Watching CBS Sports HQ

Online TV  Reviews 

    Remember ESPNEWS, ESPN's spin off channel devoted to news?  Sadly, these days it's a place to re air ESPN's stuff and simulcast some ESPN radio shows.   ESPNEWS had a basic principle , 24 hours of sports news and highlights.  CBS has launched something similar.  Much like the wonderful CBSN is for news, CBS Sports HQ is an online streaming service that you can also watch on your television through a Roku or other such device.  It's also portable so you phone and tablet users can switch from this site to the CBS Sports app and watch. 

    CBS Sports HQ gives you well sports highlights and news , so like the old ESPN News or the old Sports Center.  It's graphical design gives you a side bar with upcoming games, league standings (also some betting stuff) ,and also some scores.  While the ticker on the bottom does the same along with some sports news.   To throw in the 9th time saying ESPNEWS , it reminds me of ESPNEWS'  old graphical style where you had scores and data taking up some screen space. 

               CBS Sports HQ focuses on sports news using the resources of CBS Sports (of course) and much like how CBSN focuses on the news and doesn't do what the cable counter parts do , meaning none of those shows with two guys  "debating".   If you are someone who doesn't care what Chuck (sorry to any real Chuck's out there) on ESPN thinks about the Dolphins and just want to know what the Dolphins are doing  this is your place to watch.   Also unlike CBS Sports Network , it doesn't simulcast their talk radio shows. 

        Their sports coverage does include sports that CBS doesn't have rights to, such as : NBA, MLB, NHL and others.  So there's a dedication to be a sports "HQ". It doesn't have live games and that's kind of the point  though, that and contracts with sports leagues might not ready for that idea yet.  But that makes it  a good thing to check at anytime to find out some sports news and insight.  Its pacing is not to slow to make you feel bored or too fast to make you miss something important.

     The convenience of the "channel"  also makes it useful. CBS has done this model with CBSN as well instead of trying to get cable companies to pick up the channel then hoping you'll watch and then to watch online you have to sign in with your pay TV service, instead all you do is just watch online either on their website, the CBS Sports mobile app , the CBS Sports app on Roku, Fire TV ,etc.  No sign in or calling your cable company to pick up the channel.    It even gives you an ability to go back to another segment if you want to catch it again. 

   There is not too much to say about it because it's simple and the simplicity makes it a good watch and keeping it's basic premise is a good thing.   It should be good to attract those who really just want sports news, annalists, and highlights , and none of the stuff you would find on ESPN or FS1.  Give them a look. 
 
  You can find it online here : http://cbssports.com/live   and watch on Roku, Apple TV , Fire TV, Chromecast under the CBS Sports name , and on your table or phone under the CBS sports name. And probably a bunch of other places to watch things on.

TVLOOKFALL 2018 : What's New, What's Renewed, What's Ended?

TVLOOKFALL 2018 ABC  CBS CW  FOX  NBC 

   It's our annual list of  network TV moves either shows being renewed or canceled /ending. Also what's new?  For disclosure, we are going to count reboot or one of those shows that are returning after ending as new , just to keep this list consistent.  

    Also to be determined is our list for shows that haven't been officially given a status so, it's constantly changing.  (red font shows are shows that have moved to or are  summer series meaning they are in a different rule) 

 Last updated : June 29th 5:27 PM MT  

ABC 

Renewed 

Marvel's  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

America's Funniest Home Videos 

American Housewife 

American Idol 

The Bachelor 

Black-ish 

Child Support

Dancing With the Stars 

For the People 

Fresh Off The Boat

The Good Doctor 

The Goldbergs

The Gong Show 

Grey's Anatomy 

How to Get Away with Murder 

Modern Family 

Roseanne 

Shark Tank  

Speechless

Splitting up Together 

Station 19 

Summer Series 

Match Game 

To Tell the Truth 

New Series 

The Fix

Grand Hotel 

A Million Little Things 

Take Two 

The Kids Are Alright 

The Rookie 

Schooled 

Single Parents 

Whiskey Cavalier 

Canceled 

Alex Inc. 

