Fall TV 2025: ABC

ABC FallTVLook2025 Upfronts 

         If there is a theme this season, it's mostly how simple and consistent the networks are being with programming.  ABC has mostly  kept their line up from last year intact.  They have one new series in the fall line up "9-1-1: Nashville" which will be airing after the parent show "9-1-1" on Thursday nights at 9/8c.  

        "Shark Tank" is leaving its longtime Friday slot and moving to Wednesday nights at 10/9c.   "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" will now take the Fridays 8/7c slot. 

        The rest of the line up stays the same.   Monday Night Football will be airing on ABC once again.  "Dancing with the Stars" is on Tuesdays with sophomore series  "High Potential" following it.   

         Tim Allen's  "Shifting Gears" leads Wednesdays with the only other comedy series in the fall line up "Abbott Elementary"   "The Golden Bachelor" takes the spot between the comedies and "Shark Tank" 

         "American Idol" , "Celebrity Jeopardy!" , "The Rookie",  and "Will Trent" return at midseason. 

Here's the full line up , all times ET/PT unless otherwise noted, new series highlighted in blue  

Monday 

8pm/5pt Monday Night Football 

Tuesday

8pm Dancing with the Stars 

10pm High Potential 

Wednesday 

8pm Shifting Gears 

8:30pm Abbott Elementary 

9pm The Golden Bachelor 

10pm Shark Tank 

Thursday 

8pm 9-1-1

9pm 9 -1-1 :Nashville

10pm Grey's Anatomy 

Friday 

8pm Celebrity Wheel of Fortune 

9pm 20/20 (2 hrs) 

Saturdays 

7:30/4:30pt  College Football 

Sundays 

7pm  America's Funniest Home Videos

8pm The Wonderful World of Disney 

Full Press Release after the jump 

Fall TV 2025: NBC

NBC    Fall TV Look 2025   Upfronts 

         NBC gained the rights to the National Basketball Association, for the first time since they lost their rights to Disney/ESPN in 2002.  The network has decided to make one of their own nights, instead of a cable network, to be NBA night.  In other words , Tuesday night.  Meaning that NBC had to clear out some shows to make room, as the network still has Sunday Night Football as well.  

              The two comedies that were left  and just premiered in the 2024-25 season will be back in November. "St. Denis Medical" and "Happy's Place" will be used to launch two new comedies.  NBC will be cutting the voice down to 1 hour, from November on Mondays giving them a comedy hour  competing against CBS' comedy hour on Mondays with "St. Denis Medical" and a new a not yet named comedy after it.   

         "Brilliant Minds" was renewed" and will fill out the Monday line up.  Tuesdays, before Basketball starts in October,  will be 2 hours of the Voice  and a new show hosted by Jimmy Fallon "On Brand with Jimmy Fallon"  

  The "Chicago" shows hold their Wednesday night in place.  Law and Order and SVU will still have Thursday, with "The Hunting Party" taking the final slot. 

         Fridays. will start with "On Brand with Jimmy Fallon" which will be on two nights until October, then one night.   "Dateline NBC" will be 2 hours after.  

            In  November "Happy's Place" returns with a new comedy series following it.   

Here's the full line up, all times are ET/PT , unless otherwise noted,  new series are highlighted in blue 

Monday (Sept. /Oct.) 

8pm  The Voice

10pm Brilliant Minds 

Monday (November) 

8pm St. Denis Medical 

8:30pm TBD Comedy

9pm The Voice 

10pm  Brilliant Minds

Tuesday (September) 

8pm The Voice

10pm On Brand with Jimmy Fallon  

Tuesday (Oct./ Nov) 

8pm NBA on NBC 

Wednesday

8pm  Chicago Med 

9pm Chicago Fire

10pm Chicago PD 

Thursday 

8pm Law & Order 

9pm Law & Order SVU

10pm The Hunting Party 

Friday (September /October) 

8pm On Brand with Jimmy Fallon 

9pm  Dateline NBC 

Friday (November) 

8pm Happy's Place 

8:30pm TBD Comedy

9pm  Dateline NBC 

Saturday

7pm/4pm Big Ten Pregame /Notre Dame Pregame  (also live on Peacock) 

7:30pm/4:30pm  Big Ten Saturday Night/ Notre Dame Football (also Live on Peacock) 

Sunday 

7pm/4pt Football Night In America  (Also live on Peacock) 

8:20pm /5:20pt  NBC Sunday Night Football (Also live on Peacock) 

Full press release after the jump

Fall TV 2025: FOX

FOX  Fall TV Look 2025   Upfronts

    

    

        FOX has released their fall line up, which has  a noticeable less scripted than previous line up.  Besides the Sunday animation night, only Tuesday is scripted.   Monday nights have been given over to game shows of the returning  "Name that Tune" and new "Celebrity Weakest Link"  Fox isn't leaving scripted out to dry, besides Tuesday night, the network will return Monday to it in the mid-season.  

         Of note, "The Masked Singer" will not be on the fall line up, the network has decided to have only do one cycle in the winter/spring of the season.  The Floor gets that slot to lead into a new game show 99 To Beat.   Thursday night is Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen" and the reality show "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test"  

        They have other shows planned for the mid-season including a religious mini-series  "The Faithful" which will be aired over three weeks during the Easter/Passover season  based on the book of Genesis.    A one hour comedy series based the UK series "Doc Martin" called "Best Medicine"  will be airing with "Doc".   "American Dad" also returns to FOX after 11 years on TBS. 

Here's a look at the fall line up ; all times ET/PT unless otherwise noted; new series highlighted in blue. 

Monday 

8pm  Name that Tune 

9pm Celebrity Weakest Link 

Tuesday 

8pm  Murder in a Small Town 
9pm Doc 

Wednesday 

8pm The Floor 

8pm 99 to Beat 

Thursday 

8pm  Hell's Kitchen 

9pm Special Forces: World's Toughest Test 

Friday

8pm /5pt  Fox College Football Friday 

Saturday 

7pm-10:30PMET/ 4-7:30PM FOX Sports Saturday 

Sunday

7pm NFL on FOX 

7:30pm The OT /Fox Animation Encores 

8pm  The Simpsons

8:30pm Universal Basic Guys

9pm Krapopolis 

9:30pm  Bob's Burgers 

The full press release with details after the jump 

CBS Releases 2025-2026 line up

CBS  Upfront  Fall TV Look 2025

    CBS has announced its fall and spring schedule for the 2025-26 season.  

         For a network that keeps some consistency that is mostly true, but there will be some tweaks to the line up as CBS has canceled a few series.   Monday is getting a makeover as the entire 8:30-11pm part of the line up has changed.  A new comedy, DMV, will be following the veteran, and on a farewell season, comedy The Neighborhood.  FBI   moves to Monday following the two comedies.  A new spin-off series , CIA, rounds out the night. 

