I was browsing through the Ezydvd website and came across this entry:

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/812231

On the very little information on it, it appears the iconic ABC tv series from the 80's is FINALLY getting a DVD release on Thursday 6 May.

Will be very interesting to see if the soundtrack is complete or if changes have been made - hopefully it emerges intact.

Certainly will be great to see it again...and strange that it has been barely repeated since about the mid -late 80's.

Now if only the ABC sees fit to release Australia You're Standing In It on dvd........

Hi Patrick!
I would dearly love for your news to be true,but after the dramas with the Mushroom Evolution Concert DVD,I have to be sceptical.

Patrick, YOU are a little GM. You always report the up coming COOL Ezy DVD releases on this Forum.

I sincerely HOPE that the video's for "Sweet and Sour" and "Glam To Wham" are ALSO included. But I doubt it!!! :(

I will FINALLY get to see Sweet & Sour, how EXCITING!!!

If this is true it's fantastic news

I can't wait!!

I hope that it is issued on dvd for sure! I never saw it when i was a kid, and love the song "Sweet and Sour", so fingers crossed it does get re-released!

If you go to the ABC store website, it has the soundtrack listed for a 23 April release inconjunction with the DVD release.

http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=312910&SearchID=2858589&SearchRefineID=6056177

WOW!

How cool!

So why can't the ABC release Countdown DVD's then?

There is a new 3 cd with the COUNTDOWN logo on it which is VILE from the ABC!

it has 90s songs on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

Fantastic news, if everything is released as it was originally.

I still have the 1st soundtrack on cassette after all these years.

There were two soundtracks, Vol 1 + 2, so are the ABC releasing both on the one CD, or will they be separate cd's.

My fav character on the show was Christine.

Hi Stephen!
I'm with you about Christine,played by Sandra Lillingston and if you catch the clip for The Foo Fighters' Big Me on Rage between 10-11am later this morning,you'll see her at the start of the clip,as it was done during their first Oz tour in 1995.
I'd love for both soundtracks to be on one CD,but time will tell.

According to Ezydvd, the DVD is a 3 disc set.

So it sounds like the whole series will be released in the one set.

Lets hope the copyright to all the music is intact though.

I can't believe this series is finally getting the release we have all been waiting for.

Haven't seen the show since its original airing.

This is fantastic news, and I'm holding out for the ABC Shop's release date of 23 April. I believe them more than Ezy DVD - right John? I seriously might have to take a couple of days off work and have a Sweet & Sour marathon!

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble(including mine)-got in touch with my nearest ABC shop this morning and they told me the soundtrack AND the series releases have been delayed(no surprise really!).A date to be confirmed next month for the soundtrack and possibly later this year for the series.AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes John I know I know! First the Evolution Concert dvd and now this one - once again around the mullberry bush we go!

Seems a little odd the soundtrack would be released before the DVD, but that's business I guess.

At least we know it will arrive sometime - it's just a matter of when - maybe Xmas?

Surely that's a reasonable timeframe or am I being too optimistic??

How terrible, I want it NOW!

Sorry, wasn't it revealed by the ABC that the series would never be shown or released due to copyright issues? I'm sure it was explained that the series was made and broadcast on the basis that it would be shown only once?

I know where I read it now, on the wikipedia site. I know you can't believe everything you read there but there was a fairly blunt assertion that it was not going to be made available in any format by the ABC for the following reasons: "Due to copyright restrictions this program is unavailable for sale as it was produced on a broadcast only basis; thus restricting ABC Commercial from selling the material. There are no plans to re-broadcast this program."

Either that was not correct or their policy has changed?

See the subsection 'Availability' at this URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_and_Sour_(TV_series)

I think they have finally gotten around the copyright restrictions associated with it. I had heard last year that it was to be released on DVD and made a couple of suggestions in regards to also including the soundtrack (probably obvious although they seem to be releasing it separately), related clips (such as Solid Citizens - Singing In The Shower), footage from the 2 Countdown episodes that they hosted (Aug 19 1984 - David Reyne and Oct 7 1984 with Arky, Sandra and Rick) and interviews with key players. If the delay is caused by chasing up additional extras for the DVD then I can wait a bit longer, it's only been 25 years.

They certainly aired it more than once as it was repeated later in 1984 and again in 1985. Some one also mentioned once that it got another airing in 1989 but I have no confirmation on that.

Thanks Guru.

I was about 11-12 when it was on originally and remember it well. I don't remember the 1989 repeat though. I can swear on the bible that didn't happen in Tasmania.

The wikipedia site seems to claim that it's been the ABC over the years that's maintained that the main barrier to re-release was an agreement with the artists that it would only be transmitted once (perhaps a swift follow up broadcast was part of that original agreement?).

I also remember the soundtrack being available on record and tape but never on CD (?) which is great news.

I sometimes get annoyed when the public are told by various corporations or other entities that 'this will NEVER happen' only to discover that it does when it suits them. 25/6 years is a LONG time. I was a kid when it was first shown and now I'm getting close to 40 and middle aged. Surely the optimum time for a CD release would have been the mid-nineties (as most who were teenies at the time would have been working by that time)?

BTW I had another question posted for you on the recent CD Revoultion thread but you might have missed it.