The British market point is interesting. I think it may make sense for “Doctor Who” to be somewhat overpriced, in that the market for it is somewhat more limited than that for, say, “Buffy”. There is a good chance that if “Buffy” drops below $20 per season then a whole bunch of casual enjoyers of the show will go for it. Whereas, in the case of the good Doctor, it’s pretty much just the hard-core nerds. You can’t really sell a LOT of this stuff to the American public, even if you drop your price, so you better milk your fanatic fan base for what it’s worth. Maybe the same goes for Star Trek.

Small print runs?

Dr. Who, the Complete First Season (2005) is currently selling for $65.99 (“FREE with Super Saver Shipping”) on Amazon for 585 minutes of content.

Star Trek, the First Season (1966) is currently selling for $67.49 (“FREE with Super Saver Shipping”) for 1461 minutes of content.

Fine, Dr. Who almost 3X as expensive—for whatever reason.

But now, look as the “Used and New” option:

Dr. Who: 41 Used and New gives you Used—Like New for $64.99 (+ $2.98 shipping) = More than New

Star Trek: 82 Used and New gives you Used—Like New for $32.99 + ($2.98 shipping) = above half price.

I can imagine a rationale that props up the cost of new Dr. Who vidoes above the profit-maximizing price, but what explains the re-sellers keeping THEIR prices artificially high (above “New”)?

In a completely ruthless hand, the sword is way mightier than the pen. “What pen?” “That’s not a pen, it’s a Slim Jim, and now you’ll eat it.”

That one I know – to prevent UK customers ordering from the US at US pricing.

I don’t think so; though Tolliver clearly took over Swearingen’s more psychotic and violent qualities, leaving us free to empathise more with Al’s caring side. But I’d say the sympathy starts when he has his stroke and lies on the floor of his room for a day.

“Lost” may need one but “Gilligan’s Island” didn’t.

Example: why is “Doctor Who” always so expensive. Shouldn’t an episode of “Buffy” and an episode of “Star Trek” and an episode of “Doctor Who” cost about the same, on average, given that they are likely to be approximately equivalent items, selling to approximately the same market? But they don’t cost approximately the same. “Doctor Who” usually costs about 5-10 times as much, per episode.

Obviously you want X (price) x Y (units sold) to equal the largest possible Z. Which is consistent with having a very large X and a small Y, or a very large Y and a small X, or somewhere in between. Like that old Calvin & Hobbes where he is trying to sell lemonade for $20 a cup. In general terms, it is obvious why you would tend to go for the low price, many units option (because if you try to sell $20 lemonade, someone will undercut you.) But in DVD sales, it doesn’t seem to work that way. Prices are wildly variable, with many marketers clearly going for the lemonade model.

But I’ve sort of changed the subject.

It seems to me a compelling consideration that, were TV run along the lines of US foreign policy, we’d be gearing up for the exciting, cliffhanger season finale of season 32 of Space: 1999, right about now.

Hell, why be pessimistic? I’ll put it in the indicative mood:
I hope that this series of excellent observations will help to make our national attitude towards war less like our attitude towards entertainment.