The Lookback : Arthur 25: Seasons 1 and 2 Arthur Accused/ The Short , Quick Summer

Arthur PBS The Flashback

            This year, 2021, marks the 25th anniversary of the PBS series "Arthur". Back in 2016 on this blog we did a series of posts celebrating the 20th anniversary   and now it's time to do the same for the 25th.   

"Arthur" first premiered on October  7, 1996 and has been on the air ever sense, at least as of this writing. Anyway, back in 2016 we did a series of posts and these were based off episodes of Arthur using a randomizer. It picked one segment from each episode since most of the episodes are 2 segments; this also meant that we have pairing segments that didn't get picked, so this project will start with picking episodes that were paired with the episodes we did back in 2016.  Also since 2016 there's been a few more seasons added on so, we will have to do those present those a different.

     First off, we start with Season 1, this season is the largest season of the series with 30 episodes or 60 segments. We are looking at Season 1; episode 6b, which is "Arthur Accused". It was paired with the season 1 episode we wrote about in 2016 for Arthur 20: "Locked in the Library" .  

      Since most episodes start with a monologue or a cold open I will describe that segment then do the rest of the episode.  

Pictured: Arthur being accused of murdering Buster/ Copyright WGBH 

         The Cold Open:  Buster Baxter introduces the episode as a private detective starting with a story about Arthur who is in detention and a mob is coming to the door, but Buster says we have to wait as he going back to the beginning. 

     

        The episode:  Buster narrates and the episode introduces Arthur doing some fundraising to buy a puppy for the fire department. (An interestingly random cause) The donations are in quarters (the best currency) and  Buster is dressed up as a detective.  Arthur has to drop the quarters off at Mrs. MacGrady's lunchroom since she's in charge of this whole thing. The woman seems busy on the phone so, he just leaves the quarters there.  (Arthur makes you feel like when your mom is on the phone and won't pay attention.)  Arthur and Buster goes to the arcade with Buster's Mom. Arthur hits the high score on a game. 

   The next day,  Mr. Haney, the principal, reminds Arthur to drop off  the quarters to Mrs. McGrady, which is confusing we just saw him do that yesterday. (With our own peepers we did)  Buster starts to mention that Arthur won a high score yesterday and principal thinks Arthur stole the quarters. If the money doesn't show up he'll not be allowed to picnic and have a week of detention. Buster decides to use his detective self to be on the case.

    

       Buster goes to question Mrs. McGrady  and she tells him that didn't anyone but Mr. Morris, the janitor was there. He was there to clean up some brownie mess. Buster goes to see him and gets answers mentioning the brownie mix mishap.  Buster decides to check out Arthur's home and D.W defends Arthur, kind of. (That's cool)  It wasn't looking good for ole' Arthur. 

Sadly in real life, you can't do this, you will probably die / Copyright WGBH 

      Buster  goes through his suspects list. Buster being Buster thinks that robots stole the quarters, because he's buster. (Oh no)   So yes, Arthur can't go to the school picnic, and Buster still wonders where the answer and he gets an idea.  The overflowing brownie mix.  This makes him figure out that quarters were in brownies!  The quarters didn't fit, Arthur must be acquitted. Now back to the mob, they came to get Arthur.... and take him to the picnic. (And not boil him in hot oil) 

          A fun episode giving Buster the lead role. I liked the little clues in the episode to make you think what happened.  Though the episode made sure we knew already that Arthur had given the quarters to Mrs. McGrady, so we just had to figure out what happened to them. Buster brings his humor as well and I love the image he had of Arthur Scrooge McDucking the quarters and the robot taking the quarters.   

 More after the jump

It Was Not Your Network, It was My Network, My Network TV

My Network TV 

   January 2006.  The start of the year meant a new company had kind of just popped in the media world. That being, Viacom.  That's a weird thing to say, but in 2005, Viacom and CBS broke up, a marriage they felt was a failure. (They still had the same arching major shareholder though.)  CBS Corp was the old Viacom, the new Viacom took the cable assets.  There's one asset that was created by the old Viacom, that would be UPN.  UPN had turned turned 10 in 2005, it made it!  

   

  UPN had a competitor, the WB network, owned primarily by Time Warner.  In the world of pie (stay with me)  network TV was 6 major slices. (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, UPN, the WB) But now let's pretend that pie wasn't cut in equal shares, because it's not, and some have the bigger slices. (ABC, CBS,NBC, and even FOX) So two have to fight over the remaining smaller slices, well, why not combine two smaller pieces into one bigger piece. (This analogy is weird.)   That was the idea of the announcement on January 24, 2006.  CBS and Warner announced that they were shutting down their networks and working together on a new network called The CW (CBS -Warner)  The media called it a merger but it was more a combing of resources and making a subsidiary company/network.   

