Welcome to Joshuaonline

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


Fall Line up: FOX NBC CBS ABC The CW

Friday, September 06, 2019

The Loud House Season 1 : Study Muffin/ Homespun (Also some extra thoughts)

The Loud House Nickelodeon  

   Previously, the Loud House had an organ harvester and zombies, you can read that here. Now to the final season 1 episode , 26.


     
    Episode 26 A: Study Muffin 

             Poor Lincoln, he got an F  (Apparently he joined Denzel Crocker's class)  and he worries about turning around his grade so of course he first asks Lisa to help, but she's fully booked. She suggests that he get a community college student to help named Hugh. (He's British)  Meanwhile, Lori spots him  (and oh no! He's hot!) and forgets that Bobby exists. Oh look there's Lana , oh my gosh she likes him too! Hugh makes everyone love him. Even the animals. (What is this episode?)  Lincoln doesn't like this because he is trying to get his tutoring done.  Even Lincoln's dad likes Hugh because England. (what is this episode?)

           
Wait. That's illegal. Someone get Hugh an adult! /Copyright Viacom

                 Lincoln tells his family that they need to tone it down because he needs to study.  When he finally he gets some time with Hugh. Also Lincoln knows the exports of Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Suure why not?)  Hugh  finds out that Lincoln doesn't need his help something else must be making Lincoln fail.  If Hugh leaves the country I don't blame him. Anyway, poor Lincoln gets another F anyway. 

     The sisters found out Lincoln has  a sub named  Ms. DiMartino. (And Oh no! She's Hot!)  Also, Lori remembers Bobby existing.  The Flashback shows that yes Lincoln  has fallen for her. There's a good solution for Lincoln where he takes his test in a locker to not see Ms. DiMartino.

     It really could have been an awful episode but , no it's not. When Lincoln really wants his sisters to back off they do, they help him figure out his problem. I do feel sorry for Hugh.  This episode is strange and weird but it made me laugh a lot, it's really an entertaining episode  9.5/10 (the extra .5 pts is because oh no! it's hot! ) 
     

   More after the jump

Thursday, September 05, 2019

The Loud House: Season 1: The Price of Admission/ One Flu over the Loud House

The Loud House  Nickelodeon 

        Memories, oh memories, I remember the last episode we covered here .   Now to episode 25.


 Episode 25A: The Price of Admission

            I'm starting like this, this is one of plots where Character  can't watch something because the parents say they are too young for it and might get scared then character watches it anyway and gets scared and has to hide it.  This is not me saying this makes and episode bad because it uses a stock plot it's fine to use a stock plot.  I'm just acknowledging that this is that plot.

          I do like the premise of the movie presented in this episode where a farmer goes crazy after a drought and starts harvesting human organs, that sounds like a fun movie. Lincoln and Clyde go to the theater and apparently there's two choices the "Barney" parody  and that harvesting human organs movie. (Bad theater)   Clyde is going to see the movie made for children 6 or less because , comedy?.  Lincoln decides to watch "The Harvester" as I said above we knew this already.

         Lincoln proves his mother right because he is terrified now. How is the episode going to make this interesting so, we can have more fun even though it is a stock plot?  He  comes home and the parents are decorating for fall because it's fall apparently?   The fun in the episode come from Lincoln getting scared by random things because of the movie.  The father's descriptions of where things are in the basement ,attic. and garage this episode deserves a point for that.   Why is Mr.Grouse gardening at night? Nobody knows.  This episode also has some great moments to have laughs at so, there is that too.

            There's not much I can say about what goes on in the episode,so I'm skipping a head, to the ending.  The parents decide that sure yeah Lincoln can go see the movie and they are going to see it with him.  Like I said, he tells his parents that he was scared and they don't get mad at him which, is a nice touch and glad they didn't.  This is a great episode, it's enjoyable  and has great comedy and funny moments. It's also good at showing fear and how simple things in a different context can be scary. It's a great episode one again, these later season 1 episodes really have some nice tight writing and this is another episode showing that. I give it 9/10.

  More after the Jump...

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Loud House : Season 1: A Tattler's Tale/ Funny Business

The Loud House Nickelodeon 


     Previously, Lincoln has to claw back 4 girls (not really) and later, Lori wants Bobby back , for real context read that past post Here.

