And we are still gathering material for the Limited Edition box that will contain the original movie with Loretta Swit, the Meg Foster-as-Cagney episodes, and all 119 with Sharon and Tyne. Photos, add-on materials… some archival, some new, are being gone through and selected. I can now reveal that the British Film Institute evening which launched our 30th anniversary (taped at the BFI in London last November) will be part of the package. We have your questions and (hopefully) will get a taping done with the women to include some if not all of them. So far scheduling a taping has been difficult for reasons of personal and work conflicts. We are on the case and will soon (again, hopefully) reveal a guest host for that add-on feature. I have been doing some writing for the Limited Edition and a Hollywood publicist has been given the task of working out some appearances for the women this fall to promote the retail version of the series. (Frankly, I have predicted to all that the Limited Edition with its special autographed and numbered box will sell out through this website and direct contact with the fans so pass the word on to your friends and be conscious of watching this space for when and how to order.)
Something else I would like our US fans to do. As interested as I am personally in the Limited Edition, this is really being passed on to the fans at pretty close to cost. The only opportunity for any monetary success is if the retail version does well and the ONLY way that is going to happen is if we win some of those territorial wars for shelf space. Resistance to us is high. As important as Cagney & Lacey may be to me, and to many of you, it is vintage television to the managers of those retail outlets such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Costco and others. Vintage TV is out of fashion so my mission is to convince the sales force working for our distributor (not always an easy thing to do with these jaded folks) that Cagney & Lacey is NOT vintage television… it is ICONIC television; that this retail package (very reasonably priced) will make great gifts, not only for Mom and Grandma, but for their customers to promote as something to donate to local Women’s shelters, the YWCA, libraries, you name it. I am not sure I can get through to them, but history has shown me I sometimes have success getting through to you. Long before I ask you to buy as many of these retail units as you can possibly use/afford/ or want, what I would like you to do is drop in at your local retail outlet sometime this summer. While you are there at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Costco or wherever you sometimes shop… ask to see the manager and tell him or her that you understand that for the first time in over 25 years of waiting there is going to be a release of the entire Cagney & Lacey series and that you hope that this favorite store of yours will be sure to carry it so that you can buy multiple copies for your holiday gift list. If enough of you do that, I can assure you we will get on shelves where we have never been before and once on those shelves, in plain sight, we will have every opportunity to succeed. Again, this is for our US and Canadian audience… those of you abroad will be able to purchase this package through the Amazon outlet in your own country. And…. I repeat… this is NOT about the Limited Edition. That does not go into retail stores. That is a first come/first serve deal for you, our most loyal fans and we are working on ways to make that work internationally as well as domestically. What I am asking for now is help with giving this retail edition a chance to succeed. If we can show there is still an audience in anything like the numbers we once had, there is no telling what could happen, from more materials out there about the original show, to remakes or other reincarnations. No harm can come from our actions and we might be able to do some real good here. Thanks, in advance, for your help.
Barney Rosenzweig
June 10, 2012 
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31 comments:
Count me in as a C&L marketing solider! :)
thanks for the update (and for Cagney & Lacey of course).
pretty please make sure that there are enough copies of the limited version that even fans living abroad will have a chance to get a copy (i.e. that the box set is not sold out before we wake up in the morning...)
Thanks for the update. Hearing anything is better than silence. Anxiously awaiting the day that I will finally have "Cagney and Lacey" to watch as often as I'd like, whenever I'd like.
As with most, I became very attached to these characters and their lives. I've missed them like they were good friends that I lost.
The added bonus was that I was introduced to two wonderful actresses (and the rest of the cast) that I have followed since then.
Thank you & hugs to all of you.
Thank you so much for the update.
I am ready to get my copy of the limited edition and making my list of people to buy the retail version for as gifts. Also planning on getting a retail version for myself which will be the one I watch over and over. Gotta keep the limited edition one in terrific shape you know.
I am so excited for this and I agree that it is ICONIC television. Without Caney & Lacey I would not have my current favorite show Rizzoli & Isles. There is so much we would not have if we never had Cagney & Lacey.
This is truly a dream come true finally being able to get this show on dvd.
Great idea Barney...I have seen what can be accomplished with a letter writing campaign putting pressure on the powers that be at corporate level. I'll see what I can get going on my end
Count me in, Boss! I'll do whatever I can to make C&L DVDs a success.
I will gladly speak to the managers of all the stores you listed. All of them are 10 min from home so I am there quite often. I would also suggest "B.J's Wholesale Club"(competitor of "Sam's and Costco)which is located on the east coast (N.J., N.Y., Conn.etc.) and I am not sure how far they are across the country. I know I have seen more "vintage TV boxed sets in "Sam's.
Will also contact libraries.
Another avenue might be same of the senior citizen communities (one near me is Cedar Crest.) They have facilities were residents can borrow DVDs or they have "screenings" in public areas and they might want to screen an episode every weekday.
Last year I had knee surgery and spent a few weeks in a orthopedic therapy place where they also liked to have screenings of different entertainment. We "Baby Boomers" are ending up having to be there for a few weeks 24/7 and it would break up the long days!
I shop Amazon and if you do a search for Cagney and Lacey etc., they will probably sent an e-mail when the boxed set is available.
Thanks for your tireless energy in dealing with the powers that be to get this boxed set in our DVD players! I can hardly believe it has been 30 years one half of my life!I can remember getting my 2 year old into bed so that I could watch "Cagney and Lacey" undisturbed!(for younger people, 30 years ago "video recorders" were not common!!!
I have just one question. When I was out in L.A. for Sharon and Tyne's "Stars" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at the hotel after the ceremony, you guys screened a "bloopers reel." Was any of that included in the DVD set?
