No plans for TG on DVD

[upyourego]

I sent an e-mail to the people responsible for releasing Top Gear on DVD and have just received a reply - this is it.

Thanks for your interest and enquiry - we are planning a variety of Top Gear and Clarkson release but not the whole series.

Historically it's proved impossibleto clear the music for DVD release. This means that we'd have to replace with 'alternative' clearable music.

Our view has been that if this occured on all the episodes it would undermine peoples enjoyment of the brand. Perhaps we're wrong!

Nothing new there - we already knew it was down to the music but the last line is interesting "perhaps we're wrong" - if changing the music wouldn't matter to you then e-mail them and tell them you DON'T MIND the music being changed.

E-mail Stuart Snaith - Stuart.Snaith@2entertain.co.uk and tell him you don't mind.

[Paul]

I like the music. It does matter. Top Gear without the original cool music would just be wrong.

[upyourego]

So you'd rather NOT have it on DVD at all because of the music? Or would you settle for alternative music if it meant the show could be released?

[Mercury]

Originally Posted by pmosiun

I like the music. It does matter. Top Gear without the original cool music would just be wrong.

I agree. Maybe in the first few season the music wasn't all that but thinking back I think since season 4 started the music is a big part of the reviews and segments. If seasons 1-3 are the problem I'm onboard, if it's all the seasons it will be no good...

[Magnet]

I think the music ads a significant part of the charm. Generic music wouldn't work.

[upyourego]

Well at least it's an explanation from the horses mouth (Stuart Snaith is the Managing Director DVD & Video) as to why we haven't seen Top Gear Box Sets so far.

[mmap]

Yeah, I hated the BBC Prime versions simply because the music wasn't as good as the original broadcasts...

[upyourego]

So question is, given the choices we have. Would you like:

DVDs but with different music
No DVDs at all

[SuperStalin]

Damn, legal issues preventing millions from enjoying
what is basically a work-of-art TV show.

Perhaps the BBC ( or whoever does the DVD )
could make some sort of Top Gear Music Contest?

Tell me if this is possible:

A contest in which people would make instrumental soundtracks for
various bits of the Top Gear show. The winners of the contest
would get some symbolic prize ( like a driving weekend with the trio of presenters ), and their work being featured on the DVDs, plus some future Top Gear DVD soundtrack album.

I'm sure there are a lot of musicians who would gladly participate
in this, just for a chance for their name to be noticed by an auditorium
of millions of Top Gear fans.

[edkwon]

Not the first time lawyers have ruined it for the rest of us.

Im just glad there are more and more DVD players that are capable of playing divx burned onto DVDRs. In that way, having an entire season on 1 disc is much nicer.

Ed

[bwkrupp]

I would prefer to buy them on DVD of course, but its not that hard to make your own dvds...

I wonder, since I have no idea, how much of the music is changed on the BBC Prime rebroadcasts? 20%, 50%, 100%? It still might be possible to put together some "best of" compilations with original music that didn't have to be changed.

[edkwon]

Originally Posted by bwkrupp

I wonder, since I have no idea, how much of the music is changed on the BBC Prime rebroadcasts? 20%, 50%, 100%? It still might be possible to put together some "best of" compilations with original music that didn't have to be changed.

Are you talking about homemade or commercially made compilations? I dont think licensed compilations will get around the legal problem of having the original music on video for sale rather than just for broadcast.

Ed

[Ephexis]

Sorry but the music is an essential part of Top Gear and it wouldn't be the same with it different.

Although that being said, it does depend what they come up with when it comes to replacement music, it may end up being fine without the original music.

Can't be judged very well without trying it out though.

[Mr-Stabby]

The UKTV and BBC Prime repeats show how much Top Gear is lacking when alternative library music is used. Although that could just be because UKTV/BBC Prime whoever did the music replacement chose awful music, edited it badly and the levels are all wrong. Given some good editing, perhaps by the Top Gear team themselves, i wouldn't mind it being replaced for DVD. As long as the epic ones like the Rob Dougan type music is left in or at least replaced with something similar then i'm happy.

[Capacious Boot]

I would rather have no Top Gear DVD's than have them with crappy music like the stuff on Clarkson's DVD's. I've got all the shows already, and I can just burn them to DVD's.

My favorite episodes are my favorite because of the music in them. Especially their great use of movie soundtracks, like Gladiator, Batman, Robocop, James Bond, etc.

Not to mention segments that specifically mention the music, like the Fender Stratocaster birthday and Nick Mason's Enzo test.

The music is key, don't screw with it.

[Hidden_Hunter]

I think that there would probably be a whole lot better chance of getting the music now that the show is a bit more famous after richards little accident, who cares if the box set costs an extra $10 for the season if it can get the real music!

[upyourego]

Originally Posted by Hidden_Hunter

I think that there would probably be a whole lot better chance of getting the music now that the show is a bit more famous after richards little accident, who cares if the box set costs an extra $10 for the season if it can get the real music!

The person responsible for sourcing the music has basically said there is NO chance, it's proved impossible to get permission to use the music on the DVDs - there is more to it than just paying.

[yusha]

This is really tough for me. My brain says it will be ok to have DVD's without the original background score if the alternate tracks are well chosen and edited well. The heart says that no it wont be any good without the original music. Damned record companies and lawyers. They are screwing us out of one of the best made Tv programs.

[AusMX5]

not that im a producer or anything, but i wouldn't think that getting rights to the music soundtrack wouldn't be that difficult, the fact that the music has already been added and approved songs for the TV episodes means the record companies have already signed a release contract with the makers of top gear... all that is needed is an amendment to that release contract, allowing the rights of the music to cover a box set or dvd release of the entire series............ assuming the DVD release would be a collection of previously aired episodes..

that fact i worked for warner Music and Warner vision has nothing to do with this way out statement....

[upyourego]

The way the BBC negotiates music rights is VERY different to the way other TV producers negotiate rights.

Because of the size and influence the BBC has across its various TV and radio networks it has a blanket deal with the organisation responsible for collecting royalties and fees to be able to use any of the music from the labels they represent on TV or radio for a fixed annual fee (that is re-negotiated depending on usage).

However those rights won't cover DVD releases or broadcast rights on other channels as they are outside the main BBC network.

That would explain why the corporation has so much trouble negotiating the rights to the music thats used on TV for the DVDs.

On TV the producers will have the choice of pretty much anything they want safe in the knowledge it would already have been paid for - on the DVDs every piece of music will require the producers to get in touch with the owners of the music.