Halloween : The Lookback : Garfield's Halloween Adventure

Halloween  The Flashback  Garfield 

       I write alot about the Peanuts because I adore them. but I do like other comic strips, and there's one long running famous cat that also like the Peanuts has translated into television media. So let's take a look at  a Garfield Halloween special.

 
   Garfield's Halloween Adventure (originally called "Garfield in Disguise") is the fourth Garfield television special. It premiered on CBS (this is becoming a common network for comic  strips to TV adaptions around here) on October 30th 1985  It also won an Emmy in 1986. Sadly this doesn't get an outing.  Let's take a look.

     The special starts with something you don't see now, television stations a) being off the air over night b) signing on for the day c) local kid show clowns (before anti-clown propaganda started).  Binky the Clown wakes up Garfield from his sleep and makes him do some jumping jacks , and Garfield tries to find the remote control to turn off the show.   Then he hears that's it Halloween and that there's candy to get.

John Looks a little different/ Copyright Film Roman 

    The music in this special is done by Lou Rawls and  Lorenzo Music  the latter being the voice of Garfield. (imagine Lou Rawls being the voice of  Garfield that would be something).  He decides to have Odie join him for trick or treating  so he can have two bags of candy.  Then they  look for their costumes.   John doesn't seem to mind that his cat and dog are going out  for Tricks or treats so there we go.

     It's Halloween night and they go trick or treating. Odie is scared of  people in costume  but some of the things in costume aren't humans , but scary super natural things. ( i am not surprised in this world)  The two of them  go trick or treating and get candy as per tradition.  Garfield decides to go on a boat to get to the other side and try more houses for candy.   Garfield tells Odie to put out the oars , he does  that in his case he mean throw them off the boat.  They have to ride the river by itself.  They eventually find land and an old house.

Yep I'm old / Copyright Film Roman 

    They think the home is deserted but there's somebody living there. An old man startles them in his chair.  He decides to tell them that they picked a bad night to visit and then a story.  He says that the Island has holds a dark secret for 100 years. Pirates were running from troops they buried the treasure on the Island . but they vowed to return for the treasure a 100 years later.  (oooh my)  Garfeild doesn't believe it  and he says he was their cabin boy.  Then he takes Garfield and Odie's boat and candy.


     At midnight (spooky) they look to see if the pirates show up, the pirates show up. They were dying to get there apparently. (Yes they are dead and ghosts now) The Animation used is most amazingly haunting thing to see , especially in Garfield.  Garfield and Odie  run and try to swim away for it, but Garfield can't swim. (oops)  Luckily Odie saves him (plus you know , Garfield can't die) and they make it to the other side and find their boat and candy.  They make it home.  He gives Odie a bag of candy. (awww)  He tries to watch TV it has an all night pirate movie thing so he goes to bed instead.

Again hauntingly spooky /copyright Film Roman 

more after the Jump scare 

The Lookback : They are Newly Ooky and Spooky

The Flashback 

     In the  1990's ( don't run away we just started)  there seemed to be a new renewed interest in "The Addams Family".  The likes of which the characters hadn't seen since the 70's .  There was the popular "Addams Family" movie from 1991, an animated series in 1992, a sequel big screen movie in 1993, some video games, and made for TV movie in 1998.  So maybe it was time for a new live action series too?  In 1998   the Canadian Company  Shavick Entertainment  and the American company , Saban Entertainment decided , yes it was time to make a new Addams Family. That would be known as "The New Addams Family" the idea was to be a revival of the 1960's TV series.

       It premiered  in 1998 , in the states it aired on Saban and Fox owned , Fox Family. The series had 65 episodes, one more than the original 60's series.   The first episode is aptly called "Halloween with the Addams Family". We are going to look at the episode since it's near Halloween anyway  (unless you are reading later or something)

 
    First, the theme song



    As you can see it goes for a more jazzy up beat theme than the classic theme so that was something.  At least they didn't try to 90's it up and make seem more "extreme" or something it also can show that this is a comedy. 

