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. 

        

Not Quite Christmas: Home Alone 3

The Lookback 

           Home Alone  is one of those things that really really didn't need sequels.  To me, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was alright, but not that good or necessary.  That is probably an opinion that will drive some to just leave or be mad, then again what opinion doesn't?  Home Alone 2 falls into a problem that a sequel made because a first film probably not intending to have a follow-up ends up having to make one , because money.  

         Even that movie  knows that it has the problem by the fact of how much it "winks" at the audience  most the start.  There are things that at least making it charming like Tim Curry.  Even if  90% of the movie works on repeating the first film -but in New York- and even kind of like putting the audience into knowing that "yeah we know".  It also did very well to the point where yes, the third film.

            Home Alone 2 came out in 1992 , Home Alone 3 came out in 1997.  They had seemingly planned to make a third with the 2nd but didn't. Probably for the best since if there's a third with the same people, we should start to ask the question of why do they keep trying to go on Christmas vacations?  Why does Kevin keep getting left behind?  Do they actually hate Kevin?   

             But here's Home Alone 3 anyway.    Home Alone 3 takes some different approaches to its story compared the first and second. The main thing is that it's not a Christmas movie.  It takes place after Christmas, which changes the reason why the main character is left home alone.   

             Fun fact: Fun is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.  There are six (as of this writing) Home Alone films. Yeah six.   Home Alone 4 , also called Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House,  came out in 2002 and was a TV film. That one is notable in the fact that the names of the characters are the same as 1 and 2 and it feels like you missed something in processing when watching.  In 2012, the launched another TV movie called  "Home Alone: The Holiday Heist"  which takes the concept of the films but wonders how can parents accidently leave their kid Home Alone in the year 2012? Uh well, they decide to just let the parents leave the kid(s) at home because they are mad at them.  Also there's a teenage girl to watch the main boy so... it's alright.  Then Disney gets weird, buys FOX and decides that since they  own Home Alone now to make a sixth one in 2021 called "Home Sweet Home Alone".   

             Saying all that, this was the last (so far?) one that was released in a theater.   Home Alone 3 introduces a different family. Probably for the best for a few reasons, but also having Kevin be home alone at this point he'd be a teenage boy so it would just be teen boy left at home  and somehow would be weirder if they used the same criminals a third time.   This is the last "Home Alone" film to be written by John Hughes.   

            The strangest thing about this movie is that it starts in Hong Kong. That also means this movie was done right around the change over happened.  But why is the movie in Hong Kong?  It sets up our villains as not just random dudes who want to just break into moderately wealthy people's homes and take some stuff and leave the water on, nah, they want to -checks notes- to steal a chip to sell to a terrorist group linked to North Korea.  Our four, yes four, criminals are named Peter Beaupre, Alice Ribbons, Burton Jernigan, and Earl Unger.   Stealing it wasn't that hard, some guy working at the company that makes the special chip that can make missiles undetectable sells it to them. He stole it. Movie over? 

Watch out! Heist movie ending walking here / Copyright FOX 

            They place the chip inside a toy RC car as a way to sneak it past airport security.  A bold strategy that I am sure will not cause any hijinks at all.  Again, the strangest thing about this movie is that it takes over 8 minutes to actually feel like a "Home Alone" movie. Because we get scene of the bad guys looking cool and getting through the airport security. Also, uh oh,  a lady took their bag because she has the same bag they had.  This seems like a very dumb plan, they should have used a more descript bag.  This movie travels more than the first two in the first 5 minutes as well. This will lead us to Chicago because Home Alone. 

            They lose track of the woman and find the taxi driver.  Also movie mentions the date incase, you didn't know, it takes place after Christmas and the date mentioned is January 8th. (Even Orthodox Christmas is over) The taxi driver gives private details away too easily. 

             Finally, the movie shows our main character.  Alex Pruitt is an eight-year-old boy played by  Alex D. Linz, whom you may know from The Young and the Restless,  Tarzan, Bruno, or the 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie "Full-Court Miracle".  He connects to the lady with the car chip as he's her neighbor.  Mrs. Hess, played by Marian Seldes,  wanted Alex to shovel her walk and she's not happy he's late.  She still plays him because she doesn't want to be seen as a bad person so she gives him the car.   If we're going to recycle anything from the first two movies guess what role she is there for?

I am here to deliver the plot device/ Copyright FOX 

         The movie is also setting up  how our main character will be left home alone. He's scratching and which we'll find out that he has chicken pox. (Because 90's)  The bad guys can't figure out which house has what they are looking for since this neighborhood seems to have everyone with an older house and hasn't removed their Christmas decorations. (Something is being implied here) 

            We also see that Alex is kind of smart as he's able to tinker, even made an a pretty neat, if not excessive, way of feeding his fish.  Alex's mom fills in the red haired mom quota for the films.  The best fun fact is that Karen Pruitt is played by Haviland Morris who played Caroline Mulford in Hughes' film Sixteen Candles.  The dad, Jack Pruitt, will not have much of a role in this film is played by Kevin Kilner whom fans of  "Earth: Final Conflict" or the Disney Channel Original movie "Smart House" will know. 

         This movie also has  Scarlett Johansson playing Alex's older sister named Molly.  His older brother is named Stan. They don't have much of a role in this movie either except to do quips, one liners  and make fun of Alex until the end.   Movie also gives us Home Alone  boy screaming in the bathroom scene. Checkmarks.  