    So, is the last time time for this season (1) where I will have to mush together remnants of episode pairs because I'd have previously done them before. 



  So First, off "A Tattler's Tale" is from Episode 23 it was paired with "One of the Boys" which I covered here

     Episode 23B: A Tattler's Tale

             This episode is on Lola because she is the resident tattle teller (because sure, alright yes) why so, she can get what she wants. (Like a politician)   It stats with the Louds that are the parents or Lola in Lori's room which is somewhat massive if 10 people are able to fit in there like that. (You are trying to a logic in a cartoon again, that doesn't work *sets water on fire*)  We found that Lincoln killed disco. (Someone had to do it)  Alright, the Loud kids are sharing secrets from their father.  I like this part because it is nice to see the Loud kids hanging out, chatting, and giving out secrets in confidence to each other.  It's a nice touch.             Score board : 1 pt.


          And Secrets from Mom too. (Coming to Lifetime Movies Network)  There is one sibling that can't be trusted with secrets and that would be Lola.  Lola isn't happy that the others won't spill secrets to her.  For you detailed people and if you watch the episode (and you should) watch Lola what Lola does when she gets mad in Lori's room and leaves, it's important, and kind of crafty. The later season 1 episodes seemed to be getting good at using little details to fit in the story well.

       The next day, Lola wants Lincoln to be her butler.Lincoln decides no.  Lola decides yes because black mail. (see politician)   She continues to use her knowledge of the secrets to black mail the others.  I like how we the viewer are also left to wonder how she knew when wasn't in the room at the time. (ear to the door?)   Score board : 2pts   ---    The others aren't pleased with being blackmailed.  They think each other might be a rat but Lincoln figures out the detail that she hid a ██████████ in her  █████ (blanking it out if you want to go in fresh to the episode if you haven't seen it before)    Now, the plan is to find one of her secrets to use against her.  And she's good at secrets hiding.   Lincoln decides to get some dirt on her from the competition. (Like a politician, dang this is working well, and it's sad)

              Funny enough, when he mentions her name to some other beauty contestants they scream in fear. (Good sign)  Anyway, that is except for one girl who gives him so much dirt he's gonna need a truck. (Why are you like this?)  What was the secret . we don't know.  It could be ██████████ or █████  but we don't know.   Anyway, they tell Lola if she tells their secrets she'll tell her secret. Later  she's seen leaving the parents' room  where they found out she's been grounded for a month for taking wrap for everything the others did. She wanted to be included with the others and felt that was the one way she could maybe do it.  They decide to let her in their secrets thing because she earned their trust.

    I think is a really good episode, the premise they did could have really been done awfully and it could have been a mess but, they really hit the right marks with this episode. We get a side of Lola where she wants to be included in the things her siblings do and figures out she did it the wrong way.  I like the sibling bonding. I think it's a strong well done episode, the humor hits some good zones a well, and I think it needs a good 10/10.


More after the jump

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween

Freeform  Halloween 



   Freeform has released their 31 Nights of Halloween programming.  Of interesting note, due to Disney's purchase of 20th FOX and some contract changes,  Freeform can now air "The Simpsons" and they will start with Halloween episodes in October. (Show still airs on new sister network FXX , as well)


 Here's the schedule
Tuesday, October 1
Golden Ticket Day
12:30pm/11:30c Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
3pm/2c Monster House
5:05pm/4:05c The Nightmare Before Christmas
6:45pm/5:45c Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc.
8:50pm/7:50c Hocus Pocus
12am/11c Zombieland

Wednesday, October 2
Freeform Premiere 11:30am/10:30c Scared Shrekless
12pm/11c Monster House
Freeform Premiere 2:05pm/1:05c R.L. Stine's Mostly Ghostly: One Night in Doom House
4:10pm/3:10c The Nightmare Before Christmas
5:50pm/4:50c Hocus Pocus
Freeform Premiere 8/7pm-11/10c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon
12am/11c ParaNorman

Thursday, October 3
12:30pm/11:30c Edward Scissorhands
2:40pm/1:40c ParaNorman
4:45pm/3:45c The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Double Feature
6:50pm/5:50c The Addams Family (1991)
8:55pm/7:55c Addams Family Values
12am/11c Edward Scissorhands