      A fun note about this series before we jump into the first episode:   John Astin, the man who  Gomez on the 1964 series came back to guest star as Grandpapa   Addams so that's a nice touch.

      The First episode , Gomez  wakes up and it's Christmas! No wait it's Halloween and he's excited!  He gives Morticia a gift, a pair of handcuffs. (woah this is a family show ) It's nice to see how they give Gomez and Morticia that loving relationship that they are known.   Two crooks are trying to  run from the cops (hey this reminds of me that Halloween episode from the 64 series)  end up at the Addams' house and they are invited in.  Jerry Van Dyke guest stars in this episode too. Gomez and  Morticia think they are trick or treaters and see they have cash in their bag ,so they chose to give them more cash. (Yep  this is like the Halloween episode of 64 series , I am going to only say that twice)  Jerry Van Dyke (they didn't give him a name)  and the son co -criminal decide to rob them but of course they think it's a game.

This is still not as strange as doing "My Mother the Car"

                   
       The Addams Family asking the criminals to beat them up and torture them is just too funny.  Meanwhile , the Addams' kids : Wednesday and Puglsey are dressed as Siskel and Ebert.  -- The one thing that maybe hurts this series is all the pop references the show makes it's  not like the original series where that can seem more timeless, but at the same time the aren't too distracting to take away from the show so far.  There's one house where the kids stop off and the couple asks for a trick they don't know what kids they just got.   Meanwhile Jerry Van Dyke and other guy tie up the Addams. They go around looking for the valuables and get freaked out by the house.  After the Addams' kids torture that couple by hooking them up to electricity then they stop a bully by blowing him up. (oh my!)

If critics don't like this they will be criticizing themselves 

     Jerry Van Dkye finds the money he wants after they are told by Morticia where it is.  After they bored they get out of the ropes and search for them. Jerry and the other guy try to run away, while Grandmama goes searching for dinner, which escaped. ( I hate when that happens)  Jerry and crime son are frightened by the normal Addams Family stuff.  Their children are brought home for terrorizing the neighborhood and the robbers are caught by the police. 
                       

Ah a happy end! 

      What can I say?  It's an alright show, they did recycle a plot from the 64 series, but maybe they were trying to make it feel new but familiar.  The actors did a good job playing the characters kind of copying  the 64 series.  Though the children were given more of the personalities of  the movie portrayals.  The 1964 series ( yes I am saying that alot ) did play off the reactions of "ordinary" people to this family  so this episode at least did that well.   Starting the series off with Halloween was a nice touch since that makes sense.  Anything else I've said is said above.

  That's our quick but simple lookback , tune in next time when we found a Munsters - Addams Family cross over !

CBS makes Subtle Change to Monday Line up

CBS TV News  TV Look fall 2016 

   CBS  has decided to make a change to their  Monday night line up , post Thursday Night Football.   The original schedule had the return of "Superior Donuts"  coming in at 9:30/8:30c, as  "Big Bang Theory" moves back to its Thursday home.  CBS decided to switch the time slot with  freshman comedy "Me.Myself, and I" meaning that program will be staying at 9:30/8:30c and "Superior Donuts" will be airing at 9/8c. Rest of the line up stays as planned with "Kevin Can Wait" moving an hour up to 8/7c and "9JKL  staying at  8:30/7:30c.

           Here's the new Monday Line up from October 30th
            8/7c  Kevin Can Wait
            8:30  9 JKL
           9/8C  Superior Donuts (Season 2 starting October 30th)
          9:30/8:30c  Me, Myself and I 

Thursday Line up starts November 2nd , staying the same (details here)

     

press release  after jump

CBS Announces Jeff Glor as "CBS Evening News Anchor"

TV NEWS   CBS 

    CBS News  has named  Jeff Glor as the anchor of CBS Evening News, replacing Scott Pelley who left the program in June of this year.  Anothy Mason, who was the interim anchor will still continue to be at CBS News anchoring , "CBS This Morning : Saturday" and their senior national correspondent.

