Monday, July 2, 2007

Apologies to Thomas Wolfe

It has been a while since I have written anything for this site. Not true. It has been a while since I have had anything for release to this site. The truth is I have written…more than once, but…well, it is a matter of tone.

I live very well. I have a nice life and that, in no small respect, is partially due to a lot of you, the fans of Cagney & Lacey. No one has to take up a collection for me and I’m most definitely not someone for whom you should feel sorry. I emphasize this because, before submitting the last thing I wrote for this website, I asked a few intimates what they thought of what I wrote. They all said it was whiney and self-pitying. I didn’t mean that when I wrote it, didn’t see it when I read it, and certainly did not intend it to be that. But that is what they saw and so I ask that you please understand, this is not a pout.

Why write at all? I feel I owe you some answers and responses as well as updates. Here goes.

Thomas Wolfe wrote that one cannot “go home again,” yet the temptation to revisit a past as rich and full as the one I experienced during my last years in television was more than I could resist. It resulted in my first book, Cagney & Lace …and Me, and the repackaging of 22 episodes of the series on DVD through MGM/Fox.

Measuring the success of such an undertaking on strictly a financial basis turns out to be folly. No book with such a niche market as my memoir could sustain the kind of legal fees, insurance costs, publicity expenses, printing and shipping fees, distribution charges, and sales commissions that are built into such a venture. You have to think of it not as a business, but as a labor of love or, if you will, an ego trip.

The more potentially exploitable DVD market for such a jaunt down memory lane turns out to be more limited than you might think. The video marketplace for older television programming is dying. The retailers have been satiated with a glut of product and no group of itinerant managers in charge of distributing this kind of material can be expected to do the heavy lifting that is necessary, especially when one must factor in their need to husband energies they will have to expend over the next several years on the vast amount of product that fills their boss’s warehouses. It isn’t that they don’t care…they simply cannot reasonably be asked to care enough to make it happen for any one show.

But therein lies the problem and the bottom line factoid…we were not in the stores: not in Wal-Mart, not Blockbuster, not Costco, not Target. Walk into 10 stores in your neighborhood that sell videos and DVD material and you will find that maybe one of the 10 is carrying the DVD of Cagney & Lacey. It is hard with our demographic to rely solely on the internet and Amazon, but that is what we have had to do. Cagney & Lacey averaged a weekly audience of 20,000,000 viewers during its six years on the air. Less than one tenth of one percent came to Amazon to buy. We needed to be in those stores.

To overcome resistance from national chain stores and to find placement on those finite shelves that everyone covets requires a sales force with passion and zeal. Those are hard emotions to conjure for everyone of 150 or so different series that are in that huge MGM warehouse, and it is harder still when none of the sales team has ever been connected with the creation or production of the show, has never seen the episodes, or (as is the case with all too many of them) still don’t know which one is Cagney and which one is Lacey. It would be okay if it didn’t have any impact on the future, but (unfortunately) it probably does.

Fox and MGM will have to decide on whether to go to the expense of trying to launch another season of Cagney & Lacey on DVD. Normal “executive think” is to simply move on to whatever product is next in their warehouse, throw that up against the proverbial wall, hoping it will stick, and to keep doing that until something does. They have a lot of boxes, of a lot of different shows in those vaults, and executives, especially those not vested in the material in the first place, don’t like revisiting their failures. In other words: don’t hold your breath for Cagney & Lacey: Season II.

Thomas Wolfe comes back to mind, but I have to say I don’t regret the journey. I did some good work. I enjoyed writing the book and it was fun to get back on the road with Sharon and Tyne. It was a great high to be Rosie O’Donnell’s guest on “The View” and to hear the audience cheer and to see a line of nearly 400 people cue up outside Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. I liked doing the radio show in New York with Joey Reynolds and in San Francisco with Ronn Owens and it was terrific to have Helen Mirren appear at the Museum of Television and Radio event celebrating our show’s anniversary. Seeing old friends among the overflow crowd on that evening put together by Barbara Corday and hovered over by our own Carole R. Smith, was delightful. More than anything else, it was incredible to introduce my 12 year old grand daughter to Cagney & Lacey and for me to review some of those old episodes with her.