Friday, October 4
Freeform Premiere 11am/10c Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins
11:30am/10:30c Hook (1991)
2:35pm/1:35c The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Double Feature
4:40pm/3:40c The Addams Family (1991)
6:45pm/5:45c Addams Family Values
8:50pm/7:50c Hocus Pocus
12am/11c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Saturday, October 5
7am/6c ParaNorman
9am/8c Hocus Pocus
11:10am/10:10c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon
1:40pm/12:40c Scooby-Doo (2002)
3:45pm/2:45c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
5:50pm/4:50c Hocus Pocus
Freeform Premiere 8pm/7c 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest
Freeform Premiere 9pm/8c Goosebumps
11:30pm/10:30c Monster House
1:30am/12:30c Scared Shrekless

Sunday, October 6
7am/6c Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
9:30am/8:30c Monster House
11:30am/10:30c Scooby-Doo (2002)
1:30pm/12:30c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
3:35pm/2:35c Hocus Pocus
5:45pm/4:45c Goosebumps
8:15pm/7:15c Hotel Transylvania
10:20pm/9:20c Hocus Pocus
12:30am/11:30c 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest
1:30am/12:30c Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins

Monday, October 7
11:30am/10:30c Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic
12:30pm/11:30c 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest
1:30pm/12:30c Dark Shadows (2012)
4:10pm/3:10c Hocus Pocus
6:20pm/5:20c Hotel Transylvania
8:25pm/7:25c Ghostbusters (1984)


Tuesday, October 8
11am/10c The Haunted Mansion (2003)
1pm/12c The Corpse Bride
3pm/2c Ghostbusters (1984)
5:30pm/4:30c Ghostbusters II
8pm/7c Iron Man
12am/11c Scooby-Doo (2002)

Wednesday, October 9
11am/10c The Nightmare Before Christmas
12:40pm/11:40c Scooby-Doo (2002)
2:45pm/1:45c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
4:55pm/3:55c Iron Man
8/7pm-11/10c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon
12am/11c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

Thursday, October 10
11am/10c Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins
11:30am/10:30c R.L. Stine's Mostly Ghostly: One Night in Doom House
1:40pm/12:40c Monster House
3:45pm/2:45c Disney•Pixar's Finding Nemo
6:15pm/5:15c Hocus Pocus
8:25pm/7:25c Hotel Transylvania
10:30pm/9:30c Disney•Pixar's Toy Story of TERROR!
12am/11c Monster House

Friday, October 11
11am/10c Scared Shrekless
11:30am/10:30c Disney•Pixar's Finding Nemo
2pm/1c Hocus Pocus
4:05pm/3:05c Disney•Pixar's The Incredibles
6:45pm/5:45c Disney•Pixar's Toy Story of TERROR!
7:15pm/6:15c Hotel Transylvania
9:20pm/8:20c The Nightmare Before Christmas
12am/11c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Saturday, October 12
7am/6c Ghostbusters (1984)
9:30am/8:30c Disney•Pixar's The Incredibles
12:10pm/11:10c The Nightmare Before Christmas
Double Feature
1:50pm/12:50c The Addams Family (1991)
3:55pm/2:55c Addams Family Values
Saturday Scream-a-thon
Freeform Premiere 6pm/5c Scream
Freeform Premiere 8:40pm/7:40c Scream 2
Freeform Premiere 11:20pm/10:20c Scream 3

Sunday, October 13
7am/6c Ghostbusters II
9:35am/8:35c The Corpse Bride
11:10am/10:10c The Addams Family (1991)
1:15pm/12:15c Addams Family Values
3:20pm/2:20c Disney•Pixar's Finding Dory
5:25pm/4:25c Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc.
7:30pm/6:30c Disney's Moana
10pm/9c Hocus Pocus
12:10am/11:10c The Corpse Bride

Monday, October 14
11:30am/10:30c Hocus Pocus
1:40pm/12:40c Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc.
3:45pm/2:45c Matilda
5:50pm/4:50c Mrs. Doubtfire
8:55pm/7:55c Hotel Transylvania

Tuesday, October 15
11:30am/10:30c Matilda
1:40pm/12:40c Mrs. Doubtfire
4:45pm/3:45c Hotel Transylvania
Double Feature
6:50pm/5:50c The Addams Family (1991)
8:55pm/7:55c Addams Family Values
12am/11c Hocus Pocus