  

          The idea was that UPN and WB were fighting each other, plus cable, plus other broadcast networks, so instead of fighting each other they join together like a World War and fight the others.  Then, it became a gym class, where shows with the better perceived strength would get line up and the rest would be cast into the sea of sadness. Also the stronger stations , since WB and UPN, in most markets were on two different stations, why not put your network on the stronger station? (There's more that soon)  I grew up in an area that had no CW station on broadcast TV, it was piped in on cable from the nearby city (Denver), we had a UPN station that launched in 1999.  (KXTU)  The CW ended up on that UPN station meaning the people without cable could now watch the final season of "7th Heaven". (oh) 

          Let's go back to the WB, back when it launched, Warner didn't own any broadcast stations at all. Most networks have a core of stations owned by themselves, (Owned and Operated Stations or O&O's) Viacom and Chris Craft had this for UPN in the early days (more on that soon). Most networks have owned stations in the top major markets: New York , Los Angeles, and Chicago. This is a heritage thing but also a core for the biggest audiences of the three biggest time zones in the US.  The WB had to make an agreement with Tribune Broadcasting to distribute their network on their stations which included : WPIX-11 New York, KTLA-5 Los Angeles,  and WGN -9 Chicago, plus other stations.   They were the key stations for the WB. WGN's cable feed aired WB from 1995-1999 for those that didn't have a station.   Meanwhile, UPN didn't have that problem at the start.  In New York and LA Chris Craft owned WWOR- AND KCOP ,plus few other stations, but Viacom, the other UPN parent company owned stations  as well. 

  

  In 1999, Viacom wanted to own CBS, after that , thanks to new rules where you have duopolies (two stations owned by the same company in the same market) in many markets with other rules applied. Viacom also made an ultimatum with Chris Craft: Buy UPN fully or sell it to us.  Chris Craft decided to sue and try and stop the Viacom purchase of CBS. This didn't work.  C.C couldn't find someone who wanted to run UPN with them so they sold to Viacom. But wait the stations? C.C owned those and found a different buyer: FOX.    

   

          Either C.C wasn't intentionally going to sell them, Viacom didn't think to buy them, or this was a power spite move they sold these stations like KCOP, WWOR, KUTP (but not KTVX or KMOL) to FOX  (Viacom did end up getting what is now KBCW-TV, so? Victory?)  This means that a company that owns a broadcast network owns affiliates of a network owned by someone else. (FOX later also bought WPWR-TV in Chicago from Newsweb, this was also a UPN station). By default, the largest owned station in UPN from the parent company was market 4, Philadelphia's  WPSG-TV.

      Any speculation that FOX would just up and kill UPN's reach did not happen. In 2003, they renewed the contract with UPN for 4 more years (source)   which math is a sign here.

  

   This is the story of My Network TV. When the CW was announced an automatic agreement with Tribune landed the top 3 markets plus many others (like Denver)  to a 10-year agreement with the CW.(Bold to assume that 10 years later the CW would exist, I mean yeah it did but, bold)  This meant that the CW while, not owning their own stations in these markets did have some stable footing for 10 years.  In markets where CBS owned the UPN station they ended up with the CW, except in Boston and Miami, while Tribune's WB stations ended up with the CW, except in Philadelphia and  Seattle.   Hold on, what about FOX?  Apparently, that 4 year agreement with UPN could be voided if no UPN existed (guy taps forehead).  They were left out in the cold.  FOX took this not well. Most of the FOX UPN stations were branded as UPN Number and maybe UPN (City name)  like WWOR was UPN 9. Quickly FOX removed all references to UPN on their stations WWOR's logo was cut to a "9" the UPN box removed.  UPN was dead to them.

         It wasn't just UPN stations owned by FOX many UPN and WB around the country were going to be left network-less. The idea was maybe they would go back to be indepdent stations. (KTXA in Dallas actually did)  FOX had another idea.  

 

           February 22, 2006.  My Network TV. The name is kind of stupid, but can't throw stones at it too much.  Around this time, Myspace had taken off as a big social media site and Newscorp (then owners of FOX) had bought it. This network's name is from that idea, maybe.  ( https://www.nexttv.com/news/news-corp-unveils-my-network-tv-78935)   Makes it feel personal, like hey look CBS isn't your network, we are?! Don't  touch! 

