Home Media Magazine has
reported late last week that
The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet are finally coming to DVD in a release that is approved of by, and gets the participation of, the Nelson estate. Thomas K. Arnold's story passes on that Shout! Factory is putting together a
May 1, 2007 best-of set that features 24 favorite episodes from the long-running (1952-66) ABC series. Every episode has been digitally remastered, the story says.
In addition, the 4-DVD set will contain extras such as "
a featurette on Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, a documentary on Rick Nelson’s singing career, early radio show episodes, vintage home movies and even a trivia game." If you're not familiar with this ultra-classic series, then the reference to a radio show and Rick Nelson's singing career may puzzle you. Well, the radio series started in the mid-40s, after Ozzie and Harriet's positions as music providers for Red Skelton's radio show evaporated, since Skelton was drafted for military service. Ozzie Nelson proposed a radio program of his own, though, centered around his entire family: himself, wife Harriet, and sons Dave and "Ricky" (short for Eric). After the show moved to television in the 50s (following a film version,
Here Come The Nelsons), Ricky started up a music career, kicked off by his rendition of the Fats Domino song "I'm Walkin' " in an April '57 episode. Rick also hit the charts with songs like "Hello Mary Lou," "Travelin' Man" and "Teenage Idol." He also sang and co-starred in films, starting with John Wayne's
Rio Bravo (1959).
Cost of the DVD set is $34.98 SRP, and the trade magazine story mentions that Shout! Factory president Garrison Foos is betting that you'll enjoy this DVD release much, much better than all the public domain releases of the show that have been put on the market over the years. And Sam Nelson, youngest son of the late Rick Nelson, is glad that Shout! is taking the release so seriously. Stay tuned, and we'll have the official studio announcement for you just as soon as its available. Our thanks to
Home Media Magazine for the info, and the art above. Please visit their story for more info, and larger-sized artwork!