Wolfe’s thesis resonates nonetheless. I really don’t want to play David to the boss’s Goliath anymore. I am too old for that piece of casting and (as stated at the outset) have too nice a life to sacrifice much more of it to vainglorious battle.


But, no matter what, this trip home again is one I am glad I made.



Barney Rosenzweig

40 comments:

Margie said...

I don't like it, but I do get it. In the meantime, I have a feisty feeling that it ain't over 'til it's over. There will be a lot of angry broads out there if no more DVD's get released. And that is never a good thing. Hang in there everyone and let's rally to figure out Plan B.

We can do it!

Margie

ChristieB said...

Oh, now I am SO depressed and I was on such a high before that! I asked for the DVD for my birthday,which was Friday, and I have watched at least 10 episodes since. I just said to my husband that I sure hope they do ALL the seasons!(he was really happy that he got the RIGHT present and that I am still a cheap date! hahaha). This is beginning to feel like the old days when, by the way, I was one of those letter-writing fans to help save the show! Oh, and Barney, my 99-year-old grandmother bought me your book, which I am reading and loving. What can we do to help now?

Kristy said...

Barney,

I'm so sorry to hear this news! You know those of us that care - REALLY CARE - and have always been passionate about C&L. I may not hold my breath but will keep my fingers crossed. It will really be a crime if the remainder of the series is never released.

I want to thank you so much for all the fighting you've done. You are a force to be reckoned with and I'm so glad that this phenomenal show had a man like you at the helm. You're amazing.

I really enjoyed your book. It was a wonderful read and a real eye-opener for someone not in any way associated with the business.

Please keep in touch with us through this site and encourage Sharon and Tyne to do the same. We love you all and enjoy hearing how life is treating you!

Take care,

Kristy Hughes

Anne said...

Well, Barney, your letter made me cry. We love you and all that you have already done, and have no right to ask for anything... ANYTHING. I myself feel very lucky to have known this work of yours at all, especially considering I was brought up mostly without television and still do not spend much time with it.

C&L was different, though-- it never felt like the typical television fluff; it was always thick and chewy and full of real people, real thought, real love. That was so evident then, and even more so now revisited. I don't have these feelings for any other show I've encountered, and I don't think I'm alone. You have every reason to be proud of it and the way that it affected the people it touched. And you have earned the life you have. You deserve to retire and enjoy it.

Damn. I'm sorry the sales numbers weren't supportive enough. Perhaps those will improve over time? I still know of people who intend to buy the set. Could it be that more word of mouth is necessary? [Less than 20,000 Amazon.com buyers, really?-- did I do the math correctly?] I'm sorry the MGM execs are out of touch with this body of work, this series. I know it's hard to deliver bad news, but I hope this isn't over. Isn't there anything we can do about it? Fuckin' A.

Just please don't let the site die. Is that asking for something? I guess it is, then. Ah, well....
Don't be a stranger.

Unknown said...

Man, I was fearing this, and I was hoping it wouldn't come. But I'm a brand new fan and it's because this season was released that I got to see the show. Now to think that I may never see the rest of it...?

There's got to be something we can do. It sounds like the whole thing was just the unfortunate victim of really bad publicity. I can't believe I may never see the rest because of bad publicity.

Seriously, I told my friends about it, I even got some of them into the show and they went and bought the set. This thing can't really be so hopeless, can it? Isn't there something we can do now? D:

Jackie said...

Irrespective of whether or not the DVD sales validate it (and maybe European sales will help yet to this end), C&L remains amongst the best-crafted TV series ever made.

Not to recognise (or care) that

"Age cannot wither [it], nor custom stale
[Its] infinite variety"

is, simply, to be a cultural philistine.

It is perhaps more a comment on the zeitgeist than on the series, when publishers, once the guardians of defining and preserving culture, appear to join this rank.

