Hello and Welcome to Joshuaonline , we like to look at the TV and Media here it's not updated everyday but we try have a few posts each month, hope you enjoy and thanks for visiting
NETWORK TV Fall 2024
It's that time of year again! The networks are releasing their fall line ups
In an interesting move , Nickelodeon will be airing the sitcom "So Little Time" , starring the Olsen Twins starting next week (April 27th) at 7:30pmET/PT. The Series ran on Fox Family in 2001 until 2002, when it was canceled by ABC Family (after Disney bought the channel). This is also first time the series has been seen on US TV in years. So if you were a fan of this show , record it or watch it , never know how long it will last , and you might want to save those 26 episodes the show had. And always they could change their minds.
This time , we take look back at some children's programs (back to this again, huh?) by a company we've talked about before , DIC.
That's our name , wear it out!
DIC entertainment was (because things we cover are gone, except for Disney, they are never gone) , launched by a french guy named Jean Chalopin in 1971 (the party year) , the original name of the company was Diffusion, Information et Communication. (uhhhh) They , as decided to come on over to America in the 1980's (the party decade) with the help of a man named Andy Heyward, they also had an animation office in Japan so they could export the animation jobs to themselves. Remember when we talked about a couple DIC series being on Disney's One Saturday Morning? There was a reason for that (I'd hope so) Capital Cities/ABC ,which was ABC's company name from their purchase by Captial Cities (all 50 of them?) they bought up DIC in 1993. When Disney bought CapCities /ABC they also got guess what? ( ESPN?) DIC was now owned by Disney. (DICsney). In 2000 Bain Captial (the famous one) bought DIC in 2000 and they eventually got it sold to Andy Heyward. Where they became the last bastion of syndicated children's programming. Eventually , in 2008 (when everything was going just fine , no not really) , it got sold to Cookie Jar Entertainment (who also is now a dead company, eh circle of life or death).
So , let's get to the shows now. (Finally, I was just about to go to CNN.com)
1. Dennis The Menace (the animated one from the 80's)
Video is kind of loud ... like the 80's ... so it's not loud in the 80's
Dennis the Menace is one of those "Cartoons on TV based off Comic strips" things , about our overall-ed hero and his gaggle of friends and his very big dog. Even though Dennis is a Menace it's all because he is trying hard to help. (Like most people ) It ran on Syndication first in 1986 with 65 episodes (the average of shows like this) , then CBS saw a star in their eye ( ha! get it? , no ? me neither) and picked up the series for a season 2 of a big 13 episodes. Each episode was 3 shorts inside (again more like average series of the time). It ran a long time on syndication repeats and on popular cable channels , like USA for their Cartoon express.
2. Inspector Gadget (also a surprise at the end or mistake )
This was the first , animated series by DIC , came on in 1983 on our favorite channel , syndication (well ,it's not really a channel , but what do you want from me?). it was also the first animated produced in stereo. (Yeah 80's!) It was created by Andy Heyward, Jean Chalopin and Bruno Bianchi.( We mention Andy alot )
Go Gadget go ! / copyright DHX media (guess who owns DIC now?)
The series is about a detective who is half machine who has tons of gadgets (which ever is convenient for that episode) he was a bumbling detective who solved crimes and stopped EVIL. He also had a niece named Penny and a very smart dog named Brian. (Who then moved to Quahog , wait oh --- never mind) and they solved the crimes or stopped the evil together. The main villains are working for a group called M.A.D and their leader Dr. Claw. (they just give medical degrees to everyone don't they?)
Gadget works for Chef Quimby , he's the chef of police in Metro City ( hmm they have bad crime rate)
Each episode , since it was the 80's ended with a PSA .
Wait... we have more (have your credit cards ready)
Inspector Gadget's field trip , this show was a kind of spin-off with our cartoon hero , created by Dic in 1996 it aired on the History Channel . (Before it became the scary channel with lack of history) it had 26 episodes , Don Adams returned as the voice . This series was an educational travel show for kids (or people who really like inspector gadget or traveling). It only featured Gadget , none of the other original animated series characters were there. It ran on DIC's syndication block in the 2000's.
A new digital sub-channel network that was announced back in January ; Laff TV launches Apirl 15 on ABC owned stations , Scripps Media stations, some Cox media stations, and some Meredith stations. It is a comedy based network, hence the name.
