WB/Fox Watchmen 1966 Batman trade?

[thunderbolt]

Interesting tidbit at Lying in the Gutters this week. Looks like Fox is willing to settle the Watchmen suit for the rights to release the Batshow on DVD and a cash settlement!!!!
http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18162

[The Toyroom]

If only! They better decide something quick cause I'm itchin' to buy one of the bootleg DVD series.

[BlackKnight]

^^^ I just bought the Bootleg Crap.
I am Waiting for it to come in the Mail. Enough,.. is Enough for Waiting too Damn long.

[Riffster]

taint gonna happen

[thunderbolt]

^^^ Rich Johnston is pretty much on the money and this one is greenlit.

[Riffster]

Batman tv series on dvd is worth way more then Watchman, non comic people don't know who the watchman are. everyone has watched the tv series

[bobws]

i was in Border's Book/ everything store a couple of weeks ago and a salesman said that watchmen was the #1 selling softcover right now. not just graphic novel but softcover book. after that trailer came out people who didn't read it before went out and bought it to see what was coming. Not to mention how good the trailer looked means they're hoping for 200-500 million dollars to come in from this. they won't want to lose that. so maybe just maybe 60's batman might be worth letting the fight end so they can make thier money. after all they already put out the dough to make it and can't just have it sit and not make any back. they also don't want to drag it out in court for years while that money just sits there. so let's hope dvd's are soon on the way!

[Riffster]

Idon't care who gets my money in the end, I'll be in line for each so bring it on :)

[Earth 2 Chris]

^^^ Rich Johnston is pretty much on the money and this one is greenlit.

If he greenlights something, it pans out that there is usually some truth to it. It's the yellow lights you have to watch.

Watchmen is going to make a ton of money. There is already mega-buzz on it, and if it makes it out, it's due to debut in a dead time for movies. Warners did this on purpose, hoping for some business like Miller's 300 film. Watchmen will probably bring in at least $200 million, and the Batman TV series will probably sell well, if it is promoted properly. Sounds like a pretty fair trade to me.


Chris

[Riffster]

too bad most of the villians have passed, having met Gorshin he'd have been great to have commentary for his episodes

[Airdave817]

I'd settle for the M*A*S*H approach to Batman - there was nothing but the episodes in the box sets. It would be kind of cool to have West, Ward, and the three Catwomen provide commentary. Isn't John Astin still around? But, I'd still settle for all the episodes.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Great, informative article on this over at TV Shows on DVD. I don't think we'll ever see the whole series after reading this.

Batman DVD news: Reports about a Watchmen-for-Batman Deal | TVShowsOnDVD.com (http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Batman-Watchmen-Batman-Deal-Reported/10573)

Chris

[ThatBatmanGuy]

Chris that is a good link. But alot the stuff will not hold up. Things like money to be paid to George Barris or any actor on the show. Nope. They all got paid years ago. Every dime as per their contract. George Barris is out of the picture anyway. He signed over his part acouple years ago with the Back to the Batcave tv movie. Hell he never owned or created half of what he's said over the years to start with. Most of the other stuff like getting the rights to other characters like Lurch from the Addams Family falls under parody. Even the music rights can't be challenged. This ain't WKRP. I think alot people think they are going to get some $$$, but they are sadly mistaken.

Bob

[Riffster]

actually the music could be a sticky situation, anyone who collected maimi Vice ot 90210 has learned that, the music has been edited out so as not to pay the artist. and while i don't see it as that big a deal, i'd hate to watch Batman and hear something other then Nananananana Batman!

[ScottA]

Until I actually see it in the stores and have it in my hand I'm not holding my breath, no matter who is at the table.

[Collect 'em all!]

Chris that is a good link. But alot the stuff will not hold up. Things like money to be paid to George Barris or any actor on the show. Nope. They all got paid years ago. Every dime as per their contract. George Barris is out of the picture anyway. He signed over his part acouple years ago with the Back to the Batcave tv movie. Hell he never owned or created half of what he's said over the years to start with. Most of the other stuff like getting the rights to other characters like Lurch from the Addams Family falls under parody. Even the music rights can't be challenged. This ain't WKRP. I think alot people think they are going to get some $$$, but they are sadly mistaken.

Bob

Bob, I agree.

Your'e completely right in your statement that all of the show's original contracts with it's creators were completed decades ago, not to mention, that so many of the people who worked on this program are no longer alive.

