Young Doctors DVD Battle Rages On!

The Young Doctors

Cast, crew and fans of the classic Australian soap opera The Young Doctors are refusing to accept a decision made by FremantleMedia, not to release the complete series as a DVD box set.

As regular readers will be aware, ATV Today have been closely following the very active campaign to give this much loved and much missed serial a new lease of life.

“I was amazed when FremantleMedia informed me of their decision not to proceed with a full DVD release,” said Darren Gray who represents a number of the cast and crew from the serial, “the reason we have been given is that the cost of rights clearance would not make such a venture viable. Leaving the show to simply gather dust in the archives isn’t benefiting anyone, and it is certainly not earning the rights owners any income.”

Over 60,000 supporters have joined The Young Doctors DVD campaign page on Facebook and Gray has lined up DVD companies in both Australia and the UK who are willing to release the complete series as a box set, the Australian outfit are even prepared to digitise and restore all of the master tapes to the series. Uniquely a significant number of the core cast and crew from the production have come out in support of the action being taken by fans.

Fans, cast and crew alike have taken to social media in their droves venting their anger, frustration and refusal to accept the decision announced by FremantleMedia.

Karen Petersen who played Erica Shaw in the show spoke up on behalf of the cast and crew telling us, “As a member of the Australian public, and a former cast member of The Young Doctors, I am claiming my entitlement to be told by FremantleMedia, who own the rights to The Young Doctors, why they are denying me and over 60,000 fans from around the globe, the right to get it as a complete DVD box set.

 

“As usual, the decision was taken at the very top. I visited the top, looking at Fremantle’s website, to see which one of them used their power to ignore and dismiss over 60,000 voices simply because he or she doesn’t like The Young Doctors. I would encourage everyone else to have a look as well – http://www.fremantlemedia.com.au/about-us/our-team.

 

“I want to know why it’s so hard with The Young Doctors,” continued Karen, “when everything else is getting a complete DVD release. We’ve had Prisoner, The Sullivans, Carsons Law, Spyforce, A Country Practice, McLeod’s Daughters, Mother and Son, Sea Patrol, Sea Change, and even Skippy. So why no Young Doctors?

 

“After the Berlin Wall came crashing down in November 1989, I claimed my entitlement for access to see my file, which was held in the vaults of the STASI (Secret Police of East Germany). This was difficult; I was given many excuses and weird reasons why I could not have it.

 

“But I did get it!

 

“Now in the vaults of FremantleMedia there is something that I want. And I am told that I cannot have it, because rights clearance costs would not make the venture viable. They have told a DVD distributor in England that for a multitude of reasons there is no possibility of them licensing The Young Doctors for DVD release. They refuse to allow public access to a show that I was a part of making and which many others backing this campaign were also a part of.

 

“More than 60,000 of us are being dismissed by a handful of people in authority as a nuisance that spoils lunch. We, The Young Doctors, and the fans that have always supported us will NOT stand for this and neither will we accept it.”

The Young Doctors

Unfortunately we can’t give every voice a platform here but a couple of fans have summed things up.

Michael Bell says, “How dare a fistful of people tell over 60,000 fans that we can’t have the complete series of The Young Doctors to buy and own. We must not allow a decision taken by so few to destroy the hopes and dreams of so many. We must never give up, we must fight on and if necessary we must go over the heads of FremantleMedia and go to Bertelsmann Media who own that organisation. If Fremantle wont give us what we want we should take our demands directly to Dr Thomas Rabe, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bertelsmann.”

 

Fellow fan Doug Moody says, “Initially I was upset and devastated by the decision but now I am angry and like others have said will not lie down and accept this. To get The Young Doctors released in its entirety on DVD is a cause worth fighting for. And fight on we will. Come on FremantleMedia – give us what we want. Why should we beg to spend our hard earned cash on a product which you own?”

You can join The Young Doctors DVD campaign on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/theyoungdoctorsdvd

Related Story: Young Doctors Photo Special

Photo 1. Karen Petersen as Erica Shaw in The Young Doctors with her screen husband Raymond played by Alfred Sandor. Copyright Grundy Organisation/FremantleMedia, courtesy of Karen Petersen/Darren Gray.

Photo 2. Young Doctors producer Alan Coleman with Gwen Plumb who played kiosk lady Ada Simmonds. Copyright Grundy Organisation/FremantleMedia, courtesy of Alan Coleman archive/Darren Gray.