The Crossing 

Designated Survivor

Deception 

Kevin (Probaly) Saves the World 

Marvel's  Inhumans

The Mayor 

The Middle  (In farewell season) 

Once Upon a Time 

Quantico 

Roseanne  

Scandal 

Ten Days in The Valley 

CBS

Renewed 

48 Hours

60 Minutes 

The Amazing Race 

Big Bang Theory (was renewed for two seasons before the 2017-18 season)

Big Brother  

Blue Bloods 

Bull

Criminal Minds

Elementary 

Hawaii Five-O

Instinct 

Life in Pieces 

MacGyver

Madam Secretary 

Man with a Plan 

Mom

NCIS 

NCIS : Los Angeles 

NCIS : New Orleans 

Ransom 

Salvation 

SEAL Team 

Superior Donuts 

Survivor 

S.W.A.T

Young Sheldon 

Summer Series 

Code Black  (canceled) 

Undercover Boss  (celebrity) 

New Series 

The Code 

Fam

FBI 

God Friended Me 

Magnum P.I (remake) 

Murphy Brown (new revival season) 

The Red Line 

Canceled 

9JKL 

Kevin Can Wait 

Living Biblically 

Me, Myself &I 

Scorpion 

Wisdom of the Crowd 

CW

Renewed 

The 100

Arrow  

Black Lightning

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 

DC'S Legends of Tomorrow 

Dynasty 

The Flash 

iZombie 

Jane the Virgin 

Riverdale

Supergirl

Supernatural 

Summer Series 

Penn &Teller: Fool Us

Whose Line is it Anyway? 

New Series 

All American

Charmed (remake) 

Legacies 

Roswell New Mexico

Canceled 

Life Sentence  

The Originals (final season starts April 20th) 

Valor

Fox

Renewed 

9-1-1

Bob's Burgers

Family Guy 

Empire 

Gotham 

Hell's Kitchen 

The Gifted 

LA to Vegas 

Lethal Weapon 

MasterChef

MasterChef Junior 

The Orville 

The Resident 

The Simpsons 

So You Think You Can Dance 

Star

Summer Series

World's Funniest 

New Series

The Cool Kids

Last Man Standing (revived from ABC) 

Proven Innocent  

The Passage
Rel

Canceled 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (update :moving to NBC ) 

The Exorcist 

Ghosted 

Lucifer 

The Last Man on Earth 

The Mick 

New Girl (Final Season starts April 10th) 

Shots Fired 

Wayward Pines 

The X-Files 

NBC

Renewed 

AP Bio 

The Blacklist 

Blindspot 

Chicago Fire 

Chicago Med 

Chicago P.D 

Ellen's Game of Games 

The Good Place 

Good Girls 

Law & Order :SVU

Marlon (summer 2018) 

Midnight ,Texas

Shades of Blue

Superstore

This is Us

The Voice 

The Wall

Will and Grace (renewed for a season 2 and season 3) 

World of Dance

Summer Series 

Trial&Error 

New Series 

Abby's
Brooklyn Nine-Nine  (moving from FOX)

Enemy Within 

The Gilded Age 

I Feel Bad

The Inbetween 

Manifest

New Amsterdam 

The Village 

Canceled 

The Brave 

Champions 

Great News 

The Night Shift 

Rise 

Shades of Blue

Taken

Timeless

The Lookback: Another Disney Channel Original Movie: Alley Cats Strike

The Flashback  Disney Channel 

   Time to dip into another Disney Channel Original movie, what do we have here this time? (Gets handed a fake tape)  Oh a Disney Channel movie about bowling.  You know Disney Channel really used to be varied on their movies , they have a movie for almost anything. (Well not really)  This movie came out in March of 2000, (March 18th)  and is called "Alley Cats Strike".  So let's take a look at the movie.