            FBI : Tuesdays are gone, and now it's NCIS night.  The main series moves back to a slot it once held, Tuesdays at 8/7c.  NCIS: Origins  and NCIS: Sydney round out the night. 

            Fridays lost two series in the past season, so it will have two new series.  A spin-off of Fire Country , named Sheriff Country starts the night off.  The flagship show gets the middle hour, and Blue Bloods former slot, gets its new spin off   Boston Blue. 

        Sundays  will be shorter in the fall, to allow for football over-runs  60 Minutes  leads the night , followed by a new reality based series The Road  will following.  The 10/9c hour will be focused on CBS encores. During the spring, the network fills in 9/8c  with Y: MARSHALS  (note this is working title and may change)  and the second season of Watson.  

         Here's a full look at the line up , all times are ET/PT unless otherwise noted and new series are in Blue 

Monday  (Fall and Spring)

8pm  The Neighborhood 

8:30pm DMV 

9pm  FBI 

10pm CIA 

Tuesday (Fall and Spring) 

8pm  NCIS 

9pm  NCIS: Origins 

10pm NCIS: Sydney

Wednesday (Fall) 

8pm Survivor 

9:30pm The Amazing Race 

Wednesday (January) 

8pm Hollywood Squares 

9pm The Price is Right 

10pm  Harlan Coben's Final Twist 

Wednesday (Spring) 

8pm Survivor 

9:30pm America's Culinary Cup 

Thursday ( Fall and Spring) 

8pm Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage 

8:30pm Ghosts 

9pm Matlock 

10pm Elsbeth 

Friday (Fall and Spring) 

8pm Sheriff Country 

9pm  Fire Country

10pm Boston Blue 

Saturday 

8pm CBS Encores 

10pm  48 Hours 

Sunday  (Fall) 

7pm 60 Minutes 

8pm Tracker 

9pm The Road 

10pm CBS Encores 

Sunday (Spring) 

7pm 60 Minutes 

8pm  Tracker 

9pm  Y: Marshals 

10pm  Watson 

Full Press Release after the jump 

Freeform's 30 Days of Disney June 2025

Freeform 

 Freeform , the Disney owned cable network, is having another 30 days of Disney programming event. From June 1 to 30, the network will be airing movies from their parent company's library.   

            There will be themed weeks and programming.  As part of the event, there will be television premieres of   the 2023, Disney-Pixar movie Elemental , the 2023 Little Mermaid remake, the 2022 animated movie Strange World , and  the Freeform premiere of  Avatar: The Way of Water. 

            Here's the line up all times are ET/PT , subject to change 

Sunday, June 1

7:00 AM - "The Lion King" (2019) (Live Action)

9:35 AM - "The Parent Trap" (1998)

12:45 PM -  "Frozen" (Disney Animated)

3:15 PM - "Frozen II" (Disney Animated)

5:25 PM - "Ratatouille" (Disney-Pixar)

8:05 PM - "Elemental" (Disney-Pixar) - World Television Premiere

10:15 PM - "Up" (Disney-Pixar)

12:25 AM - "Oliver & Company" (Disney Animated)

Monday, June 2

10:30 AM - "The Game Plan"

1:00 PM - "Hercules" (Disney Animated)

3:00 PM - "WALL-E" (Disney Animated)

5:00 PM - "Inside Out" (Disney-Pixar)

7:00 PM - "Brave" (Disney-Pixar)

9:00 PM - "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "Air Bud"

Tuesday, June 3

10:30 AM - "Alice in Wonderland" (2010) (Live Action)

1:00 PM - "Alice Through the Looking Glass"

3:30 PM - "Bambi" (Disney Animated)

5:00 PM - "Mulan" (1998) (Disney Animated)

7:00 PM - "Tangled" (Disney Animated)

9:00 PM - "The Little Mermaid" (1989) (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "Air Bud: Golden Receiver"

Wednesday, June 4

10:30 AM - "Brother Bear" (Disney Animated)

12:25 PM - "Bolt" (Disney Animated)

2:25 PM - "The Fox and the Hound" (Disney Animated)

4:25 PM - "A Bug's Life" (Disney-Pixar)

6:30 PM - "Finding Nemo" (Disney-Pixar)

8:55 PM - "Finding Dory" (Disney-Pixar)

12:00 AM - "Bedtime Stories"

Thursday, June 5

10:30 AM - "Lady and the Tramp" (1955) (Disney Animated)

12:00 PM - "Wreck-It Ralph" (Disney Animated)

2:05 PM - "Ralph Breaks the Internet" (Disney Animated)

4:40 PM - "The Incredibles" (Disney-Pixar)

7:20 PM - "Incredibles 2" (Disney-Pixar)

10:00 PM - "Not Her First Rodeo" - Freeform Season Finale

• Episode 105 - "Broken Dreams and Bodies": With the Championship days away, a rider suffers a devastating season-ending injury, while another deals with tragedy outside the arena.

• Episode 106 - "Eight Seconds and a Championship Buckle": After a thrilling season, who will hang on long enough to win the coveted championship buckle for the Elite Lady Bull Riders?

12:00 AM - "The Aristocats" (Disney Animated)

Friday, June 6

10:30 AM - "The Great Mouse Detective" (Disney Animated)

12:05 PM - "The Parent Trap" (1998)

3:00 PM - "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996) (Disney Animated)

5:00 PM - "The Emperor's New Groove" (Disney Animated)

6:55 PM - "Aladdin" (1992) (Disney Animated)

9:00 PM - "The Lion King" (1994) (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" (Disney Animated)

Saturday, June 7

7:00 AM - "Enchanted"

9:30 AM - "Herbie: Fully Loaded"

11:35 AM - "Freaky Friday" (2003)

1:35 PM - "The Princess and the Frog" (Disney Animated)

3:40 PM - "Luca" (Disney-Pixar)

5:45 PM - "Moana" (Disney Animated)

8:15 PM - "The Little Mermaid" (2023) (Live Action) - Freeform Premiere

11:30 PM - "Zootopia" (Disney Animated)

Sunday, June  8 7:00 AM - "The Rescuers" (Disney Animated)

9:00 AM - "The Rescuers Down Under" (Disney Animated)

10:55 AM - "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) (Live Action)

2:00 PM - "Turning Red" (Disney-Pixar)

4:10 PM - "Tangled" (Disney Animated)

6:20 PM - "Encanto" (Disney Animated)

8:30 PM - "Coco" (Disney-Pixar)

11:00 PM - "Aladdin" (2019) (Live Action)

Monday, June 9

10:30 AM   - "Ferdinand"

12:55 PM   - "Monster's Inc." (Disney-Pixar)

3:00 PM   - "Monster's University" (Disney-Pixar)