Sorry son, we're gonna have to leave you home...alone/ Copyright FOX 

           Alex as a character is not remaking Kevin which is good to make him stand out. It also is fitting to him be someone who knows how to invent and tinker to set up the stuff he'll do later.  He shows he's also somewhat a genius type but still has childishness to him.   We see the criminals who are also set up to be a little bit different than our goofy duo from the other two movies. They are fast, efficient and effective. They're whole concept is that they are making sure they can sneak into a house, steal the toy car with the chip, and leave. It works well for later.

             How does this movie "Home Alone" you might be wondering? We'll Alex's mom was working from home, but her boss needs her at work and she gives him one hour because again Alex is home sick.  Alex asks a question about "What if crooks show up?" it's daytime and that's good time to crook. Hmm. I wonder what could happen?

                  Alex decides to do some telescope looking around the neighborhood and I wonder what he'll— oh no He sees crooks.  He calls 9-1-1 and tells him at see crooks in the house across the street. The only problem, since this movie needs to have a plot and a runtime, is that they are able to get out before the cops show up and they didn't take anything so it looks like Alex called in a hoax.  We also get a supposed to be funny moment of the cops going "Freeze!" and a dog freezing.  One of the cops is the dad from "The Middle". 

This isn't Fargo?/ Copyright FOX 

            The movie cuts to federal investigators looking for the chip and the criminals. Meanwhile, the 4 of them are trying to figure out how the police showed up.  The second time the movie has Alex left home alone is his dad having to leave and his mom isn't back home yet. Yeah, this movie is more casual leaving him at home, versus oops! As a decision, is different than the first two movies where Kevin is accidently left at home [first movie] or accidently gets on wrong plane [second movie] and isn't even left home alone. It does cause the role of the parents, especially the mom, to be reduced since she's really just popping out and hoping the next door neighbor will check on him. 

Sorry, son I'm leaving , I got a job as an actor on some sci-fi show/ Copyright FOX

            Uh oh, Alex sees them again and decides to call the police again. Guess what? Time isn't on his side since there's way more movie.  I am only slightly curious as to why the family doesn't believe him,  he doesn't feel like a character that randomly call the police twice because he's bored or makes up things for reasons.  There's at least no reason seen or explained why they wouldn't believe him or at least be more curious as to why beyond their simple reason.  That's one of the weaknesses of the movie. 

There's nothing more 90's than this image/ Copyright FOX 

            The animals in this movie are fun, the parrot and Doris the rat are charming.  Alex figures out that the criminals are looking for something specific but doesn't know what.  He also decides he'll do it himself. (He's going to arrest the criminals?)  One could say that in our modern times it would be easier for Alex to show what's going on by recording it. You would be correct, he also decides to record it. In his own way he decides to tape a video camera to an RC car- The RC car- and sends it to the house he thinks will be "investigated" next.   Alex decides to scare his rat and a cat, interesting.

             Alex captures footage and decides to mess with Beaupre for a bit.  He calls the others in to help him  and this is also the first slapstick in this movie. I will say there's only a small amount that makes these guys interesting. Marv and Harry were more interesting and they had fun personalities. Here it kind of seems they blend together. We do get to see their slight role differences and they seem competent when the plot needed them to be, then well more on that later. 

             I'm surprised Alex's video link up didn't mean he didn't think to use a VCR to record in his house as he was watching the broadcast and so it wouldn't matter if the bad guy took the camera and destroyed the VHS tape.  Why yes, I over thought this.  

Alex, also gets the family free AMC / copyright FOX 

             Alex is able to lose the criminals with the car and camera, but no tape.  That was a different type of car chase.  He wonders why they were still chasing the car after they got the tape and finds the chip. He figures out it's an air force chip and decides to call the Air Force recruitment place. He gives the numbers on chip and hopes for the best. Meanwhile, Alice  has figured out a kid is on to them. 

Well, Doris, you're right they are working with the cats/ copyright FOX 

            Alice has done some sleuthing her of her own and figures out which house might have the car. Alex figures it out quickly that the caller isn't some kid's mom.   The criminals have a way to re-rout phone calls.  Alex decides he's gonna figure this out himself and set some of the traps, it's that part of a Home Alone movie. He let's his mother go to work and he's a home waiting. The music makes it sounds like he's going to die, or she's going to die, they need to calm down.  But first, a little more traps, and we should fear Alex. 

            In speaking of music, this is probably the only or the only mainstream movie where Cartoon Boyfriend gets a song in it. Mrs. Hess gets a call to check in on Alex and that proves to be bad for her.  Peter and Alice make up a story about a package and end up tying her up and leaving her in the garage and door open so she can freeze to death.  This movie has dark moments even when it will get silly. Burton sees Alex's electrical death trap and thinks it's a cute fake and ends up well getting shocked.  So does Unger.  Fear Alex, he's messed with electricity.  Not going to run through all the traps, but these people should be dead, like they should be more dead than Kevin's traps in the 2nd movie.  

shocking / Copyright FOX 

                Even if Mrs. Hess is a little annoyed by the Pruitts she is scared when Alice mentions Alex.  This movie proves that yes, you can play "Let it Snow" after Christmas.  I think it does work, actually, that these sophisticated criminals  would fall in Alex's plans. Mostly because they aren't expecting them and they are pure chaos and make no sense that one one would think of them.  Also again, they should really be dead.  Alex's cold disregard of their lives is somewhat funny. He's like they sealed their fate, they really could have quick after being shocked and hit with heavy stuff, but they chose to go further. Plus, compared to Marv and Harry these guys are slowly killing an elderly woman.   Also, oddly we find out later they had a gun, and no attempt was made.  I'm just saying, they chose this pain. 

