The Lookback : Disney Channel Edition

The Lookback   Disney Channel 

         Well , this is interesting  ... we taking a lookback somewhere where it hasn't been before. (Can we say somewhere where?, that's got to be improper)  Now  in this look we are not going for the shows that are talked about most when people lookback at Disney Channel shows.  Example : Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven (which we did a lookback on in 2013) ,   So Join us  as we go somewhere.

      Disney Channel now a-days is know for  making sitcoms , mostly targeted to tween girls ( sometimes twenty)  but in the early days of original shows , they tried their hats at many other genres of TV shows one such example is this one.

1. So Weird 
   I remember this show , loved it  "So Weird" was  a Disney Channel show that began in the January of 1999  about a teenage girl named Fiona Phillips (no relation to the British TV presenter, for our UK audience)  who toured with her rock star mom , played by Mackenzie Phillips. (Wait this sounds like a current Disney Channel show premise would be ) Where they went there was paranormal goings on . ( I retract my last statement) Since it was a paranormal show it was a dark show, (for Disney Channel, I mean show a kid today and tell them that this was from Disney Channel , they would call you crazy)   Fiona also had a brother named Jack , he was a non-believer of paranormal (has to be one )  We also had the bus driver , Ned Bell, his wife and the manager , Irene Bell, and their kids  Carey Bell (season 2 starter)  and brother  Clu Bell. (Get it Clu?)
   The First season had an arch of  Fiona looking to communicate with her passed away father, as she encountered different paranormal subjects , such as aliens.  Season 2 continued , some changes were made as Clu was reduced so they brought in the other brother , Carey.  We had a lot more fantastic creatures like Vampires (before they were done to death, then not done to death or something ) , we the audience find out that Fiona's father also investigated paranormal activity  . (we get 5 ¢ per each time we say paranormal , oh 5 more)  The season was  a much darker one than 1 was ( even more darker compared to say, "Dog with a Blog" )
 Season 3 , was the final one  they decided to lighten it up a bit , also a change in actress happened as well   Carla DeLiza , the actress playing Fiona decided to leave and was replaced with Alexz Johnson and her charcter was Annie.  Annie  had a season arch where she was followed a by a spirit panther.    The series ended after 65 episodes (Disney Channel rule at the time , also a major number here in our lookbacks )  it ended in 2001.


2. The Jersey
   Sports... meet Quantum Leap or something....
   Disney Channel  had a TV series called , "The Jersey" it began in 1999, the premise of the show is about 4 friends who find a magical football jersey (so the show doesn't take place in Jersey?) it would transport the wearer to the body of an athlete of any sport, Quantum Leap style.  The series ran on Disney Channel from 1999 until 2004, with our magical number of 65 episodes.  Though , it's final running was shoved to early mornings and slowed to 3 years after production of the series ended



3. Bug Juice (not a cooking show)
     Think about this carefully,  Disney Channel had a reality show , Bug Juice was that show.  It started on Disney Channel in 1998. It was a summer camp based  reality show  that for kids ages 9-12 (Or Disney's Channel audience).  Each of the seasons took place at a different camp.
 It was  a more basic reality show   where the viewer would follow the drama, the fun , and interesting things that happened at this camp. (Or the fun of going to camp , but watching other people do it instead)
   It  ran 3 seasons and  ended in 2004.  Does make you wonder if  Disney Channel had taken a different path and this show was more popular than the sitcoms they were making , that kids TV could have been all  reality TV.

                                       
            Well...It was tried again , also Cartoon Network and real don't go together

4.  In a Heartbeat
    Kind of rarity,  Disney Channel along with Family Channel in Canada  made a TV drama (yes a drama on Disney Channel)  . It follows teenagers  who work as part time EMT's as they have to balance school life and work life.  The kids on the show were also football player, cheerleader, another football player, and a troubled teen. ( Ummm sure )   It ran 20 episodes for 1 season in 2000-01.  It's another show that makes you wonder  that if it did well in  Disney's eyes , Disney Channel could be the TNT for kids.  ( Law and Order Jr. coming soon)
                       
                      The theme was also called in Heartbeat
5. Totally Hoops/ Totally Circus
    Another Reality show, this one was about  a group  of girls on the Lady Hoopers Basketball team. The series premiered in 2001. Much like "Bug Juice" it was basic reality show  (more real than say  Real Housewives).  It was a spin off of another DC original reality show "Totally Circus" , which we think is about kids in a circus camp for the summer. (Bug Juice , circus edition) . It ran from June-September 2000.