    It has a 50's music theme and our main character is named Alex he is also narrating and telling us who is friends are :  Ken, Elisa (played by Kaley Cuoco who you may know from such shows as Brandy and Mr.Whiskers, Eight Simple Rules, and some show about the Big Bang Theory)  and Delia.   Ken likes music from the 1950's  (I am going with 1940's and 50's since the movie came out in 2000)  Elisa likes 50's clothes and Alex likes to point out that she's a good bowler, and Delia is the smart one.   His Father owns a bowling alley that they get to use  to play.   He and his friends  go to school (because kids) and  the school is dominated by the (let's see check the checklist oh yes) a jock named Todd McLemore. (who is played by the same person who starred in Cousin Skeeter if you remember that show)  There's a trophy called the mighty apple, which there's a rivalry between two towns called West Appleton and East Appleton (creative). Alex asks I guess us  ,the viewers,  how will their worlds ever collide?  I guess that means their worlds are going to collide.

Collusion/ Copyright Disney 

      The jock kids  are mean I guess (because sports make you mean, I think) and our main group isn't into watching whatever the game will be that evening. (Oh it's basketball)  Also Tim Reid is in this movie .   So if the West wins  they tie and if the East wins the East gets the trophy.  The bowling alley doesn't get a lot of people visiting it because who knows. (plot reasons)  The West wins. (How the west was won) They have to find out what the charter says on how to break a tie. (hmmm wonder if it has something to with bowling?)  The next day, the answer was bowling. (duh)

  His reaction to bowling is I guess he doesn't like it./Copyright Disney

         Both schools have bowling clubs and guess who is in the club? (Yep our main  characters) Remember that question Alex asked earlier about how would he and Todd end up colliding? Welp, apparently Todd signed up for bowling club , but Todd doesn't remember.  Actually one of his stupid friends did it.  Can Todd bowl?  (hahhahhahahahhahahahahhahahahaha No)   Oh Todd's father , played by Tim Reid is the mayor of the town as well. So, how is East Appleton's bowling team? Looks they are good players.
     

All Green too / Copyright Disney 

     I do like how the music contrasts between Todd and the others showing their contrast musically is nice touch. Todd is learning from our main characters how to bowl but yes of course he doesn't seem responsive to it.   (of course)  Also this movie mentions so much late 90's stuff and figures it's kind of funny when Todd says the music that Alex and his friends listens to is outdated.  Alex offers once again to help Todd , and we'll see how that helps.

 
      Now a party , because Disney Channel movies need parties or something.   Alex decides to leave the party early. It's not his thing. He leaves to  Elisa's house and they talk for a little bit and then he goes home.  The mayor comes to the bowling to announce something that he and the town of East Appleton decided , to make it 4 vs 4 players. They do allow substitute players too.  Also, they find out that the Mayor bet on the bowling. (Don't blame me, I didn't vote for him.)  Todd wants to check out the East Appleton team and Alex decides to go with him. They play like machines. The other team catch  Alex and Todd gets them out of there. (so that was quick)

Payphone remember those? Copyright Disney 

      More after the jump

Those PSA Episodes: Small Wonders of Smoke

PSAs   

     IN 2017 we had PSA month, were we looked at public service ads , but they weren't the only things trying to get you not to smoke or drink.  TV Shows sometimes also try also have public service messages especially, those made to target families with kids that might be watching.  Sometimes called "The Very Special Episode".  That's our focus this time. (not for a month , that way we can space them out and come back when need be.)

         So we head to the 1980's because this is the decade at the height of family TV and  of the very special episode.
       
                     Our Show: Small Wonder
                   What is it trying to tell the audience?  : Don't Smoke or Chew Tabbaco
       
         
           Small Wonder is a weird show.  It's a show about a guy who makes a robot girl because he wants to make it to impress his job but doesn't do anything with it.  She lives with the family and acts as a snarky mono-toned daughter/sister.  So this is the series I want to  teach the ills of smoking.

         From season 2, Episode 1  "Chewed out/ Smoker's Delight"
 
       Ted , the father, had a stressful day at work and decides to pull out a cigarette which shocks his wife. (gasp!) She gives the lines of cigarettes are bad and stink up your clothes. Then she takes away his cigarettes  and she steps on his foot  then Vicki the robot does it too, harder.