           There's that part where something gets screwed up because of a variable Alex didn't account for.  His mom calls and he has to answer the phone. Peter overhears the call and is happy to hear this info.   Also, the good news is that the FBI agents are on their way to help Alex.  It was nice to see the brother and sister concerned about their brother and giving something to the plot for a minute. The agent describing what's going on then Stan's face is realization this is a "Home Alone" film. 

                    Doris and the parrot -who doesn't seem to have a name- both get a little role to mess with the criminals and a1990's hit to the groin joke.  Alex finds a real gun and throws it away, he also touched it noooo!  He uses the whole let's get the criminals outside thing and taunts them, which was an idea. Finds Mrs. Hess to help her and Peter is there to trap him. Alex's first concern is about Mrs. Hess, a good way to show he's only mean to bad people. Peter was willing to use a gun - even if Alex did switch them- (not sure how that man couldn't tell the weight difference)  so yes, Alex's traps were really justified. 

                He scares Peter away and helps Mrs. Hess inside. Yes, the movie did the thing where they fix two characters who misunderstand each other and bring them together. The FBI and police show up to arrest 3 of the 4 criminals.  They repeat the mom looking for her son and he calls her name and they run to each other thing.  The FBI agent asks if the guy who ran of was Peter, and yes. But don't worry, they figure it thanks to the parrot. That's a sentence.  It's funny that if Peter had one more cracker he would have been able to make it. 

Home Alone but with a body count/ Copyright FOX 

               First, I do think that this movie takes story beats from the first movie, which the second movie did too,  and uses them because that's the Home Alone formula.  Especially this one being by the same guy.  It also does its own things like the main character boy isn't mad at his family really at all. Even when the points come when he calls the cops and everyone thinks it's fake, there's not a lot tension there.  It kind of seems to be something that mildly annoys the mom, and the brother and sister are like there just to make jokes at his expense, but nothing more than that.   

             Alex as a character is an alright lead. These movies rely on the idea of the eight-year-old kid having to be somewhat smarter than an average person and that's kind of hard to do. Here he's setup as a kid with some smarts and able to make his own things. The way he talks does mesh between average 8-year-old and something a writer would think would be fun an 8-year-old says. I can believe this character knows what he's saying it feels like it's real for the reality its in.  Linz really had to hold the movie down the most.  Stan and Molly are here really serviceable they kind of just exist. The mom is alright, but she really doesn't have a story goal until she's there at the end to worry about Alex.  The dad has about the same amount of role as the siblings.  Mrs. Hess is alright too, but again she's kind of there for Alex to mess with then they become real friends or something.  

             The criminals are alright, I say that a lot. (it's alright)  They don't have much personality. They couldn't be too competent  because they have to be taken down by an eight-year-old boy but they also can't be idiots because you'd be wondering how they work for big terrorist groups and stuff.  I liked how they did clean up quickly and were efficient  and it seems that Alex was able to mess with them because he was a wild card in how things are done for them. 

            I like this movie, myself, I personally think there's an overreaction to it. I enjoy it more than Home Alone 2, though I like the first one the most.  This one is way better than 4,5,6  but that's not a even a contest.   I think that if it wasn't called "Home Alone" in the title it would have probably just been a serviceable movie that probably wouldn't have been rerun as much, but it probably wouldn't have a lightning rod on it.  I find the movie funny too. 

          I like the moments where Alex is politely mean too. This movie easily could have had Alex have quips and be one of those movie kid archetypes, but he politely bluntly gets his point across.   It's not overly the best movie, but it is the best sequel of Home Alone.  It's a fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. It some of it's own charm and uses some things you expect in a Home Alone movie, but does its own things. 

        That's it for now, tune in next time when we leave a kid at home and see what happens. (oh no) 

                

            

            

Afterschool Sessions: The Last of the Curlews

The Flashback  ABC  

           This time on Afterschool Sessions: We look an ABC After School Special  but not just any one, we are looking at the very first one. The Last of the Curlews. This special first aired on October 4, 1972 and begins the long run of the ABC After School Special series.  "The Last of the Curlews" is based off the book of the same name by Fred Bodsworth.  This special is also animated and that was done by Hanna-Barbera. For those that have read the past posts you'll find this won't be the only time either.  

        It starts in fall with where a father and his son named Mark are on hunting trip.  There's a narrator , voiced by Lee Vines. The father and son hunters aren't the most important part of this special, they really aren't even main characters, they are a supporting role for the story itself. The special is presented as if it was a nature documentary in animation.  

It's rabbit season, son/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera 

        The story is told only by the narrator as he explains about a bird called the Eskimo Curlew.  This bird is a lonely bird who only really to have a mate and some offspring.  He resists as long as he can the trip that birds make in  the autumn but eventually has to go.  The bird finds himself eventually teamed up with some  golden plover birds who seem to like him and they even let him lead them on the track to Venezuela. 

