The Statler Brothers Show - A Possible Update About the DVDs We Reported About Yesterday Available from Gaither since last year: 'The Best Of Season 1'
Posted by David Lambert	3/09/2017
Yesterday we passed along word from VideoETA (a website produced by home video distributor Ingram Entertainment) that this April 21st will see the release of an $84.98 SRP collection they show being titles as "The Best of Statler TV Shows Volume 1." As we said in that report, there's no other info there about it, and no artwork either...just that very thin info about the date, pricing, and that it's being produced by the Universal Music Group. Overnight one of our longtime readers, who we'll just call "Steve" (and we thank you for the e-mail you sent!) contacted us to say that he had, last year, bought a similar-sounding item from the Gaither online store: "The Best Of The Statler Brothers TV Show: Season One" It was a 7-DVD set, priced similarly at $79.95 SRP. Steve wrote us the following list of observations about the make-up of the set he bought online in 2016, and - leaving out his opinions about what he liked, and did not like (because everyone's mileage may vary based on what they personally enjoy) - here are the facts he offers about that set he already owns (direct quotations from Steve's email are in italics): These are "edited versions of 1st season episodes" They include "only the Statler performances" and "omits every single guest star" He notes that for the broadcasts of this show, "there were usually two musical guests, one non musical, plus performances from the other members of the regular cast" For the content, Steve says that "There are about 75 Statler Brothers performances spread over six 45 minute DVDs, plus a 7th DVD featuring their gospel songs that closed each show." He also notes that "Each episode featured a segment saluting songs from a particular year but only 5 are included here" Steve concludes by noting that "Most of the Statler songs were penned and published by the group themselves, so very little 'outside' music was cleared for this release." We do NOT know, at this time, if the set Steve bought online last year will be the identical set to what VideoETA is listing for an April 2017 release. It's possible that these are the same item, just being sold more widely than it has been in the past. Or it could be a different item, as the slightly-different title ("Volume" instead of "Season") tends to indicate. We don't know right now. In either case, same or different item, it's worth passing along to our readers that a 7-DVD set of The Statler Brothers Show already is available, and to pass along what we know about it. Below is the description and box art from last year's release, as provided to use by our reader from Gaither: Known for their warmth, wit and original harmonies, the Statler Brothers are the most awarded act in the history of country music. They were country's premier group for nearly 40 years, beginning as backup singers for Johnny Cash and going on to record a long line of their own hits including "Flowers On The Wall," "Class Of '57," "I'll Go To My Grace Loving You,""Do You Know You Are My Sunshine," "Elizabeth" and others. In addition to recording albums, the Statlers made their mark in television starring in their own variety show on The Nashville Network (TNN). The group was loved perhaps as much for its sense of humor as for its music, and "The Statler Brothers Show" held the No. 1 spot on the network during its entire seven-season run, becoming the highest-rated show in TNN's history. Each episode opened with the Statlers performing one of their biggest hits, along with comedic interludes from the group featuring Harold Reid. One of the most popular segments was "Yesteryear," a nostalgic piece in which the Statlers performed songs and recalled events that occurred during a particular year in history. And, each episode closed with the Statlers performing a gospel song. Millions of viewers loved "The Statler Brothers Show," and for the first time, these classic performances are available in a seven-DVD set sold exclusively through the Gaither label.