They will be airing comedy Movies from the Disney, Miramax, and Sony , it will be airing off-network sitcoms of The Drew Carey Show , Ellen , Empty Nest, Grace Under Fire , and Spin City.
We have their first day schedule (note :this can change)
8AMET My Mom's New Boyfriend
10AMET Empty Nest
10:30AMET Empty Nest
11AMET Ellen (Sitcom)
11:30AMET Ellen (Sitcom)
12PMET Vice Versa
2PMET My Father, The Hero
4PMET Spin City
4:30PMET Spin City
5PMET Ellen (sitcom)
5:30PM Ellen (sitcom)
6PMET Grace Under Fire
6:30PMET Grace Under Fire
7PMET The Drew Carey Show
7:30PMET The Drew Carey Show
8PMET Spin City
8:30PMET Spin City
9PMET The Drew Carey Show
9:30PMET The Drew Carey Show
10pmet So I Married and Axe Murderer
`12AMET The Drew Carey Show
12:30AMET The Drew Carey Show
1AMET Grace Under Fire
1:30AMET Grace Under Fire
2AMET Empty Nest
2:30AMET Empty Nest
3AMET The Apple Dumpling Gang
5AMET Empty Nest
5:30AMET Empty Nest
6AMET Indian Summer
From looking ahead it looks as though Movies will air from Weekdays 6AMET-10AMET; 12-4PMET; 10pmet-12AMET 3-5AMET (though some movies can go longer). While Empty Nest will be on weekdays at 5AM ET (Back to Back) ; 10AMET (back to back) ; and 2AMET (back to back). Ellen weekdays at 11AMET (back to Back) , and 5PMET (Back to Back). Spin City Weekdays 4PMET (back to back) and 8pmet (back to back) . Drew Carey Show weekdays at 7pmet (back to back ) ; 9PMET (Back to back) ; 12AMET (back to back). Grace Under Fire weekdays at 6PMET (back to back) ; and 1AMET (back to back).
Weekends seem to include the same mixture of movies and sitcoms , and on Saturdays the mandated 3 hours of E/I programming.
To find out more about Laff visit their website here.
On Wednesday, CBS' Bob Schieffer announced that he is retiring and leaving "Face The Nation", Sunday the replacement for him on "Face The Nation" has been announced, as John Dickerson who will take over in the Summer.
In the era before the 1990's , there were 3 networks ,(or 4 after 1986) , but in many markets there were more than 3 Channels. These other channels were most likely unaffiliated (or independent) of a network. They may have been known for airing movies in primetime and you favorite classics. (This is before everything got ruined) One thing they would air is Children's tv programs and the syndication market allowed programs that may have not been able to make to the NBC , CBS, or ABC line ups but before there were Children's channel or before anyone cared about them.
Our look is at 3 programs from Hasbro (yes, the toy company) from the 1980's.
Something about , Hasbro wanted to make TV shows based off their toys (you know to sell toys?) so they hired animation studio Sunbow Entertainment to make them cartoon like. Hasbro would also distribute their own shows through their company, Claster , who also created the 1950's series "Romper Room" (way before Hasbro Brought them) .
The first series of our 3 series from Hasbro is "Jem" or "Jem and the Holagrams" Jem was a production of Hasbro ,Marvel ,and Sunbow. Created by Christy Marx ,the program premiered in 1985 . The show was based on a line of dolls , Hasbro made . Jem was a mixture of hip music videos (cough MTV cough) , soap opera (love triangle , random drama), action and adventure (including bad guys) ; and Science Fiction.
Even Sunday TV was fun ... now it's just infomercials
One of things about this show was probably an influence of the MTV popularity at the time, so each episode had animated music videos that related to stories by the time the show ended there was almost 200 music videos and over 100 unique songs.
There were about 3 produced songs per episodes , all this was unique for a TV series especially an animated one.
We are going to get a song stuck in your head rather you want it to be or not
The TV series itself was about a woman named Jerrica Benton who inherits her Father's music company , though there was an evil man named Eric Raymond (not everybody loves Raymond) who wanted to run the company (you know , he likes money). Jerrica finds out that her Father also had bulit a system called synergy that produces holograms ,and Jerria creates a persona called Jem. She and her friends start a music group that competes against another called the Misfits ran by a rich girl named Pizazz and later a group called the stingers. Jerrica a boy friend named Rio , who also may have a crush on Jem ( checks , to make sure we aren't writing about soaps again)
It was the most watched Children's program in Syndication in 1985 it ran the standard 65 episodes and ended in 1988.