Hey I'm the last of my kind/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera

        The special really has the animation do most of the work, beyond the narrator.  As the story wants you to understand the bird as a character.  The bird is presented to give the humans a way to understand and connect to him. He's lonely seeking out someone of his own kind to be with and continues to hope for that. There's a sense of warmth in this special, but also unease. Nothing in here is sugar coated either. The story tells of how the Curlews used to be plentiful and the were over hunted to near extinction. Death is not avoided in this special as we saw a hunter kill a buck earlier -not the hunter father and son , more on them later- and on the trip many of the plovers die by nature's hand. 

            The original story was published  in 1954, again written by Canadian reporter, Fred Bodsworth.  The book itself presents the journey of the curlew the same way giving it some human characterization to better connect with the audience.  The curlew is a real or was, that's the hard part. The story in the special is true where the bird was over hunted to near death in the late 19th century.  The last confirmed sightings of the bird were in the 1962 where a photo of it comes from.  And 1963 where they found a body.  Possibly, but unconfirmed reports of any after that.  Currently, its status is critically endangered, which the one step before any type of extinction.  Also, hence the title. 

         

            The special does end up showing a lady curlew and she doesn't become more part of the story until the last third of it where she and him actually meet up. It shows their struggles as their journey back up north. Yeah, we do pass through the seasons in this.  Sadly, there's not a happy story in this as the female curlew ends up getting shot by a farmer on their way back.  Eventually, the boy finds the bird as sees that she has died, with the male curlew flying off and the narration saying soon there will be none. 

Curlew love...the rarest love/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera

          Going back to the hunter and son.  There's a careful writing here the special doesn't present the father as overzealous, mean, or wanting to kill for killing. He tells his son that they hunt responsibly, don't do things illegally, shoot things they aren't supposed to, and that it's fine because nature does it too. It doesn't go hunting is evil and bad and should be banned.   I like that it has the nuance it wants to bring its [young] audience. It shows that there was hunting that was done wrongly and un reigned in caused an essential extinction.  Mark, the boy, also seems a little apprehensive of the whole idea, and he finds the bird too.   Also have to mention that that Wikipedia description, as of this writing, is wrong the hunter and son they really don't debate killing a curlew, the only times they bring up the bird is when the boy sees it and points out that it's flying alone and thinks that it might be alone, and the dad [wrongly] thinking that it's sick and/or old or a straggler. They never mention the idea of shooting it.  They didn't even end up killing a curlew that was a farmer.  

He was way too happy here/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera

        In the way its presented it's done well to bring in facts, but also present a fictional journey of a bird using realism.  The story has warmth to it with happy moments ,but there is always background feeling of unease and a sense of danger. How it mentions why the curlew is alone, and deaths of animals is to show that there a sense of death being present in the background and impactful. 

         It's well animated with the backgrounds being watercolor.  It also does mostly realistic drawn animals, something different for Hanna-Barbera. The music is well scored and I think the most memorable will probably be  Once on Golden Wings song , I'm not sure what the real name is but it's a very somber and fittingly played. As mentioned earlier, there's a very strong nature doc feel to present a story where we get gulfed and see birds in realistic motion and actions. The animation makes it feel almost like an illustrated book.   This one sets an interesting tone for what ABC After School Specials would be, which varied. This one was somewhat educational but not heavily blatant, it has a social message , and yet it doesn't over explain or over force itself to be something to its viewers.  It's a good special with the impact it brings and a well done story with a somber note that makes one think. 

        That's it for now, tune in next time when we  wonder why the birds just took that route.  

The Lookback: The Munsters: The 60th Year

The Flashback 

            Yeah  I'm going to start it this way. A few days after The Addams Family premiered on ABC, CBS had their concept of a strange family that doesn't fit in our society premiere. The Addams Family  and The Munsters are often tied together by human people. The reasoning might be how they both ran nearly the same time :1964 to 1966. The Munsters started 6 days later and ran a couple weeks longer than the previous and has slightly more episodes going with 70, versus the other's 64.  They also both have the concept of a family that is kind of spooky living in our normal society. Of course, there are differences to both shows.   

         The Munsters premiered on CBS on September 22, 1964.   CBS had placed the show as the lead of their Thursday night line up airing at 7:30 pm Eastern and Pacific that's 6:30pm to us Central and Mountain folks. That slot that networks don't have anymore.  It ran in the line up before Perry Mason, which would also end about a week after this show ended.  They also had Password , and premiering that night with this show, was a sitcom called The Baileys of Balboa, which has the backstory of being created out of spite, the CBS network president didn't like Gilligan's Island -which also came out in 1964 and aired on CBS-  and thought of a idea that would be better, in his mind.  And finally, a show called "The Defenders"  The Munsters was on against the Flintstones and Later Jonny Quest on ABC.

            In this post, I am mostly going to use the first episode  to talk about whilst weaving in stuff about the show.  Also I have written about other Munsters media before, you can check those out too.    

            Monsters are Universal 

          Take some writers from Rocky and Bullwinkle, dash in the creators of Leave it To Beaver, sprinkle a mix of some Universal monsters, and small dash of Charles Addams. You get this.   Allan Burns worked with Jay Ward on the Jay Ward cartoons and ended up working with Chris Hayward  again for a new sitcom , then they also worked together to make My Mother the Car.  Since they were working with MCA TV which was a studio owned with Universal Pictures they had access to the designs of classic monsters made by the movie studio. Since,  specific designs are owned by the studio, like how the Frankenstein monster looks. Eventually, they even settled on making the show live-action instead of an animated one.  