  

        So, you got you a network? That doesn't impress me much, you have to air stuff.  They were going to use UPN's 10 hours, 2 hours a night, 5 nights a week format then add one  more night for Saturday. (The former UPN stations  would lose a weekend night of couple hour's syndication, while the former WB stations would be getting Sunday night back in exchange)  It doesn't seem FOX just randomly got mad that the CW was announced and also iced them out, because they had plans for syndication version of English language telenovelas. 

  

           Paul Buccieri,  the head of Twentith television (the then FOX owned syndication studio) thought that maybe audiences wanted soap programming but telenovela styled formats but in English for those who might not speak Spanish.  This is around the same era where a new network soap hadn't been launched since 1999. The idea was to syndicate them which was bold one, as first-run scripted shows on syndication as a market were wavering and especially programming that would require stations to clear 1 hour of time to air them. 

More after the Jump

CBS This Morning to become CBS Mornings

CBS TV News 

        

       CBS announced Tuesday that their current breakfast time show CBS This Morning will be rebranded as CBS Mornings from Tuesday, September 7th.  This coincides with other changes to the program including a new studio and co-host. 

  

           CBS Mornings  is said to be continuing the mission CBS This Morning had to be a more news-based morning show versus it's NBC and CBS rivals.  They want to expand featuring reporting during the 2nd hour (8am) with things news, sports, etc , and notably culture pieces with now former co-host, Anthony Mason. 

  

           A  big change will also be a change of location, CBS will be doing their morning show from Times Square, the former home of  MTV's Total Request Live , the studio was used by CBS during the 2020 election.  The current studio was launched with this morning show in 2012, after a move from 5th Avenue. 

   

     Another change will be a new co-host joining Gayle King, the only of the original CBS This Morning Trio from 2012 to still be on the show, and Tony Dokoupil will be  Nate Burelson.  CBS This Morning Saturday, will be rebranded as CBS Saturday Morning will still have  Jeff Glor, Dana Jacobson, and Michelle Miller as hosts, and CBS Sunday Morning will continue as is with Jane Pauley. 

    

       A preview was played on the program seems to indicate the show will be taking an influence from the popular Sunday series on CBS, which unlike CTM on weekdays is #1 in ratings against ABC and NBC. 

     This is many in a long list of names and morning shows for CBS going back to the early days in 1950's. CBS has used  The Morning Show, Good Morning! , The CBS Morning News, Morning (which ironically they seem be harkening back to with this move), The CBS Morning News, The Morning Program, CBS This Morning (The old one) , The Early Show, CBS This Morning (the current one). 

       While CBS This Morning has seen some good ratings days  , it's still the third place show out of three and CBS wants to try and not be, morning shows have become the main core of the main 3 networks' focus as a way to make sure viewers still tune in and get the sweet ad money. These are the money making shows and with ratings down across the three they are trying to stick something to hope it works.   (Plus, they have more competition with cable news channels  and local stations that have local news past 7 AM that  in much of the country are local and live when the network shows are taped delayed out side the east coast as an more attractive option.)  

    

             CBS always seems to be trying to reinvent their morning shows with name changes, format changes, and staff changes.  (Gayle King as seemingly taken the Harry Smith role of being a constant while chair shuffle around her) Hoping that something will stick, their morning is somewhat more enjoyable than Today and GMA to me,  it's good they did try a different option that just being GMA/Today 3 , and it seems they want to stick with that while hoping a new name and look will do something. Will it? I don't know, maybe they'll change the name in a few years ago, and the Early Show is back or something. 

   Anyway, Press Release after the Jump , the new "CBS Mornings" starts September 7th on CBS at 7AM (in most time zones) 

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2021 Programming Announced

Freeform Halloween 

                 

        Freeform has released their schedule for their annual "31 Nights of Halloween" programming. which starts  Friday, October 1st. 

             This year, Freeform is adding "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" , "Fright Night" (2011), "Jaws", "Cowboys & Aliens"  and "Men in Black II" 

    

WEEK OF OCTOBER 1

Friday, Oct. 1

2:30p/1:30c - Casper (1995)

5p/4c - The Addams Family (1991)

7p/6c - Addams Family Values

9p/8c - Hocus Pocus

Saturday, Oct. 2

7a/6c - The Goonies

9:35a/8:35c - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

12:15p/11:15c - Casper (1995)

2:45p/1:45c - The Addams Family (1991)

4:50p/3:50c - Addams Family Values

6:55p/5:55c - Disney and Pixar's Monsters, Inc.