That's our lookback at Disney Channel, and we did it , so thanks tune in next time when we find out Disney  Channel's  "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" was a reality show. (Not true)

The Lookback: The Charlie Brown Lookback : Lucy must be Traded, Charlie Brown

The Peanuts 

    Take a whiff (coughs)  spring is in the air (coughs)  and that means baseball season is now going  and one thing the Peanuts does more  than anything else is Baseball .     So now that's our time to look back at  "Lucy Must be Traded Charlie Brown".
    This is another post 2000 special and it premiered in August of 2003 on ABC. Charlie Brown starts by being optimistic  for his team in baseball season (you know like most of the real Baseball teams) , and Linus and tells him that the team is in trouble .(you know like most of the real baseball teams)    Charlie's confidence dies because of Lucy and he feels that his team is not going to do well because of her.   It's a game day and C.B's team is going to Peppermint Patty's team to play against them and of course he loses.  (by forfeiting)   Then his team continues to lose games.

 ummm I think this is football / Copyright Peanuts 

  Charlie Brown ( probably from watching too much ESPN or sports network of your  choosing)  decides that he is going to do a trade for a player. He calls Peppermint Patty  if she would willing to trade, suggesting Lucy, P.P hangs up , the only player she wants is Snoopy.     So Charlie Brown calls her back and decides to take her up on the offer , trading 5 players to Snoopy.  He tells his team mates what happened and they of course get mad at him. (because he's Charlie Brown)  He decides after the pressure and his own guilt to pull the contract and rip it up. (In legal this is called ripping up a contract) When he was about to tell her ... she tells him that her 5 players would rather give up than play for him.    

        Peppermint Patty calls to Charlie Brown to trade Marcie for  Lucy.   Though Marcie wants to stand next to  Charlie Brown more than play baseball , that she hates, because of her fondness of  Charlie Brown. (see Charlie you are loved) 

    

Spring the season of Marcie /copyright Peanuts 

  And Lucy isn't turning out better for Peppermint Patty (see a fair trade)  Peppermint Patty calls Chuck again  and begs to call the whole deal off and they switch back.   And everything ends back to normal or whatever that means.   

  That's our lookback it's a fairly simple special and it's based off a long sequence in the strip in the 1960's .  Also is Charlie Brown just cursed in baseball . maybe he should try hockey?     

Tune in next time when we find the special where Snoopy  gets picked up by the  San Diego Padres. 

Powerpuff Lookback: Powerpuff girls Z

Powerpuff Girls 

      The Powerpuff Girls , was  a Cartoon Network series that ran from 1998 to 2005. I  infact am a fan of this series... and this year they are doing a remake of the series and I hope it does well and is done well. Since this is Joshuaonline and we sometimes  like go off the beaten path. (Ugggh that just  makes us sound snooty, who wrote that?, also we are so off that path we were eaten by bears) That takes us to take a look at something called PowerPuff Girls Z.  (The First anime looked at here on Joshuaonline, this day will go down in History)

copyright  TV Tokyo 

well they seem happy to talk about it. 

     In 2006  until 2007  a 52 episode Anime version of  Powerpuff Girls was made called Power Puff Girl Z (the Z means amaZing , sorry) .  

Here's the original series in a summary:  Three girls were made by Professor Utonium  he was mixing their ingredients when a chemical called chemical X accidentally got into the mixture and this cause the the little girls to be super powered  and they became heroes  and save their town from monsters and evil. (Never complain about your Pot holes again )  The three girls are named Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles.  (you know the intro does this well) Episodes involve them saving the town and the things they do in their lives.  That's our summary. 