5:25 PM - "Cruella"

8:30 PM - "Cinderella" (2015) (Live Action)

12:00 AM - "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"

Tuesday, June 10

10:30 AM - "The Sandlot"

12:55 PM - "Cars" (Disney-Pixar)

3:30 PM - "Cars 2" (Disney-Pixar)

6:00 PM - "Cars 3" (Disney-Pixar)

8:30 PM - "Ratatouille"  (Disney-Pixar)

12:00 AM - "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2"

Wednesday, June 11

10:30 AM - "101 Dalmatians" (1961) (Disney Animated)

12:30 PM - "Cinderella" (1950) (Disney Animated)

2:25 PM - "Lilo & Stitch" (2002) (Disney Animated)

4:25 PM - "Brave" (Disney-Pixar)

6:30 PM   - "Frozen" (Disney Animated)

8:55 PM - "Frozen II" (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (2007)

Thursday, June 12

11:00 AM - "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) (Live Action)

1:55 PM - "Aladdin" (1992) (Disney Animated)

3:55 PM - "Up" (Disney-Pixar)

6:00 PM   - "Moana" (Disney Animated)

8:30 PM - "Coco" (Disney-Pixar)

12:00 AM - "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel"

Friday, June 13

11:00 AM - "The Princess Bride"

1:30 PM - "The Princess and the Frog" (Disney Animated)

3:35 PM - "The Princess Diaries"

6:15 PM   - "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

8:55 PM - "Freaky Friday" (2003)

12:00 AM - "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip"

Saturday, June 14

7:00 AM - "101 Dalmatians" (1996) (Live Action)

9:30 AM - "Wreck-It Ralph" (Disney Animated)

11:35 AM - "Ralph Breaks the Internet" (Disney Animated)

2:05 PM - "Finding Nemo" (Disney-Pixar)

4:35 PM - "Finding Dory" (Disney-Pixar)

6:40 PM - "The Incredibles" (Disney-Pixar)

9:20 PM - "The Incredibles 2" (Disney-Pixar)

12:00 AM - "The Jungle Book" (1967) (Disney Animated)

Sunday, June 15 - Father's Day

7:00 AM - "The Game Plan"

9:35 AM - "Onward" (Disney-Pixar)

11:40 AM - "Pocahontas" (Disney Animated)

1:35 PM - "Pinocchio" (1940) (Disney Animated)

3:40 PM - "Hercules" (Disney Animated)

5:45 PM - "The Little Mermaid" (1989) (Disney Animated)

7:45 PM - "The Lion King" (1994) (Disney Animated)

9:50 PM - "Mulan" (1998) (Disney Animated)

11:55 PM - "Strange World" (Disney Animated) - World Television Premiere

Monday, June 16

10:30 AM - "Dumbo" (1941) (Disney Animated)

12:00 PM - "Aladdin" (2019) (Live Action)

3:05 PM - "Avatar"

6:45 PM - "Avatar: The Way of Water" - Freeform Premiere

12:00 AM - "Ice Age"

Tuesday, June 17

10:30 AM - "Fantasia 2000" (Disney Animated)

12:00 PM - "Mulan" (2020) (Live Action)

2:35 PM - "The Lion King" (2019) (Live Action)

5:10 PM - "National Treasure"

8:20 PM - "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"

12:00 AM - "Ice Age: The Meltdown"

Wednesday, June 18

10:30 AM - "Oz the Great and Powerful"

1:30 PM - "Meet the Robinsons" (Disney Animated)

3:30 PM - "Pete's Dragon" (2016) (Live Action)

6:00 PM - "Jungle Cruise"

9:00 PM - "Tarzan" (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "Ice Age: Dawn of Dinosaurs"

Thursday, June 19 - Juneteenth

11:30 AM - "Night at the Museum"

2:05 PM - "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb"

4:10 PM - "Big Hero 6" (Disney Animated)

6:20 PM - "Up" (Disney-Pixar)

8:30 PM - "Zootopia" (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "Ice Age: Continental Drift"

Friday, June 20

11:00 AM - "Peter Pan" (1953) (Disney Animated)

1:00 PM - "Alice in Wonderland" (1951) (Disney Animated)

2:55 PM - "A Bug's Life" (Disney-Pixar)

5:00 PM - "WALL-E" (Disney-Pixar)

7:00 PM - "Lilo & Stitch" (2002) (Disney Animated)

9:00 PM - "Elemental" (Disney-Pixar)

12:00 AM - "Chicken Little" (Disney Animated)

Saturday, June 21

7:00 AM - "The Jungle Book" (2016) (Live Action)

9:30 AM - "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"

12:45 PM - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

4:00 PM - "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

7:45 PM - "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

11:00 PM - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"

Sunday, June 22

7:00 AM - "Alice in Wonderland" (2010) (Live Action)

9:30 AM - "Alice Through the Looking Glass"

12:05 PM - "The Princess Diaries"

2:40 PM - "The Princess Diaries: Royal Engagement"

5:15 PM - "Aladdin" (1992) (Disney Animated)

7:20 PM - "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) (Disney Animated)

9:25 PM - "Maleficent"

11:30 PM - "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"

Monday, June 23

10:30 AM - "Robin Hood" (1973) (Disney Animated)

12:30 PM - "The Parent Trap" (1998)

3:30 PM - "Oliver & Company" (Disney Animated)

5:00 PM - "Coco" (Disney Pixar)

7:30 PM - "Moana" (Disney Pixar)

12:00 AM - "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!"

Tuesday, June 24

11:30 AM - "101 Dalmatians" (1996) (Live Action)

1:55 PM - "Cruella"

5:00 PM - "The Princess and the Frog" (Disney Animated)

7:00 PM - "Encanto" (Disney Animated)

9:00 PM - "The Lion King" (1994) (Disney Animated)

Wednesday, June 25

11:00 AM - "Zootopia" (Disney Animated)

1:25 PM - "Enchanted"

3:55 PM - "Aladdin" (2019) (Live Action)

6:55 PM - "Tangled" (Disney Animated)

9:00 PM - "The Little Mermaid" (1989) (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "The Pacifier"

Thursday, June 26

11:30 AM - "Fantasia" (1940) (Disney Animated)

2:30 PM - "Pocahontas" (Disney Animated)

4:25 PM - "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996) (Disney Animated)

6:30 PM - "Frozen" (Disney Animated)

8:55 PM - "Frozen II" (Disney Animated)

12:00 AM - "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen"

Friday, June 27

10:30 AM - "Cinderella" (2015) (Live Action)

8:00 PM - "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) (Live Action)

12:00 AM - "Rio 2"

Saturday, June 28

7:00 AM - "Cars" (Disney-Pixar)

9:40 AM - "Cars 2" (Disney-Pixar)

12:15 PM - "Cars 3" (Disney-Pixar)