Jackie

Unknown said...

Mr. Rosenzweig,

Let us know what we need to do, and we'll mobilize for you. Watching my S1 DVDs were an amazing homecoming for me, and I despair to think that additional seasons might not be forthcoming. Please let us know what we can do on your behalf. (And please keep in mind that some of us bought our discs from smaller outlets - like our local feminist bookstores! - and don't show up in Amazon sales stats.)

For the more plugged-in folks who are following this blog, check out http://community.livejournal.com/cagneyandlacey/. We've started a LiveJournal dedicated to discussing the show and our experiences with it; please add your stories and we'll try to get the attention of Fox/MGM.

--Xanthophyllippa at gmail dot com

ashleigh said...

this cant be happening!!! this is so stupid the execs r so out of touch and i agree with what anne said.
i live in england and i brought ma dvd set in virgin megastores and im still watching the episodes im on disc 3 now, so please know that they are being brought. its just ive not seen any publicity- the only way i knew it was happening was through this site (which is great by the way). so perhaps if wait for word of mouth or try to get some publicity going season 2 can happn. or is this just wishful thinking guys????
please tell me if theres anything i can do....
in the meantime keep the faith everyone-look what happened last time all the fans puled together!!

Someone Listened said...

I'm in the U.K and I bought my copy new and sealed from an ebay store. No amazon figures on my purchase then. I don't understand the logistics, but isn't it possible to strike up some kind of deal that allows you to release further seasons with other distributors/ companies? I know in the U.K networkdvd.co.uk release lots of different shows from different companies and don't rely on heavy sales. They released all six seasons of 3rd Rock over here long before they finally got released in the U.S and though I never saw a season clogging up the DVD charts, all six seasons got released.I realise what you're saying, but if the owners have no plans to release the rest, what's the problem in them leasing the show to such a company as i've mentioned. I feel the surrender is almost complete before the battle has had a chance to be joined.

Elizabeth said...

Re, the online amazon sales. Could the reason not simply be that a percentage of the cagney and lacey audience won't simply use online stores? And who can blame them? I know for a fact that release of the DVD has hardly been advertised in the UK if at all. From what I understand Cagney and Lacey, had and still has a large fan base in the UK, reach out to them. Plug it some more.

Hey I'll market it for you! You can employ me for free. Actually, on second thoughts, on a commission basis.

Take Care lizzie

Anonymous said...

That is simply unacceptable...that will not do AT ALL! I am now going to pitch a huge hissy fit...What is wrong with the video retailers when you can probably buy all seasons of "ALF" but not of "C&L"? So....WRONG! I'm going to go pout now...

Anne said...

I'm just posting to try to repair the link that xanthophyllippa posted to the Livejournal site 4 posts ago. The address is correct, but the link itself just links back here if you click on it. So either copy the text she posted and paste it into your browser window, or try clicking on this instead:

http://community.livejournal.com/cagneyandlacey/


(If this doesn't work, just copy & paste, as above....)

Unknown said...

First of all I want to say thank you for everything that you've done to get the first season released. After all one season on DVD is better than none at all. It's definitely a shame that there will be no more releases, I've not even seen all of the episodes being a new fan at 17. Still, I'm UK based and ITV3 have been quite good lately, they've repeated most of the episodes so I've managed to get them on tape but it's not complete or good quality. Nothing like a shiny DVD set. It doesn't really seem fair, Cagney and Lacey being one of the best shows I've ever seen and not getting the chance of full release when a lot of the shows which do get released fully are nowhere near as good.
Anyway, you've earned the right to bow out of the fight but if there's anything you feel that fans can do to get more seasons released, or anything, then let us know. Thanks again.

Kristy said...

Okay, I KNOW Karen (post above), and believe me, NO ONE wants to see her throw a hissy-fit! It's just not pretty... For that reason alone, something MUST be done about this DVD issue!

Anne, thank you for correcting the link to Xanthophyllippa's wonderful site. I'm looking forward to going back and reading more AND to listening to that old NPR interview conducted by Terry Gross.

