Why were 2 episodes omitted from the "The Tick" DVD releases, and why was Season 3 never released to Region 1?
The cartoon "The Tick" had two Region 1 DVD releases: The Tick vs. Season One and The Tick vs. Season Two, but
- Season One is missing the episode "Tick vs. The Mole Men".
- Season Two is missing the episode "Alone Together".
- Season Three never had a Region 1 release, but was distributed overseas.
According to Wikipedia, the entire unedited series with all episodes was released to the UK, so why were those 2 episodes missing from the American releases, and why was the third season never released to the US?
Research : Season One
Regarding the missing episode "Tick vs. The Mole Men", The Huffington Post says Disney released the following statement:
"Due to creative considerations episode 11 ('The Tick vs. The Mole Men') is not included. However, we hope to include it in future Tick releases."
The statement does not further define the "creative considerations". Yahoo Answers speculates one or more of the following reasons:
- some (unsubstantiated) rights to the episode are unavailable.
- there was a potential lawsuit regarding an unflattering caricature of Cindy Crawford (and her mole) used in the episode.
- DVD space constraints restricted size. Disney wanted to fit Season One on 2 DVDs and couldn't unless an episode was thrown out; "Mole Men" drew the short straw.
The author of a 2006 article from the website "TV Shows on DVD" purported to have been in contact with Disney / Buena Vista, and had been told the actual reason, but withheld it at the time; he also debunked the Crawford lawsuit rumor. From the article:
[...] the studio stands by their previous statement that they are working hard to clear "The Tick vs. The Mole-Men" for release on a future DVD set of The Tick [...] there's just an issue with a single episode, and they are dedicated to clearing that matter up, if at all possible.
What IS that issue? We frankly don't want to share it with the world, because it may jeopardize the situation, and put extra pressure on the parties working it out. [...] One thing we WILL say about it, though: we've heard ridiculous rumors around the 'net that the hold-up is Cindy Crawford, who supposedly objects to a satire of herself in that episode, called "Mindy Moleford." [...] It has nothing to do with her, or that character.
The studio feels pretty good that this will get cleared up in time to be included on a future Tick DVD release as "the missing episode," or something like that.
Private e-mail follow-up with "TV Shows on DVD" revealed they no longer recall what the actual reason was behind the "creative considerations".
QUESTION: What were the details of the "creative considerations" which ultimately led to the episode not being included in the Season One DVD release or subsequent releases?
Research : Season Two
No explanation has detailed why "Alone Together" isn't included with the second season. The episode adapts a story from The Tick comic book, which relates a parody of Marvel Comics character Galactus. It could not be due to the Galactus parody, as parodies of other Marvel characters (notably, The Punisher) were spoofed in other episodes collected to DVD.
The Wikipedia article cites a 2006 blog entry by the writer of both omitted episodes, Christopher McCulloch (aka "Jackson Publick", co-creator of The Venture Brothers), stating he has no idea why they are missing.
QUESTION: What is the specific reason why "Alone Together" was not included in the Season Two DVD release?
Research : Season Three
I speculate season three was never released to the US due to low sales of the earlier seasons, but I have no evidence to back up this statement. I know I did not purchase either of the first two season sets due to the missing episodes. The third season was released to DVD in the UK.
QUESTION: Considering it was released in the UK, why was Season Three never released on DVD to Region 1 (US, Canada, etc.)?
2021 Update
Amazon Prime released all episodes of The Tick cartoon, apparently unedited, to US streaming for viewing during 2020-21. This still does not explain the missing episodes from the DVDs. As of this 2022 update, they moved to Hulu.
Best Answer
I had heard the problem with "Tick vs. The Mole Men" was that a Barry Manilow song was playing in the background -- that they didn't have the rights to put that on a DVD. I have not verified this story.
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Answer 2
Season One is missing the episode "Tick vs. The Mole Men"
On August 29, 2006, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the first season of The Tick on DVD as The Tick vs. Season One. This collection contains only 12 of the 13 episodes. On May 31, 2006, Disney released the following statement regarding the missing episode: "Due to licensing problems, episode #11 ("The Tick vs. The Mole Men") is not included. However, we hope to include it in future DVD releases of The Tick".[2] The UK edition of the first season, released the following year by Liberation Entertainment Ltd., presented all 13 episodes.
Season Two is missing the episode "Alone Together", a Galactus spoof adapted from the comics
The second season of The Tick, entitled The Tick vs. Season Two, was released on August 7, 2007.[3] This DVD release is not the complete set, however, as it is missing the episode "Alone Together." This episode features Omnipotus, a parody of Galactus (though earlier episodes used similar comic book parodies, and are available on the DVD releases). In the August 6, 2006 entry of his blog, Christopher McCulloch, the writer for all of the omitted episodes, states that he does not know the reason for the exclusion of episode #11 from the Season 1 DVD.
Season Three was never released in the US.
Edlund later expressed his view that, because the series did not reach the commercial heights of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, its merchandising success deteriorated by the end of its first season.
Further, you yourself have done much research and given all plausible answers to your own question.
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