      Their kid and his friend (I'll say their names later)  are now in junior-high school and feeling low because they  are umm at the bottom of school compared to top of elementary school.  Jamie ,that's the son's name, finds the cigarettes in the trash. (plot device and delivery done)  Jamie's friend  thinks of idea to get the older students to not think of them as babies.  (OOh I wonder what ?)

       The robot shows them how to smoke. (This like kids going on the internet, or what the robot future looks like , if we don't stop now)   Because  this is a comedy, we get funny robot smoking scenes like the smoke coming out of her ears because ha.   The two boys try smoking and they cough and stuff and the taped in front a live studio audience laughs.  (It's funny because coughing is funny)

Smoking.. darn AI has gone too far/ Copyright 20th Fox

      Skipping unimportant stuff.

     A boy named Peter ,who is in the 9th grade is coming to visit Jamie and Reggie. He's the biggest jock in the 9th grade apparently. (weee)  Jamie bribed the boy to come with  a rare baseball card then they  offer the smokes.  Now breaking news: smoking isn't cool. Well that's the episode Jamie and Reggie find out that smoking isn't cool and stop doing it. (Psst we have like 9 more minutes)  Oh no wait.   Peter says all the jocks are doing chewing tobacco.

You could say , eight is enough. Copyright 20th Fox. 

     Now the episode explicitly says again that cigarettes hurt you  with the kids saying that to Peter. He says that chewing the tobacco is less dangerous than cigarettes. So this episode isn't about smoking after all it's about the dangers of chewing tobacco.   Also he goes that all pro-ball players are doing it so it must be alright. (good thing this wasn't made during a later time)  The taped in front of a live studio audience laughs at Jamie and Reggie trying it because faces are funny.

Laugh at this , audience /Copyright 20th Fox

   Skipping the unimportant secondary plot line again.  (Scratch that)
      So the parents are trying to have the robot girl sleep (?) in their room because Jamie doesn't think she should be in his room anymore. When they see her sleeping cabinet is smoking they find out that she's been smoking.  The parents find out that Jamie and Reggie were smoking before and they confront their son.   Since the episode isn't smoking is just bad , but chewing tobacco is also  Jamie tells his parents that he's not smoking because of chewing tobacco. (Laugh Track)   Then Father Ted tells him the message (for the audience at home) that chewing tobacco is worse than smoking.  So the father does something else, he tells his son to show him how to chew it, and tricks him into stuffing a whole bunch in his mouth. (laugh track)  So the next day , they hope he learned his lesson.  Just in case , the audience didn't get the message-- they gave Peter , cancer . Jamie says he will never chew or smoke again.

        I do give the show a great point for actually going with the chewing tobacco angle instead of smoking.  The idea that it was safer than smoking happened dafter smoking was reviled not to be safe and this show came out about a decade after , so that message was being given in everything. So to tell the audience that no it's not safer than smoking and they are both bad is a message to get with.

        The writing of this series was not the best in the first place so they apparently needed a way to really nail in that chewing tobacco is bad, so they gave the 1 note character we didn't see before or after (WOAH) cancer as a way to instill that.   The father really only said that it's bad then made his son barf because giving him too much tobacco and making him accidentally swallow it is a good plan?   They did still nail in the message that smoking is bad in the beginning of the episode  and in the middle with even the kids saying that they know it's bad to another kid. But the reason why they did it was to be "cool" with the bigger kids.  Which does show  a good reason why a kid would want to smoke or chew tobacco , because the cool kids are doing.  Again the giving Peter cancer line (because we didn't see him or anything at the school , it was a line Jamie tells his parents) is like saying "see even cool kids can get cancer from doing something dangerous.

       Here's something interesting , cigarettes ads on TV and Radio in the US were banned in 1971 , but  smokeless tobacco ads were still allowed until 1986.



     Even sponsoring the Olympics.

   This episode aired after the ban of those ads took place so, the timing worked out.  But  yeah you could maybe see why people think its safer, it was even still advertised on TV for 15 years after cigarette ads were not allowed.

