Malcolm in the Middle HD Episodes?

MITM_Fan

Member
Exactly! Let's try and keep supporting those small but extremely dedicated niche companies, who went out of their way to get MITM released, while we can. I know almost 100 euros for the box set (on French Amazon, both new and secondhand) may sound like a hefty sum in all, but actually it's only 66 cents per episode, which you can view as often as you want, and which includes extras!

That's not too much to ask for devoted fans like us - which I consider us to be because we bother to post here, is it?

Rich

I get what you're saying but I wish they'd release the series in HD on Blu-ray already.
 

MITM97

New member
I know how you guys feel, here in the US it scares me everyday if I see Malcolm in the Middle get taken off Netflix, I just hope the show is released on DVD or digital sooner than later just as long as the episodes are uncut with original music then I'll be happy. I've just always been scared also to import the UK box set because of their quality compared to Netflix and if the episodes have the same music and are uncut. Original is all I want.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
Well, the problem is that the market for physical media like DVD or Blu-ray has nearly completely collapsed, so hardly anyone is taking the risk now to put out an older, less than hugely popular series like MITM in this way. I guess all we can hope for are reasonably priced downloads in either 720p or 1080p quality.

On the other hand, I noticed that Fabulous Films, who also released MITM on DVD of course, just came up with a British version of the Wonder Years deluxe box set, 26 discs for £ 80, which again amounts to about 100 euros. It includes no fewer than 23 hours of exclusive bonus features like cast interviews and outtakes, episode booklets, and all the original songs (there were very serious music rights issues there too, with songs by Jimi Hendrix, Byrds, Beach Boys, Stones, CCR, Simon & Garfunkel). Joe Cocker's take on the Beatles' With A Little Help ... as the theme song is reinstated, and not some poor imitator like on Netflix. It is said that the transfers were all from the original masters too.

I don't know how well this is doing. I'm sure this is a long-awaited, first-rate release that should be huge in any discerning viewer's book, but perhaps it's a sign of lethargy and the changing times that I don't feel like buying it right now, because I own too much stuff already, and I wonder how many episodes I'm going to watch with all the other media I'd still look forward to enjoying one way or another.

WY-Groupshot1.jpg

Rich
 
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MITM_Fan

Member
Well, the problem is that the market for physical media like DVD or Blu-ray has nearly completely collapsed, so hardly anyone is taking the risk now to put out an older, less than hugely popular series like MITM in this way. I guess all we can hope for are reasonably priced downloads in either 720p or 1080p quality.

On the other hand, I noticed that Fabulous Films, who also released MITM on DVD of course, just came up with a British version of the Wonder Years deluxe box set, 26 discs for £ 80, which again amounts to about 100 euros. It includes no fewer than 23 hours of exclusive bonus features like cast interviews and outtakes, episode booklets, and all the original songs (there were very serious music rights issues there too, with songs by Jimi Hendrix, Byrds, Beach Boys, Stones, CCR, Simon & Garfunkel). Joe Cocker's take on the Beatles' With A Little Help ... as the theme song is reinstated, and not some poor imitator like on Netflix. It is said that the transfers were all from the original masters too.

I don't know how well this is doing. I'm sure this is a long-awaited, first-rate release that should be huge in any discerning viewer's book, but perhaps it's a sign of lethargy and the changing times that I don't feel like buying it right now, because I own too much stuff already, and I wonder how many episodes I'm going to watch with all the other media I'd still look forward to enjoying one way or another.


Rich

Had no idea that a UK distributor released a new DVD boxset of The Wonder Years but to be honest, that ending just ruined it for me and it's hard to see past that. I could always pretend that doesn't exist like Season 9 of Scrubs is a horrible nightmare but this is different.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
Had no idea that a UK distributor released a new DVD boxset of The Wonder Years but to be honest, that ending just ruined it for me and it's hard to see past that. I could always pretend that doesn't exist like Season 9 of Scrubs is a horrible nightmare but this is different.
Welll ... that final episode made up less than 1% of the whole run ;). You mean you got bummed that Kevin and Winnie didn't end up together? I mean, it rarely happens in real life that you end up marrying your childhood sweetheart anyway, and this was a sort of melancholy, thoughtful series from the start - that Fred Savage did in real life is beside the point. Or is it?! :confused:

Anyway, I was reflecting on this type of DVD release as a high-quality one, not necessarily on the content of the programme.

Oh well, now that the pound is sinking (as Paul McCartney sang), I guess I could buy the series anyway, because it's already 5 euros down since yesterday!

But I'm getting sidetracked, because this is supposed to be a thread about MITM ....

I did find some interesting points in the reviews on the often poor picture quality of series like these, and the dispute over what constitute the original masters:

'The Wonder Years' was shot on 16mm film, so the overall resolution was hampered from the beginning and, to compound the visual handicap, the series was edited together on broadcast video tape to save money. Most shows from the mid 80's onward (until the DAW took over [digital audio workstation - I think the author meant a smilar facility for video, ed.]) were edited on tape and the results are less than pleasing when viewed on any HD video system. Back in the day, they only thought it would be seen on our Low Rez CRT [cathode ray tube - big bulky monitors, ed.] televisions. Phooey! (...)

Some shows that were shot on 16mm, but look great include 'Poirot' and 'Sherlock Holmes' from Granada and Carnival Films because they were also EDITED on film. 'Star Trek The Next Generation' was shot on 35 mm film and edited on tape, so until they did the massive restoration project over the last few years, it always looked HORRIBLE on DVD. StarVista [who produced 'The Wonder Years' DVD release for Time Life, ed.] did not put the time or money into re-compositing the film elements to make new pristine film-based masters. It would have been just too costly I guess, but the results would have been Blu-Ray worthy at that point.

Rich
 
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MITM_Fan

Member
I know but after all that and Kevin doesn't end up marrying Winnie was just a huge slap in the face because everything was gearing towards that sentiment.
 

MITM97

New member
Hi karma, welcome to the MITM VC! I'm not quite sure where or who has the episodes available to download but I'm sure someone here in the community has them. Let me or anyone else know if you have anymore questions about the show.
 
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