MovieChat Forums > American Dreams (2002) Discussion > Copyrights Keep TV Shows off DVD

Copyrights Keep TV Shows off DVD

posted 16 years ago by Jeni17113
4 replies | jump to latest

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/news/2005/03/66696

Navigating music licensing issues can be more difficult for shows where the music experience is central. The producers of one current show, American Dreams, went to extraordinary lengths to prepare the show for DVD.

American Dreams centers on a family in Philadelphia in the tumultuous 1960s. Motown tunes and folk songs play throughout. Two of the teenage characters regularly dance on American Bandstand, and the show includes some classic footage from the '60s show. It also re-creates the Bandstand experience, with modern stars like Usher playing Marvin Gaye and Hilary and Haylie Duff playing the Shangri-Las, among others.

For the release of the first-season DVD last fall, executive producer Jonathan Prince watched every episode again and rated the importance of every song in each episode. A "1" meant the song could not be replaced; a "5" was unimportant to the story.

Prince kept music he deemed critical to particular scenes, as well as performances of guest stars and music for the Bandstand dancers. But some background songs -- when the kids get ready for the prom, for instance -- were replaced with "cheaper needle-drops" from the '60s. Prince said he doubted even hard-core fans would notice the difference.

"I'm a music freak. This matters to me," Prince said. "We probably kept 80 percent of our music."
"If they can't promise that the music is part of the DVD, you're going to have pissed-off fans," Prince added. Music is so critical to shows, it would be like "watching 90210 without Luke," he said.

[–] pantherfan99 13 years ago

That is so rediculous that they do that

If you think I'm weird, then you really need to get out more shallow Idiots

[–] MadameRoyale 13 years ago

It is incredibly ridiculous but I'd really like to know their excuse for not putting it into reruns. Beverly Hills, 90210 had the same copyright issue with their music. They changed the entire first season's songs for the DVD release but when they are replayed on TV they have the original music.

[–] ariel444 13 years ago

dawson's creek had the same issue - every dvd after season 2 has different music. it's kind of sad because that show had such great music.

[–] AltaireIII 13 years ago

Now you know why the recording industry is in the sorry state it is in. Inflexible, greedy, and it focuses on the wrong things. The industry needs to make it easier for people to buy their product and use it.