Amazon is now taking pre-orders for the forthcoming boxed set of The Bob Newhart Show. All six seasons — 142 episodes — are in it for a grand total of 3,180 minutes on eighteen DVD discs. It will be out in May and include new interviews with many of the cast members, a 1991 retrospective special, a "bloopers" reel, a 40 page booklet and audio commentaries from Bob and several members of the cast. They're also including the original pilot, which was significantly altered (new scenes, a few different actors) before it was telecast. Could a fan of this show not be delighted?
Well, yes. Here's why some folks are upset. Beginning in 2005, Twentieth Century Fox's home video division issued single season sets. They put out Season One and all the lovers of this show bought it. Then they put out Season Two and all the lovers of this show bought it. Then Season Three and Season Four and then…nothing. Fox never put out Seasons Five and Six. Their license to issue this show expired and the good folks at Shout Factory have grabbed it up and they're putting this set out…but no individual sets of the last two seasons. If you want them, you have to buy the whole set.
Now, this is not quite as bad financially as it may sound. Originally, the season-by-season sets listed for $29.95 each. If you snatched them up then, you probably paid about $20 each for them. (They are now being closed-out at lower prices.) If you were prepared to pay that for the remaining two seasons, that's forty bucks…but right now, you can pre-order the entire set for $80 plus you get the new special features. Some of the special features are repeated but a few aren't. Also, of course, by buying the individual seasons, you got those shows for your viewing pleasure eight or nine years ago. You didn't have to wait until 2014 to have any of them.
I don't know that you should feel abused here…and if you were, don't blame Shout Factory. They're putting out what looks like a nice set and they aren't the reason you didn't get Seasons Five and Six from the previous company. It might be nice if they put out just those years for those collectors who already have two-thirds of these programs…but that's kind of how home video works. You buy it and then you buy a fancier version later. If you're pissed, just think how annoyed you'll be after you buy the complete set and they announce a Blu-ray edition with material that was never on home video before…so you have to buy that.
For now, if you want the Complete Bob Newhart Show, you can advance-order it at this link. Looks like a great price for a great set of a great show. Thanks to Sitcom Expert Vince Waldron for letting me know they were taking orders now. Vince contributed to that booklet that's included and he always does fine work.