            I'm trying to keep the "Addams Family" comparisons down a little, because I don't want to detract from either show, but I do want to offer one of the contrasts here.  While, that series had people who, mostly, looked like people you'd run into and not think anything of, this show stands out. Starting with Herman Munster.  Herman is the father and husband character of the show.  He also happens to be a Frankenstein monster.  Though he might not be the one from the 30's movies , otherwise Herman Munster killing a little girl is disturbing.  Then there's Lily, his wife, who is the daughter of  a vampire, possibly Count Dracula, but the Grandpa on the show is just called Grandpa (because when you get old you lose your name) and he lives with the family.  Lily and Herman have a son who is a ware-wolf ish  boy.  Don't ask how that works.

            Also a difference between that show and this one, is the Munsters were more working class, Herman works, they have money troubles at times, and sometimes Lilly and Grandpa take up jobs. The show has different basic premise than the other show, even if it seems they have the same joke. The Munsters, also see themselves as typical American family, and kind of think the world around them is strange. They take different approaches to that. 

The Lookback: The Addams Family 60th Year

The Flashback 

       

    Fall TV in 1964 had two interesting shows premiere at only a few days apart from each other. They both had the same basic concept, but with different execution.  Starting with September 18, 1964, that's when this sitcom "The Addams Family" first premiered on ABC.  The episode was  "The Addams Family Goes to School".

        This is not going to be a post about the entire series, as there are reasons I couldn't do that in time, but  I wanted to do something for the anniversary of the series. So a look at the very first episode but with some more added in to talk about the series as a whole.   

            Adaptation 

        This series was an adaptation of a single panel comic series by Charles Addams for The New Yorker.  Addams began working at the magazine in 1932,  the first Addams Family cartoon came out in 1938.  He introduced characters one by one, starting with Morticia, then Gomez, Pugsley, Wednesday, and finally Uncle Fester. The Addams family is rich family with old money that delight in the things we find disturbing and grotesque. They have an unawareness that people find them strange or scary.  I will mention that the names didn't really exist at first either. Morticia and Wednesday were named thanks to a doll collection.  Gomez and Pugsley were named thanks to the 1964 series.  Originally, Pugsley was called Pubert but network people didn't like the name and yeah Pugsley is better. 

           Television executive for NBC saw one of Addams' books at a bookstore and thought that be great for TV.   Addams liked the idea and they thought up names for the characters.  The comics were a little dark and the TV series decided to not take that approach, went for a sitcom with comedy and lighter elements.  The series was developed by David Levy. The series also ended up airing on ABC. 

            Meet the Family 

        My first introduction to the Addams Family would have to be reruns of the cartoon series, though I either remember first seeing the 1973 animated series or the one that aired later. I also remember when they met Scooby Doo and the gang. A crossover that  blew my mind.  I didn't see the 1964 series until a little later when those reruns showed up again.  

         I feel that this series was probably a bigger introduction the characters for many before the 1990's movies came out. But does seem to get a little over shadowed thanks to those movies.  Originally the series aired on ABC Friday night line up. Also a big night, where Jonny Quest also premiered. Then after that it was The Famer's Daughter, which had its second season premiere. A short 3 season run series, a short 3 run series with 101 episodes. (because TV was better then) After The Addams Family , ABC premiered a new series called Valentine's Day (not the best title) 

                    

       I don't know if networks thought of flow scheduling then, but that's an awkward line up. I might be implying something here. 

        Let's talk about something that is really well known thanks to this series- the theme song.  The song was written and arranged by Vic Mizzy. He also wrote the score for the The Green Acres theme. (New York is where I'd rather stay)    

            The First Episode 

        Let's dig into the first episode of the series, again called "The Addams Family Goes to School".  It was co written by Seaman Jacobs and Ed James.  This is the only episode Jacobs wrote, but he worked on other sitcoms.  

            The episode starts and throws the viewer right into the absurdity. Mailman comes by to deliver the mail into the mail box and gets greeted by a dethatched hand-that's Thing. Anyway a truant officer asks the mailman if the house belongs to the Addams family.  The mailman says yes and things are going to happen. 

Stupid self closing gates/ copyright MGM 

            I am using the first episode as a way to talk about the series. This is also very fits in with the 60's sitcom era. An era of sitcom that hasn't been matched since.  A lot of  60's sitcoms, especially around this point, start to not reject, but move away from a more ridged 50's style of show. Sitcoms where the premise takes something a little off and runs with it.  "My Favorite Martian" , a sitcom about a Martian who has come to Earth and that's not the strangest thing about that show.  Coming out the same season, about 9 days after this show is "My Living Doll" a show about a guy  helping a Julie Newmar robot help become more human.    

                     

         The other kinds of shows that would exist in this era are shows that take a strange and pit them with a straight man or a force that'd we consider the normal going against the abnormal.  Bewitched , which premiered one day before this show, takes the idea of the American  married couple and decides to go what if one was a witch?  It also takes the idea of a fighting contrast of the husband wanting his wife to do things and be "normal" against the force of her own family and even kind of her, to want to still do and be witch, which she is.  The Addams Family are family that are strange to our ideals, but they see themselves as normal.   