         Does this episode work as a PSA?  Yeah sure,  It doesn't hammer fist the message with words that doesn't sound natural.  It also tries to keep it feeling like a standard episode so no sappy music or weird drama , though they did kind of breeze through Peter having cancer. Also it was smart to make him somewhat likable otherwise the message would have gotten lost where an audience could go well he's a jerk so bad thing happened to him.  They did that right.

     That's our PSA ,don't smoke or chew tobacco.  Tune in next time when we find out it's bad to smoke pixie sticks.

A Charlie Brown Lookback: Charlie Brown's All Stars

 Peanuts 

        Ah March, the smell of baseball is in the air (it smells like rubber and grass) and we luckily we have a baseball themed Peanuts special.  "We've went to the most modern times  of Peanuts specials that tried to hark back the 1960's now let's go back to the 60's.  "Charlie Brown's All Stars"  the second animated Peanuts special  came out in 1966, on CBS. Since it's not a  holiday themed special it has missed it's annual airings and has bounced around from CBS to Nickelodeon, Disney Channel , and ABC. It hasn't aired on TV in sometime though,but is on DVD.
 
           The voices continues the idea that the first one had to have children be the voices and many from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" returned to their roles, like Christopher Shea as Linus , Peter Robins as Charlie Brown,  Kathy Steinberg as Sally Brown,  Sally Dryer switched roles from Violet to Lucy , and Karen Mendelson  went from being Patty's voice to Violet's.   


      So let's begin.
           It starts with Charlie Brown running after a baseball , while successfully jump roping to get to it , to only drop the ball in which the rest of his team calls him a block head.  Linus shows Charlie Brown the stats about his team including that they lost 999 straight games.  Lucy tells him not show up.    The next day, Charlie Brown's hope he doesn't show up,  but he does. (They are nice [sarcasm font])  Charlie Brown chases after a fly ball and the other kids yell at him to catch it , which he does then it falls out of his glove. (Also they could have also caught the ball, but alright.)  His team lost that game 123-0. (The other team was examined for steroids)

How'd that get there? / Copyright Peanuts 

        Violet , Lucy, Shermey,  (hey!), and Snoopy decide to quit the team. Linus tells Charlie Brown that Mr. Hennessey , the owner of the harware store, want to sponsor the team. (Mr. Hennessey also  put his money on (We decided against the joke after ,all) )  Charlie Brown cheers up , but Linus tells him to forget it.  We get some summer scenes because summer with nice Jazz music because yeah.

Hey Charlie Brown , I am telling to you to forget that thing that I told you because meh/ Copyright Peanuts 

       So Charlie Brown wants to tell his former team but they don't wanna play with him. (Take it like this  Chuck, find better players and nicer ones as well.) When Charlie Brown tries to tell about the news, this impresses them. (Why is Linus impressed, he told the news to Chuck in the first place?)  So Charlie Brown gets a call from Mr. Hennessey for the uniforms.  Apparently, Mr. Hennessey doesn't tell Charlie Brown the league doesn't allow teams with dogs and girls.  (It is interesting how Charlie Brown's team has girls on it in the 1960's it's very forward thinking)  Charlie Brown  tells him he couldn't do it and that they are his friends.  (What?)  So Charlie Brown, rejects this.

Hey how  big is that pool, how are they fitting in there?/ Copyright Peanuts 

      The funny part is where Linus was supposed to scout the competing team but he ends up scouting his own.  For a note: C.B didn't tell the others they aren't getting uniforms or what the league wants so he thinks if they win this game they would maybe forget the uniforms.  The game seems to be going well. (I'm more sad that something  bad is going to happen.) 