9p/8c - Disney and Pixar's Monsters University

11:30p/10:30c - Ghostbusters (1984)

Sunday, Oct. 3

7a/6c - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

8:40a/7:40c - Ghostbusters (1984)

11:10a/10:10c - Matilda

1:15p/12:15c - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

2:55p/1:55c - Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

4:35p/3:35c - Hocus Pocus

6:45p/5:45c - Maleficent

8:50p/7:50c - Freeform Premiere Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 

11:30p/10:30c - The Craft (1996)

WEEK OF OCTOBER 4

Monday, Oct. 4

12:30p/11:30c - Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic

1:30p/12:30c - The Goonies

4p/3c - Matilda

6p/5c - The Craft (1996)

8:30p/7:30c - Freeform Premiere Fright Night (2011) 

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Tuesday, Oct. 5

10:30a/9:30c - Matilda

12:30p/11:30c - Casper (1995)

3p/2c - Shrek

5p/4c - Shrek 2

7p/6c - Shrek Forever After

9p/8c - Hocus Pocus

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Wednesday, Oct. 6

10:30a/9:30c - Casper (1995)

12:30p/11:30c - Shrek

2:30p/1:30c - Shrek 2

4:30p/3:30c - Shrek Forever After

6:30p/5:30c - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

8-11p / 7-10c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Thursday, Oct. 7

11:30a/10:30c - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

1:30p/12:30c - Halloweentown

3:30p/2:30c - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

6p/5c - Ghostbusters (1984)

8:30p/7:30c - Ghostbusters II

12a/11c - Freeform Premiere Jaws 3

Friday, Oct. 8

10:30a/9:30c - Ghostbusters (1984)

9-11p/8-10c - Family Guy - Halloween Episodes

12a/11c - Frankenweenie (2012)

Saturday, Oct. 9

9:10a/8:10c - Shrek

11:15a/10:15c - Shrek 2

1:20p/12:20c - Shrek Forever After

3:25p/2:25c - Hotel Transylvania 2

5:30p/4:30c - Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

7:40p/6:40c - Hocus Pocus

9:50p/8:50c - The Addams Family (1991)

11:55p/10:55c - Addams Family Values

Sunday, Oct. 10

7a/6c - Shrek

9:05a/8:05c - Shrek 2

11:10a/10:10c - Shrek Forever After

1:15p/12:15c - Hotel Transylvania 2

3:20p/2:20c - Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

5:30p/4:30c - Hocus Pocus

7:40p/6:40c - The Addams Family (1991)

9:45p/8:45c - Addams Family Values

11:50p/10:50c - Casper (1995)

WEEK OF OCTOBER 11

Monday, Oct. 11

11:30a/10:30c - Freeform Premiere Jaws

2:30p/1:30c - Freeform Premiere Jaws 2

5:05p/4:05c - Alien

7:45p/6:45c - Aliens

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Tuesday, Oct. 12

3p/2c - Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic

4p/3c - Casper (1995)

6:30p/5:30c - Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

8p/7c - Mrs. Doubtfire

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Wednesday, Oct. 13

12:30p/11:30c - Casper (1995)

3p/2c - Halloweentown

5p/4c - Mrs. Doubtfire

8-11p / 7-10c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Thursday, Oct. 14

1p/12c - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

3:30p/2:30c - Hook

6:45p/5:45c - Matilda

8:50p/7:50c - Hocus Pocus

Friday, Oct. 15

11a/10c - Matilda

9-11p / 8-10c - Family Guy - Halloween Episodes

Saturday, Oct. 16

7a/6c - Ghostbusters (1984)

9:30a/8:30c - Ghostbusters II

12p/11c - Mrs. Doubtfire

3:05p/2:05c - Men in Black (1997)

5:15p/4:15c - Freeform Premiere Men in Black II

7:15p/6:15c - Hocus Pocus

9:25p/8:25c - Maleficent

11:30p/10:30c - Freeform Premiere The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Sunday, Oct. 17

7:30a/6:30c - Mrs. Doubtfire

10:30a/9:30c - Men in Black (1997)

12:40p/11:40c - Men in Black II

2:40p/1:40c - The House with a Clock in Its Walls

5:10p/4:10c - Hocus Pocus

7:20p/6:20c - Hotel Transylvania 2

9:25p/8:25c - Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

11:35p/10:35c - Disney and Pixar's Toy Story of TERROR!

12:05a/11:05c - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

WEEK OF OCTOBER 18

Monday, Oct. 18

2p/1c - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

4p/3c - Disney and Pixar's Toy Story of TERROR!

