Antenna TV already repeating episodes

I doubt there are any complete intact shows from NYC unless maybe the museum of television or UCLA maybe has a few. It's really a crime that the networks erased so many good shows to reuse the videotape. NBC seemed to be the worst at this doing so even into the early 1980s according to some accounts.

That's a fair assessment. After all, look how long it's taken to get the old show on air in its current state, omitting the words "The Tonight Show" almost entirely due to NBC's ownership.

It's also a good reason just about no old variety show has ever seen the light of day except on some highlight show or home DVD. I guess there's not much chance of ever seeing anything like the old Ed Sullivan show or even Letterman, although they've been playing some episodes of the old Jack Benny show and Burns and Allen very early in the morning.

In fact, I just saw a couple episodes of the old Joey Bishop show. It's nothing short of amazing how NBC didn't erase over Bishop's miserable show, yet thought nothing of destroying Carson's. Although I guess I can understand it, considering how the executive NBC dullards might actually think Bishop's show was worth saving, and Carson's was not. OTOH, maybe the key is whether a show was filmed or videotaped. That would really answer it all.

Speaking of which, I wonder if CBS erased over Sullivan's shows (with a few exceptions like the segments of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Doors). Likewise, I think when Ernie Kovacs was on NBC, they erased his shows, although his last work was on ABC and it was saved by his wife, Edie Adams, after Kovacs died in a car accident driving a Corvair station wagon.

I wonder if destroying shows by erasing and reusing videotape was just an NBC thing or a standard industry practice that the other networks did, too.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the information, but still it's getting too sporadic with new episodes if the next one isn't until 1/25.

By the way, how do you find out which upcoming episodes are new?

I'm aware of Antenna TV website guide, but does the network let viewers know it's not a rerun from 2016 or do you just go by your own memory when checking the listings?

It'd be a great idea if you (or someone else) can create a thread where you can post all upcoming "new" episodes for viewers to check so we can know in advance.

I'll tune into 1/25 but not happy about having to hunt and peck for "new" episodes airing. With literally thousands of episodes in the 20 year span available, i'm baffled the network apparently only got a limited number to run. I was under the impression almost all of them would be aired over a few years period before they'd ever start to recycle.

(I know about the whole music rights issue and why we don't see those episodes where artists perform, but I have also noticed a very heavy playing of the same guest stars which makes me wonder if it's also a "rights" issue with the actors and/or their estates...does the network have to pay residuals or fees to show certain celebrities and why we see many episodes with the same stars?....That perhaps these are the ones that "agree" to have their guest spots re-played?)