2:45 PM - "Inside Out" (Disney-Pixar)

4:50 PM - "Brave" (Disney-Pixar)

6:55 PM - "Monsters, Inc." (Disney-Pixar)

9:00 PM - "Monsters University" (Disney-Pixar)

11:30 PM - "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"

Sunday, June 29

8:00 AM - "Raya and the Last Dragon" (Disney Animated)

10:30 AM - "Soul" (Disney-Pixar)

12:40 PM - "Tarzan" (Disney Animated)

2:45 PM - "Toy Story" (Disney-Pixar)

4:45 PM - "Toy Story 2" (Disney-Pixar)

6:50 PM - "Toy Story 3 " (Disney-Pixar)

9:20 PM - "Toy Story 4" (Disney-Pixar)

11:30 PM - "Lightyear" (Disney-Pixar)

Monday, June 30

10:30 AM - "Cruella"

1:35 PM - "The Incredibles" (Disney-Pixar)

4:10 PM - "The Incredibles 2" (Disney-Pixar)

6:50 PM - "The Little Mermaid" (2023) (Live Action)

12:00 AM - "Bedtime Stories"

The press release is after the jump 

Leave it To Beaver: Beaver's Short Pants

Leave it To Beaver 

              This episode of  Leave it To Beaver is a feature of the time it came out but also timeless in thought.  In part of the idea where I feel that this show deservers the fact that it's still been running somewhere in reruns since the show ended in 1963.   A big thing it does that it feels a lot of newer shows don't do is follow genuineness that makes it feel real. 

         "Beaver's Short Pants" is  the eleventh episode of the show, of the 234 episodes. This is season 1 where Beaver was at his youngest and a show  not midway (the first season is 39 episodes) .  This also being one of the first season episodes it has one of those introductions by Ward (Hugh Beaumont) explaining like the main idea of the entire episode.  This time he says that boys might feel their fathers are there to be mean to them and make them do stuff, but there are times they are there to be friends that's the episode. 

                June (Barbara Billingsley) is leaving for awhile  because her sister had a baby and June is going to help out or something for a bit.   What we aren't going to get here is an episode where like Beaver , Wally, and Ward  are going to have to stay together and chaos ensues because that would be saved for a 1990's show or something.  Instead, June's Aunt Martha will be staying over to tend to June's life. We also get from Ward's words and actions that there's a little tension with his wife's aunt but nothing that big.  June doesn't want Ward to undermine Aunt Martha or do anything to "hurt her feelings" while she's there.  This is a lot for the context of the episode.  

In my day we didn't on tables, dear / Copyright Universal 

                We meet Martha who was played by Madge Kennedy, an actress who started in theater and then in the film during the very early days of film starting in 1917.  She crossed over even into the talking era, also did radio shows. For "Beaver" this was her first appearance playing the "old-fashioned" aunt Martha. This is  role she'd play 4 more times.   

              This episode does a good job of setting up some awkwardness between Ward and the boys  with Aunt Martha. She talks to June about pants or trousers because she apparently wants to be English.  She says teenagers it's probably over and jeans are a teen thing, she doesn't like but can't do anything about.  She wants to take Beaver shopping for clothes.  We can also notice that June doesn't really push back on her aunt when she politely tells the woman that she doesn't think her aunt should have to go and buy him clothes, the aunt says it's no problem and June kind of backs down. 

                June  is now doing that leaving thing and she tells the boys that they should listen to their great-aunt and do what she says. Then explains that older people have old-fashion ideas and they forgot what it's like to be younger. Again, another episode thought set up here. She wants them to make Aunt Martha happy because that'll make her happy. 

            Now we are at the part with the short pants.  Martha has decided to dress Beaver like it's the '90's... the 1890's, Like an upper class English from England (that England) boy with a hat, suit top with shorts, long socks and dress shoes.  In the context of talking about fashion here (this blog really does everything?) it was more an old fashioned thing for boys until a certain age  to wear mostly exclusively short pants until a certain, which is also another reason Maratha doesn't go after Wally. It wasn't as much as a thing done in the United States as it was more a European and heavily European influenced countries thing.   Martha really likes that classic fashion and must be more well to do , as it was mentioned before she's never married, so she must have money to live in some other way (this is a 1950's show so... that's context).  An American upper-class person would be more influenced by European styles.  Middle and lower class boys in European countries also wore shorts to an age, but that wasn't an American thing in the same way. Martha even mentions that her brothers went that way when she was a girl in the winter and summer. 

                 This also means that Beavery is dressed "funny" and that will provide the conflict for the episode.  We can see that Beaver already doesn't like the outfit his aunt picked out.  Wally thinks the outfit looks bad. He says that Beaver is lucky he doesn't have to wear it to school , but guess what?  Yeah, the aunt says that Beaver should hang up his outfit and have it ready for school on Monday.  (Sitcom writing goes back that far.)  

              The episode also makes sure that Ward can't really help Beaver out for a bit because we need the drama and he ends up  having to go to school in that outfit.  He tries to make sure no one can see his legs. It is interesting that he's more nervous about the shorts being seen versus the dressy stuff on top. Eventually everyone sees him  and they laugh at him.  Larry, his best friend, calls him a 'sissy' and this makes Beaver punch him in the stomach. A fight ensues and a teacher has to break it up. Since he's the guy who played the father on "The Patty Duke Show" (the show where Patty Duke plays two characters who are identical looking cousins) he seems to understand and let's  Beaver go home in peace.

You aren't supposed to be showing your legs, this is 1959/ Copyright Universal 

             Wally shows his caring for his brother and talks to his dad and tells him what happened. Ward easily empathizes as he remembers that he had to wear long white stockings to school once. He  tells Wally that don't worry, he'll take care of things.  He was about to talk to her, but she gets saved by the bell of the call from June.  June hears the word "egg plant" and knows that Ward or the kids - or both- don't like that but tells  Ward she knows that Aunt Martha can be a lot, but the woman essentially raised her.  He decides not tell Martha the issue. 

         The next morning, Beaver ends up having to wear the suit again and their father isn't there. (He left them , ran away!)  Martha says that he left early to the office.  He gets ready to leave for school and he gets a big surprise.  Ward was hiding in the garage.  He has some pants ready for Beaver to wear over the shorts and puts him in his normal coat  and tells him to come back to the garage afterschool and change out.  This is a  nice moment.  Ward didn't want to hurt the aunt's feelings but still wanted to help his son and found a way to do so. 

