Universal HD channel showing series...
And it's fully remastered in high-def, not simply an upcoversion. Does this mean blu-ray sets are on the way? Or more importantly, a release of Seasons 3-5 on DVD?
I hope so!
Me too. I don't get Universal HD. I did see some of the episodes that were on Sleuth and hope they will show more. I want to see the seasons with James Darren.
shareI got an ungrade just to be able to get the uncut episodes. These episodes they are showing are cut up. I watch the Carnal Express Episode last night and they totally butchered the dance routine Stacey did on stage. They did not even show the close up of her butt when her routine started. I thought I read on the HD site that the episodes were uncut?
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That is some good info on the HD cropping. The show does look really nice, but I would rather have the 4:3 ratio, because that was how it was originally. I don't like getting to see something wider and have the top and bottom cut.
I have a tape of the original uncut episode of Carnal Express and HD Universal cut out a lot of the routine. The close up shot of her butt I was referring to was at the beginning of her routine. The one seen in the credits is a different part of the routine.
The part usually cut out in all other syndication runs usually cuts out the first part of the second routine she does. It's just crazy that we still have to put up with old shows getting cut up. I wish the rest of the seasons would release on DVD so we would not have to put up with this crap.
I wish Time Life would release the series, but I doubt they would do it since Season 1 & 2 have already been released.
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I have to say that the 16:9 cropping looks fantastic, which surprised me.
Cropping out the top and bottom of 4:3 full frame can be tricky, but when it works, it's easily noticeable and it can pay off.
(On the other hand, when they crop down from 2.40:1 letterbox to 16:9, removing the sides, reminiscent of the old pan-&-scan, that looks like crap)
Oh, it's hardly the only episode cut up. They all are. And it's much much more frustrating than typical syndicated cuts.
Historically, when shows go to syndication they cut a few minutes for commercials by cutting a few lines of dialog or a non-essential scene. In other words at least a minimal amount of time is put into making the episode still make sense.
With Hooker, whoever is editing this just cuts scenes wherever; often in the middle of a scene. Sometimes in the middle of a sentence. Oftentimes the commercial break comes right before some pivotal moment and when it comes back from commercial we don't get to see what happened, we're just in the middle of some later scene.
The editing is terrible. I hate coming back from commercials in the middle of a word.
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It's criminal how that channel brags about their movies being uncut and then they butcher the episodes of T.J. Hooker.
shareWell. Pretty much every day. If you want a specific, how about today's episode since it's freshest in my mind. It's not the most jarring example, but when the car crashes it goes to commercial. When we return from commercial we're looking at Jim's face in the middle of Hooker talking it cuts in on
"info we have"
As to pivotal info, it's often parts from the B-plot. One case I can think of is when Romano is trying to get new jeans for Stacey. He goes to get the jeans before the commercial. When we come back she is mid sentence yelling at him and then shoves a box of jeans back in his hands. Hardly "pivotal", but we aren't exactly sure what just happened with the jeans.
It's terrible how they butcher this great show. I only got the HD channel to watch uncut episodes. I was ticked when I saw they were cut, and cut badly. I waited to see my favorite episode, "Carnal Express", and the really butchered that one. Stacey goes undercover at the pleasure palace and does a sexy routine on stage in a skimpy outfit. They just hacked up the scene and it was terrible. They even cut out the close up shot of her butt wiggling when her dance started.
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That one was called "Outcall". Yesterday's episode "The Bribe" had a more comical cut.
W
hen the commercial cut back at the end of the episode. It starts mid-sentence on Stacey saying "..ly into court today." And Hooker responds "Who's Ameilia".
I can only assume the beginning of Stacey's line had something to do with someone named Amelia.
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I'm pretty much inclined to agree with you. (Oh, by the way, I'm Bill, IMDB someimes lists my name differently).
It looks like Cox is adding plenty of extra editing. Unfortunately, I doubt they'll do a thing about it. I've written them, but I've also written to Universal HD directly letting them know about this.
Slightly off topic, Cox also flags EVERY channel as a premium so I can't transfer from one DVR to another or to my computer. I had to capture those over S-Video.
Each Thursday is like a mini-marathon of Hooker! Oh yeah!
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