This is a bad sign/ copyright Peanuts 

     It's Charlie Brown's turn to bat , he's not had a good batting season.  (That's right , Jim He's not the ball all season, but you know what hits the ball any season?   Paul's Ice Tea it's the perfect swing for a summer afternoon drink.)  He hit the ball and lands on first base, then he steals second. (He's a manic Jim! like Crazy Steve at Crazy Steve's Electronics,  A TV for half price he's Crazy! ) He lands Third! (That's a steal , Jim,  just like at Tom's Diner, where you can steal  a free Coke with any purchase!)  Charlie's team is 1 run behind with 2 Outs , Charlie Brown is at third.  What's he doing?! He's trying to steal home oh my gosh, he' missed game over! (What a blow for the team, Jim, just like the blow out sale at Super Mattress warehouse)
                       

      Here lays Charlie Brown... it's a cheap funeral. /Copyright Peanuts

            So Charlie Brown screwed up there and his team mates aren't happy. (That's right, Jim) Alright you that part is over. (Well that''s never happened before.)   The team finds out they aren't getting uniforms but, Chuck didn't even say way, and they left.  Linus tells them
 why turned down the uniforms.  Schroeder gives a speech the girls on how bad they've been to CB even though he thought about them over uniforms.

They feel bad /Copyright Peanuts 

       The girls think about making a uniform for ole CB to say sorry. (Using Linus' blanket) Apparently, Linus has the same proportions as C.B., never mind. 

It's the thought that counts/ copyright Peanuts 

          Then again it rains, and Charlie Brown apparently he 's never heard of  P.P.D.  (Yeah this game is Postponed , and this channel is airing reruns of Burns and Allen) 

blanket of rain/ copyright Peanuts 

    That's our lookback, tune in next time when we see Charlie Brown is fired as manager and ends up calling games on TV instead.  

     

CBS Makes Margaret Brennan Anchor of "Face The Nation"

TV News  CBS 

image : CBS NEWS 

      CBS has announced their replacement for John Dickerson on their Sunday Morning political affairs program, "Face The Nation" and that is their White House and senior foreign affairs  correspondent , Margaret Brennan.   She will start the role this Sunday (February 25th) and contuing her role as senior foreign affairs correspondent.  She's been with the network since 2012 after joing from Bloomberg Television  and CNBC before that. 

   
Press release  from CBS NEWS

CBS News has named Margaret Brennan moderator of FACE THE NATION, it was announced today by David Rhodes, President of CBS News. Brennan will assume the permanent role on Sunday, Feb. 25, and will continue in her position as senior foreign affairs correspondent based in Washington, D.C.Brennan has reported on politics, international affairs and global markets since 2002. She joined CBS News in 2012 and has been White House and senior foreign affairs correspondent since 2017, working with Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief Christopher Isham.“FACE THE NATION is one of the longest-running traditions in television,” said Rhodes. “Margaret’s coverage of the White House and the world make her the ideal moderator for this legendary CBS News franchise at this moment in time.”“Margaret's ability to ask newsmakers tough but fair questions in a deft and respectful manner, her sharp news instincts, and her tremendous ability to make complicated subjects understandable make her the perfect person to lead us into the next chapter of the broadcast,” said Mary Hager, Executive Producer of FACE THE NATION. “The entire FACE THE NATION team is thrilled she's taking over the anchor spot.”“Both domestically and globally, news is breaking at an unrelenting pace,” said Brennan. “FACE THE NATION has long been the place that viewers across the country rely on to make sense of it all by cutting through the noise to break down what matters and how it affects our daily lives. I am deeply honored and excited to carry on FACE THE NATION’s tradition of helping provide this crucial context to our viewers.”Since 2012, Brennan has been based in Washington and has reported on the Trump administration, and previously President Obama’s administration, for all CBS News programs. Previously, Brennan covered the State Department for four years, where she reported on major national security stories including nuclear negotiations with Iran; restoration of diplomatic ties with Cuba; the standoff with North Korea; the conflict in Ukraine; and the accord to transfer control of Syria’s chemical weapons.Prior to joining CBS News, Brennan spent a decade covering the global financial markets. Brennan anchored and reported for Bloomberg Television globally. Previously, she was a correspondent at CNBC with a focus on the consumer during the financial crisis. She also contributed to various NBC News programs. Brennan began her career as a producer for CNBC’s “Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser.”Brennan is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on the advisory board for the University of Virginia School of Politics.Brennan graduated with highest distinction from the University of Virginia in 2002, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs and Middle East studies with a minor in Arabic. As a Fulbright-Hays Scholar, she studied Arabic at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan. She is also the recipient of an honorary doctor of letters degree from Niagara University. Brennan, a Connecticut native, is based in D.C.

