start broadcasting the Wonder years .
      Starting October 10-th of thiis years.
      I guess the best thig to do it to try and get a DVD burner.
      And start burning the show.
      Because I don’t see the Wonder years ever comming to DVD.
      Unfortunately.!!
      And that’s very sad indeed.!!!

  5. It’s back! On tv, at least. We just got the channels back of which our cable company had robbed us! It’s on HUB network. I’m soooooo excited! I check every two months on line to see if they have a boxed set. There are two websites that offer it, but both have received complaints, so I don’t trust them.

    • Hi.
      I just recently called Foxconnect about the Wonder years being released on DVD.
      And a Fox representative told me that.
      They have no information about that.
      Because they don’t own the Wonder years television show.
      Warner brothers holds the copy wrights.
      I’m not sure if this is a good sine or not.

  6. Im 21, and can remember being 10 and watching it, growing up & learning from Kevin. Im from Mass and My family has the Charter package, they have a channel called “THE HUB” they play re runs every single night of the Wonder Years. Its a channel dedicated to old shows, such as happy days as well. You should check it out =) I hadnt seen the Wonder Years sense 10 and im 21, and the second the theme song game on I had instant goosebumps. GOD I LOVE THE WONDER YEARS

  7. 100%. This is the one season that my husband has wanted since the show came out and the one thing I can’t get for him. Someone is missing out on this opportunity if they would only produce these….

  8. Why does a show like Wonder Years have issues with licensing music, but something like Miami Vice is able to get released? Miami Vice featured many high caliber 80s music hits. I’m assuming there was lots of demand for Miami Vice to get over the hurdles, and apparently the appeal for Wonder Years is just not high enough to warrant the work involved.

    • Good questions. I even checked the alterations list on TVshowsonDVD.com to see if Miami Vice was there, and it wasn’t. Years ago, a DVD of the “Best of the Wonder Years” was released, and if you look at their alterations list, the say that most, if not all, of the original music was replace with covers or generic music on the release: http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Wonder-Years-Best-Of-Release/178

      The response at the time of release was negative. I wonder if the particular music used on the show originally is just more expensive music than that used in Miami Vice.

  9. WKRP in Cincinnati was releasedon DVD with generic music and the fans of the show claimed it totally killed the originality of the show.
    WKRP use to play modern rock music that was big at the time the show was eing aired and it not only often times pertained to the plot line but it was essential in representing that particular pop/rock music genration. The dvd release could have served as a great time capsule instead it loses much of it’s flare.
    The Wonder Years without the original music would be even worse because it is about the decade that is more represented by it’s music than any other, the 1960s.
    Still, I would still love to see it on dvd than not at all, especially if they could at least get cover versions of the songs. Had the show been originally aired with cover versions we would be use to it and at the time the cover versions would have still had a great effect on the scene.

    • I remember that whole fiasco. I’ve heard that The Wonder Years might be added to Netflix streaming at some point. They have a deal with the studio that owns the rights. Perhaps when they see a ton of people watching them on Netflix, they’ll be more inclined to go after a good deal for release on a home video format.

  10. Have been hoping to ge tthe Wonder Years on DVD for EVER now!! I’d buy the entire box set in a heartbeat. I’m taping all of the episodes they are playing right now on the HUB network!! I also called Fox–they just said they made note of my request. Let’s keep the FIRE BURNING!

  11. China Beach also is not out on DVD for the same music reasons….2 great shows from the 90s I would love to watch again.

  12. The Wonder Years is now up for streaming on Netflix, yet the DVDs still do not exist…Somethin’ just doesn’t add up!

    • I have some thoughts about that. The music rights that the show has apply to television, but not to sale / distribution of the episodes with the music included.

      Netflix (and others that are streaming / will be streaming The Wonder Years) isn’t selling or distributing the show. It is only allowing people to view the show via streaming, and can pull the show at any time. It’s basically a loophole.

      That said, the fact that it’s available on streaming could be just the thing we need. As people watch it, it could act as a vote for the show to finally come to DVD. We’ll have to see what happens next, but I’ve read a lot of articles where people mention how excited they are for The Wonder Years to finally be available on streaming, that it could renew interest.

  13. im waiting too i loved this show its a shame tv isnt like this anymore i was a kid and this was our friday night as a family show. Its sad now a days no one i know has family time everyones all on the go. I watched this and family matter and the show with tapanga cant remember the name to it right off hand but tv used to mean something to the american family and will fox and abc nbc cbs kinda of lost all that. Even mtv doesnt even show music at all anymore. its called music television but music has nothing to do with it anymore its reality tv with the likes of jersey shore and junk like it. its sad but people need to push for this release its a great american family show and i wish it would come out by now

    • Same here, and the show you were talking about with Tapanga is Boy Meets World. All 7 seasons of that are now on DVD and reasonably priced. Fantastic show!

  14. I too can’t believe this. I also got so desperate that I bought that set off ioffer someone mentioned earlier and it was a big mistake. I spent extra money for the DELUXE VERSION with art work and picture cases and the whole nine yards. What I received was a plain black case and no art work on the discs or the case or anything else. Just plain discs with a number hand written on it. I emailed the seller who babbled something about not being able to affort the deluxe cases and art work anymore (which he was still selling the last time I looked). Not only did I get cheated on that, but some of the episodes didn’t even play. The episode would start and you could hear a loud ZIPPING noise and it would jump straight to the end of the episode. I emailed the seller again and got absolutely no response whatsoever (what a shock). The point is that millions of dollars a year have to be going into people buying these horrible bootleg sets, but the main companies apparently couldn’t care less or don’t see this as a reason to release it legitimately and make the money themselves. As long as it has been, they could have gotten the clearance on all of the songs and gotten this done ten times over by now.

  15. i just ordered complete set from dvdjungle.com for $49 and free shipping.i’m hoping it is good quality. it said all 115 uncut episodes on 8 dvds. i’ll let you all know how the quality is when i receive it.

  16. @steve.. so what about the dvd’s – still watching?
    i am looking for the dvd set (i’d also buy the blue ray) because my husband is germanys number one fan.
    so many fans here in germany would also buy.
    it’s very disapointing that a series like the wonder years was never released.
    sad!

  17. I picked up a set at a convention. The episodes are from the ION airings and are pretty nice. Anyone know if these are complete episodes or are they cut and if so by how much?

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