4:30p/3:30c - Hotel Transylvania 2

6:30p/5:30c - Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

8:30p/7:30c - Casper (1995)

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Tuesday, Oct. 19

12:30p/11:30c - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

3:40p/2:40c - X-Men: First Class

6:50p/5:50c - Men in Black (1997)

9p/8c - Men in Black II

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Wednesday, Oct. 20

10:30a/9:30c - X-Men: First Class

1:30p/12:30c - Freeform Premiere Cowboys & Aliens

4p/3c - Men in Black (1997)

6p/5c - Men in Black II

8-11p / 7-10c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Thursday, Oct. 21

1p/12c - The Perfect Storm

4p/3c - The Craft (1996)

6:30p/5:30c - Freeform Premiere The Huntsman: Winter's War

9p/8c - Maleficent

Friday, Oct. 22

10:30a/9:30c - The Craft (1996)

9-11p / 8-10c - Family Guy - Halloween Episodes

12a/11c - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Saturday, Oct. 23

7a/6c - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

9:30a/8:30c - Casper (1995)

11:50a/10:50c - Shrek

1:55p/12:55c - Shrek 2

4p/3c - Halloweentown

6:05p/5:05c - Hocus Pocus

8:15p/7:15c - Ghostbusters (2016)

11:30p/10:30c - Fright Night (2011)

Sunday, Oct. 24

7a/6c - Casper (1995)

9:30a/8:30c - Shrek

11:40a/10:40c - Shrek 2

1:45p/12:45c - Halloweentown

3:50p/2:50c - Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

5:30p/4:30c - Ghostbusters (2016)

8:45p/7:45c - Hocus Pocus

10:55p/9:55c - Mrs. Doubtfire

WEEK OF OCTOBER 25

Monday, Oct. 25

1p/12c - Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic

2p/1c - The Goonies

4:30p/3:30c - Scared Shrekless

5p/4c - Shrek

7p/6c - Shrek 2

9p/8c - Shrek Forever After

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Tuesday, Oct. 26

12p/11c - The Goonies

2:30p/1:30c - Scared Shrekless

3p/2c - Shrek

5p/4c - Shrek 2

7p/6c - Shrek Forever After

9p/8c - Maleficent

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Wednesday, Oct. 27

1p/12c - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

3:30p/2:30c - Casper (1995)

6p/5c - Matilda

8-11p / 7-10c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

12-2a / 11-1c - The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror-thon

Thursday, Oct. 28

11:30a/10:30c - Casper (1995)

2p/1c - Matilda

4p/3c - Ghostbusters (1984)

6:30p/5:30c - The Craft (1996)

9p/8c - Hocus Pocus

12a/11c - Frankenweenie (2012)

Friday, Oct. 29

12:30p/11:30c - Men in Black (1997)

9-11p / 8-10c - Family Guy - Halloween Episodes

12a/11c - Men in Black II

Saturday, Oct. 30

7a/6c - Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic

8a/7c - Ghostbusters (1984)

10:30a/9:30c - Men in Black (1997)

12:35p/11:35c - Men in Black II

2:35p/1:35c - Goosebumps (2015)

5:05p/4:05c - Freeform Premiere Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

7:10p/6:10c - Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

8:50p/7:50c - Hocus Pocus

11p/10c - Freeform Premiere Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Sunday, Oct. 31

7a/6c - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

10a/9c - Goosebumps (2015)

12:30p/11:30c - Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

2:35p/1:35c - Hocus Pocus

4:45p/3:45c - Casper (1995)

7:15p/6:15c - Maleficent

9:20p/8:20c - Hocus Pocus

11:30p/10:30c - Ghostbusters (1984)

Press Release after the Jump 

A Post About Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown: Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown

Peanuts 

            After a long debate that caused 402 injuries and 3 wars, and somebody to lose a tooth, we are doing this blog post. What is it? Well, this time we are doing a post about something Peanuts related (there's no way that caused that much problems, this place is very much doing Peanuts stuff)  about a graphic novel ( that's it bring in the tanks!). So why? Well this graphic novel that came out this year, 2021 AD, is based off storyboards for a special that went unproduced (yet, they made It was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown, this world is sad) that was maybe called "Will Ye No Come Back Again, Charlie Brown?"  I say maybe because we don't know if it was ever going to have a different name and that was a developmental name. The graphic novel is called "Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown". 

  

      The graphic novel was written by Jason Cooper, the art was done by Robert Pope and Hannah White. The idea was to take some of the original storyboards and make a story out of them. Let's take a look at this undone special now. 