  Glor  will the the youngest of the network news anchors at 42  (one year younger than David Muir) .He previously anchored "CBS Evening News" on weekends until 2016.   

   His start date has not been full announced yet, but CBS says it will be later this year. 


press release after the Jump

Into the Twilight : Can we have a little peace and quiet

The Flashback 

    We've looked at an episode of  the 2002 version of "The Twilight Zone" already  so, I guess it's time to take a look at an episode  of the 1985 series.  The 1985 series ran for 3 seasons , 2 on CBS and 1 in the golden age of first run syndication.  The episodes were an hour long (with commercials) and usually broken up into 2 or segments.  We are taking a look at one of those segments and from the first episode.   This one called  "A Little Peace and Quiet" 

       This episode stars Melinda  Dillon (who you may remember from "A Christmas Story")  as a housewife who defiantly is over worked and stressed.  It starts with her hectic morning  with her three daughter , son, and husband. Everything seems to be going wrong and the narrator asks wouldn't it be nice to have everyone just shut up , if you had the power would you use it? 

"Hmm I could kill them all right now" 

         That will be are plot : I think either our main character kills her family or gets a special power to make her not hear people anymore. (the title implies so many things)  A little later that day, she gardens  and when digging holes in the yard she finds a box in the  hole and of course she opens it and finds a little necklace with a medallion on it.   She goes in the house and puts it on.  The rest of her day goes bad still because why not?  (Bet you she wishes her biggest problem was a leg lamp)  Penny continues to be annoyed by her kids and husband (one of her daughters cry over spilled mil)  so she decides to tell everyone to shut up and they do. They froze in time.

"Hey the listened too me , it must be magic" 

      Penny is surprised by this (If this was a different show , I would have been more surprised, because I thought she was going to murder them).  She figures out  that the necklace has magical time control powers.  Having these powers means she can have a little fun with them.   I do notice something in the background of this they are tidbits of news media reporting on I guess USA and Russia relations , I didn't mention it at first , I thought it was just being a time piece but honestly it appears a couple more times and it seems to be part of the episode in some way.    The morning she decides to have breakfast with her family frozen so it's a little peace and quiet.
     

They are stuck in the 80's  

       I am kind of sad that she doesn't move things around or something that would be what I'd expect but alright. When she's at the grocery store she uses her new power to umm get the last box of a cereal her kids  wanted  away from another woman and sticks money in a man's mouth to pay for the stuff she got. (at least she didn't use her powers for evil?)   Then  checks out a man. (what?)

Umm what's going on here?  

       Two folks from non pop the people who want to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons, Penny says she doesn't want to attend their debate. The man from Non Pop tries to get her to care about the subject but instead she freezes time and  drags the  the woman  and man on to her yard. (then kills them?)   They get surprised as to how they are on the ground  and run away.  A little later on the Soviets have released a missile and nuclear  war  between the US and Russia has started.   This silly episode about a woman wanting some quiet and getting some magic time powers has really gotten dark.  I guess the episode was foreshadowing though.  Then she yells shut up  multiple times  and freezes everything.  Penny wanders through the frozen town  where all the cars and people are jumbled up and there's a giant missile frozen in the sky.  The end.


             The first episode all together , including  "Shatterday" and this one were directed by Wes Craven , so I am really surprised he didn't have Penny killing her entire family.    Much like the original series this segment was harking back to the worries of nuclear weapons and the arms race between the United States and Russia, (the cold war was long enough that it spans two Twilight Zone series 20 years apart.)    It also harks  back to episodes of the original series about stopping time , wanting peace and quiet (you know the episode with the man who just wants to read his book) , and episodes about nukes. 

  There's also this :
   

I see what you did there. 

     Now the episode leaves before we know if Penny made a decision to end the world or live alone for the rest of her life in quiet while everyone else is frozen but the world is saved.  