Wednesday, October 16
11am/10c Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
1:40pm/12:40c Hocus Pocus
Double Feature
3:50pm/2:50c The Addams Family (1991)
5:55pm/4:55c Addams Family Values
8/7pm-11/10c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon
12am/11c The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Thursday, October 17
11am/10c ParaNorman
1:05pm/12:05c The Haunted Mansion (2003)
3:10pm/2:10c 101 Dalmatians (1996)
5:15pm/4:15c The Corpse Bride
Double Feature
6:50pm/5:50c Scooby-Doo (2002)
8:55pm/7:55c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
12am/11c R.L. Stine's Mostly Ghostly: One Night in Doom House

Friday, October 18
11am/10c 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest
12pm/11c National Treasure
Triple Feature
3pm/2c Scream
5:40pm/4:40c Scream 2
8:20pm/7:20c Scream 3
12am/11c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Saturday, October 19
7am/6c ParaNorman
9:05am/8:05c Hocus Pocus
11:15am/10:15c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon
4:15pm/3:15c Disney's Zootopia
6:45pm/5:45c Hocus Pocus
8:55pm/7:55c Ghostbusters (1984)
11:25pm/10:25c Ghostbusters II

Sunday, October 20
7am/6c 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest
8am/7c Hocus Pocus
10:05am/9:05c Disney's Zootopia
12:35pm/11:35c Ghostbusters (1984)
3:05pm/2:05c Ghostbusters II
5:35pm/4:35c Hocus Pocus
7:45pm/6:45c Hotel Transylvania
9:50pm/8:50c The Addams Family (1991)
11:55pm/10:55c Addams Family Values

Monday, October 21
11am/10c The Corpse Bride
12:35pm/11:35c The Addams Family (1991)
2:40pm/1:40c Addams Family Values
4:45pm/3:45c The Nightmare Before Christmas
6:25pm/5:25c Hotel Transylvania
8:30pm/7:30c Goosebumps


Tuesday, October 22
11am/10c Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic
12:03pm/11:03c Scared Shrekless
12:35pm/11:35c Monster House
2:40pm/1:40c The Nightmare Before Christmas
4:20pm/3:20c Goosebumps
6:50pm/5:50c Scooby-Doo (2002)
8:55pm/7:55c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
12am/11c Monster House

Wednesday, October 23
11am/10c Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
1:30pm/12:30c Scooby-Doo (2002)
3:30pm/2:30c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
5:30pm/4:30c Disney's Moana
8/7pm-11/10c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon
12am/11c Matilda

Thursday, October 24
11am/10c Matilda
1:10pm/12:10c Disney's Moana
3:40pm/2:40c Ghostbusters (1984)
6:15pm/5:15c Ghostbusters II
8:50pm/7:50c Hocus Pocus
12am/11c The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Friday, October 25
11am/10c Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins
11:32am/10:32c Ghostbusters (1984)
2:05pm/1:05c Ghostbusters II
4:40pm/3:40c The Haunted Mansion (2003)
6:45pm/5:45c Hocus Pocus
8:55pm/7:55c Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc.
12am/11c The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Saturday, October 26
7am/6c Monster House
9:10am/8:10c Hocus Pocus
11:20am/10:20c Scooby-Doo (2002)
1:25pm/12:25c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
3:30pm/2:30c Disney•Pixar's Monsters, Inc.
5:35pm/4:35c The Addams Family (1991)
7:40pm/6:40c Addams Family Values
9:45pm/8:45c Hotel Transylvania
11:50pm/10:50c Hocus Pocus

Sunday, October 27
7am/6c Scooby-Doo (2002)
9am/8c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
11:05am/10:05c Hocus Pocus
1:15pm/12:15c The Nightmare Before Christmas
2:55pm/1:55c The Addams Family (1991)
5pm/4c Addams Family Values
7:05pm/6:05c Hotel Transylvania
9:10pm/8:10c Hocus Pocus
11:20pm/10:20c Dark Shadows (2012)

