Is this the board I was on before?

[Jason]

The one I was on before was known as Hardy Boys chat, and I kept complaining about everything only being available on DVD and not VHS.  I'm reading The Chase For the Mystery Twister right now.  It's pretty good.  I'm on chapter 8 right now.  I've always been fascinated with tornadoes.  That's why I checked out from the library.  I offer people a chance to earn money with them.  It's not a smart thing to do; but if someone goes outside when one touches down, I'll give them a dollar.  I read Lost in Gator Swamp before that.  It takes place in the state I live in, Florida
Do they have rodeos near the Everglades in reality?  I'm not a rodeo fan.  I'm just wondering.  I'm nowhere the Everglades.
God bless, Jason Irelan

[tomswift2002]

If you are talking about the TV shows, in regard to VHS releases it was normal to not release entire series on VHS.  The only series that I can think of that got an entire VHS release were Star Trek, Star Trek Animated, Star Trek The Next Generation and Sailor Moon (90's dub).  Most VHS releases just had 1 episode per 55 minute tape, with some shows getting box set releases of 5 or 8 episodes in a Best of release.  Plus VHS tapes were more bulky to store.

[MacGyver]

A few other series also got full series releases on VHS, but yeah, those are the big ones. (Offhand, I know The Babysitters Club got every single episode released to VHS.  I'm pretty sure the same is true for Highlander and Highlander: The Raven.) There are other series that had season set releases in VHS, but didn't quite get the whole series released. (Right around the time DVDs first became popular and TV shows started getting season DVD releases in the late '90s, there were attempts to follow suit with VHS season sets- I primarily remember M*A*S*H, Sex and the City and Everybody Loves Raymond getting such releases.)
     But yes- it was not a usual practice to release the whole series to VHS- unless it was a pretty short-lived series, like the aforementioned The Babysitters Club (it only had 13 episodes.) Of course, numerous TV series received VHS releases of select episodes. For The Hardy Boys, that would only pertain to The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, wherein almost all of Season 1 got released to VHS, a handful of Season 2 episodes got a release, and 1 episode from Season 3 got a release.

[tomswift2002]

Apparently the 1995 series even got one VHS release, or at least it was planned to be released (in late-90's I remember one store bringing up on their computers a listing for "The Last Laugh", but I've never seen a VHS version anywhere else). 

And then with the cartoon series there have been old 16 and Super 8mm film versions that are known to exist, but so far no VHS or DVD releases. 

But you also have to remember that during the VHS era the whole new realm of home video was introducing new headaches with rights.  Shows that were originally licensed just for public broadcast, could now be released on a medium intended for private viewing.  In the past theatrical movies had been cleared for private viewings onboard cruise ships and other private venues (this is why the 1966 Batman movie was available since the 80's on VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc, DVD and Blu-Ray) from the get go, but TV shows were meant to be aired only a few times (and in the case of the U.K. and BBC, actors contracts only allowed for 2 airings before renegotiating for more air times, so the BBC re-recorded over a bunch of their old shows that were only finished on videotape, so shows like "Doctor Who" and the 60's Sherlock Holmes are missing episodes), and only on broadcast.  Some TV shows and specials, especially here in North America, were heavily cut for their VHS debuts, like "A Muppet Family Christmas".  Gone were skits like "Sleigh Ride" because the songs were unavailable at reasonable prices and the skits were made for the song. 

[MacGyver]

Apparently the 1995 series even got one VHS release, or at least it was planned to be released (in late-90's I remember one store bringing up on their computers a listing for "The Last Laugh", but I've never seen a VHS version anywhere else). 

And then with the cartoon series there have been old 16 and Super 8mm film versions that are known to exist, but so far no VHS or DVD releases. 

That's cool to know about the 1995 series- that does sound familiar now that you mention it, but I don't know that a VHS release was ever done. That would be a neat little collectible for The Hardy Boys series though (since there are quite few collectibles that exist for such a short-lived show.) And yeah, I knew the cartoons had the 16 mm and Super 8 films and all- though I've never seen any for sale anywhere. That'd be a neat find- but it's not like I could actually play them anyway.

Some TV shows and specials, especially here in North America, were heavily cut for their VHS debuts, like "A Muppet Family Christmas".  Gone were skits like "Sleigh Ride" because the songs were unavailable at reasonable prices and the skits were made for the song.

Yep- as a Muppets fan, I'm definitely familiar with editing issues with A Muppet Family Christmas. It's a shame that the VHS and DVD releases got cut so much.... thankfully, I've got an original airing recording.

[tomswift2002]

MacGyver is that original air recording from the original late-80's broadcast?  Or is it from later?  I've got a copy from 93 that features the songs, but a few other jokes were deleted (such as when Gonzo and the turkey fight over Camille).  But with MFC they even cut a few scenes when they upgraded the master from an analog master to a digital master.

[MacGyver]

It's an original broadcast airing from 1987.