By the way, the Cagney and Lacey group on Yahoo is trying to get as many people as possible to e-mail the Oprah show about having Sharon, Tyne and Barney on when the new season starts. Here's the link:

http://www2.oprah.com/email/reach/email_showideas.jhtml

Kristy

ChristieB said...

Hi Kristy, it's Christie!
Anyway, I think that is a great idea to email Oprah... and I just now did that. It really feels good to try to help out. The only reason I personally found out about the DVD was when I saw Sharon, Tyne, and Barney on "The View"... so imagine what Oprah could do! The more I watch these old episodes again, the more I realize how important chemistry is...and boy did they have it! Not only the 2 wonderful stars, but I had forgotten how great the whole cast was. There is nothing like it today. I would rather watch season one of Cagney & Lacey over and over than anything on TV today -thats the truth! Anyway, I will repeat the Oprah link again below.

Christie
http://www2.oprah.com/email/reach/email_showideas.jhtml

N Jones said...

Ahhhhh!! I really hope this is wrong. I'm a 17 year old fan from the UK and I really hope that this isn't another favourite show of mine that I only get to see season 1 of like Kojak... I really love C&L and it would really annoy me if they are not going to release further seasons!!

Ren said...

Hey, I watch the DVD,s all in about two days and nights I might add and my kids loved it too. I watched the featurette part and was stunned to realize that there really was no show like C&L. So I got thinking "Why Not" There must be some ideas out there. There is certainly the audience. So I came up with a short synopsis of my own. I don't know if it's any good but Ideas have got to start somewhere, Cagney and Lacey did. I'll send you the synopsis I wrote if your interested, email me, resre@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Hi All,

I've posted the contact information for the 10 U.S. newspapers with the highest circulation, along with the Boston Globe and the Advocate, over on LiveJournal. If you're interested in being part of a second-generation letter-writing campaign, please check out the info at
http://community.livejournal.com/cagneyandlacey/
or click here.

-Xanth (xanthophyllippa @ gmail . com)

KC said...

I just finished season one and was looking forward to owning them all! I watched the show the first time around. I was a senior in high school in 1982. I love it even more the second time around. Being older ...I see it through different eyes. I can now relate with the struggles that the characters went through. I will be so disappointed if they don't release any more seasons. I can't even find it in re-runs! *sigh*
Don't give up hope people...If they can release all the seasons of Lost in Space for god's sake and not C&G then I fear that the world has truly gone mad!
KC

G-Man said...

Well, they should have added the movie and the actual season 1 for incentive. I felt they were trying to fool everyone by calling it season 1.

ashleigh said...

hey guys just to say ive emailed a few of the editors posted and ive just emailed oprah. i was really polite so hopefully they should print the them and oprah will say something. heres what i said to her:
Hey Oprah,
My name is Ashleigh German, I'm 17and I live in England, UK.
I’m emailing to ask you to back our campaign on cagneyandlacey.com, to help get series2 of the show released on DVD, because series1 just isn't enough for us dedicated fans and people who are new to this masterpiece.
I'm a massive, dedicated fan of Cagney and Lacey so naturally went out and brought the first series on DVD when it was released earlier this month! But Barney Rosenzweig posted on his most recent blog on the site that we shouldn't hold our breath for series2 to be released.
This is a HUGE shame as I’m sure you, and many others, will remember what a FAB and ground-breaking show it was. I’ve known about it for about 7years and fell in love with it instantly but there are some who are just discovering it’s brilliance.
I ask you with all the hope in my heart that you publicise the show, series1 on DVD (that is only being stored by amazon.com- who we love by the way!) and perhaps, interview Sharon Gless, Tyne Daly or the man who made the initial release happen, Barney Rosenzweig on your fab show -that I try to catch when Sky TV decide to show it in the UK by the way!
Thank you for taking time to read my email Oprah, I hope the posters on cagneyandlacey.com and I can count on your support to help us get bosses of the companies to listen and take the plunge to release the rest of the Cagney and Lacey saga, because they just CAN’T cancel the show again!!!
All the best wishes in the world Oprah and team.
Love, Ash xxxxx
i hope thats ok cuz this was generally the feel i had to all of them ecept obviously i wasnt so familiar with the editors!!
i think if enough people write and drum up support then we can get something done!!! like i said earlier keep the faith!!!