        It starts with Franklin visiting Lucy's  booth which is something we really don't see much, and interaction is funny and leads into the plot of Charlie Brown who has a pen pal, something we see in the strips, and he's exited it's from his Scottish Pen Pal from Scotland, Morag.   (Fun fact: Morag is a Gaelic name meaning great; the story mentions that it's the Gaelic equivalent  of Sarah)  Charlie Brown being Charlie Brown has fallen smitten with her. While the story is based off story boards the writer put his own work into this story and Cooper did a great job capturing the Peanuts character's characterizations. Anyway, in the letter Morag mentions that in a few months there's an annual international arts and music festival and that it would be fun to see him come some time. Charlie Brown being Charlie Brown takes that as he should go right now. 

  

           Charlie decides he wants to go so he has to make money and starts with a car wash. This turns into a bike, roller skate, etc wash.  It's kind of cool to see Charlie Brown's optimism and never give up sprit work through this arc as he tries to figure out ways to get money to go to Scotland; after Lucy gives him an idea, he inspires Lucy, Schroder, and Linus to help him and encourages them to come with him. Lucy with golf at St. Andrews,  Schroder playing at the festival, and Linus apparently is interested in the Loch Ness Monster because Great Pumpkin.  (what?)  Also Charlie Brown is trying to write a poem to preform.

        Since the story is called "Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown" and not "Charlie Brown doesn't make it Scotland, after failing a few times" he and his friends made enough money to fly on an airplane to Scotland. This being Charlie Brown we need something to bring his high down slightly, on the airplane he opens his latest pen pal message from Morag and finds out that she won't be there because she's in Mexico City, visiting a different pen pal of her thirty pen pals. (30? My writing hand is tried) 

      Anyway, at the airport in the great city of Edinburgh, there's a girl holding a sign that says "Charles Brown" (I like how a) Lucy mentions when Morag wrote to him as just Charlie and this girl as Charles, as they aren't getting his name right, and b) it's the same thing Marcie calls him) Anyway this girl is Nell, her family is hosting the Peanuts gang. 

         Nell is fun character to be introduced, the Scottish girl has a nice optimistic attitude to her. In the interview about the novel (that's included in the novel) the original storyboards were going to have a love triangle thing with Linus/Nell/ Charlie but Cooper decided to not have that in the story and I'm glad he didn't go with the love triangle thing.   Since this is a story in Scotland, let's talk about Scotland in the book. I like that how they depict the Edinburgh airport's distinct tower,  and the welcome sign those were nice touches. 

      Back to Nell, she provides a way for the Peanuts characters which are in a nice paired down basic amount of characters ,including Snoopy, to get to know things around Scotland and the festival plot line as well. She also provides a nice balance to the cast, by helping Charlie Brown when plans don't go the way he was expecting. She doesn't seem to mind Linus' odd quirks, even gets on well with Lucy.  There are some nice hints of Nell and Charlie Brown crushing splashed in. 

   

                   "Life's not really about what you wish were happening. It's about what  is happening.--Nell

                  We get to meet Nell's family's farm with Coos, which are like hairy cows. I like how Lucy takes  a liking to the creatures, it shows her sentimental side that's not seen too much and I'm glad they had that in this story.  There are some fun jokes and gags that'd you expect in Peanuts, but I'm happy the didn't do a football gag or something we'd expect.  

            

                   They go to different things like Lucy's golfing at St. Andrews (Peanuts characters have that power to visit exclusive golf clubs), then seeking out Loch Ness Monster.  There's a sweet moment of them thanking Charlie Brown for the fun trip, before something goes wrong, weirdly it's a Linus reason not a Charlie Brown reason. Linus thinks he saw the monster and gets too excited and cause the boat to fall over.  They are safe, but Schroder's piano is ruined.   He feels stressed about using a real piano for the show but he gets some encouragement thanks to Lucy  which provides another great moment. 

               

                    Charlie Brown who has been very confident this whole thing is up next, and he presents his poem (he's even wearing a kilt) and finds a creative way to present his poem to make it work out for him and the audience. It was creative and a cool tie in from an earlier scene. 

                 The story ends with Charlie Brown back at home writing to Nell,  and now I want a sequel.

    The art work is befitting a Peanuts media. The coloring and shade allow things to pop out well and provide a nice feeling of warmth when needed. There's also the classic feeling of Peanuts Sunday comics (since it's in color) with the simple backgrounds, but the detailed stuff is well done. The character expressions are well done and bring out their emotions.

               "Scotland Bound" is a great novel, I kind of would love to see it be animated as a special, it's a great story  and a fun ride. 

  This was pretty fun to read, and I'm kind of sad that it wasn't a special, maybe they should get on that. There's some good stuff with Scotland in it with out it feeling stereotypical , minus Loch Ness monster stuff, but you know.  It's all the great fun of Peanuts well told in a  great story. 

