'Roseanne' DVDs raising the bar
Season two contains ''original 'network' uncut episodes''
Devoted fans -- and apparently there are plenty of them -- were incensed when Carsey-Werner released the skein's first season with syndicated episodes, trimmed from their original broadcast versions.
Outraged at losing up to two -- count 'em, two! -- minutes of footage per ep, consumers fumed on online forums. On Amazon.com, the first-season package sparked more than 200 comments, most with titles like "Avoid This Worthless DVD Set Like the Plague!"
"I think the diehard fans were disappointed," Carsey-Werner prexy Bob Dubelko concedes. "Hopefully they'll be happier this time."
For season two, each package is conspicuously labeled with a sticker assuring that the DVDs contain "original 'network' uncut episodes."
But why invite the wrath of "Roseanne" acolytes in the first place?
"Honestly," Dubelko admits, "we had music clearance issues that came into play, so we decided to put out the syndicated versions as a cost-saving issue."
Dubelko says he didn't know how much additional "Roseanne" content was lost along with prohibited music, but he is sympathetic with fans' concerns. Though first-season discs have sold briskly -- around 400,000 units -- he says the company "realized it would be better to bite the bullet on cost and release (unedited episodes) anyway."
Indeed, casual and slavish fans alike will be more likely to purchase a product that isn't compared to the plague.