Deb said...

Okay, so I just sent off an email to WalMart from their corporate site online. All we have to do is get people to google the corporate sites for WalMart, Target, Blockbuster, etc, and go to the "Contact Us" page. Suggestion; with WalMart's shady image of discrimination against females, they can "up their image" by supporting the C & L videos which made a substantial contribution to positive, powerful women's roles in the media. Get the drift?
Feedback works and today it's as easy as the click of a mouse. Let's just do this and get it done with!
I marched in the 70's, 80's and 90's, and have sung at numerous events for various issues. When individuals stand together to be counted, we DO make the difference! This isn't just about entertainment - it's about a whole lot more! Let's show those "Execs" who has the real power!

Deb said...

Here are some url's (web addresses)to send corporate feedback via email:
WalMart: http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=221; Target:
http://www.target.com/gp/help/display-contact-us-form.html?displayLink=tsm;
Meijer:
http://www.meijer.com/contact.html;
Blockbuster
http://www.blockbuster.com/help/contactUs

AND if you go to the NOW website, you can find the local chapter nearest you and send an email to them requesting an email campaign. If we could get a national email letter campaign through NOW I believe we could get our objectives accomplished! Or if anyone reading this has a contact to the national organization officers, that would be even better. (I couldn't find that info on their site). Anyway, if we get enough people to send feedback - and guys, you can write to NOW also! - we can turn the tide!

Hang in there Barney. You are not alone.

Lady said...

Hi Mr. Barney. Years ago when Cagney and Lacey began I was so inspired I wrote a song. When I got the dvd collection I was surprised I remembered it. It shows my youth in writing but you may get a tickle out of it. I did. Thanks for the fabulous memories.

What follows are my lyrics to the opening song to Cagney and Lacey:
Let me tell you a story about a young and wild and carefree city.
There ain't no place at all like,
Here on the streets of New York City
You gotta be armed
To think of what to do in a split second,
You gotta know the do's and dont's
On the highways, byways, alleyways of the road.
Here on the streets of New York City
Murder drugs and rape run like honey
Cleaning up, you need more than a few honey bees
But no matter where you go,
You'll see a smiling face
That will brighten up your day
And make you wanna give a hay
But a laugh a day is not
Gonna make the the street crime
Some how go away.
The live on the streets of New York City
You gotta be cold, bold, yes very city
Street smarts,
A little bit of the country charms
Are the ways.
Dedication is a must.
You gotta do it over and over and over,
Till you get it right.

Kristy said...

Barney,

Just a thank you for finally answering fans long-time question regarding "Taxi Cab Murders" being the only "officially" titled episode of C&L. Great story. Makes me wonder what other fascinating tidbits you left out of your book! :)

And thanks to Carole for being our liaison on the Yahoo group!

Kristy

Zandra LaPoI said...

Not good enough!

I want the whole collection and I will get it. Do not worry Barney we are mobilising as I type. I wrote to the BBC a wee while ago about a C&L dedicated programme and we got one with Graham Norton. You can rest assured I will be writing to MGM and anywhere else that I need to!

WE WILL GET THIS DONE!!

Love,

Zandra LaPoI
UK

Cheryl said...

This is not over! We're just getting started, and I, for one, am not about to settle for anything less than ALL six seasons being released on DVD. C&L was, and is, too important (for many reasons) to languish in some dusty studio vault.

I agree that we need to innundate the major newspapers, the corporate web sites such as Wal-mart, Target, etc., Oprah and other media outlets to raise awareness of the C&L DVD release and demand more press coverage and buying opportunities. I will be adding my voice to those already banging pots and pans in that direction.

