NBC '62 color series "The Virginian" on cable

[Steve D.]

If you receive the Encore movie network on your cable/dish provider, they are currently showing the "Virginian". This on their Encore Western channel. This color series premiered in 1962 on NBC. These 35mm color prints must be struck from original negs. The color is fantastic. They are currently showing the 1962 episodes. Should look good on a well set up roundie. Airs here in the west at 4:30 PM.

-Steve D.

[Kalamazoo-DJ]

I have been seeing more of those in a local chain store on DVD they have many old tv series in entire runs, I already have collected a few entire sets, the problem with Direct Tv is they do not have a good guide that loads fast it takes about 10 minutes to load up then it is so scattered so to speak one movie channel in 200's 4 others in 500's etc you have to hunt the entire line up for one show.

[old_tv_nut]

Set up to record from Dish - will see how it looks.

[bozey45]

The Virginian does look fantastic on Encore Westerns, quite a jump up from the awful copies aired on Retro TV on Sundays (they've been airing quite a while now). But at least RTV has been showing the program, grateful for that anyway.

[Kalamazoo-DJ]

Decided to get a few screen caps a bit of back light reflection ,but here they are

[John Hafer]

Way back on a Wednesday evening in December of 1963, I remember going with my mother downtown to look at color televisions and to pick one out for Christmas. While she talked to the salesperson, I remember watching 'The Virginian' on two of the color tv display sets in the store. Other customers would also come by and comment how nice the color looked on the sets. We ended up buying our first color television mainly based on how great the color looked while watching 'The Virginian' on the floor models.

[Steve Hoffman]

I remember a very similar thing, same show, same deal.

I also remember that it was odd when the commercials came on and were (mostly) in black & white. However, when the show came back on it was like, "ahhhhh!" to this little kid. I was spellbound. Didn't want to leave the May Co. Dept. store.

Steve-O,

New prints were struck, yes. Gone forever are those videos of cheap Eastman dupes of the faded 16mm backup copies!

[old_tv_nut]

I had trouble recording for some unknown reason, but it's working now - the first episode I recorded and looked at this evening had Bette Davis as the guest-star villainess - great stuff. These are good prints, but the color seems to lean heavily on the browns - good for faces and horses, but I think it could be better in the outdoor shots.

[Steve D.]

Wayne,

You are correct in that the browns, especially in studio produced interior scenes, seem to be more pronounced. I recall watching these color shows when they first aired on Network TV in the early 60's.The browns, like interior woodwork, doors ect. were somehow more noticiable. Especially on western series such as The Virginian, Bonanza, Tales of Wells Fargo. Of course lots of scenes in saloons, cabins, barns ect. Perhaps the film stock or processing. Most, I believe, didn't use Technicolor but Eastman color stock.

-Steve D.

[Dan Starnes]

Heck, I got Encore Westerns on Direct just because of this post. Great series, remember when it began. I had forgotten it was a 90 minute show. I need to get my RCA done to watch this on.