            This episode has the truant officer  encounter the house first. The viewer doesn't even see any of the Addams family characters, besides Thing, after the theme song for about 2 minutes.  We see the funny things that happen around his encounters with the gate, and the funny doorknob.  (Also laugh track, because 1960's sitcom)  Then Wednesday answers the door . Wednesday is an interesting character mostly because the well noted depictions of her are from the 1990's movies and then the Netflix show that bares her name.  She is more a cynical person and more emotionally disconnected. Shown to be more sadistic and embraces a darker edge of the darkness part of her family's enjoyment.  That is not how she is in this series. Also, she's younger than later depictions.

Hello, are you a door to door salesman? / Copyright MGM

        Here she answers the door, and there's not much that would give away the strangeness of the Addams Family- other than the funny gags that happened before- as besides having some outdated clothing, even for the 1960's children, she acts with warm and good nature to the guest at the door.  Lisa Loring's Wednesday is still a great depiction.  She lets him in and she doesn't do anything that makes it seem strange. That's the house's role where the man being our eyes sees the strange decorations of the house. 

            Knowing the show later usually opts for Lurch to answer the door and bring people in, I like how it's Wednesday letting Sam Hillard in. He's relies on her for ease since the house's strangeness is putting him at unease.  While, I won't deny that the Lurch interactions are funnier, because of how the guest(s) are reacting to him and his reactions to them are just as funny.  The interaction with Wednesday also gives a great hint to how the Addams's are as people with being warm and welcoming. 

This is a man who is wondering how many minutes he has left to live/Copyright MGM

The Flashback: Detention ( A Cartoon Series)

The Flashback   Kids WB 

         Kids WB had an very strange run in what it is in context of time. I've written about the block (twice!) and it seems there's a period where the block launches and lives on the idea of bringing in the Warner Bros. TV animated shows from FOX Kids, then in 1999, it decides Pokémon.  Then it brings in some more anime, then it stops, then it dies. That also means that Kids WB has stuff they dropped in between the stuff they are known  for like Phantom Investigators .  Another case, would this show: Detention.  

        Funny enough, over on ABC, Disney had a series called Recess. That series came out in 1997 and was mostly a series that took place at a kids' favorite part of the school day :recess.  I'm not saying that this show was trying to run on the success of that show or a copy of it. It's more a genre of show that existed that we really don't get now.   Like Recess, Detention takes from something that happens at school and brings it to the forefront, that being detention.  Unlike, recess -the time period- detention isn't seen as a very positive thing and isn't supposed to be. In media,  it had different showings and usages.  The famous depiction of the event is The Breakfast Club.  

        Detention , the series, takes a look at the idea of kids who somehow end up always being in detention and like The Breakfast Club has a mis-mash mixture of kids forced together in one spot.  It premiered on Saturday, September 11, 1999 on the WB.   The show was created by Bob Doucette.   

              

DCOM Does Sequel To Horse Film but on an Island: Jumping Ship

Disney The Lookback 

      

            Previously. I wrote about the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie, Horse Sense, which starred Andy Lawrence and  his brother, Joey, as cousins.  That movie did really well to the point Disney Channel wanted to do a sequel.  Though, that movie really had seemed to wrap things up, pretty well. This is the days when movies- especially TV movies- don't expect sequels as part of the game.  Disney had a lot of the youngest Lawrence brother, he was the voice of TJ on Recess, was in the 2000 DCOM, I covered -The Other Me  - and he'd do another DCOM later.  I'll get to the rest of the cast, in a few. 

                Back to the sequel element. The idea of a sequel to Horse Sense is kind of hard to think about except Andy and Joey Lawrence. Joey's character, Michael Woods, went through character development in the movie, as one would expect, so the worry here would be the 2nd movie would ruin some of that because 2nd movie.  

                Jumping Ship first aired on Disney Channel on August 17, 2001. That date will also be important for something else soon. play attention.  Also, look how quickly that turnaround is, the last movie was out in November 1999. (wow) 

Hello, we're calling about your horse warranty/ Copyright Disney 

            How does this movie start? With Montana, horses, Andy's character of Tommy, just to remind you that is Horse Sense 2.   It also shows that Michael has grown a bit in character and is "farming" in his backyard... by the pool. (As you do)  Also, thanks to Tommy's mother talking to Michael on the phone we know they are going Australia. (Random)  Michael tells Tommy that's going to charter a private yacht to during their trip.  I'm happy that this movie hasn't reset Michael's character just for sake of 2nd movie. It does show that he's not good with spending money still, which is a good way have a conflict and not have it be the problem from first movie. His father tells him he's spending money he doesn't have and tells him he has to pay him back and he has to find a job or he'll have to work with his Dad- as a file clerk. 

Son, I'm going to have to sue you / Copyright Diseny

            There also seems to be a new conflict for Tommy, since the ranch was saved, he doesn't want this neighbor guy to like his mother and she kind of likes him too, and doesn't want to be part of this, because doesn't want a new Dad.  