   Now to Z :  In this series , they aren't sisters or even have superpowers, or know each other at first.  The Professor , by association isn't their father , but he is a a father to a boy named Ken. They are also older than in the original series or even the up coming remake series.  Oh and a dog too.(you may think our mentioning the dog has no point...well nope you'll see)  In this series it's called New Townsville , compared to the original's Townsville. (no spell check I mean Townsville , does Australia  have this problem?) One day the town there's snow in the middle of summer (ooh my kind of summer) and icebergs are forming over the city (ummmm ok) so Ken suggests using Chemical Z ,yes they changed letters ,to fix it and he shoots the rays to destroy the storm. These rays also went other places and three hit our heroes.  These rays come into play in most of the series as it affects and makes the villains and strange things that happen in the town.  One Hits the dog , again this is important.  Eventually all 3 of the girls meet each other  and become the superheros ,and unlike the original series not everyone in town knows they are. 

     

copryight TV Tokyo 

 They went to the Clark  Kent school of disguises 

     The dog, named Poochie ,  is important because he signals to the girls when they have some superheroing to do. (also he's a robot dog , see now that would be extra info)  Mo Jo Jo was a big part in the original series and he is here in this series, in both series was affected by Chemical (X/Z) otherwise used to be a regular chimp.  Also the Powerpuff girls' biggest Villain  from the original series , HIM , was in this series and had an arc.  He even causes alot of the some of the middle episodes... chaos.  For example, Him gets Bubble's toy to make it able to break up the powerpuff girls.   

              

copyright TV Tokyo 

 "I'll get you Batman... oh that's Him .hmmm"

            There is a difference in their powers in this show , they don't have laser eyes , heat breath, ice breath , but can use bubbles, a hammer, and Yo-Yo, and of course they can fly.   As I said earlier they aren't sisters in this series , here's a look at their families:  Blossom has a sister "Kasey" ,Bubbles lives with her grandmother. Buttercup has a pro wrestler for a father , her mother is the least aggressive one , and she also has two brothers.  They took some of the personalities from the original series and expanded them here , Blossom's  leadership like skills, though the other girls don't want there to be a leader. She also  likes comic books and super heroes , which made it ironic that she becomes one ( a super hero not a comic book...but you already knew that , I just haven't said anything in some time)  and she has a thing for sweets. (Who doesn't?)  Bubbles, like in the original, is the "sweetest" one. she also helps when there's tension between the strong personalities of  Buttercup and Blossom get in the way and causes them to fight. She also has a love for animals.   Buttercup's tomboyish ness is even more in this series  too the way she dresses , when she first is changed to into a superhero by the Z Ray she gets angry about the skirt.  She has a love of sports and is a tough talker. (probably why she has the hammer)  

    It's interesting to see this show's take on the original series ... but yet giving most of the show it's own arcs and story-lines that are original . I as a fan of said original series, have found enjoyment in this one  it has a lot of it's own flare. If you are watching it to expect it to be the same exact show then that will disappoint , but watching it by itself is really nice take.   

     That's our lookback and tune  in next time when we find out that Lilo has left Stitch and now Stitch has  moved on to a different country and a new girl.

TV Look Fall 2016: Cancellations and renewals

CBS  ABC NBC CW FOX   TVLOOK FALL 2016 

   

   This is our ultimate list to the networks , renewals and cancellations of  series from the 2015-16 season for the 2016-17 season.  (This is an updating list, recently updated  16  May 2016 at 9:20PM MT)

ABC  Renewed
 American Crime 
   America's Funniest Home Videos 
 The Bachelor  
 Black-ish 
The Catch 
Dancing with the Stars 
Dr.Ken   
Fresh off The Boat 
The Goldbergs 
Grey's Anatomy 
How to Get Away with Murder 
Marvel's Agents of S.H.E.L.D
The Middle 
Mistresses  
Modern Family 
Once Upon a Time 
Quantico  
The Real O'Neals 
Scandal 
Shark Tank 
Last Man Standing 

