[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 07:36 PM\'] There's so much more that should be unearthed by those who have access to the studio vaults, stuff that maybe we have never seen before. [/quote]
Two problems with that, unfortunately. They really didn't have unlimited access to "the vaults". GSN and others were helpful to them if they had a reasonably good idea of the specific clips that they were looking for, but they weren't just let loose to dig around and see what they could find.
Also, there's the issue of how unproductive it would have been to sit and watch show after show without any idea when you might stumble across a gem. The rarity of what they had access to wasn't really an issue with them. In the case of Curt's friend, she didn't even have a clue which shows were more treasured by collectors. In fact, they probably preferred to focus on clips from shows the general audience remembered, like Family Feud and The Newlywed Game.
Unfortunately, we know perfectly well that there's a ton of stuff "in the vaults" that we'd love to see, but there's just not a business model that makes it worth anybody's time or effort to show it to us. We once thought that was what GSN was going to be for, but while we've certainly been blessed over the years with what they've given us, I think it's safe to say that, at least in terms of forgotten gems, that well has run dry.