I also want to add that C&L has an untapped resource among internet crime forums and blogs. In an era of CSI, OJ, JonBenet and instant news, crime-sleuthing is a major interest.

I am a moderator for a well-known crime forum (ForumsForJustice) that is used by the media and public alike. Its sister forum (WebSleuths) which is owned by the same person as FFJ, is even larger with thousands of members. Most of the forum posters are women in the C&L demographic, and I guarantee, most of them are not aware of the DVD release.

That is about to change. I will make sure that members of both forums (and other crime forums) are not only notified of the current C&L DVD available, but that we need to campaign for the release of all C&L episodes.

Barney - if we could set up a 15 or 20 minute internet "chat" with Sharon and/or Tyne at FFJ or WebSleuths, it would create excitement and publicity, and help mobilize the troops. It's very easy to do. Posters send in questions to a moderator who forwards them in real time to Sharon or Tyne at a computer. All they have to do is type in their response. It's kind of like e-mail, but only faster. Please let me know if you're interested in pursuing this option.

In the meantime, never say die. It's not over 'til the credits roll.

ashleigh said...

hey cheryl!! i think that is a FAB idea. i really do. i think that is a really good way to encourage everyone and plus it would be so cool to speak to or even hear tales about the show from sharon, tyne and barney. if theres anything i could do- let me know!! and i really hope barney picks up on this cuz i think its the best idea weve had for the step in the right direction!!

Anonymous said...

Well...dvds ARE on blockbuster website...
anyway sorry to read that. I dont understand the reason why a lot of old shows (that were on air in 1980s) are out in usa and europe (we also have Supercar in italian here without any kind of petition and so on) and it could not be the same for Cagney & Lacey.
Anyway I will hope for season 2 and definetely we will hope to see dvds in italian language.
It is not late if we really want it.
Sorry for my bad english.
Ciao from an italian fan.

Andrea in Atlanta said...

This may be old news to everyone, but I came across an online petition for the release of all the subsequent "Cagney and Lacey" seasons. Can't hurt, eh? The petition is available at:

www.petitiononline.com/candl14/

Watching the first season has me jonesing for more!

Andrea

Cheryl said...

Andrea - thanks for posting the petition link. As of today, there are 1157 signers, but we need more. Everyone, please help spread the word so MGM will take us seriously.

les said...

Dear Barney - I am ( male ) fan in the UK . Thank you for the book . I can see how you had to let people know all the troubles and effort that went into keeping the show on the road . And you deserve the platform to receive our thanks , and our admiration . I certainly didn't really know exactly what a producer did . Its hard to believe that so many executives ( Men ) just didn't seem to want the show on air , even when it was a success . You can hear the ' but ' coming can't you ? Well - you have written ' Cagney , Lacey and Me ' . BUT - Any chance of getting Sharon, Tyne , or somebody to write a book about Cagney and Lacey . About the show itself - the episodes , the actors , the anecdotes , day to day stuff - this is what we really want ! You gave us tantalising snippets in your book . Would love to hear more .
Still the best drama show ever made though - and you did it .
God Bless

Heather Danette said...

Has any on these executives from MGM or the stores been on YouTube? Type in Cagney and Lacey and up pops several scenes from episodes from several seasons. You can see how many people have viewed each video. People definately want to see this show again. Thanks to Barney Rosenzqeig for what he has been able to give us.

Anne said...

The link to the Publishers Weekly article is incorrect. For all who wish to read Kevin Howell's latest article on Barney's book, here's the link:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6462787.html

Don't forget to leave a comment there!

P.S. I agree with Les' comment [above] about Sharon and/or Tyne writing their memoirs. Wow.

Deb said...

Thanks for posting the petition. I will definitely sign it! I have also sent emails to state NOW chapters and Ms. Magazine asking for their assistance in the form of a note in their newsletters(NOW)and asking for an article from Ms. That would put the info in hard copy for fans not internet-saavy.

Also, went online to email Krogers Co., who represent many grocery chains in the US. I suggested a unique opportunity for them to carry the DVD sets and reach a major part of their market WOMEN SHOPPERS. Maybe more people could also write and suggest the same?