Halloween : Pumpkin Heads are scary

Halloween 

    It's that time of year again  (Yep,the countdown to Christmas is on!) and since it is the near Halloween  guess it would be good to look at some Halloween or Halloween-related stuff.

    R.L Stine is famous for his book series : "Goosebumps" which also had a TV series, The Nightmare Room, which also had a TV Series,  Mostly Ghoslty , which had a TV movie,  Fear Street, and more. He likes his horror and spooky I guess.   Since this is a television related blog we will be look at the television side and this maybe a series you may have not heard of from R.L Stine called "The Haunting Hour: The Series" based off his other series this first was a movie called "The Haunting Hour: Don't think about it"  This was  series that started in 2010 on the new Hub Network (at the time it was new ... and existed)  this series even though it was on a channel marketed  toward kids and families said that didn't mean it couldn't get dark.  (There's  a Christmas episode I may have to talk about in the future.)

         This time I am going to look at a Halloween themed episode from season called "Pumpkinhead".

     Please note there are spoilers ahead , but I'll try to minimize the amount of them.  

        The episode starts with a telephone post holding a picture of a missing child  (already dark and I guess foreshadowing).  It's Halloween day ,two brothers named Scott and Dave and their sister, Allie, are ready for Halloween and their mom has to work that evening so their sister is in charge. The school is doing a trick or treat event which apparently, is  a surprise to the mother who mentions that something happened last year. (What? please tell me!)  Scott is unhappy that he's 14 and can't go out on his own after dark. (I think he more un happy that he can't go out not the 14 part, though maybe)  He says that some kid went missing last year ruined his fun. ( Yeah poor him)

  

Darn kid, maybe you should go missing! / Copyright The Hatchery 

     Anyway, Scott suggests to his brother on how to get a real pumpkin not that tiny one his mother gave him - go to a farm that's not open the public and take one of their's!  (what?)  Allie thinks it's a bad idea.  So he convinces her that if they go he won't bother her or her friend that evening and she agrees. (that was easy.)  The scary music seems to suggest this was a bad idea.  

You know what, sis, it's a great day for stealing/ copyright The Hatchery

    Eventually a man comes out and catches them and yells at them and makes them go away. (He's convinced me)  Scott decides  to take a couple pumpkins from the farm  on their way out. (That maybe a bad idea and the music agrees)  While back at home Scott is still annoyed that he is going to the school for trick or treating and suggests that they should go back to the farm and have "real fun." Allie says no to that. She also finds out that her friend can't come over all.  Scott says the whole town is taking the fun out of Halloween.  Dave opens the pumpkins and finds worms in it. (oops) Scott opens the other one and it seems normal but Dave notices a tooth. (Aww that Pumpkin is losing it's baby teeth it's growing up!)  Scott thinks it's a trick by the farmer and wants to go back to play some tricks on him, but Allie once again says no.
                                 

I think there's something unusual about these pumpkins/copyright The Hatchery

more after the jump

Freeform's Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas Schedule 2017

Freeform  Christmas 

   Freeform has announced  their  annual "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas" programming  which runs around the week of Thanksgiving.   This year it starts on November 18th  until November 30th.  This year also includes Freeform's  premiere of  "Inside Out" , they are also airing "Snow Day" , a new original movie:  "Angry Angel"  and Freeform's premiere of  "Four Christmases". 
 
   The Full 25 Days of Christmas schedule will be out on later on.