Monday, October 28
7am/6c Dark Shadows (2012)
11:30am/10:30c The Haunted Mansion (2003)
1:30pm/12:30c The Nightmare Before Christmas
Triple Feature
3:10pm/2:10c Scream
5:40pm/4:40c Scream 2
8:20pm/7:20c Scream 3


Tuesday, October 29
7:30am/6:30c The Haunted Mansion (2003)
11am/10c The Nightmare Before Christmas
12:35pm/11:35c Scooby-Doo (2002)
2:40pm/1:40c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
4:45pm/3:45c The Addams Family (1991)
6:50pm/5:50c Addams Family Values
8:55pm/7:55c Hotel Transylvania
12am/11c The Corpse Bride

Wednesday, October 30
7:30am/6:30c Scooby-Doo (2002)
11am/10c The Corpse Bride
12:30pm/11:30c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
2:35pm/1:35c The Addams Family (1991)
4:40pm/3:40c Addams Family Values
6:45pm/5:45c Hotel Transylvania
8:50pm/7:50c Hocus Pocus
12am/11c Scooby-Doo (2002)


Thursday, October 31
11:30am/10:30c 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest
Hocus Pocus Marathon
12:30pm/11:30c Hocus Pocus
2:35pm/1:35c Hocus Pocus
4:40pm/3:40c Hocus Pocus
6:45pm/5:45c Hocus Pocus
8:50pm/7:50c Hocus Pocus
12am/11c Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

 line up subject to changes

Press release after the jump


But First These Messages: Peanuts Edition

Peanuts 






          Combining two things we do on this blog into one subject is our goal today. Yes, we are taking our commercials strand "But First The Messages" and our talk of "Peanuts" and combining them into one thing.  Also the format for this post is going to be a little different to a normal "But First These Messages" post  but only a little!  It's still a loose history since there so much that we might not do until another post or something.

    Before "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and actually this helped open the door for Peanuts characters to appear in specials in the future, and what I am talking about are the Ford Motor Company days.

                  Ford in 1959 had gotten the license to use Peanuts characters in their ads introducing a classic person to the world of Peanuts on television, Bill Melendez , who was working at Playhouse Pictures, who worked with Ford in advertising.

  


     The first commercial has Charlie Brown handing out chocolate cigars  because Ford has a new car and sure why not?  In our modern sad times, if someone even made a candy like this their would be like 98 Hot Takes on awful websites about how this is bad or something.  (Sorry ranting here)  It's limited in animation but still pretty impressive to see the characters in action and talk.  Yes, they were animated in color for the 7 people* with color television in 1959. (* we mean it wasn't a high number)
 
 It's also a reference to the 1959 strips from when Sally  was born and CB was giving out chocolate cigars

From May 30th  1959 

    Later on the Peanuts sell us the 1960 Ford Falcon. They sold them so well I just bought 20! 


       

     It's 2 minutes long so buckle up!

   

        I like how in these ads they interact with the narrator there's a classic charm there.

Woah, I'll buy 20 more cars 

more after the jump, I wish we had a sponsor

The Loud House: Season 1: Dance, Dance, Resolution/ A Fair to Remember

The Loud House  Nickelodeon 

  Previously on the Loud House:  Lincoln learns the true meaning of magic, what? Read the past episode here, now on to episode 22.



 Episode 22A:  Dance, Dance, Resolution 

            It starts at school and we see that Lincoln has other friends all with red hair (finally some good progress in media)  and they want ladies to ask them something, I don't know because we just kind of walked into this. (The same thing they ask every night, to take over the world!)  Ah! It's a Sadie Hawkins dance, for those don't know, that's where the ladies ask the guys to dance.

      Divergent Fun fact Time      This post is diverting here for a second, fun fact time! (Loud noises)  Sadie Hawkins dance idea comes from the comic strip  "Li'l Abner" as Sadie Hawins is a character in said comic. She was 35 years and un married. ( This is the 1930's so, you do what you want with that) and her father was worried that she would never leave the house so he gets all the un married men to do a foot race ,the twist being the losers would have to marry Sadie. Anyway the other spinsters think this was a good idea and every year they want to do it, if they caught a bacheolor and dragged him (ouch) kicking and screaming across the finish line before sundown then they must wed.