Leave it to Ward/ Copyright  Universal 

                A thing that can be said about almost any episode of this show is that it understood childhood or in a deeper thing, boyhood.  Where Beaver, of course, has to wear an outfit that isn't something he finds comfortable or likable, but also something he knows that will get him noticed negatively in a bad way.  He also is trying to do something for his mom in trying to make sure his great-aunt isn't unhappy, at the cost of his own happiness.  The show is also good at the idea of adults losing their understanding of childhood and how things go. Here, it's more noted that June is very much in-tune with her family and understands them and she knows her aunt is a little much, but she needed a pinch-hitter to help her out.  Ward instantly empathizes with his younger son when he finds out because he remembered something in his childhood. It does make  me wonder what would have happened  if Ward had seen it earlier himself, or what would have happened if June didn't call.  Maratha should have kind of been made to at least understand.  

             It's a timeless episode in the idea where it could really be done in any time with some changes. Maybe a 2020's great-aunt making a kid dress like a 50's rich kid or something.  That's really the strength of the episode is that almost anyone could empathize and understand what's going on here.  Aunt Martha is also more a plot device character here, since we know June and Ward do have their own clothing standards for their kids, but not the same way the more "old-fashioned" woman would.   

         I do like how Wally understands too, he does his own things here that help, but he mostly is aside in the plot. Ward isn't a forcefully aggressive character so with the aunt he is kind of unwilling to say anything even more with his wife wanting him to be understanding, but it can be kind of annoying to view that he should be the final word on his children.  The only real reason that part of the plot works. The episode really needed Maratha to work in somehow, because the parents' characterization wouldn't have done that to Beaver and... the only reason it wasn't both parents going somewhere and leaving the kids with Martha is because they needed Ward to do what he did there. That is a weak spot. 

         The episode is good and even feels timeless in message  in a few ways. That's it for now, tune in next time when kids laugh at you , yes you, for wearing shorts, then go back to watching so weird stuff on Youtube but you still feel funny because random children just laughed at you for no reason. 

The Lookback: Kids of Degrassi Street: Noel buys a Suit

Joshuaonline Canada 

The Flashback  Degrassi 

             We've finally reached the final short film of "Kids of Degrassi Street" with the fourth film "Noel Buys a Suit"  The first film came out in 1979, this one came out in 1982.  Later in 1982 it became a series for the CBC. 

           This episode focus on Noel Canard who was in the other four. This one gives him a spotlight. Noel and his father are buying paint.  Apparently,  Noel's dad likes the paint shop lady named Gayle. (That or kissing is how she wants her tips)  In fact, more than just like the father and her are getting married. During dinner, she also wants to paint the inside of the house.  The film does a good job at making sure we can tell Noel is bothered by Gayle without him saying it.  I have to mention here again, that one of the fun parts of these films is that feel very genuine and don't have a high production feel giving a more  like they are just following some kids around documentary style, while still giving a story. 

You are still going to have to pay, sir/ Copyright Wildbrain 

           Noel also is getting ready for a new suit, hence the title, his father forgot to take him to get a suit but things have gotten a little time messy. Noel suggests that he could go buy his suit himself.  I like that he goes to with his friends is a literal actually existing store. Moore's is really a suit place in Canada.  I'm happy to say that we do get Noel buying a suit action in this one.  Noel finds a suit that stands out and has bought a suit. There's still over 10 minutes left so...uhh hmm what else happens?

The Suit People, the lawsuit people are the other way/ Copyright Wildbrain 

             Later, Noel is bothered that things are being changed around him, like the cabinets in the kitchen, he's also used to cooking as well. He tells his friends he's  annoyed by this.  Gayle bought him a new shirt, but it won't go with his suit.  He later decides to buy his own shirt when he picks up his suit from the store.  Gayle sees the suit and she chuckles he takes it as her laughing at him and storms upstairs. He says he's not going to the wedding.  

                His father tries to talk to him, but has to do it from behind the locked door. The man tries to talk to him, but it seems to not be going too well. 

             It's wedding day and  Noel comes down wearing his new suit, but the shirt Gayle bought him.  Gayle tells him he didn't have to wear the shirt, but it seems he's ready to give her a chance. The wedding happens during the credits and that's it. 

             I like how the credits thank the store, but say they didn't provide the suit! Again, this provides a simple story. This is one about a boy who is worried about the changes having his father get remarried brings up. It's very good at being not too thick with how it shows how Noel is dealing with it. He used to things being a certain way and Gayle coming in and painting stuff, moving things, and etc. effects him. It's good at presenting that story. Honestly, all of these 4 Degrassi early days films were really good at presenting a story that would be good for kids while not being too over the top and odd. I can see why the CBC eventually wanted a series and why Degrassi got more later on. 

Don't blame them for the suit!/ Copyright Wildbrain 

            That's it for now, in our stops at Degrassi Street, there might be more later. Tune in  next time, when we buy a suit then return it, causing a hassle. 

        

The Simpsons does Ray Bradbury :Wicked This Way Comes

The Simpsons 

            Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) was a prolific writer who is well known for his creative and vast amount of stories.  As someone who likes his writing this  episode from Season 36 of the Simpsons called Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes  decides to take 3 Bradbury stories and decides to Simpsons them up.   The Simpsons in this case also has decided here to make it's Treehouse of Horror have a spinoff  type thing going on here with  them using the that part of the title to make it also known that his not "canon" to the main shows actions like the Halloween episodes aren't.  The rest of the title comes from Bradbury's novel , Something Wicked This Way Comes. 

            The Simpsons episode only really takes from that novel the concept of a carnival to set up the wraparounds for the episode to work in. That and the man telling Lisa the stories having tattoos all over his body.  Lisa visits him. She calls him the "Illustrated Man" which is the title of Bradbury's collection of short stories from 1951.  One of the 18 stories from that book are in this episode, we'll get to that later. 

         The first story is "The Screaming Woman" based off  a short story that was also a radio play and had a loose television film later on.  The story here is about Bart hearing a woman screaming underground and tries to get help. It's fitting in that Bart is not being believed.  He goes to the  Van Houten house and sees Luann there thinking we'll she's not the screaming woman. She puts something in the milk to make Bart sleepy, but he gets out of the house. 

            Thanks to the woman singing a jingle, Homer realizes that the screaming woman was actually a man, Kirk Van Houten.  Which plays a nice twist to the story, with Kirk and Luann in swapped roles and no murder happening.  It ends with Homer saying he'll believe Bart more and Bart having Lisa arrested for being a communist, because 1950's.  

            These segments are using actual names from the stories, so yes the second one is "Marionettes, Inc." based off Bradbury's 1949 short story, that is also included in "The Illustrated Man" collection.   This one has Seymore Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers as the main role. Chalmers is feeling drained by being with Skinner and Carl tells him he has a solution: a new robot duplicate.  Chalmers orders one. He sends his to school and goes to get ice cream when he finds Skinner who also got his own bot for the same reason.  Carl finds them and tells them that the robots are beginning to feel emotions. Skinner kills the Chalmers and it seems to end with the robot and him leaving to his office.  