Barney as a dedictaed UK fan who in the last year has met both Sharon ( i couldnt speak!) and Tyne, i really hope i can get the Limited Edition box set - I will be most dissapionted if i cant. I hope UK fans will get a look in as i fear these will fly off the website when released! I have several friends who want the normal box set too so hopefully Amazon Uk will be stocking it! Thanks again for doing this you are a legend!
I am part of the Walmart family. I will be sure to spread the word. Any idea when the limited additions will come out and how much?
Thanks for keeping us in the LOOP, Barney.
So when can we expect to see "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill" on DVD?? I have a poor quality copy of that series and had to purchase a PAL DVD player to watch it, but it is great too!
Thanks for your hard work on getting C&L to DVD at last!!
How will we be notified of the limited edition release? The official C&L website doesn't even list it. Can your blog be set up so it sends it out automatically to those subbed to it? Thanks
Barney, I appreciate all your efforts throughout many many years to get this series on DVD. I've been a supporter since the beginning. If this is successful, I too would love to have "Rosie O'Neill" on DVD. I have all the episodes on video tape but it's not the same as having them all in one DVD package. Please. if you can, address this issue and the chances of it becoming a reality one day.
Thanks for the update. As a UK Cagney & Lacy fan I hope the Limited Edition is made available to us dedicated UK fans. I've tried to buy on line only limited editions in the past and the studios concerned seem to dangle a carrot whereby you can enter all your details only to be told at the end we cannot send to your country. Hope this won't happen with this set. I would be very happy with a Region 1 set as I have a multi-region DVD player that works fine.
Looking forward to being able to obtain the real complete collection.
Thank you for all your efforts, Barney. If you would, please consider the following advice.
Many large "complete series" sets are notorious for skimping on the packaging. Studios usually don't take the packaging style into proper consideration (or judge appropriate protection to be worth the cost) and the result can often be disastrous for fragile DVD discs. The most common trend seems to be housing the discs inside built-in cardboard slits. This review of the M*A*S*H complete series set provides a nice example:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/25594/mash-martinis-and-medicine-complete-collection/
The upcoming Carol Burnett Show Collection, however, seems to be doing it right: individual standard cases inside a larger case.
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Carol-Burnett-The-Ultimate-Collection/17037
Please do your best to ensure C&L is packaged properly. Thanks again!
I am definitely stopping by all of those stores, i am aslready enlisting some of my friends to do the same and i have a bunch of grandnieces (18 to 212) that are in college and are talking to their friends about C&L, they all love the serie and all of us are planning to get the Limited Edition and help with the info/marketing at the storews.
as stated on tvshowsondvd,it will be hard to sell the retail set without the pilot,Foster eps and extras.i for one would not purchase,as i am a big fan of the show and a completist
I'm sure i can get some friends and tell the stores in New York to carry Cagney & Lacey complete series. Thanks for the update Barney. Your a gem. Been waiting so long for this, can't wait.
Thank you for the update. UK based fan here waiting impatiently for the Limited Edition set. :-)
I was lucky enough to be at the BFI tribute last year and saw both the ladies in their plays in the West End recently.
If we want the special edition with the Loretta Swit movie and Meg Foster episodes, do we have to go to a particular place to order it? Approximately when will it be available?
Really hoping Tyne's and Sharon's busy schedules permit them to tape a segment for the dvd...for posterity and all. Could be the last chance to see them wax poetic on the show. If you're in need of an interviewer, I'm available! :)
I am so excited about this .I really hope I can get one of the limited editions as I am in the UK .
I would and I am sure most fans would pay for this up front and pre order it - if this is possible I would do this today !
Thanks again
Jon B
At Last!!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I am 43 years old now and I have been waiting for my favourite show of all time to come out on DVD for what? 26 years..... Well done everyone for the tireless campaigning on behalf of us little people, thank you once more. I cannot wait.xxx
Thank you Barney, I`m in th UK also and desperately hope I can purchase the Limited Edition, I`ve been following the series since the first episode and find it incredible that the DVDs have not been available for so long. You have many supporters here - long life to you both and much success once again. xx
A question about the limited edition complete series of cagney & Lacey. Is it going to be region free since I leave in the United States. Hoping love this series.
This waiting for news is painful - throw a girl a bone! :)
Another UK fan here checking the site daily to ensure I don't miss out on the limited edition. Is there any news yet or anyway of pre registering to ensure we are in the que?
Hello from England.
Another fan of Cagney & Lacey who can't understand the time it has taken to put this great programme on to DVD.Excellent work making this possible.
My main concern is whether I will know what format the UK retail edition will be before I have to decide whether or not to buy the limited edition which I suppose will be region 1.
Although I would love the limited edition, it would make sense to buy the DVDs in either region 0 or region 2.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart Barney for all your hard work for YEARS to finally make this possible! It is indeed Iconic television, and there has been nothing like it since. Sure you have procedural dramas as they call them in the industry, but nothing with the type of dynamic Sharon and Tyne had together. It was a privilege to watch (and idolize) them growing up, and I can't wait to get my hands on this limited edition boxed set.....just hope I can snag one, it's something to cherish most definitely!
And I will most definitely figure out how to get some promotional materials and hit up every store manager in town to carry the retail version.. All you gotta do is ask and see what happens. Maybe you could have the PR people create a flyer for people to give to the stores with pertinent info? It's a wonderful idea there you had, and loyal fans like me no doubt can make it happen....so exciting!
How much longer do we have to wait???
hi,
i was just wondering if anybody knows whether the limited edition will be available in the U.K?, since i was little me and my nan would wake everyday at 5am to see it on t.v. it would be a dream come true to own them all on dvd. i think i'd hibernate for a month to watch them all ha. cant wait xx
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