Now stay tuned for G.I Joe : A real American Hero.
Everyone knows, G.I Joe was a toy and a comic book (you know to read with your toy) it was technically mini-series glomped together (why is that not word ,selfie is and that's an awful word) : "G.I Joe : A Real American Hero" ; "G.I Joe : The Revenge of the Cobra (that sounds like a Syfy original movie) , "G.I Joe: The Pyramid of Darkness ", and "G.I Joe Arise , Sepentor, Arise!" (sounds like the 3rd movie of a Cobra series of Syfy original movies). The series started in 1983 in syndication and ran until 1986.
Bob Schieffer, the anchor of CBS News' "Face the Nation," announced Wednesday that he will retire this summer after more than 50 years of working in journalism. Schieffer, who is 78, has been with CBS News for 46 years. 2015 marked his 24th year anchoring "Face the Nation," which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. "Because this is where my professional career began, this is where I wanted all of you to be the first to know, this summer I am going to retire," he said at a symposium at Texas Christian University. He has interviewed every president since Richard Nixon as well as most of those who sought the office. Schieffer most recently interviewed President Obama last November. Schieffer also moderated three debates for the Presidential Commission on Debates in 2004, 2008 and 2012. Prior to joining CBS in 1969, Schieffer was a reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram where he was the first reporter from a Texas newspaper to report from Vietnam. Schieffer has won virtually every award in broadcast journalism, including eight Emmys, the overseas Press Club Award, the Paul White Award presented by the TV News Directors Association, the Edward R. Murrow Award given by Murrow's alma mater Washington State University and in 2008 he was named a living legend by the Library of Congress. In 2013, he was inducted into the National Academy of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame along with CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves, actor Ron Howard, sportscaster Al Michaels and writer/producer Dick Wolf. In 2014, "Face the Nation" was the highest rated Sunday talk show for the third consecutive year and the broadcast won an Emmy for its show covering the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination in 2013. Schieffer also received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence from the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Writing from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) in the Network Radio and Television category for a CBS Radio News commentary about "the ghost of Congress future." In 2005, his alma mater Texas Christian University named its journalism school in his honor and in 2013 named the College, in which the journalism school is located, the Bob Schieffer College of Communication. Schieffer is one of the few reporters in Washington to have covered all four of the major beats: the Pentagon, the White House, Congress and the State Department. He became the network's chief Washington correspondent in 1982 and was named the anchor and moderator of "Face the Nation", CBS News' Sunday public affairs broadcast, in 1991. Schieffer anchored the Saturday edition of the "CBS Evening News" for 23 years. In March 2005, with the departure of Dan Rather, Schieffer served as interim anchor of "The CBS Evening News," until August 2006 - a period that saw a substantial increase in ratings. Schieffer has written four books: The New York Times bestsellers "This Just in" and "Bob Schieffer's America" as well as "Face The Nation: My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years of the Award-winning News Broadcast" and "The Acting President." He was born in Austin, Texas and grew up in Fort Worth where he graduated from North Side High School and Texas Christian University. He served three years in the U.S. Air Force.
Also : From TV Newser a Memo from the President of CBS News , David Rhodes here
This is our third installment of our look back at Charlie Brown Specials that are not holiday based specials. (A really long title) As it is the 65th anniversary year of the first peanuts strip coming out. We take a look back this time at Hey, there's a fly in my soup Charlie Brown, No, it's Snoopy's getting Married Charlie Brown. (Whaaaa?) .
Note: as always 98% of spoilers. (So I still have a chance?)
As with the other specials , it aired on CBS, on March 20, 1985.
Snoopy was working as a guard for Peppermint patty , when he sees a poodle ( always a poodle) named ,Genevieve. He falls in love and next, comes marriage, (They called it puppy love) This surprises everyone. Snoopy ,gets asks his brother , Spike , to be his best man.
"Hey waiter, this is white wine , I wanted Red"/copy right peanuts
For Spike to get from Needles, California (Did you know they didn't make up a place?) he needs some money. He gets a job as race dog , but is fired for not being a greyhound. (Maybe the Simpsons's dog can call in a tip ,either that or bet on a grey hound race?) Anyway , what does every wedding need? ( A Bride?) Yes, tuxedos. Spike meanwhile has tough time trying to get to the wedding (why couldn't Snoopy send some money?) , so he takes train and finally makes his way to his brother.
Now ,it's bachelor party day and Snoopy is not feeling happy.