F.Y.I.: Meijer's carries the first season (mid-west discount store ala Target and WalMart)

some urls's to contact:
http://www.blockbuster.com/help/contactUs,
help@customerservice.kmart.com,
http://www.kroger.com/contactus.htm,
http://www.moviegallery.com/company/contact_us.aspx,

Anyone with a contact to the American Library Association, or the Women Library Workers? If we got the libraries to order the full set, that could provide some real numbers for MGM.

Let's keep plugging!

Heather Danette said...

In order to bring Cagney and Lacey back into the minds of TV viewers I have emailed E! Entertainment about doing a True Hollywood Story about Cagney and Lacey. I have also emailed Oprah about doing a show about shows that deplict strong women roles and used Cagney and Lacey as an example of changing women images on screen. I also emailed the Biography Channel about doing Biographies on Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless. I am planning on emailing the Women's Network and suggesting they air episodes/seasons/movies of Cagney and Lacey.

You can also go on tvshowsondvd.com and vote for Cagney and Lacey. Many have already done so and this website has fought to get shows on DVD before. They earlier had done a poll about who would buy Cagney and Lacey if it came out on DVD for Sony before MGM went to Fox for their dvd releases.

Deb said...

I have been trying to think of special interest groups that we can target to help with a letter writing/email writing campaign. Now that schools are back in session, I believe we have a huge resource in the Women's Studies Departments across the country - and in other countries. (I've seen many of the posters from England and other countries world-wide.

Here are some urls where there contact information is listed for hundreds of schools in every state of the U.S.:

FOR: women’s studies programs, departs and research centers ---
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/programs.html

FOR: alphabetical guide to women’s studies dept and contacts for U.S. Colleges and Universities:
http://www.artemisguide.com/

I also found the National Women’s Studies Association at:
http://www.nwsa.org/

I believe if we can get enough of these departments and groups to put notices in their newsletters, bulletin boards - or even make announcements in their classes - we can get the type of letter response needed to prove to MGM they have a market for the remaining seasons of Cagney and Lacey.

I tried to find the contact information for the Viewers for Quality Television - the original group that formed and helped launch the letter writing campaign that brough C&L back to TV. The founder was Dorothy Collins Swanson. The group disbanned but another was formed under Viewers for Quality Teevee (new url) but I didn't find contact info on their new site.

Anyone with more info about this group or who has the contact email, can you please provide it?

Let's keep plugging. If we can mobilize some of these large groups, we'll get the response we want.

Deb said...

Here's the response I got from Hollywood Video. (url below)

I suggest others go to their website and request the First Season of C & L - they will put it in your local store!:

Thank you for writing to us regarding your local store. Hollywood Video is dedicated to providing exceptional guest experiences delivered with genuine warmth and friendliness.
Please reply with the location of your local store and we will request to have the first season of Cagney and Lacey sent to that location.
We appreciate your membership and if there is anything else we can do for you, please do not hesitate to email us at: E-Mail-Us@hlyw.com. We look forward to serving you again.
Sincerely,
Manda J
Guest Relations Agent
Hollywood Entertainment

here's the page:
(url: http://www.hollywoodvideo.com/company/contact_us.aspx)

Also, look for C & L at your local library and if they don't already have it, request it online or in person.

More later, Deb...

Mrs P said...

Anne's post on July 2 really summed up how i feel too - and was written more eloquently than i would manage so... Amen to that sister. Am so sad to think that we won't get any more DVDs :o( How about realeasing the entire series in one big box set all beautifully packaged (like Sex and the City) so it becomes an (even more) covetable item?
never say never.. meanwhile hopefully Sky will keep showing them and i'll have to just learn how to set my video !
xxxxxx

Unknown said...

Can anyone attest to the legitimacy of the DVDs for sale at this online retailer? I'm a little nervous that there isn't any distributor or studio information associated with this item.

(Link to the videos courtesy of Deb. She found them, not me.)