   That's it for now, tune in next time when the Peanuts go to Wales.  

 

 

I don't know, but MTV is 40 years old

One Shot Posts  MTV 

     I think that early cable is one the most interesting things in television history besides early television itself.  Streaming hasn't really interested me as much it's movement from interesting to novelty to weird cash grab as accelerated in a way I wasn't expecting and honestly it feels too over the top. That's not the post.  Early cable had the idea of "What the heck are we really doing here?" I mean you had space for different ideas that really (back then) couldn't work as an over the air station and you also had less  restriction from the government over board than you did on OTA. 

        On Saturday, August 1, 1981, MTV: Music Television.  It's kind of weird that people out there wouldn't know that MTV ever meant  Music Television or why the heck MTV airs a yearly Video Music Award show. That's because MTV has long gone off their original focus.  Launched by Warner and American Express (Warner Amex) the idea was the concept of a radio station but you could also see it being done with your face and eyes. A total assault of the scenes.   

      Radio has (had before...that's a different story) Disc Jockeys, MTV has Video Jockeys.  They played music videos because this is television and watching music videos is probably the  only way listening to music on TV could at least be entertaining. They played them 24/7  like at 3:49AM on July 9th, 1992, you could turn on your TV and see them playing a music video.

            Single concept channels were made for cable. Back in 1979, someone somewhere said "I'm tired of not being able to watch sports on a Tuesday afternoon in November" and ESPN was launched. (Though most of ESPN is actually people balthering than live sports you get the idea)  Warner had made an all children's channel so now  local UHF channel 57 could be slowly killed off by cable TV in fun ways, and kids could watch programming on  a sick day at 11:35AM instead of watching "The Price is Right".  In 1980, Ted Turner decided that society needed a 24/7 news channel ( I wonder if he regrets this since the news channels seem to do less of that)   So a radio station but TV is also an idea. 

       MTV launched at Midnight Eastern Daylight Time (since it was August) on August 1, 1981 with the 1979 hit song by The Buggles , "Video Killed the Radio Star"  Ironically a song about the change,  between the idea of people listening around the radio for programming and now watching it on TV.  MTV didn't kill music radio because well TV wasn't portable, but that wasn't it's purpose, it still was a change to television in the era of change.   (Funfact: The song/video came out 2 years prior to MTV) 

The future you want ?  

        

         MTV was originally styled like a rock station but instead of radio it's on TV.   They had big ideas they knew they were a big new idea, they introduced their channel as a rocket launching into space, landing into space with astronauts planting the MTV flag in the moon.  MTV's design was put together by Alan Goodman and Fred Seibert and you should thanks these two legends for many things.  If you were a Nickelodeon kid, they are part of that so much that it wouldn't even really have made it without them (them and Geraldine Laybourne)  One of the big things about radio back then was the jingles and presentation they made cable presentation and television presentation different than it ever had been before. 

MTV was in someone's loft? 

 

        That's the idea, MTV was an innovator. I'm not doing a history of MTV post, I really would have to use tons of documents and really be repeating stuff found in other places. MTV is essentially part of television because of it's core, it's still on the air now. Maybe sadly. MTV now is mostly there just on the cable system, withering.  

  

           MTV was built to be the NOW channel, a channel that tapped into the current trends, it had some bumps but made it. I'm sure if the internet was there in 1994 the way it is now, you'd have people complaining about how MTV playing the current video is nothing like the MTV they were growing up with in 1984. That's how things are really, the ages of time. I know the complaint now is that MTV doesn't play music videos  and really if they did tomorrow, they wouldn't play ones you remember MTV Classic does though. The school of common thought now is that MTV playing  music videos would  be like well a radio station airing dramas in 1980. (Look at that) 

               Since the marketing genius who said "cable is dying"got their phrase into the common lexicon it seems that maybe it is, whatever that means.  People have been told that newspaper and radio have been dying for decades. (It changes and morphs might be more suitable) Music videos are probably not really a business to have on TV anymore in the current state. Music Videos were like marketing, MTV helped sales of records, like radio used to as well. 

           I remember a Disney Channel Original Movie starting where the main characters were running to the TV set to see a new music video premiere. A perfect snapshot of society at that moment of time for teens at the time, you didn't know when they were going to show it again. Now you can see it on Youtube. (Ironic you can find many of the old MTV music videos there too)  In a strange way, streaming killed music videos on TV before it was called streaming. 

          Now if you look deep in your cable line up, if you have that, you'll see channels that run music videos still, I'm not sure who's watching Nick Music or CMT Music but run on little channels, run on!   MTV later gave society some reality shows, I mean everyone was doing it, so why not? MTV has lessened up on that even because the target audience they've always wanted probably doesn't even know where they are on the line up if they have cable in the first. Now they've found other things to air multiple hours a day. 