        Back to the Episode Time      Anyway, so the boys hope to be dragged screaming into marriage, no wait.  Re-checks notes.Oh, they hope to be asked by a girl for the dance, since it's the Sadie Hawkins dance meaning  the girls asks the boys. Fun fact about that, (stop we did this).   Lincoln is hiding from Ronnie Anne because he doesn't want her to ask him to the dance. (Now why you may ask, dear Jimmy)  He doesn't want to go because there's 2 for 1 thing at the arcade and he doesn't want to miss that. ( I understand, Lincoln).

            Lincoln comes home and his sisters have nothing better to do but stand behind the door for how long were they there lurking and waiting?  (This is me being silly) They want to know if Ronnie Anne asked him to the dance and he tells them that she didn't ask him but, not telling them the truth.  Gee, I wonder what happens next.    Luan, Lynn, Lucy, and Luna all know 10-11 year old girls (yes?) to help Lincoln out and bring him to the dance. Which, is quite sweet seeing the sisters do this.  He tells them the truth about the arcade and really he should have told them in the first place, but hten we would have no plot and I wouldn't be writing about this episode right now and everything would not EXIST. (cool off and come back in the next paragraph, seesh)

          Now, they make him go to the dance since they don't want their friends  to be sad and now Lincoln has to take out for 4 girls (dang Lincoln, has the ladies).  Lincoln also doesn't want Ronnie Anne to see him at the dance because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings.  This episode also heads to standard sitcom stock plot number 93 , the person trying to be with more than one person at the same time plot. Let's see how this goes.   Lincoln's  4 friends don't have dates well I'm sad now. ( Someone, take Zach out please)   Clyde is busy helping Lincoln do his thing.  There's a girl named Tabby  who is Luna's friend and yes, she does like music and talk British. (How did that happen?)  Giggles (I hope that's nickname or she should sue her parents) is Luan's friend from clown school who seems committed to the act.  Lucy's friend is Haiku who oh yeah , is like Lucy.  Polly who is Lynn's Roller Berby mate, and yeah.   I like how the episode flows with the Lincoln and the 4th girls working out pretty well.

          Clyde almost dies from the heights he is in. Ronnie Anne, what are you doing here!  Yep, Ronnie Anne shows and now Lincoln has to figure this out.  So, he asks his friends to help out and dance with the other girls while he hides from Ronnie Anne.  I do like how they used that random detail of a raffle as a way to drive the plot and this is where Ronnie Anne finds out that Lincoln is at the dance.  But first, the other girls  find out that Lincoln with the others but they are happy because they like Lincoln's friends.

    He finds out that Ronnie Anne wasn't going to ask him to the dance because she wanted to go to that arcade thing. 

    This episode uses the standard sitcom plots and gives them their own twists , the plot itself is tightly done and nothing is out of place or hanged on too long.  I think it's a strong episode and one of the best for the season 10/10.

  more after the Jump
 

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Loud House : Season 1: The Loudest Yard/ Raw Deal

The Loud House Nickelodeon

   Previously, The Loud House episode we have that here, now to episode 21.


Episode 21A: The Loudest Yard 

         For some reason this episode has Rita wanting Lincoln to be more active in exercise, why?  Plot reasons?  When he doesn't really do anything , she makes him join a football team. Because , plot.   Anyway, he tries to get out of it and asks Lola to maim him but he gets scared and causes Lola to crash  her car. (This needs context) Lynn sees them "wrestling" and learns that Lincoln is joining a football team so she trains him.  So we do get some good Lincoln and Lynn interaction.  Since this blog has covered almost every Peanuts special, and has focus on the Peanuts we see that Peanuts reference and give it an automatic +1 pts for that. (So it's guaranteed to not get a 0/10).

 
            Anyway, there's a couple of football  players from the other team who apparently too old, had a growth spurt in a strange way, or a steroid scandal they want to use the park where Lynn and Lincoln were practicing.  When Lynn stands up to their taunts it gives Lincoln an idea, to have her pretend to be him on the team.  She agrees.   Now , I being of sound mind and you being of sound mind would know how this already ends up before  even watching rest of the episode.  Especially, would this show have been allowed to have an episode where the characters do this and get away with it?  No way!


