It Could've Been A Joy!!!

This was announced with great fanfare in 1990-1991. The Academy was sponsoring a 3 tape set of it's greatest moments. The proceeds were to help in the building of the Academy's vast Library off LaCienega and other AMPAS causes. Fans of the Awards, like myself, couldn't wait for the tapes.
I say this because I was just finishing my degree and I wanted to work on this project. Needless to say I never got a call!
Longtime Academy director/producer (and one time Liza hubby) Jack Haley Jr. was announced as the producer. The goal was to release the first tape around the time of the 1992 Awards. It was to include moments from the 1971 show through 1991. Highs and lows, musical numbers, comedy, pathos were all to be included.
The second tape was to focus on the TV years (1953-1970). These were the years Oscar came of age. Liz, Yul, Rock and Mae, young Liza, old Judy, Barbra, John Wayne, Ben-Hur, Natalie Wood, The Sound of Music. The transition from B/W to Color all were to be highlighted.
The third was to consist of the first 25 years. Through newsreels, stock & personal footage, radio broadcasts, and historical reflections they would focus on the formative years of the AMPAS.

The plan began to unravel when it was decided that then President Karl Malden would serve as a host to 'explain' the scenes. Also, the decision was made to focus more on 'contemporary' names. Hence the show is top heavy with Robin Williams, Madonna, Billy and other scenes which were from Oscar's recent past. Most die hard fans had these shows on tape and were hoping for rarer footage (ie. pre-VCR days). There was far too little material from the early 70's. The tape relied heavily on scenes from the winning films instead of speeches of those who won for them.

On release the tape was panned by film buffs for only showing glimpses of the early 70's shows, for not showing complete speeches and only snippets of musical performances. Most critics complained that the majority of the tape was culled from recent shows that were still fresh in peoples minds (Only a verse Barbra's Evergreen while the ENTIRE Madonna song which only won the previous year!).

As a result the tape, even with heavy cross promotion by trailers on recent video rentals, TV spots and a tie with KitKat candy bars fell flat. Die hard fans (like me) ran out to by it. Others passed.
Naturally, it wasn't long before the Academy pulled the plug on the other two tapes and the project was shelved. I am told the one hurt the most was Jack Jr. who was coming out a bad period of his life. Sadly, he passed away only a few years later.

Ironically, one reviewer at the time (I want to say Gene Siskel but the memory is murky) questioned the Academy's logic in releasing the current material first. He felt they should have released the tapes in chronological order and it would have generated interest in the History of the Academy in addition to creating an anticipation for the next volume.
I agree with that sentiment but I fear the Academy has abandoned this idea for good.