ABC Canceled
  The Astronaut Wives Club
  Blood &Oil 
 Castle  
Galavant
  Of Kings and  Prophets 
Marvel's Agent Carter 
Nashville 
Rookie Blue 
The Muppets  
The Whispers
The Family 
Undercover Boss 

CBS Renewed
2 Broke Girls 
The Amazing Race 
The Big Bang Theory 
Big Brother 
Blue Bloods 
Criminal Minds 
Criminal Minds : Beyond Borders  
 Code Black 
Elementary 
Hawaii Five-O 
Life in Pieces
Madam Secretary 
Mom 
NCIS 
NCIS: Los Angeles 
NCIS: New Orleans
The Odd Couple 
Scorpion 
Survivor 
Zoo 

Moving to the CW
Supergirl 

CBS Canceled
Angel From Hell 
Extant 
Mike and Molly 
Person of  Interest 
Under the Dome 
The Good Wife , series Finale may 8th 
CSI:Cyber  
Rush Hour 
Limtless


THE CW Renewed
The 100 
Arrow 
Crazy EX-Girlfriend 
DC's Legends of Tomorrow 
The Flash 
iZombie 
Jane the Virgin 
The Originals 
Reign 
Supernatural 
The Vampire Diaries 
Whose Line is it Anyway? 

The CW Canceled
America's Next Top Model (moving to VH1) 
The  Messengers 
Containment  
---Ending : Beauty and The Beast  final season in Summer

The CW To Be determined

Significant Mother 


FOX Renewed
Bob's Burgers 
Bones (renewed for Final season ) 
Brookyln Nine-Nine 
Empire 
Family Guy 
Gotham 
The Last Man on Earth 
Lucifer 
Masterchef 
Masterchef :Junior 
New Girl 
Rosewood 
Scream Queens 
The Simpsons 
So you Think You Can Dance 
Sleepy Hallow
Wayward Pines 
World's Funniest 

FOX Canceled
American Idol (ends April) 
Bordertown 
Cooper Barrett's Guide  to Life 
Grandfathered 
The Grinder 
Minority Report 
Knock Knock Live 
Second Chance 

FOX To Be Determined
The X Files

NBC Renewed
America's Got Talent 
American Ninja Warrior 
Aquarius 
The Blacklist 
Blindspot 
Celebrity Apprentice (Coming late 2016) 
The Carmichael Show 

Chicago Fire 

Chicago Med 
Chicago P.D 
Grimm 
Law and Order:SVU 
Little Big Shots 
The Night Shift (returning at midseason) 
Shades of Blue 
Superstore 
The Voice 

NBC Canceled
Best Time  Ever With Neil Patrick Harris 
Game of Silence 
Hannibal 
Heartbeat 
Heroes Reborn 
Mr.Robinson 
The Mysteries of Laura 
Telenovela 
The Player 
Truth Be Told 
Undateable 
Crowded 


NBC To Be Determined
The Biggest Loser
Emerald City  (summer) 
Hollywood Game Night 











  

The Lookback : Children's TV Shows : ABC Saturday Mornings Part 2

The Lookback 

 Our sequel of ABC Saturday Mornings continues this is part two , if you missed part one  you can read that here. 

 In this edition we are staying in the 70's ( go disco) , since our last one was in the 80's ( Disco died).  

1.  Hong Kong Phooey 

      You know what was hot in the mid 1970's? ( Charlie's Angels?)  Kung Fu movies and TV shows. So we  have this from 1974  , Hong Kong Phooey was  an Hannah and Barbera  animated series ( are you shocked?)  than began in September of the year. It was about a dog with double identity, he works a janitor at the police station (Mopping up after crime fighters) with the name Penry. His secret identity was  that he was  Hong Kong Phooey the wacky crime fighter. He has a cool car that can turn in a plane, boat and more. (Even a car!)  When he heard of a crime he would get into his cabinet  and turn into his alter ego.  Like Inspector Gadget, later , it was his "sidekick" , Spot, who would be instrumental of capturing the baddy.  The series ran for 16 episodes  and ended in December 1974.

