MovieChat Forums > Fresno (1986) Discussion > How many versions are there?

How many versions are there?

posted 16 years ago by santa-rita
4 replies | jump to latest

Can someone please clarify for me .... how many versions of Fresno are there?
I understand there's one with a laughing track and yet another that's edited? Then there's the complete, unedited version. The IMBd description states that the movie is 360 mins long. As I understand, this also includes commercial time? I have one that's apprx 4.5 hours long, which includes the Conquistador scene in the beginning - How long is the REAL complete version (without the commercials)?

[–] mman37x 15 years ago

No idea about versions. I only remember one. Six hours would definitely include commercials.

The only bad thing about "Fresno" was the laugh track. It was just completely unnecessary and detracted from the deliberately deadpan nature of the humor.

[–] strangenuf 15 years ago

There is a non- laughtrack version, available at http://strang-e-nuf-video.ecrater.com/ in great quality, on 2 discs, for $17.00 postpaid
and Fresno is approx.5 hours, without commercials

[–] john1956pa 14 years ago

In June of 1989, CBS repeated Fresno, but, this time, the laugh track was added. As soon I discovered that the laugh track had been added, I wrote a letter to CBS protesting that addition, and I asked that the network offer the original version (without the laugh track) available for sale on VHS. Of course, I got no response to my letter. I agree with you that the addition of the laugh track spoiled the movie. I hope that, someday, the original version will become available on DVD.

[–] gcarras 10 years ago

I,too, saw that in 1986, noticed later that it was rerun missed it the second
time, then saw a letter to the local newspaper TV directory (or maybe it was the LA Times one) making me glad that I only saw the first-time showing and missed the rerun, reading that a laff-track was added "and ruined a perfectly good satire". I agree. Using that on this kind of comedy is like using it on the TV showings of things like The Naked Gun or Police Squad!

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