The Lookback: ABC Weekend Special : A Different Twist

The Flashback  ABC

             Come with us to the world of  the "ABC Weekend Special" again as we dip once again into the world of ABC's historical specials series, (this or the Afterschool Special)  Today we dip into season 7, with a special I found just recently (meaning I could watch it now) and decided, eh why not?  

     This time we are taking a look at "A Different Twist" which first aired on ABC on March 10, 1984. 

     Our main character is a girl named Christi who seems to be a good singer and also there's an audition for "Oliver!" at the community playhouse.  It's being done by a movie star named Phil Grey. Christi is played by Allison Smith, who later have a role in the good sitcom "Kate and Allie" as Jennie Lowell, she's also done other roles into adulthood as well. Grey is played by Peter Gallagher, whom you might know from The OC or Covert Affairs.   

One time the credits match up and help us!  

         Christi is very interested in the idea of the play, but there's one problem: it's boys only, and she's a girl.  (Very well said, there)  Christi really wants to be in this play, and we have like 18 minutes left, so she's going to do something.  Well since she's a going to be an actress, might as well act as a boy,  so double acting. (This is a plan) 

               Christi dresses like a boy using her friend's brother's clothing, she also seemed to have cut her hair. She also made up a name of Chris. (took forever to think of that?)   She seems to have been able to come in very well, and there's of the course the boy for school named Tony and she has to make sure he doesn't figure it out.   (I wonder if he will figure it out) 

Meet our new main character , Chris 

         She also has to be careful in what she says because whoops.  There's a moment where she slips and says Phil Grey is cute and had to find away to that. Also some are suspicious about her thinking s/he a snob.  Also when a boy has a mouse, she doesn't want to hold it. (squeak!)   Also she's wearing a hat and if you remove that hat,  Tony, would figure out that it's her, even with the haircut. (It's like Clark Kent or Perry the Platypus apparently)  

Hard to tell really

  

           Phil tries to help "Chris" get over some nerves thinking that he had some nerves. Tony did help out too, and they seem to have a nice bond.  Some other boys show up and they are going to play video games, and now it's funny to hear "Oliver!" music while some kids are playing at an arcade.  There's a montage of  Christi doing "boy stuff" as well. 

In their habitat, boys challenge each other for dominance

 

                 I do have a question that runs through my mind during the scenes she's with her friend, they're still going to school right? So wouldn't someone notice her shorter hair, or uhh something? It's a thought that popped into my mind. (yes it did)  Christi also says that maybe she and Lizabeth misjudged boys and maybe they aren't as bad they thought.   Lizabeth says that Tony only likes her because he thinks she's Chris not Christi then stomps off. (why?) 

    I'm going to leave 

   

   That doesn't matter, because later Lizabeth is called by Christi because she needs a boy shirt , since she forgot one and oooh, I wonder what will happen.  Christi hides, instead of keeping her jacket on because that's how one gets found out.  Tony and couple other boys go into the same prop room where she's hiding and start faffing around, thankfully, she doesn't get found out.  She is also having doubt about doing all this and wants to quit this act. (There's also  like 3 minutes left, so we have to wrap this thing up) 

Well... I mean the play has to go on so... you can stay

         Christi decides on this the day of the dress rehearsal to reveal she is a girl.  She explains herself  and then explains that she made a mistake on prejudging boys before pretending to be one. Also Grey is impressed with this, and he asks the boys what do they think, Tony vouches for her as well and everything ends up working out in a nice little box, isn't that nice?

         It's a simple story, girl dresses like boy to get boy part , but it's not bad. I like how she learns her pre-convinced notions of boys weren't right and that she got to have fun and do stuff, and maybe the boys, though not  as much focused on, learned something too. It does feel it has to get to resolution a little too quickly near the end.