                   
                   Who is this Hero?/  Copy right 1974 by H&B

2. Lassie's Rescue Rangers
   The "Lassie" TV series (live-action) ran from 1954-1973 after it was canceled  , there was still  love of the heroic Collie. In 1972 there was an hour long animated Movie called "Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain".  ABC must have liked it because they asked for more and thus we get "Lassie's Rescue Rangers"  It was made by Filmation.  Our hero . lives with the Turner Family (Not Ted). The Father is Ranger Ben  Turner  he has a wife and 3 kids , and works as for the Forest Force , whose Job is it to  protect and help. Lassie is the leader of the Rescue Rangers , a group of wild animals who also help keep the environment and also the park safe.


                  
                 What are the lyrics? I forgot   / Copyright  Filmation
 Anyway, it ran 15 episodes. (so way less than the real Lassie )

3. FangFace
    Now it's time for a Ruby-Spears show (this article is just filled with giants who made TV animation in the 70's) it premiered on  ABC in 1978. It's about a group of teenagers :  the leader is named Biff  (Biff?) , his girlfriend Kim, Puggsy  and Fangsworth (uhhh)  the last character  is Fang Face (why isn't he the leader, his name is on the show?)  he turns  into a werewolf whenever he sees the full moon, or the picture of the moon or moon like moon,  The four kids ride around in a dune buggy and fight crime. ( eh finally some good teenagers) Also interestingly enough they only want to use "FangFace" whenever it is really really needed.also Fangface doesn't know of his alter ego and vice-versa.   Pugsy's character also adds new words into each episode.  This show ran two seasons , the 2nd season had the name " FangFace and Fangpuss" There was a new character added , a baby  who is the cousin of Fangs . The Baby also can turn into a werewolf (which kind of breaks the fact that intro says that there  is only one Werewolf born into the family ever 400 years, but why I am I applying logic to a TV  show?)  the series ended after 2 seasons.


                  
                Yep.../ Copyright Ruby-Spears or Turner

4.  Spider-Woman (yes Spider Woman )
   Here's an Idea .. Spider Woman ...a woman named Jessica Drew was bitten by  a poisonous spider (while most would either have to go the hospital , or die) , she was saved by a special spider serum  (father of the year)  and one of the symptoms was super powers. Now Jessica is an adult , she writes for Justice Magazine ( the most read magazine ever) . When Jessica has to fight crime as Spider Woman she slips away and fights crime.
  As you may have guessed it was based of a comic book , called Spider Woman , the TV series came in 1979 , a year after the comic book started There is no supporting cast in the comic compared to the TV show , where you have  a photographer and her nephew.  The Cartoon is also much brighter than the comic could be .  The series ran 1 season of 16 episodes though and faded of ABC's line up.

                       
                   
                  Kids... don't open spider containers  and there are 33 other spider serums? / Copyright Marvel

5. Here comes the Double Deckers
    Hey Britain !    This was a live-action show  made by a UK television producer and 20th Century FOX. It premiered in 1970 on ABC  and 1971 on BBC One in the UK . It revolved around  7 children whose place was an old double decker bus.  Each episode had our heroes falling into different adventures like runaway hovercraft  , martian invasions ,  and more. (you know kid stuff) It ran 17 episodes which was shorter than the intended 26 episodes.

                 
                   Good Fun... and I will see you next week/ Thanks Fox

And that's our lookback at ABC Saturday Mornings (part 2) tune in next time when there's  a British show about Werewolfed Spider Kids,

CW Renews 11 series

The CW TVLOOK Fall 2016 

     The CW has jumped into the announce Fall Early  and pretty renewed their entire line up.
  Shows renewed  as follows :  Jane the Virgin, Crazy  Ex-Girlfriend , The Originals , Reign, Arrow, Supernatural, Izombie , The 100, The Vampire Diaries ,  Legends of Tomorrow.  

          To be determined is where the shows fall ,what if any, of the pilots ,the network decides to make into a full fledged series.  Containment  ,which hasn't premiered yet , is to be determined.

