One of the things that drives me crazy is when rights holders of certain entertainment properties release DVD's in season sets, and then stop after the second season because of lower than expected sales. First of all, I don't like buying season sets unless I'm assured I can get the whole series (or as much of it as was produced that was good). Second of all, stopping half way or 75% of the way through convinces those of us who do buy the first and second season DVD set never to do so in the future.
I recently found Parker Lewis Can't Lose seasons 1 and 2 in the $9.99 bin at the bargain shop of all places and snapped them up. I found out that there is no 3rd season set planned. Heck, I didn't even realize they were released on DVD until I saw them there. I probably would have paid full price, but they never reached me as a former fan. Doesn't help that the show does not seem to air anywhere on even retro TV channels. I guess if we had something like Hulu in Canada and it was available there, and ads appeared there telling me that it was on DVD, I'd probably have got the message and purchased it. That's one of the biggest failures of advertising nowadays. It's hard to sell something that's been locked away for 20 years if its not fresh in peoples minds. It's a nostalgia thing and unless you're the webmaster of Parker Lewis can't lose website or a follower of that forum, you're not going to get the message. Unless you get some random brain spasm that makes you remember "Hey, remember that show that was on in the 90's on FOX that was a better Ferris Beuller than the Ferris Beuller TV series they aired on NBC at the same time in the same year? Oh yeah! Parker Lewis Can't lose! with Corin Nemec or something! Wonder if that's on TV!". But how likely is that?
Disney is bad for it too with it's cartoon series. I doubt they have all of Gargoyles on DVD. Ducktales too.. Maybe they do now, but for some reason I doubt it. Yep, just checked. Nope.
It's sad. Such a back catalogue of awesome entertainment and the gatekeepers don't really care. They want to keep it just like a dragon hoards its gold in its cave. What is the purpose of long copyright terms if they don't keep production? I mean, supposedly Alan Moore gets ownership of Watchmen if it ever goes out of print. It likely wont, but all the same, in my opinion copyrights should be a use it or lose it proposition. If you're going to sit on it, send it back to the wellspring of entertainment and knowledge and human creativity.
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