More after the jump

Fox Releases Fall Premiere Dates

FOX TVLookFall2021  Primetime 

     FOX has released their fall primetime premiere dates. They are sticking with a tradition premiere week format.  The only thing that will start out of premiere week will the start of the final season of Thursday Night Football on FOX.   Here's the premiere dates, all times ET/PT unless otherwise noted. 

      Monday, September 20 

  8pm 9-1-1 (Season 5 Premiere) 

  9pm The Big Leap (Series Premiere) 

      Tuesday, September 21 

  8pm  The Resident (Season 5 Premiere) 

   9pm  Our Kind of People  (series Premiere) 

   Wednesday, September 22 

  8pm  The Masked Singer (Season 6 Premiere) 

  9pm   Alter Ego (Series Premiere) 

  

    Thursday, September 23 

  8pm  The Masked Singer (Season premiere, part 2) 

  9pm  Alter Ego (Series premiere, part 2)

   Fridays (ongoing) 

8pm  Friday Night SmackDown

  Saturdays (on going) 

7pm  Fox Sports Saturday 

Sunday, September 26

8pm The Simpsons (Season 33 Premiere) 

8:30  The Great North  (Season 2 Premiere) 

9pm  Bob's Burgers  ( Season 12 Premiere) 

9:30pm Family Guy (Season 19 Premiere) 

Thursdays  (Beginning October 7 ) 

8pm/5pt  Thursday Night Football 

Press Release after the Jump

Into the Twilight: Evergreen

The Twilight Zone  The Flashback

           We've not looked at an episode of the 2002 Twilight Zone series since 2016, with a look at a sequel episode of the 1959 series "It's a Good Life", we are back with a look at the 2002 series that ran one season on UPN (America's favorite network!.  So anyway, the best way to look at this is why not start from the very first episode? That's right, "Evergreen". 

           The episode starts with a family moving into a new gated community and the episode is focused on  a teenager who has dyed hair, nose ring and stuff that was to scare early 2000's parents. The father, Mr. Winslow, is annoyed with his older daughter and feels that she needs to not act this way.  There's also a noticeable look to the neighborhood where the kids are in uniforms for example.  (It's going to be one of those episodes huh?)     

I don't even know/ Copyright Paramount 

        It's morning and the girl notices that her nose ring is gone, her hairs is not dyed, her tattoos are gone  (Usually those don't go away overnight, ) her CD's are gone too, anyway she's angry and yells at her parents and her sister had to take out her earrings. The head of the homeowners' association is at the house and tells Jenna, the girl, that her parents gave up almost everything for them to be there. (Which I think how most terms of service go for things too) The idea is to have them be in a safe world. 

The true moral is that homeowners'  associations are bad/ Copyright Paramount 

        Jenna thinks about running away, but a boy from the neighborhood, named Logan tells her it's hard to get away. (Maybe it's a trick, it might be a trick, I think it might be a trick)  Later on, she's outside and waiting for Logan and sees that he was taken away and zapped. The next day, they tell her he attacked a security guard with a hunting knife.  Jenna is suspicious about this place when she founds out the military school they threaten kids with doesn't exist.  Logan is seen again being sent on a truck that says ARCADIA on the front. There's also a meeting that was going on at the same time where I think they decide that kids die when they aren't conforming to their system. 

       Jenna runs home and tells her sister, Jules, that what she saw and that's she leaving, and later tells her sister where's going to be and later the sister turns her in and she gets put into an ARCADIA truck. 

The Shot shows that Arcadia is a fertilizer company, meaning they turn bad children into fertilizer. There was a shot at the start where a family was planting a tree and crying, which was a good clue.

 

         This episode is a standard "creepy" and authoritarian  dystopia story. The thing that makes it work a little more here is that it's parents who are willing to sign away everything to have their kids conform to a perfection.  I think the other thing that gets me is the ending because of how close the sisters seemed to be, it makes it more surprising what happens.  The episode leaves good clues of what happens to those don't conform that makes a good thing to see in hindsight. 

    

      Being the first episode of a new "Twilight Zone" series it has a lot to live on and it's an alright episode.  The hard thing it has going for it is that these kind of stories aren't as new as they were in the original series time and it's hard to be really creative with it, but it does work, the twist was still a surprising one, and it works that reveal in well, the episode had some mystery to keep investment.  

      Anyway, that's it for now, tune in next time when we wonder who is our mulch.