Missing tv epsidoes on Netflix

Usually it's a rights issue, and often it's music rights. A lot of 80s shows like Magnum (and Miami Vice) used current hit music back in the day that needs the rights renegotiated to air it again. The disc might have gotten it hammered out, but the streams are a separate negotiation.

I've seen that happen with TV shows in syndication. The channel doesn't want to pay for the rights to air a show that used a Stevie Wonder song or something, so they skip over that episode.

Yeah, I've noticed that here and there as well (specifically on Quantum Leap and Greatest American Hero).

I also believe it's usually music rights. I thought once I heard some show wasn't allowed to be on streaming due to the family members of a deceased guest star didn't relinquish rights. Can't remember specifics.

Licensing is a fickle mistress, since contracts can be written so many ways.

Must have been a pretty big actor to do that. Usually, once you've signed a contract to appear on a show, the studio can use the footage of you as much as they want until the show goes into the public domain. The actor gets a payment (residuals) for each airing, but usually has no say over how many times it is rebroadcast.


Side note: I remember when John Carpenter's The Thing used Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious" at one point. But for the VHS release, they didn't want to pay for the song, so they substituted some other song in its place. The DVD and Blu releases restored Stevie's song, so I guess they decided to pay up.

It may not actually be missing episodes. I saw that on one series, and they were actually specials on the physical discs, not actual series episodes. You can check episode counts and names on Wikipedia or other sources.

for some reason magnum PI and coach and others started streaming last week but all the episodes have disappeared

I have seen them that the last 2 or 3 episodes of each season say to see these buy the disk.

typical BS

Just caught that. Coach was scheduled to be added Jan 1st but didn't....they then said March 1st, which showed back up in my queue but a few days later, its gone? what the heck is going on.

Probably some disagreements about various rights. Welcome to the wonderful world of digital streaming!!

It's not limited to digital streaming. TV syndication often has the exact same problem.