        The final story is based on  what is probably the most well known work  by Bradbury "Fahrenheit 451" . This one has the most Simpsons  story to it. Instead being about the book burners called the fireman burning books, they find people watching "low quality" television and destroy the stuff. Homer works as fireman.  The idea is that people can only watch "high quality" prestige television. 

        Are the Simpsons writers' feeling something here? Homer goes on his job and watches a not America's Funniest Home Videos episode.  Willie gives Homer the tape to take it with him.  Homer later is talking at dinner and wonders aloud to everyone if they wish TV could be dumb and just laugh at it?  Bart finds him and wonders what he's watching. He shows him the video. It is funny that Bart doesn't understand, and Bart turns him in.  

             The burn-master general , Siegfried Blaze, tells Homer they want people to watch story heavy driven plots to make sure people are invested and distracted from the world instead of watching something that is lighter.  Barney is dead, and Homer finds a group of people who underground watch "low brow" TV.  The burners come in and burn everything anyway.  Homer and the others get away where everyone is telling old TV shows in a telling a story by a fire format. 

            The episode ends with Lisa being turned in a tattoo and living the rest of her life on the man and the episode  ends with "Santeria" by Sublime because sure why not? 

           The selection of  stories chosen are interesting because there's an interesting sub section of the types of stories and what they did with them. The first one is the most straight forward really taking the original story and does some switches to it like the main character being a male (Bart) and flipping the woman to a man to be a twist.  It's the lightest story in this. 

         The Marionettes, Inc. segment uses the classic Skinner and Chalmers dynamic with a dash of having it be both sides are annoyed with each other.  This one could have been a little longer. It does set up things pretty quickly and needed a quick reveal to the robots turning to have emotions, so it does go pretty quick. I kind of think it would been slightly more interesting if it was a little longer.  Still alright.  

         I'm not surprised they used the most well-known story from Bradbury. "Fahrenheit 451" is an interesting segment in how they make it fit for the Simpsons.  The concept of television's lesser series being banned is interesting. They mentioned basic sitcoms like "The King of Queens" shows that you could just turn your mind off an watch and not worry about.  The only unrealistic thing is  America's Funniest Home Videos ever being banned or canceled. I don't think the episode was doing a big message here, but maybe a jab at TV in the current times that feels like  TV goes for the high prestige and storyline structure, and  saying let people watch dumb things too. 

            It is a fun episode, with the fun of Bradbury based stories it is fun to see those. It's alright that it didn't follow them for beat but used them for an inspiration. It's a mild episode, there's nothing outwardly interesting beyond the concept and there's not much laughs either.  I do think it's alright at best.  The stories work for those who haven't checked out the works of Bradbury too.  This one isn't horrifying, which is fine. it feels like when "The Simpsons" did "The Raven" just because they could. 

       Would I like to see "The Simpsons" try other stories from Mr. Bradbury?  Maybe, depends.  Like "The Beautiful Shave" , "All Summer in a Day", and some of his murder-mystery stories would be interesting to see how the Simpsons does it. 

          That's it for now, tune in next time when we have to help a kid get his soul back and learn about the true meaning of Halloween. 

        

            

         

Those PSA's (not episodes) : Floss with Charlie Brown

PSA's  Peanuts 

         While it would seem I did a look at a PSA video about Charlie Brown and teeth cleaning, this one is a different one. There are two.  It's Dental Flossophy, Charlie Brown is a sequel to the previous one called "Tooth Brushing" and it came out in 1980.  This is a 5 minute look that takes place the next day, because they forgot to floss or something.   I am stretching my PSA line here, as this is also more an educational instructional film  and not something that aired on TV. 

         Charlie Brown is a little sad because he showed everyone how to brush their teeth, but he feels he's missing something. Lucy tells him that there's more to do, that's right: flossing. I'm glad Lucy is also a dentist.  They really knew they had five minutes and ran with it.  I should question why Lucy has floss with her in her stand.  Charlie Brown finds this a great revelation and that was the thing he forgot to talk about. (I guess they forgot too, because this was 2 years after that other one)

Floss brand Floss makes your teeth less gross (grawse) 

            We get the basic explanation of what plaque is and what happens when you don't floss. Then Lucy has Charlie Brown come with her.  Snoopy is here and there is a random moment of Snoopy and Woodstock shenanigans. Back in the bathroom, Charlie Brown and Lucy go through the steps of getting ready to floss with piece by piece instruction.  Getting a close up of Peanuts hands, you'll see they have five fingers, though that always depended on what they needed to show.  We also get a show of human-teeth Snoopy, which is somewhat scary. 

            If you want to see zoomed in shots of mouths and teeth, this is the best video for you.  The steps are repeated for the viewer to get the point and better remember. Then Snoopy steals the floss to make a nest for Woodstock.  

              There's not a lot to say as it's just a simple short about how to floss.  It has Peanuts charm and it's a fun little outing, that I hope was enjoyable to those who like Peanuts  and taking a kind of boring topic.  The Snoopy moments were fun without feeling like too much or over-taking the subject. 

     That's it for now,  tune in next time when Charlie Brown shows you how to shave. 

Oh Yeah! Cartoons : Chalkzone ( A Special Edition)

Nickelodeon 

  As I've been doing the looks at "Oh Yeah! Cartoons" the main rule I put was to not look do ones that became series, but here I present a special Edition.  This one is a look at the eight episodes that were under the title "ChalkZone" which eventually did become a series.  Does that mean I'll be doing this with others that became series? Probably not, but they are always under consideration. The main goal was to talk about ones that were interesting but didn't make it to series,  guessing on how they could have been as series or if they could have been.  And a fun look to through a trove of something different.   

        ChalkZone's concept wasn't a very new idea, there were few different ideas from different countries that happened to use a the idea of using a writing instrument  with some power to it.  There's media like the cartoon short series from Poland. "Zaczarowany ołówek"  about a boy who uses a magic pencil that an materialize things he draws.   There's "Penny Crayon" a British series about a girl name Penny who uses magic crayons.  Also from the UK there was "Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings" which has a boy who has chalk that is magic.   In fact, in that series Simon even goes into a land of chalk drawings.  Some people even think that "ChalkZone" is fully based off that but it has been denied.  I will also mention the book "Harold and the Purple Crayon" which also has the concept.   With all that, there's alot of fun and charm to ChalkZone because this is a concept that works well and why many have done that. It is funny because I think around this time, many schools were moving towards dry-erase boards, and where's my dry erase world series? 