 Full Press release after the Jump

ABC Renews shows

ABC  TVLookfall2016 

     ABC has announced today, which earlier than normal for these sort of things especially for  ABC, the renewal of 15 shows.    ABC has renewed  the perennial early Sunday evening show, America's Funniest Home Videos.   The Goldbergs  has been renewed for it's 4th season ,  Sunday Hit , Once Upon a Time has been renewed for season 6, a Freshman series, Quantico,  will be getting a 2nd season,  Reality series,Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor  ,  Sophomore comedy ,Fresh Off the Boat,  has been renewed for a 3rd season.  Wedesday Night comedies of  The Middle  , Black Ish , and Modern Family get an 8th  ,3rd , and 8th season respectively.  Thursday Night : Grey's Anatomy , How to Get away with Murder,  and Scandal.  Shark Tank  , Fresh off the Boat , and  Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. round off the list.
       Now, this leaves the status of other shows  unknown for now ... but we will have news on those when we get it.  

here's the list in a cleaner form :

• America's Funniest Home Videos 
• The Bachelor 
• Black-ish 
•  Dancing with The Stars 
• Fresh off the Boat 
• The Goldbergs 
• Grey's Anatomy 
• How To Get Away with Murder 
• The Middle
• Modern Family 
• Marvel's Agent's of Shield 
• Once Upon A Time 
• Quantico 
• Scandal 
• Shark Tank 

press release after the jump 

It's A Lookback ,Charlie Brown : Play it Again , Charlie Brown

Peanuts  The Flashback 

  The  Special we take a look back at this month , is  Play it again , Charlie Brown the 7th Prime time special and it premiered in March of 1971.  This special focuses on  Schroeder  and Lucy, which if we did the specials in order this would be the first not to focus on Chuck or to an extent , Snoopy,  and of course this means Lucy trying to get Schroeder to pay attention to her.    The first few minutes is a  mixture of the opening with  Schroeder playing Beethoven music (of course)  and then Lucy grievances at  Linus and Snoopy dancing , then she visit Schroeder,  She  does the classic talking to him and trying to get is attention, talking about money ,which  Schroeder protests, then she does a spray can that plays Beethoven music.    Fredia (the girl with the curly hair) make a visit and does the Lucy thing of leaning on the piano when  Lucy comes over wondering what she's doing here. (First off , Locks save the world ) . 

   Keep attention this is a rare picture / Copyright Peanuts 

    After attempts and even kissing Schroeder (Full house audience wooooo sound) but he goes all Lucy "dog germs" act on her  and she  then confides to Peppermint Patty and Sally to help her out.  P.P suggests to Lucille that her idea is to get Schroeder to preform for the PTA it would be his big break. (Hope it's not the harper valley )    He seems happy about this and starts practicing.  Peppermint then brings the bad news that Beethoven is out  and Rock music is in. (I knew the day classical 102.5 would become rock was a sad one)  That of course gives Lucy a problem sense well you know.  Charlie Brown  suggests maybe they can get their "combo" back together and see if that would help. 

That's Charlie Brown and the gang  / copyright Peanuts 

   Schroeder  doesn't really want to do this but Lucy tells him they don't want Beethoven they want rock at the PTA meeting. ( Lucky they weren't Chopin fans)   Charlie Brown then convinces him (wow CB did that)  and he goes along with it.  But he feels guilty that he sold out on Beethoven ( he feels like the co-op that went corporate man)  He tells Peppermint Patty that he can't go through with it and that he must stand for what he believes in.   Lucy has spray can PTA meeting and they will use that as entertainment. (ummm couldn't they have used Chuck's band? )   It ends with telling Schroeder that Beethoven wouldn't have made it to Nashville (or New Orleans either)  he leaves and Lucy plays rock and roll on the radio on his piano. 

we are more a Mozart City 

     It's a very musical special and the focus on Lucy is interesting  , she wasn't really her mean side more her open pining lovey side. There is some funny moments like the spray can surreal jokes.  That's our lookback , tune in Next time for the special where Charlie Brown and his band make it big in Nashville.