   

Obscure , We Wrote : Shorty McShorts' Shorts

The Flashback 

         So as we round up our obscure and short themed month  , we look at some shorts instead.


  Personal story time:  So it's 2006 and I am watching Disney Channel and they have this promo for a new thing called Shorty McShorts' Shorts and it will be airing Friday at 7:55/6:55c  or 8:55/755c one of those two.   I kind of remember it  but mostly the title,  more than the shorts.
                 

             I  could call this Disney's attempt at an "Oh Yeah Cartoons" a place to showcase cartoons that could maybe become their own series for  Disney Channel and  so the best time to profile them would be between two popular series or as filler that the channel does tend to need to fill time with.  Shorty McShorts' Shorts (yeah thanks for that title)  started in July of 2006 and ran for about 2 seasons with 13 shorts being shown.    Now, this post is going to be less formal  and way off our normal format because why not?

         First short is called "Dudley and Nestor do Nothing" That title sounds like Phineas and Ferb but in reverse.  The animation in this short reminds of a certain style , the creators of this one were Stephen Holman and Josephine T. Huang , the duo who worked on "Phantom Investigators".  With Holman also from shows like "Life with Loopy" and MTV's "Liquid Television" so this short is that animation style without the varied mixes and puppetry.

      Our main characters are at a space center for a school trip and  Dudley and Nestor have to find a bathroom and a meteor is coming toward Earth. (I hate when that happens) As Dudley and Nestor look for a bathroom they end up in a space ship that is in lift off and they end up in space.  So of course the space center finds out that they were in the rocket and really should have checked before they launched.  They also inadvertently stop that meteor and are back on Earth.

Astro- Nots 

       It would have been interesting to be a series it may have needed a little bit more than 4 minutes, but I see it. It probably would have been one of those  series where  our main characters  go to different things and up fixing or changing something without even trying.  (You can watch it here)

  2.  "My Mom Married  a Yeti" (What?)
       So apparently a scientist married a yeti because eh why not.  They have two children  one seems to be more Yeti the other more human. (Though the Yeti's seem to be human-y)  So the parents are Chaperones at the school dance and the kids don't want them to be embarrassing.  So they spend most of the dance trying to be embarrassed.  Long story short: Yeti Dad freaks out because yeti flashbacks and then embarrasses them. 

This shows is relate-able 

   This was made by Dennis Messner who worked on shows like "Regular Show", and "Kablam".  The animation is kind of flat, but  I do give some lee-way because it's a short pilot for a  maybe series , but only a little.  I guess I can guess how this could have been a series ,if that was the intention where the kids try not be embarrassed by their parents, or something revolving around Yeti Dad doing something, or their family's misadventures;.  (You can watch it here)

3. "Bozzlebags' Zip" ( What this sounds like I sneezed)
       So this family is watching something called Bozzlebag's Zip which the 12 year old boy named Collin doesn't seem excited by this. (I know how he feels)  So the father got a new promotion and they are moving to Bozzlebag's Zip which is apparently a real place.  (That'll be like if you got a new job working in that world Dora the Explorer is in and that place is real.)  Also the last name of the family is Mailman. (Better than the last name, Dogcatcher)  So, they move the same day because why not?  Bozzelbags  is there to welcome to the town.   I don't think Collin likes this town or zip code, or fever dream, or whatever.  Then it tries to end with a heartwarming moment.

  This was some of the viewers reactions to the name alone.