            ChalkZone  was created by Bill Burnett and Larry Huber.  Those names I've mentioned before in our "Oh Yeah! Cartoons" series of posts.  Burnett co-created "Slap T. Pooch in What is Funny?", "Jelly's Day" , "Hobart", "Tutu the Superina"[The only one I haven't covered yet as of this post being made] , "Enchanted Adventures".  He solo-created "The Feelers".  If anyone was going to get a series from Oh Yeah! it should have been him he was trying.  The very first Oh yeah!  all 3 segments have  him as a co-creator, including the one called "ChalkZone".   Huber is also all over , he created "APEX Cartoon Props & Novelties" and "The Man with No Nose", but it seems that "ChalkZone" was his main focus a little more.  

            With that, we have eight shorts so let's get started.  

Arthur: Season 2: Episode 3: D.W., The Picky Eater/Buster And The Daredevils

Arthur  PBS 

Episode 3a:  D.W. , The Picky Eater 

The Cold Opening:  It's mostly D.W being a picky eater as she goes through the food that was brought in an judging it. She also really doesn't like spinach. 

The Episode:  She continues saying what foods she doesn't like.. Then they go to a restaurant and finds out that her salad is spinach and rages.   Her mom used her full name. Her mom tells her no more restaurants for her until she learns something. Arthur is happy until his Grandma says she'll be find doing a home dinner for her birthday , if D.W can't go. (why?) Arthur is right. He decides he'll have to find a way for her to not be picky , at least enough to be able to go the restaurant he wants to go to. 

          Part of the plan is to trick her.  The episode gives  us a gross throw up transition wipe. So, they try Muffy to convince D.W to eat spinach. Muffy thinks that she's the biggest influence to D.W. (makes sense)   A fly scares Muffy, and apparently that blows the plan.  Francine decides to use taunting to do it, by using Kate , but that plan also fails.  

                Arthur says it's time to do plan X.  (He is going to get the plumber's helper and shove it in?) Arthur pretends to be on the phone with grandma and pretending that she changed her mind. That seems to work. They go to the restaurant.  D.W orders a pot pie and everyone looks at her to make sure she won't explode. It was actually spinach, but that seems to not be a problem. 

         This is probably one of the episodes for people to use to show. D.W is annoying. Realistically, there's a balance, some food and food textures aren't very good to some people if it's something people eat and enjoy, on the other hand, this one is more mild as it seems D.W doesn't like trying new food and isn't sure if she really likes something or not, which is also kind of fair.  

           I'm guessing D.W, if anything is the grandma's favorite. That's my assumption here. I do like that Arthur helped, it was for personal gain, but sometimes that's a nudge.  I hate that this episode made that very cool restaurant and made that pot pie so appealing and it will never really look like that, it's unfair.   It's an alright classic Arthur episode. 

More after the episode. 

Arthur: Season 1: Episode 21: Sue Ellen Moves in/The Perfect Brother

Arthur PBS 

Episode 21a:  Sue Ellen Moves In 

            The Cold Opening: Arthur talks about how sometimes when kids first meet they have a hard time getting along.  We get a flashback of Muffy and Prunella acting out American politics. But they are good friends now. Binky and the Brain get along too, apparently. But nothing was like when they all met Sue Ellen. 

        The Episode: Sue Ellen , as I've mentioned in the very first episode of Arthur post, was kind of there in the background this one is here to bring her in as an origin story.  Anyway, the kids see that someone is moving in a house. They wonder if there's a kid and this leaves Buster and Arthur to snoop and peak, but they apparently end up thinking that the new family is invisible because the TV turned on without them seeing anyone. (Alex's remote in Home Alone 3 would mess them up) 

         Buster's mom tells Buster she wants to interview the new family for the newspaper. That is either a clue or really slow small news town. Arthur wants to be more rational before spreading a rumor that invisible people are amongst them.  They find that the people there aren't invisible, though Buster doesn't think they can just switch.  Prunella tells them that her sister with unfortunate name of Rubella (never realized that) said that the new family had to move.  They have alot of statues and painting and Prunella thinks they are a family of art thieves.  (If an eight year can just steal the Mona Lisa, she should be allowed to keep it.) 

             Arthur doesn't think she's a robber,  he thinks Sue Ellen is some sort of super-spy. (Arthur, are you alright? Also if an Eight-Year-old can drive a Miata then she can steal and do anything she wants)  Buster thinks that's insane, but her being an alien is his theory. Then a game of telephone happens to allow bad rumors happen.  Buster calling Mr. Ratburn was funny. 

            Sue Ellen introduces herself to Arthur and Buster and they look at her like she had lobsters crawling on her face.  She's never seen snow before either which also scares Arthur and Buster. (Californians would blow their minds) Buster finds out his Mom invited them over for dinner , he thinks they are coming to neutralize him.  Buster thinks he's the last line to Earth's safety. 

            Arthur comes by to tell Buster that Sue Ellen's family lived all over the world, he got that from the paper interview. Buster decides to let Arthur come in as backup for dinner.  Then Sue Ellen does a school presentation to mention her life. Buster still thinks she's an alien but not one to take over the world. (moral) 

            I'm glad Sue Ellen didn't hear the rumors , that'd be bad. Kind of interesting blend of wondering about a new family who seem a little strange because of the stuff they have and were they have been, and how rumors can get a little too out of control.  The story ideas they had for Sue Ellen's backstory were funny. Buster was funny at how silly his idea was.  I like how Arthur , and it seems the others, were easily able to drop their rumors and found Sue Ellen interesting and friendly.  Fun early "Arthur" charm episode. 

     More after the jump 

Arthur: Season 5: Episode 8: The Last of Mary Moo Cow/Bitzi's Beau

Arthur  PBS 

Episode 8a: The Last of Mary Moo Cow 

The Cold Opening: Mary Moo Cow is the running program that D.W loves to watch a lot in the series. It also causes the tension between her and Arthur as this is a family with one TV set.  D.W loves the show so much she knows when it's on instinctually. This is also when kid shows would be on at a consistent time.  

The Episode:  Mary Moo Cow is coming to town, to the mall. D,W wants to see her. She goes to see the cow but then finds out the news  Mary's event has been canceled.  D.W comes home and she goes to watch the show on TV.  She finds out that this is the last episode of Mary Moo Cow.  Bold for a children's show to announce it's over.  Arthur joyfully tells her it's over.   Mrs. Read tells D.W that's what eventually happens to all TV shows (even this one!) they get canceled. Everything does, except for "America's Funniest Home Videos" will out live all of Earth. I'm also guessing the idea of reruns doesn't pop up here.