Ummmmm..... / copyright Peanuts
He even breaks down into tears on his wedding day (who hasn't? , all of them) that Charlie Brown has to drag him there. (humanely of course). At the wedding we have Linus as the minister (he got ordained in dog marriages after he found out how much money there was in the job) , Sally as the singer, guess who plays Piano? (ummm Marice?) A nervous Snoopy waits for the bride to come , but then the news is given the she has left of with a golden retriever. (sigh, that always happens) Everyone was then shocked about what about their own thing ,except for Charlie Brown , who was worried about poor Snoopy.
When in pain ... salad to reduce the cake's affects /copyright Peanuts
And it ends with Snoopy happy eating cake and salad , and his brother going back home to his rather nice cactus house.
Well that's the special.
It is an interesting special that should be watched if you have chance , that is a charm that is all it's own. Snoopy is our key character here , but it's real nice to see Spike and the funny things he does to get to snoopy, plus his real snazzy house.
sources: watched it on an old VHS tape, also Wikipedia for the dates of the special , and some names.
The Flashback NBC Children'sTV
When you have a one, you must have two it's like a law of physics or something. So, Once again we look at NBC's Saturday Morning Children's TV offerings from before , we talked about TNBC. So come with us as we take a journey back in time. ( No peanuts included, budget problems)
1. The Addams Family (Not that one , or that one , unless you are thinking of this one)
Our story starts with Scooby-Doo , the series "The New Scooby Doo Movies" had an episode where they meet the Addams Family. We get to see the Addams Family in color , and Hanna Barbera animated style. Someone obliviously liked it so in 1973 NBC had an animated version. The series was much like the 60's live-action show with characters but instead of being in their mansion they were on the road. (In the 70's everyone was on the Road living in RV's .... this is a lie) It was kind of like the Addams Family on tour or something , one episode they would be in Nashville another one they would be in New Orleans. As fun as the show sounds it lasted more the average one season with 16 episodes.
In Hannah and Barbera's world bears beg for food instead of being bears
2. Star Trek : The Animated Series
Something that always comes up is ... yes they made another animated version of a live-action show this time Star Trek. Start Trek was a very popular series ,even in repeats (it ended in 1969, we are talking 1973 here) this was a continuation of the live-action series but in animated form. (Makes sense) Filmation helped produce the series along with Paramount. The Original idea was Filmation wanted to make a series as Star Trek but with kids ( kind of like doing , Golden Girls but with kids ) but that didn't happen. It had most of the original cast do voices ,except Being animated it could more than live-action , such has more real looking aliens (whatever that means) and vivid pictures (when there weren't budget troubles).
It ran 2 Seasons and 22 half hour episodes from 1973-1974.
hmmm.... no comment.... just Star Trek :The Animated Series/ CBS
3. Kissyfur
A Father and Son bear who were in the circus and one day the leave that life (stay with us please , stay with us ) anyway the end up in a swap (where bears do well) and protect the inhabitants from two Alligators (messing up the food chain ,eh?) .
This series was made by Dic , NBC productions , and Saban and created by created by Phil Mendez (yes, the Charlie Brown specials guy) and ran on NBC from 1986 to 1990 , though only had 26 episodes and two seasons.
Kissyfur yep .... NBC/Dic/Saban
4. Gravedale High
The timing and network makes it sound like a TNBC show , but this is an animated series from our old friends at Hanna and Barbera. It was a show for Rick Moranis (you may remember from such films as, Spaceballs , Brewster's Millions, Ghostbusters, and more) , he voiced a teacher named Max Schneider, who takes a job at a high school for Monsters (though , isn't that most High Schools... teenagers!!!!) mostly versions of Universal monsters. So he's a human teacher who is there to teach monsters that are hard to teach (no other Monsters want to teach them, wait what?). We have characters like a vampire named Vinnie Stoker, who apparently can go out in daylight and watched to much "Happy Days" Frankentyke , a Frankenstein's monster who apparently ate Shaggy Rogers or 90's Bart Simpson. (Man) . Apparently someone on this show watched too much "Happy Days" Reggie Moonshroud was a red haired geek ( have to have one ) , who is friends with the Fonz like kid. Cleofatra (voiced by Ricki Lake!!!! , but really Cleo FAT ra , why?) . who is a mummy.
Ok then .... you want to me say something snide don't you // HB and NBC
Any way , it ran one season in 1990 with 13 episodes.