As far as the music soundtrack, I don't think 20th will have any problems whatsoever with their rights to the Nelson Riddle scoring, or Hefti's Bat theme.

I think the biggest roadblock has always been the WB greedily not wanting to give 20th a piece of their Bat-Pie.

I think that it's now or never for 20th--if they can't get WB to relent their blocking of the 66 Batman series DVD's by holding Watchmen hostage--then, I don't think it will ever happen.


Holy Horrors!
This is truly the most dastardly of doom traps!!

Is this the end? Will Batman and Robin ever escape?!

Tune in tomorrow night,
same bat-time, same bat-channel!

[Earth 2 Chris]

I don't really think the music or the bat-climb cameos is an issue, but the Green Hornet appearance could be. Did I Love Lucy make it to DVD with the appearance by George Reeves as Superman? If so, there is precedent for such a thing.

I thought (and I could be wrong) that actors often inked individual deals on contract issues like reruns, other media, etc. A real fore-sighted actor may have asked for a bigger chunk of the residuals in other formats. I know this would have been uncommon back then, but Batman was already available on Super 8 movies and View-Master reels during the show's run, so it's not out of the question that someone got smart about other media.

Chris

[goldenryan]

any new updates , love my batman episodes. i wanna see catwoman in HD.

[Action Martin]

According to this link a Federal Judge ruled in favor of Fox.
Blog@Newsarama Not-So-Cheery Holiday News (http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/12/25/not-so-cheery-holiday-news/)

[thunderbolt]

That gives Fox some leverage if WB wants to make that March release date.

[johnmiic]

I read the article and TVShowsonDVD states:

"...as CBR notes, Fox owns the footage. That footage is theirs to release in any manner they see fit...as long as they obey all contractual language involving licenses, royalties and residuals. For the big-screen film...But for the television episodes, there was no such language in the contracts about showing the footage anywhere else besides on television. So Fox can't show it anywhere else, such as on a DVD, because they don't have any rights to do so."

If this is the major stumbling block, and I were some clever Lawyer working for FOX, I would say that the medium in which the TV series is not in question, but that it will be viewed on tv devices because it only can be watched in this manner. I would point out that DVD's are viewed primarily on televisions, whether they be picture tube, plasma, widescreen, flat-screen or on hand held video-pods and PS devices. These are more sophisticated than old TV's biut sre still essentially tv's. DVD is merely the format used by everyone to supply shows to be watched.

[jds1911a1]

I read the article and TVShowsonDVD states:

"...as CBR notes, Fox owns the footage. That footage is theirs to release in any manner they see fit...as long as they obey all contractual language involving licenses, royalties and residuals. For the big-screen film...But for the television episodes, there was no such language in the contracts about showing the footage anywhere else besides on television. So Fox can't show it anywhere else, such as on a DVD, because they don't have any rights to do so."

If this is the major stumbling block, and I were some clever Lawyer working for FOX, I would say that the medium in which the TV series is not in question, but that it will be viewed on tv devices because it only can be watched in this manner. I would point out that DVD's are viewed primarily on televisions, whether they be picture tube, plasma, widescreen, flat-screen or on hand held video-pods and PS devices. These are more sophisticated than old TV's biut sre still essentially tv's. DVD is merely the format used by everyone to supply shows to be watched.

exactly whay we can still see batman 1966 on a broadcasted channel (or in this case a "subscribed one" like American life network) wish I had FIOS
americanlife television network (http://www.americanlifetv.com/programs.php?programid=BM)

[VintageMike]

Honestly the other things are msaller issues in comparison to the DC owning the characters.

Music?: Good or bad, it can be changed if needed.

Bat-Climbs: While it wouldn't be popular they could be cut out if it was too big an issue.


Guest Stars: Not to mention the original "Star Trek" had tons of guest stars and it was during the same time period. Not to mention a lot of other shows which had guest stars that have been released. I could be wrong but it makes me thing it's not as big an issue as they are making it out to be.

Clearing the DC hurdle would make a DVD release of some sort possible just not a perfect DVD release. But how many older series get that?

It's an unfortunate sidebar due to legalities today.
Hopefully they would at least go middle of the raod which is what CBS/Paramount did with the aforemntioned 90210 DVDs. While a lot of music was replaced, guest stars and key musical performances/pieces were kept.

Me, I caved in at the last convention I went to and bought one of the "studio masters' bootleg sets. Even had the original ABC opening.
But I'd still buy an official release if it became available. Just doing a comparison would be fun.