               Michael and Tommy are now on an island as they are on vacation. This movie gives you the Lawrence Brothers doing a great job and makes an enjoyable performance. A lady runs into Michael on purpose and she steals his wallet without him noticing because plot. The duo get to be on a nice boat, oops wrong boat.  Oh the woman meets up with a guy on a yacht and he looks through the wallet.  So if Michael wasn't so showy three people wouldn't want to be after him now. (there's a moral here, somewhere) 

Good thing he didn't notice me stealing his wallet, that I'm holding out here for everyone to see / Copyright Disney 

            The duo find their boat and guess what? You thought this movie would only have two Lawrence brothers, well, you were WRONG.  (ooh I'm sad now) That's right. Matthew Lawrence, the middle brother between Joey and Andy shows up as a character named Jake Hunter.  Which is funny. You see, in later seasons of Boy Meets World , Lawrence played Jack Hunter a character who was Shan  Hunter's half brother on that series.  The other fun part is Boy Meets World , ended it's run 1 year before this movie aired, but reruns were on Disney Channel.   One Boy Meets World's production companies was: Touchstone Television, which was owned by Disney.  It's fun. Fun fact 2: this movie was filmed in Australia for real.  

More after the jump 

Easter: Peter and the Magic Egg

Easter 

           Peter and the Magic Egg has a connection to some of the big Christmas specials like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" , "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" , and "Frosty the Snow Man"  for the 3 examples. As those were written by Romeo Muller.  He even worked some Easter specials for Rankin-Bass.   This special wasn't from Rankin-Bass but Muller, our connection here, did write this. 

            It's a simple syndicated special that first aired on March 23, 1983. 

  it's also a story in a story going on.  Like talking animals are like "Woah uncle Amos is tell 'Th Story" which story?  Also Uncle Amos is s talking egg, because um ok.  The egg man was voiced by Ray Bolger,  whom you may know from the 1953 TV series "The Ray Bolger Show"  or as the Scarecrow in the 1939 film "Wizard of OZ".  This would be his last animated voice work. 

        He says on that very farm years ago, and back when the animals were just animals. There's questions that I have and an now concerned. I see the same animals that were running to see talking egg man, but they are just normal. I have questions.  (Was the talking egg, once just a normal egg?)  

I'm not even sure how the egg got a beard 

        There are some humans called the Doppler Family (not the Super Max Doppler family) there's Papa who is a farmer, and Mama is his wife.  They were going to lose to their farm to a oh great the Tin Man has become a landlord, sad.   His real name is Tobias Tinwhiskers and apparently they owe money to him. I'm concerned on why they borrowed money from a tin man. This special has questions that it will not answer. 

            Under the eggs the farmer couple finds a baby, there's a note that says call him Peter Paas, who must be the Peter in the title. (Good work)  Mama is like don't question where the baby comes from and Papa is like a normal person wondering what's going on here? (I wish I knew) 

The Last Episode of the Brady Bunch Was Weird

The Brady Bunch 

        March 8, 1974, The Brady Bunch aired its final episode on ABC. This was a case of they really didn't know if this was going to be the last episode while filming it, but, really now? I am a big fan of the series, but I can say that some episodes weren't very strong or good.  I do think the fifth season, the final season, also seems to be the weakest and oddest of the entire series.  There's even an episode that was trying to be a pilot to get out of here. 

        For the cousin Oliver dis-likers, yeah this is the season he shows up. I will add that he doesn't do anything to make the show bad, he's alright, if anything, it's because season 5 and the show was tired. Oliver didn't kill the show.  All of this is weird for someone who is a fan to say, but we're doing it. 

         The final episode doesn't have that feeling of finality, again because someone there was confident enough to think we can get a new season, we're awesome!  Also even ending in March wasn't uncommon for a season of this series, so it ending on March 8 didn't give a sense of it wasn't going to be back. 

         There's one person you don't see in the final episode at all, that's Robert Reed, you know Mike Brady. He didn't like the episode at all.   Reed had many times argued over scripts and things as writing shows has people and human emotions and ideas. This one apparently was like "I refuse"  to even touch it.   He didn't even like storm off and never return he was also watching the episode get filmed, so that's dedication of something.   There are sources that say he didn't the episode was good quality television, which I mean,  it's not a very good episode,  but odd line to draw here.   Or he didn't like the idea that hair tonic was written to cause someone's hair to turn orange, thinking that was unrealistic. I am concerned too.  (something here) 

       It's time.  "The Hair-Brained Scheme" , season 5, episode 22. 

    The episode starts with Greg is getting ready to graduate,  but that's not the plot of the episode, because that's really only there for the comedic drama of what happens to Greg before that big milestone.  The plot is about Bobby ordering hair tonic to resell.  Bobby paid for 12 bottles for $1 each (oof 1974 money) and the company says why not sell it for $2 a bottle.   Cindy has also been inspired and is going get rabbits to mate -not joking, to sell rabbits, she buys the rabbits from the pet store, where people can go also buy rabbits, so she can sell baby rabbits to people who could also go the pet store and buy rabbits.  

            Bobby decides to enlist Oliver into his whatever this is and now Bobby will have to sell more bottles to be a millionaire.  They go to Greg, (you remember Greg , right?) and he doesn't want to play in whatever this is and tells them to go away.  (how true people react to salesmen)  Cindy's new plan is get two rabbits from the pet shop, let them make babies and sell the babies back to the pet shop. Oh..  also someone taught Cindy where babies come from apparently.  