Here's the schedule 


Saturday, November 18
7am/6c 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
7:35am/6:35c Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
9:45am/8:45c Frosty's Winter Wonderland
10:20am/9:20c Hook
1:35pm/12:35c Jack Frost (1998)
3:40pm/2:40c The Year Without a Santa Claus
4:45pm/3:45c Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)
6:55pm/5:55c Despicable Me
9pm/8c The Freeform Premiere of Inside Out
11:05pm/10:05c Home Alone
1:30am/12:30c 'Twas the Night Before Christmas



Sunday, November 19
7am/6c Frosty's Winter Wonderland
7:35am/6:35c The Year Without a Santa Claus
8:40am/7:40c Dennis the Menace Christmas
10:50am/9:50c Jack Frost (1998)
1pm/12c Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)
3:05pm/2:05c Despicable Me
5:10pm/4:10c Home Alone
7:40pm/6:40c Inside Out
9:45pm/8:45c Elf
11:55pm/10:55c National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Monday, November 20
7:30am/6:30c Richie Rich's Christmas Wish
11am/10c Jack Frost (1979)
12pm/11c Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
2pm/1c Arthur Christmas
4pm/3c National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
6:10pm/5:10c Elf
8:20pm/7:20c The Incredibles
12am/11c Richie Rich's Christmas Wish



Tuesday November 21
7:30am/6:30c Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July
11am/10c Rudolph's Shiny New Year
12pm/11c Arthur Christmas
2:05pm/1:05c Dennis the Menace (1993)
4:10pm/3:10c Matilda
6:15pm/5:15c The Incredibles
8:55pm/7:55c Despicable Me
12am/11c Jack Frost (1998)

Wednesday, November 22
7:30am/6:30c Christmas Bounty
12pm/11c Jack Frost (1998)
2:05pm/1:05c Matilda
4:10pm/3:10c Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
6:45pm/5:45c Despicable Me
8:50pm/7:50c Elf
12am/11c Boxtrolls



Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 23
7am/6c Home Alone
11:30am/10:30c National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
1:35pm/12:35c Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
4:10pm/3:10c Home Alone
6:40pm/5:40c Elf
8:50pm/7:50c National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
12am/11c Arthur Christmas

Harry Potter Weekend - Friday, November 24
7:30am/6:30c Arthur Christmas
11am/10c Tom Felton Meets the Superfans
12:30pm/11:30c Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
4pm/3c Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
8pm/7c Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
12am/11c Jack Frost (1998)

Saturday, November 25
7am/6c Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
10:30am/9:30c Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2:30pm/1:30c Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
5:40pm/4:40c Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
9:20pm/8:20c Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
12:30am/11:30c Tom Felton Meets the Superfans

Sunday, November 26
7am/6c Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
10:40am/9:40c Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
1:50pm/12:50c Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince
5:30pm/4:30c Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
9pm/8c Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
12am/11c Home Alone

Monday, November 27
7am/6c Home Alone
11am/10c Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince
2:30pm/1:30c Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
6pm/5c Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
9pm/8c - Premiere of Angry Angel - A New Freeform Original Movie
12am/11c Snowglobe

Tuesday, November 28
7:30am/6:30c Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
12:30pm/11:30c Snowglobe
2:35pm/1:35c The Mistle-Tones
4:40pm/3:40c Angry Angel
6:45pm/5:45c National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
8:55pm/7:55c Freeform Premiere of Four Christmases
12am/11c The Mistle-Tones

Wednesday, November 29
7:30am/6:30c Jack Frost (1998)
11am/10c Freeform Premiere of Snow Day
1pm/12c Hook
4:15pm/3:15c National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
6:25pm/5:25c Four Christmases
8:30pm/7:30c Home Alone
12am/11c Jack Frost (1998)

Thursday, November 30
7:30am/6:30c Snow Day
11am/10c Hook
2:15pm/1:15c Eloise at Christmastime (2003)
4:20pm/3:20c The Nightmare Before Christmas
6pm/5c Home Alone
8:30pm/7:30c Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
12am/11c Snow

The Lookback : Freaky Friday (no not that one, no not that one either)

The Flashback 

    If I ever published a list of favorite movies, on that list there would be Freaky Friday, but the 1976 version (The Jodie Foster Version) , it's one of my favorite movies, and defiantly one of my favorite Disney movies.   Now in 2003, they did another one, staring Lindsey Lohan.  All these are adapations of a book of the same name written by Mary Rodgers. Disney seemed to love her book they adapted it 3 times.  The body switch story line is a fun one to play around with, though it has to be executed in a good way.  It does open a lot of possibility for plot and complete chaos because it's hard to be someone else.

