Cheer Up! ‘Cheers’ Lives via Mail Order

Overheard at a video store:

Customer to clerk: “Do you have any ‘Cheers’ episodes on video?”

Clerk: “Sorry, sir. They’re not available on video.”

The clerk was wrong, but you can’t really blame him. Many don’t realize that episodes of the popular TV series are available on video, but not at retail outlets. “Cheers” on video can only be ordered by mail, through Columbia House Video Library.

In the last year and a half, the company has released 20 volumes of “Cheers” episodes, each containing three half-hour shows, priced at $20 per tape (plus a shipping-and-handling charge). Included are some of the favorite episodes, including the series opener, and various “firsts,” such as Woody Harrelson’s first appearance as Woody Boyd.

With the series going off the air Thursday after 11 years, a “Cheers” promotional blitz is under way. Columbia House, which advertises mainly through TV and magazines, is in the middle of it all.

“When there’s a particular marketing opportunity for any series we’re dealing with--like an anniversary or a last episode--we try to capitalize on it,” said Harry Elias, vice president of the company, which markets other classic TV shows, including “I Love Lucy,” “Star Trek” and “Gunsmoke” through mail order.

The company, which licenses “Cheers” shows from owner Paramount, usually puts out a volume every four to six weeks. Explaining how Columbia House decides which episodes to release, Elias said: “We have staff doing research, talking to people who know the show well, checking reference material--all to figure out the most popular episodes and how to pair them in the most attractive way.”

With the series running constantly in syndication, making it easy to tape old shows, you’d naturally wonder why fans bother buying any packaged tapes.

For the same reasons fans buy episodes of classic TV series no longer on the air: The quality is much better than you can get from home taping because video companies like Columbia House use original masters to make their tapes. Also, a package has the complete episodes with no commercials--reruns in syndication are often edited unmercifully to make room for extra ads.

Elias said Columbia House regards “Cheers” reruns not as competition but a boost to its business.

“Syndication keeps the name of the show in front of the public and generates a nostalgia for the show--which may inspire people to buy our tapes,” he said.

What’s on the horizon from Columbia House for “Cheers” fans?

“We’re in production for 10 more volumes--or 30 episodes,” Elias said. “What we release is based on consumer demand. If there’s no demand then we’ll stop putting out new episodes. But at the moment, the demand is high.”

For Columbia House Video information: (800) 638-2922.

What’s New?

“Blade Runner: The Director’s Cut” (Warner, $40). If you’ve already seen director Ridley Scott’s 1982 movie about a bounty hunter (Harrison Ford) at work in 21st-Century L.A., it’s worth seeing again for the changes. There’s only one small addition and a few trims, including the out-of-place happy ending. It’s the absence of Ford’s intrusive narration that’s the biggest improvement. Forget the murky plot and feast on the marvelous sets showing a grungy, decaying L.A. Co-stars Sean Young and Rutger Hauer.

“The Green Pastures” (MGM/UA, 1936, $20). Want to see how far Hollywood and this country have come since the 1930s in attitudes toward blacks? Watch these biblical tales done with an all-black cast, starring Rex Ingram as De Lawd. The over-the-top racist stereotypes are startling. In those days, however, this wasn’t bigoted nonsense but an acclaimed big-studio production. An education about how extreme racial attitudes used to be.

“A Letter to Three Wives” (FoxVideo 1949, $20). One of the best movies of its era and a must-see for fans of old movies, this film starts off with a letter from a vindictive woman informing three wives (Linda Darnell, Jeanne Crain and Ann Sothern) that she’s stolen one of their husbands. These women react by examining their marriages, though flashbacks. The letter-writer is heard (the voice of Celeste Holm) but never seen. Joseph L. Mankiewicz won Oscars for direction and for his script--which some historians rank with Hollywood’s all-time best.

“Ted & Venus” (Columbia TriStar, $90). If you’re in the mood for a quirky little movie, try this oddball tale of nerdy, love-starved poet (Bud Cort) who’s obsessed with a young beauty (Kim Adams) back in the mid-’70s in the Venice section of L.A. His obsession hovers between comic and tragic, finally taking a dark turn. Director-co-author Cort is clumsy and overly sentimental at times, but keeps you somewhat intrigued in the weird hero. Cameos by, among others, Woody Harrelson and Rhea Perlman.

Upcoming:

“A River Runs Through It,” “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “Hellraiser III” (Wednesday); “Toys,” “Hoffa,” “Used People” (May 26); “Howards End” (June 2); “Forever Young” (June 9).