OK, folks....school's open: The syndication business has changed greatly
since the 70s. Single season shows made here were considered to be
worthless to stations needing strippable product.

However, overseas, most countries are used to short-run series.
Virtually every failed US series was pitched to foreign TV markets.
SEARCH is still a worthless commodity to most terrestrial stations here,
but would easily work as weekend fare at cable networks such as SciFi,
TV Land, American Life TV, Bravo, or even AOL's In2TV service, which
relies on Warner for its content.

Case in point: BAYWATCH was canceled by NBC, but it did so well in
foreign markets that they took the unprecedented step of making more.
How successful did it become? History shows. But then again, we're
talking about the late 80's, not the 70's.

Another odd point to consider: THE FUGITIVE, a hugely successful series,
ran for four years on ABC. It's syndication life? Zero. The thought was,
everyone knows how it ends, so why would anyone watch it? When A&E began
in the mid 80s, they revived it by running it every day. Now, it's
vanished again with no DVD release in sight.

Moral: don't try to figure out the syndication business, as it changes
with the tide.

Richard D. Perez

dghprobe3 wrote:
> Hi Geoff: You may have hit the nail on the head. It wouldn't
> surprise me if it turned out one of the main reasons Search never got
> distributed in the U.S. was become someone high up at the studio held
> some sort of grudge vs. Stevens. Hence, the series "for export only"
> restriction could have been used to get around certain contract
> provisions.
>
> However, I thought there were posts over a year or two ago that
> mentioned that Warners had finally removed the "for export only"
> restriction on Search. But we still haven't heard any explanation for
> why the restriction lasted for so many decades.
>
> The current problem seems to be that no outlet is seeking to run the
> show. So, as Geoff mentioned, how do we drum up interest and who do
> we approach? GoodLife Channel seems to be the one running the most
> old Warners series (Maverick, The FBI, etc.), but I don't receive it.
> Has anyone contacted them about Search?
>
> --- In probe_control, "Geoff Willmetts" wrote:
> > If Warners can whitelist Angel Tompkins & Leslie Stevens, its no
> > wonder `Search' isn't in circulation. It does bring up interesting
> > questions as to why `Search' appeared abroad but not on the home
> > front...well, most of you Americans home front that is and I would
> > surmise that this has to do with rights. No doubt the 1972
> > contracts wouldn't have given a big residue on foreign viewing...
>
>
>
>
>
> SPONSORED LINKS
> Television commercial production
>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Television+commercial+production&w1=Televis\
ion+commercial+production&w2=Television+advertising&w3=Plasma+television&w4=Tele\
vision+via+satellite&w5=Television+career+production&w6=Television&c=6&s=169&.si\
g=Cqp5X8tOe4OBnZGfbWq7Tg>
> Television advertising
>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Television+advertising&w1=Television+commer\
cial+production&w2=Television+advertising&w3=Plasma+television&w4=Television+via\
+satellite&w5=Television+career+production&w6=Television&c=6&s=169&.sig=eyJf5EQW\
8mvjONjZG6gImw>
> Plasma television
>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Plasma+television&w1=Television+commercial+\
production&w2=Television+advertising&w3=Plasma+television&w4=Television+via+sate\
llite&w5=Television+career+production&w6=Television&c=6&s=169&.sig=AoqffOYk9BFR0\
gLdqV3xYw>
>
> Television via satellite
>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Television+via+satellite&w1=Television+comm\
ercial+production&w2=Television+advertising&w3=Plasma+television&w4=Television+v\
ia+satellite&w5=Television+career+production&w6=Television&c=6&s=169&.sig=aQ3M31\
GN4cv02qU79uubXg>
> Television career production
>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Television+career+production&w1=Television+\
commercial+production&w2=Television+advertising&w3=Plasma+television&w4=Televisi\
on+via+satellite&w5=Television+career+production&w6=Television&c=6&s=169&.sig=5a\
zQub_sg0qvm4uDhthhcg>
> Television
>
<http://groups.yahoo.com/gads?t=ms&k=Television&w1=Television+commercial+product\
ion&w2=Television+advertising&w3=Plasma+television&w4=Television+via+satellite&w\
5=Television+career+production&w6=Television&c=6&s=169&.sig=gpdgzCyKu-TDA8NS-NxV\
zw>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
> * Visit your group "probe_control
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/probe_control>" on the web.
>
> * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> probe_control-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:probe_control-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>
>
> * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
> Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]