  The basic story of Rodgers' book was a 13 year old girl named  Annabel Andrews just thinks that her mother has an easy life and is out to make hers miserable. She and her mother Ellen , switch bodies.  In the book Ellen was unseen for most of it, but the movies didn't really follow that.  (Honestly though , you hire  Jamie Lee Curtis or Barbra Harris  you aren't going to hide them)


    At the top there,  I said  really loved this book, because they remade it 3 times, also after starting this post I found out that Disney is going to make it again , as a musical for Disney Channel . In speaking of musicals, Disney did make this a stage musical to. But you are saying three? maybe? Right well yes, three.  In the 90's Disney decided to make a television movie for ABC also called "Freaky Friday" based off the same book.    I remember this movie running on Disney Channel, Hallmark Channel ran it few times, and maybe ABC family not sure on that one.    So of course this fits into Joshuaonline's  obscurity remit (that's not a real thing) because that's what we are looking at this time.

         For disclosure I am not going to compare it to the book or past film or the film after it  because  that would be much, at least in full.   I am going to talk about the movie this movie by itself.  But I will mention what i think is a common structure for this story and a few other things that may refrence the book or past movie as well. (What?)

         Freaky Friday (1995) came out in May on the ABC network.(Which Disney was in the process of buying)  as part of the "The Wonderful World of Disney".  It stared  Shelly Long , who you may know as Diane from Cheers and Gaby Hoffamn who was a child star in the movies  : "Sleepless in Seattle" , and still is acting to this day.

       The movie starts with  the family having a normal morning with Ellen busy on the phone, Annabelle and her little brother, Ben having typical morning.   Also Ellen is dating a man named Bill and the kids don't seem to like him. (This movie is the 90's)  . We also found out their father and mother divorced years ago.   (It was kind of just dropped that info when Annabelle tells her brother that  their mom and dad have been divorced for years , as if he didn't already know? When he says that they should get back together. ) 

                              

      Ellen's day is followed around for a little while : it's a stressful day at work, meanwhile, Annabelle has to pick a new replacement for a swimmer for the swim meet the next day, since one of the other girls can't do it. The coach would rather Annabelle pick than herself.   Annabelle is stuck between picking the popular girl , Elaine , and another girl named Jackie who well isn't popular because 90's movie.    Ellen and Annabelle start a light argument with each other  and they go both into how their lives are stressful and the other doesn't understand.  That evening, Bill is there and brought some talismans. One is for ,Ellen the other for Annabelle and he says that they are supposed to be powered by thoughts.( Gee , I wonder how they will switch bodies.)  

Evil?  / Copyright Disney 

        The next day is Friday the 13th , yes first 10 minutes of the movie take place on a Thursday the 13th.  Ellen recommends that Annabelle wear the talisman.  She does end up putting it on.  When  Ellen leaves to her meeting , Annabelle and her make the same exact wish  at the same time thus causing our Freaky Friday body switch.   They are both confused by what's going on  (who wouldn't ?)   as (pause : I am going to refer  to Annabelle as Annabelle even though she's in Ellen's body and same is true for Ellen , makes it easier on the mind.) they trying figure out how to get through the day.  

                                         

   I have same facial expression when I switch bodies too/ Copyright Disney 

       Since it's Freaky Friday , the movie goes through our main characters  trying to figure out what  they are to do.   To hit more at some of the plot points  would make this easier . So Ellen makes the decision to pick Jackie over Elaine  in the swim meet.  Ellen also starts a science riot and stops a frog dissection and gets detention.  Annabelle has to fire one of her Mom's employees.    Also while switched they of course learn more about each other too, which again fits with the Freaky Friday story line. 

more after the jump