Anchor Bay Entertainment Releases Three's Company Season One on DVD
Proceeds From the Sale of the DVD to be Donated to a Charity
Very Close to John Ritter, United Cerebral Palsy
TROY, Mich., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Anchor Bay Entertainment brings Jack,
Janet, Chrissy, Larry and the Ropers to your living room on November 11, 2003.
The DVD will contain all episodes, including the pilot, from season one with a
suggested retail price of $19.98.
"In response to considerable retailer and consumer demand, we've
accelerated the plans for the release of Three's Company Season One,"
commented David Vasile, president of Anchor Bay Entertainment. "We plan to
donate a portion of the proceeds to United Cerebral Palsy in memory of John
Ritter who was closely involved with UCP since the late '70s."
For more than 15 years, John Ritter was involved with United Cerebral
Palsy as host of the annual telethon. He also gave his time to support the
activities of the local UCP chapter in Los Angeles and the national
organization.
In an agreement with DLT Entertainment Ltd. formed this past summer,
Anchor Bay Entertainment will distribute subsequent seasons of the
highly-popular television show, Three's Company, on DVD.
Three's Company originated from a British comedy series, Man About the
House, and its concept as a television show was brought to the U.S. in the
late '70s. The show was pitched to all networks but each one turned it down.
Some time later, ABC contacted the creators and gave the green light for a
pilot. Over one year and three pilots later, the first episode of Three's
Company aired on March 15, 1977.
The cast was formed to include John Ritter as Jack Tripper, Joyce DeWitt
as Janet Wood and Suzanne Somers as Chrissy Snow. John Ritter was cast in the
first round of auditions but Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers were not the
original Janet and Chrissy. Disney CEO Michael Eisner, then an ABC
programming executive, stepped in and suggested new girls cast in those roles.
DeWitt got the role as Janet after the role was recast and Sommers got the
role of Chrissy after two other actresses cast as Chrissy did not seem to
embody the character. Eisner also played an instrumental role in inspiring
the casting of Norman Fell and Audra Lindley as the nosy landlords, Mr. and
Mrs. Roper. Three's Company became one of the highest-rated television series
ever and continues to be a worldwide favorite.
Over the past year, the genre of television series on DVD has had an
amazing sales growth. According to the DVD Release Report, it is projected
that TV series-related DVD releases will have doubled by 2004 and is
definitely one of the most popular and hottest categories in the DVD market.
Three's Company has appeared consistently on various consumer wish lists of
titles they want released on DVD.
Anchor Bay Entertainment has established itself as a haven for some of the
world's greatest filmmakers and studios. Over the past few years, critics and
producers as well as the media have praised the company for its quality
releases. USA Today singled out ABE for its "consistent excellence" in DVD
releases.
In addition to releasing extraordinary feature films, the company
distributes one of the most popular children's video series, Thomas & Friends.
The series has received numerous awards and endorsements, been awarded
platinum-selling status and ranks consistently on the Top 50 chart of
children's weekly video sales (VideoScan). Anchor Bay Entertainment is #1 in
market share for fitness (VideoScan), with such chart-topping brands as the
"Crunch" and "For Dummies" series.
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a division of North Coast Entertainment, a
subsidiary of the Handleman Company (NYSE: HDL). Anchor Bay Entertainment and
Handleman Company can be accessed via the web by visiting
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com and http://www.handleman.com .
SOURCE Anchor Bay Entertainment
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Related links:
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com
http://www.handleman.com
CONTACT:
Maral Kaloustian of Sue Procko Public
Relations for Anchor Bay Entertainment, +1-323-653-5153, or
maraligl@aol.com
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