        Is this bad for the episode?  Well, maybe. The thing is if you know that the plan is going to end up with people finding out about the switch, are you invested in the story it's showing for the rest of the episode?  In some cases, this works because the journey of seeing what happens is enjoyable in it's own self.  In my opinion, there's not much journey to enjoy with the way the went with the premise.    I do have question of how someone who is known and explicitly says in this very episode isn't very good at sports is some how doing great at football without anyone thinking  hmmmmmmmmmm. Or wondering why Lynn is never present at the football games. 


     I do like that the coach  liked how Lynn played and wants her on the team for the next year, since she hurt her ankle in this episode which leads to our reveal of the scheme.  If it stopped there, I'd give it a 6/10 +1/10 for the Peanuts thing but the ending goes with something that bugs me personally. Lincoln ends up playing football to make sure the team does well again, keeping this episode at 7/10  but, they decided to write it where oh he does this thing where he accidentally touchdowns in the wrong post so he loses. That could happen but what was the point for the story?  I give it 5/10 keeping the 1pt bonus so 6/10.

       PS: I do like they are accurate with Lincoln scoring a safety, though.

 More after jump

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Scooby Doo 50: Scappy-Mania

Scooby Doo 50 


          In the late 70's audiences may have been tired of "Scooby Doo" , the original series came out in 1969 and  the company that made the show decided the best thing to do with success was .... make shows like it and more Scooby Doo.   With the ratings needing a boost they did what  many shows have done, add a new character.

           There are people who criticize a show with a formula because it has a formula, that's slightly unfair, having a formula isn't a bad thing it's the execution of the formula and the story around it that makes it work. Scooby , of course, had one and it worked for the show , but after a while it did grow a little boring and idea starved. 

     So in 1979,  Hanna and Barbera being the  geniuses they were introduced a new Scooby series, that being "Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo"




    The intro of the series tells you everything you need to know about how this series was going to be  in full. Remember Freddy, Velma, and Daphne? Well, are of no use so, they are background characters , Shaggy still has some use but this series is all about Scrappy and Scooby.  Now, to be fair the most popular character of Scooby-Doo would be Scooby, then maybe Shaggy as they seemed to be the only characters with at least some personalities to them.  Could the writing people have done a better job at making them characters ? Yes, but this is 1979 and networks don't care. 

    The format had stayed there with them going somewhere and ending up finding a mystery , it's a guy in a mask, but now we have Scrappy to be the more rambunctious ready to go and fight. character. If the goal was to save the series, well it did, it worked.

   "Scooby" wasn't high brow cartoon, it wasn't what Disney makes for TV today like "Gravity Falls"or Cartoon Network does with "Gumball" it's not about cleaver writing , deep lore, or whatever it's a fun little series that had a premise and got far with it.  This series lasted the standard +3  with 16 episodes. 

     At the time, Scrappy proved be a great character for the show, and gave it something that the audience at the time wanted.  Diverting but using an analogy, do you remember that segment from one of "The Simpsons" halloween episodes where there's a  monkey paw that grants wishes and they make a joke about the over saturation of "The Simpsons", especially Bart? That's what happened here it's like if the people at Nick decided the best part of "Spongebob" was Gary and made him the main focus of the show and got rid of everyone else but Spongebob and Gary. 

    In 1980 season, that's what they did : Fred, Velma, and Daphne would be kicked the curb. The was a new format focused more on comedy and put into shorter bites inside of one episode stories.  They had 3 seven-minutes shorts instead. 

       This was featured part of another thing Hanna and Barbera liked doing at the time: package shows in this case the "The Richie Rich and Scooby Doo Show"  Where they aired the 3 Scooby shorts intertwined with three Richie Rich shorts.  So now it was Shaggy with the Mystery Machine , then Scooby and Scrappy with him. This would be the first Scooby series where they had more real life spooks instead of person in costume, again cutting down on the time with more on running scenes and goofiness.

   The shorts lasted up to 99 shorts. In 1983, they let Scooby Doo be a stand alone series again and brought back Daphne. This series was "The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show".   They also brought back the classic mystery solving with the guise of Shaggy and Daphne being reporters for a teen magazine.  They didn't go back to one story per episdode, the went with two eleven minute stories.  In season 2, we found out that  Fred and Velma weren't killed off by the revenge of one of the people they exposed because they show up as "guest stars" in a few episodes.

More after the jump