            Carol Brady is like just kind of here this episode. She's like hey my son bought hair tonic, well it's his stupid way of spending money, oh well.  Oh my daughter has bought rabbits, oh well, I wish I was with Mike, he's been standing outside our house for some reason.  She's very accommodating this episode.   Bobby isn't good at selling this hair tonic, he insults a woman, bothers a man with no peddlers sign on his house, and a bald man.  He should be happy that they didn't think he was wearing a toupee.  

            Bobby wants to quit. Carol decides that Bobby shouldn't quit.  I think this time, Bobby should have quit, he's selling dodgy magazine hair tonic, well I mean trying to sell, this isn't like playing the trumpet or something. I think there are good reasons to quit. Show don't play that music here, this isn't a good moral in this case.   The context if a line saying "The Great Ones Never Quit" whilst Robert Reed quit the episode was that written in there out of spite? Were they calling him out? (Things are happening)  Did Thomas Edison quit? There's an elephant that wished he quit.  Also there's a few people who wished he did. 

Did Robert Reed Quit? Well? / Copyright Paramoun 

         I will say that I don't think the episode is bad through the whole thing, it's being goofy here , but nothing that really makes it awful.  Carol and Bobby's moment was pretty nice, even if she's like please don't quit selling the dodgy hair tonic.  Even as someone who is a Bobby fan, I do feel they had a better plot in the background of Greg getting ready to graduate, him giving Peter his jacket is nice. Would have been better to have a plot about maybe Greg getting nervous about the whole thing and stuff happening. 

        Greg feels bad for Bobby and decides to buy hair tonic. The three brothers moment was pretty fun.  Bobby really wants it to be proven that Greg didn't buy it out of pity instead of just accepting the money and letting Greg go on with his day. He wants Greg to put some on. 

   Bobby puts it on his eldest brother's head, then freaks out and runs away. The episode doesn't give away what happened at first. ( I wonder if Greg is bald now) Then it shows he has orange hair, which is the most amazing hair dye ever , how fast it did it. 

        The episode turned into "Lol, what if Greg's hair turned orange?".  Which I'm sure the real red heads enjoyed.  Oliver has turned away from Bobby and will work with Cindy instead.  I will say this is the first and only episode where the word "sex" is mentioned. All with a joke where Oliver makes Carol flustered trying to explain why male rabbits don't have babies. (how very un-PC) 

Cool it Oliver, you can't say sex on a TV G show, wait huh? /Copyright Paramount

            Carol doesn't want her eldest son to kill her youngest son. So she finds away to help things.  Oh the scammy hair company was a shady? I'm shocked. Also Carol was like I knew they were shady, but she was earlier saying Bobby shouldn't quit things like selling the shady company's hair tonic.  Greg has to go to the beauty salon to get fixed.  Episode is like "Lol, Greg has to go to the beauty salon  and sees two girls from school there."  He also makes up to the girls that's his mom is actually bald.  

I've covered my eyes to hide my lie/ Copyright Paramount 

             Also, guess what Juliet , of the rabbits named Romeo and Juliet, is a boy rabbit.  Which is the least tragic twist characters with those names have experienced.  The two plots help each other out as Bobby has to pour out the hair tonic and accidently pours it on the rabbits and makes them orange. The pet shop ends up buying the fake orange rabbits. 

          I'm sure someone would have not really enjoyed the idea of orange/red hair being seen as awful probably wouldn't have enjoyed the episode from that aspect.  Greg getting green hair also could have worked, I'm saying that because that was even a suggestion of how it could have been worse for Greg? But it also can be passed as saying that Greg was worried about his hair getting ruined or something, and if it wasn't safe tonic.  I don't think the episode was bad because of that and I don't think it was going after red heads in general.  

       There is some weirdness to the plot. Carol shows skepticism about the hair tonic, but thinks it's alright her son can sell it, then when Bobby decides to quit, she's like woah. I get the message of "don't quit" it doesn't fit this episode when it probably was for the best for him to take his loss and quit. Then she's like I knew they were shady when she finds out they were taken down by the FDA. Episode didn't know what do with Carol there at all.  Maybe there were things set for Mike and that ended up being Carol's lines. Maybe Mike was supposed to be the one to encourage his son to not quit because that seems like something he'd say, and then have it go back to Carol when she's the one to find out the shady company was actually shady.   Otherwise, pick a lane episode. 

          I don't know why the episode mentions Greg's graduation where it really does nothing for the plot, except give an urgent recent as to why he wants his hair to go back to normal quick. That could even be swapped for really anything else and still fit.  It doesn't make the episode feel more grand or give it a sense finality -even for a season finale- where if the show was going to come back, what happens to Greg? Or , I mean, what would the show have done? 

            I do  think the episode isn't that good, but not an awful episode.  It fits with how the show worked, with a goofy plot that seemingly decides to go with at least Bobby didn't sell that stuff to some random person, after all. The Cindy and the rabbits part kind of just happens without questioning it too much, there is the fun that the two plots did come together, but kind of worrying that someone wanted the hair tonic to sell people fake orange rabbits.  

         Maybe Reed did overreact or was very bothered by hair tonic being demeaned, or red heads....  It's not even the strangest Brady Bunch plot. I don't know.   Funny enough, for how much Oliver has been maligned, there's really nothing he adds or takes away from the episode. If he wasn't there nothing changes. I guess the mention of sex doesn't happen, but sure.  

That's it for now, tune in next time when we wonder how the episode would have gone if Greg had gone bald.