        "Arthur" also predicts both afternoon children's programming - on broadcast TV- being replaced and the modern idea of having a news type program at 3:30 PM.  D.W decides she still is going to use her TV time.  She decides to watch the stock market show.  (By the time she's  9 she'll be rich)  She gets an idea to make a petition to bring back Mary Moo Cow. D.W has reached the bargaining part of a dead TV show. (This show is being too realistic) 

                I like  how D.W imagines Mary Moo Cow and the kids on the show have been arrested and put in prison. That would be strange if that happened to people who worked on shows. Arthur is a little mean this episode. They are really trying to do something to him here to make the ending work out for them where people don't think the ending is mean or something.  Shieled.  Also the show saying Channel 12, and Arthur airing on Channel 12 in my area was fun , it felt personal to me. [Take that people who have PBS on Channel 54 or 35 or 25 ppppft] [Shoutout to KBDI-TV] 

            D.W is invited to the TV studio, apparently, it was a local children's show? I guess it just makes things easier.   The stock market show is also being done in  the same studio that was home of Mary Moo Cow. This trip doesn't work out well. She goes into the the room that was dressing room for Mary Moo Cow and the stock show anchor comes in. I like how the stock market anchor is actually the lady who played Mary Moo Cow.  Her doing the Mary voice for D.W was very sweet. 

          Dark Bunny gets canned so some other channel can get reruns of Mary Moo Cow. I guess that's how that works or something?  I think they really just did that ending to have Arthur be mean earlier. 

                     I like how the petition didn't work  because that is more realistic. The show had a blunt yeah shows end message.  It's hard when a show you like gets canceled and they end for different reasons. Most of the time money, but also if the ratings aren't hitting what the people who want the money are wanting, or not getting the right demo they want, or in the case here where the woman who was playing Mary was just getting tried of the role.   It's an interesting piece for a children's show to do, since alot of kids shows end and eventually go hard on reruns or pulled from the line up, but at times networks didn't tell the viewers, it just kind of happened.  Like I said, I think it works better as an episode since it doesn't have a show coming  back- minus reruns- kind of having to understand that idea of accepting the end of show. Something that kind of needs to be learned in current times a little more.  

 Also , why was 3:30pm so big here why is everything on at 3:30pm.  Also, also, would have been bold  since there were only 2 more half hours of the seaosn, if this had been one of the last few episodes of "Arthur". 

        I can remember the times Arthur aired ,at  peak in my area, on the two different PBS stations. Weekdays 7:30am  on 12,  8am on 6/8,  5pm and 5:30pm on 12  at least at the time this episode aired. 

Fun fact: the kids' segment was replaced by having the folks from the new "Zoom" series that first premiered on PBS in 1999, this episode is from 2000. 

more after the jump 

Valentine's Day: The Simpsons: I love Lisa

The Simpsons Valentines Day 

         No, not a declarative statement there.  The Simpsons does have a lot of episodes about the theme of love,  not many of them take place on or around Valentine's Day. Here we do have one and a famous on at that. It's from season 4, and it's episode 15, under the name "I love Lisa". 

            I think an episode starting with "The Monster Mash" is a funny way to start a Valentine's Day episode. The radio DJ, who played it as a mistake trying to figure out a way to make it fit Valentine's Day is top tier.  

          Various members of Springfield are in Valentine's Day moments. Homer forgets, magically remembers, Bart knows he didn't remember and eggs him on, then he runs to get a gift. Ned Flanders doing his own over of the hit Rod Stewart "If you think I'm Sexy" is fun. Finally, it gets to the 2nd grade classroom with Lisa and also the other star of this episode, Ralph Wiggum. 

              It sets up that Ralph is a little strange and that the class thinks he's that too. After the Valentines exchange, Lisa sees that Ralph didn't get one, so she decides to kindly give him one. This makes Ralph very happy and sets up the plot.  A line the show didn't know would become famous is born, "You Choo-Choo- choose me" 

            Ralph is so happy he decides to walk home with his Valentine, Lisa.  We can declare that Ralph is a sweet character and awkward talking with him and Lisa is cute. He's brave talking to her though he didn't have trouble with that, so powerful for him.  Lisa is being kind,  but she's not really interested in Ralph.  It makes a relatable episode. There's a charm to Homer's advice and its funny, Marge offering her simple advice is fitting and charming too. 

             Lisa tells Ralph she's not that interested. Ralph decides to ask his dad for advice about how to get a girl to like you.  Now he's going to try to win Lisa's affections.  There's the 29th Anniversary of the "Krusty Show" which will be playing into the episode, they mentioned it more than once. This episode also happens to be a Presidents' Day episode   Lisa will be playing Maratha Washington and Ralph will be George. (Chief Wiggum extorting the teacher for his son is kind of sweet in a twisted way.  Ralph also got Lisa two gifts: a new Malibu Stacy car toy and tickets to that anniversary show. 

             Bart is willing to do anything to go to see that show. even pretend to be Lisa and go as far as he has too. You have to admire his love of Krusty going that hard. Sadly, for Bart, Lisa goes with Ralph to the show. This episode will also make one wonder what exactly is Krusty's show?  

             We get the other most remembered scene form this episode where Krusty does a talking to the audience thing and goes to Ralph who declares his love for Lisa Simpson and this causes Lisa to explode, figuratively, and say that she does like him.  We get the famous part were Bart uses the tape to show Lisa right where Ralph's heart break. 

                The Chief Wiggum being there for his son his really sweet, even if he does some dodgy things.  I like that it shows he cares for his son and will do anything for him.   Bart gets some funny and wild scenes in this episode, they sprinkle him to just add something funny each time and works to perfection.  The play starts and there's also the fun "lesser presidents" song number.  Homer at the play is funny too, he encourages Bart -as John Wilks Booth- to finish off some other presidents and cheers at the play being almost over.  

              Ralph playing Washington is great, they should give cartoon characters Oscars and then retroactively give Ralph one, because that was art.  The ending is sweet to give a moment of Lisa giving Ralph a card saying let them be friends.  Also capping off the episode with "The Monster Mash" 

         The hard part of talking about an exceptionally good episode  and one that's pretty old is that it has been talked about a lot a lot.  This episode is good because how strong it works. There's a great amount of little moments that are funny or sweet that bring it together, but also makes a good story with Lisa and Ralph.  Lisa doesn't like Ralph- in that way- and tried to tell him but it didn't work, she really only takes advantage by going to the Krusty show, but otherwise doesn't play with his heart.  Ralph's understandable that he first thought Lisa liked-him that way- but got the wrong message. The ending is sweet because it's Lisa trying to correct from hurting Ralph but still knowing her feelings, so being friends is great. 

             This episode isn't totally in comedy, but it has some great funny moments. Bart has the funniest moments in this, Homer coming up second. I'm also glad that thing where Homer kind of forgets Valentine's Day wasn't a b-plot, and kind of interested in how there really wasn't a b-plot story. Instead more side things happen that smaller and either add to the atmosphere or add something in the main plot.  

             I did stretch  it's kind of only partially a Valentine's Day episode, but it works and yeah. I like this one, it's fun, there's a good amount of sweetness and the classic wholesomeness.  

      That's it for now, tune in next time when we choo-choose a different something.