           I don't know; it was too much in a short, then they rushed the ending. Colin of course would be annoyed about moving and moving that quickly. There was no consideration of what he thought before they made a choice. Again, maybe that's because it's only 5 minutes so we didn't have time or something.   The animation was nice though , it might have made an interesting series, maybe the short time worked against the short for me.   (You can watch it here)

       4.  "The Phabulizers" (You are just making up words now)
        I have a fun fact for this one, but I am saving that for later.  This is going to make fun of those makeover  shows  either for homes and people.  The theme song is catchy as well.  Also one of the Phabulizers is a beaver, so there you go.  They are going to help this kid named Phil Kennedy.   There's not much more I can say about it sense it's so gag driven.

     This is the first one  these to make me laugh and smile at it. Oh that fun fact, the creator of this short was Van Partible , the creator of "Johnny Bravo"  that makes this even better, it's fun. I kind of wish this was a series.  (You can watch it here)

5-7.  Boyz on Da Run
      So the next 3 are a 3 part series, so we combined it into one section here.


     Part 1:   The theme song is very catchy.  This series is a parody of boy bands, and the boy band here is called DaBoys From Yo Cul-de-sac.  (DBFYC)   Also the band is a lip sync band.  So I wonder what could wrong.  Yes the tape goes wrong and everyone finds out that they are fakes and funny that the song was "I'll never lie to you".  So the fans decide to chase them and they run away.

Ha the tape recorders 

    Part 2: So they get kicked off the train and find a diner have some food. The end up getting hired by the diner because the  owner thinks they were the people she hired. They don't know how to put food together since that was something  they never did before.  The songs in these shorts are very catchy.  The President wants everyone to  capture the boy band and he appears on TV as everyone in the diner sees the message they start to chase the boys. (That is indeed  a strange universe) So, back on the run they are.

    Part 3:  They boys run into Canada which stops  the people from chasing them because Canada has powers. to stop Americans from chasing them.   The border patrol stops them and welcomes them with gift bags.  (Because Canada)They have dodgy disguises that work some how. Because one of them decides to spin some maple leaves on his nipples (Well now there is line where we have written that a character on Disney Channel spun maple leaves on his nipples)  they thrown in jail. (Because Canada?)   They break out and run out of Canada.

Don't do this in Canada, I guess 

            That's sadly it, because there was  a to be continued line that apparently never happened so what a  disappointment.  It was kind of fun to watch , I kind of wish there was  a part 4 to finish it off. Though I don't feel it should it have been a full 30 minute series, or those 11 minute halves because it works as shorts really well or as a short special or something. (You can  watch all 3 parts here)


   Now we head to season 2 after the jump

The Lookback : Ramona

The Flashback

      One of my favorite book series as a child , still has a special place in my heart , are the "Ramona" book series, written by Beverly Cleary. Interestingly enough, this  children's littature series hasn't been really made into much media like you see with others. It did have a movie in 2010.  There is something else , there is one television series.

      "Ramona" , the TV series,  comes to us from Canada and aired on their CBC Network and aired in the United States on PBS starting  1988 (I love our timing) and ran for 10 episodes.  The series content comes from "Ramona Quimby, Age 8" , which i talk more about later.   This series ,unlike, the books has kind of fallen in obscurity  and I am not sure how well it did. 

           A  couple things before  I dip into the series  (yeah he's taking forever) 1) I will not be doing on comparrisons to the book, for each episode instead i will talk about the episode a little.  After  those I will then make any marks and allusions to the series.  2) I  will be looking at all 10 episodes, but to keep it short some will be just  talking about a few episodes.

Episode 1
    I do have to say this show does look to capture the books well and especially the book this series is based off the most  (Ramona Quimby , Age 8.) This episode is based off the hard--boiled egg chapter.  In this episode Ramona asks her mother for a hard boiled egg ,even though she doesn't like them, because it is a new fad all the kids in her class are doing. (Interesting)  Also Ramona is wearing red shoes that squeak. So anyway, at lunch the other fad with the hard-boiled eggs is to whack them on your head and Ramona finds out that hers wasn't very cooked. She of course feels embarrsed and awful. (it's her yoke to bear) She thinks her teacher thinks she's annoying after mis-over hearing her. But they talk it out out and all resolved out.
   

Embrace your inner frying pan. 

       The book cover seems just mildly annoyed 

more after the jump