       

   I think some may find in our CURRENT TIMES (tm) that it might feel a little dated , but there is still some value to the story and there are still differences people have that understanding each other, or attempting to, is always a good timeless message.   Christi is not that much of a character to stand out, but she fills the role pretty well,  and you can see her plight. They showed her being a good singer at the start and was interested in the play, and did well in acting as a boy and as a boy who also is acting as another character, even more layers if you add in that this is an actress acting as a kid who acting as another kid to be another kid. (stop that) 

            

                 There's not much of anything I'd fine bad in this special, maybe the pacing at the end, because they wanted to fit in a music number from "Oliver!" but otherwise it was pretty well done and interesting.    

 That's it for now, tune in next time, when we dress up as Abe Lincoln and scare people as they think he's back for revenge. 

            

 

Arthur: Arthur Says Goodbye

Arthur PBS 

      

      Arthur is one of those weird constants that just kind of exists. The books began in the 1970's and then the TV series premiered in 1996. That TV series kept running and running, unlike other shows that keep running and running, and maybe because of the target audience of said series, it's not as much noticed. When this series was announced to be ending, there was different reactions, including "That was still running?"  Arthur did get in the news a few times, but it's nothing like The Simpsons  where it gets news for breathing. 

     In 2022, PBS ran the 25th and final season of the long-running WGBH series.  I do have the feeling the final few seasons were made together and just kind of  broken up and order changed because of some stuff, but that's here nor there. (Though there is proof of that too)   I've been writing blog posts about the series, shorter than I've seen the series, it's been apart of my life. My childhood love of it was stronger, but there was still a comfort to watching it.  Of any series that should be having new episodes and just keep running, in my view, besides some game shows, soaps, some news shows,  this might be one of the few that should just keep running. 

  

       I'm not really sure how "Arthur" can end in a way that is big or grand, because it's Arthur and that's not a bad thing, I'm not writing this because I think that' s a bad thing, I'm writing that in the sense, that Arthur is not a show that needs a finale in the sense that we have a long story line that needs to be wound up.  The end was coming and it was actually already made, Arthur was ending.  

       I can think of episodes that would be good conclusions for this series , like "When Duty Calls" (don't read if you don't want to be spoiled , run!) There is something like lower expectations of how to super end this series. There is also that special where they start 4th grade, which I should get to. 

  

         Back to my constant statement, the idea that it was a constant, for now, it will still rerun and maybe they'll have future Arthur stories, but there is something final about a finale (I know, what I said) it feels weird in a way, even if it's alright.  I hope I'm getting that out well.  (Also this is not the last "Arthur" post on this site )   

    

    The finale wasn't a special, it was two-standard eleven minute segments, which also helps the reruns.  This post is about them.  

But first, let's talk to more after the jump (that was awful ouch) 

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #28: The Semprini Triplets

Nickelodeon 

 Previously, me-eu [HERE]

#28 The Semprini Triplets 

Season 3, Episode 7

           

  And finally, our marathon (if you've been following through original postings) is over! We've looked at over 28 shorts already (because technically). These weren't any ranked order, just kind of going through the seasons then looping back , shorter: last but not least is The Semprini Triplets

   The Semprini Triplets was created by Pat Ventura, who  made a few shorts for "Oh Yeah" but we are focusing on the this one as it's the final new short in the series. Number 56.   The first thing you'll notice is that is is presented as a modern (of the time) version of Terry Toons, This  one is very harkening back to the old times.  There's faces on the sun and random objects.  Lots of bounce in the movements of characters and items, also there's comic strip like words and actions popping up. 

  Anyway we have three triples who are all color coded for your convenience.  There's  Malinda, the red one, Melvin, the aqua one, and Malcom in pink.   Their mom wakes  them in the car, she rewards them $5 each for mowing the lawn and they go the the amusement park.  Also, I love the voices, having a kid with a deep man voice kind of works for this. There's our guard who decides to change the price of the amusement park entry to $250 because he wants a trip to New Zealand (inflation) 

     The kids go on and he tries to stop them because he wants his full $75. So they start to mess whit him as he chases them.  You get a lot of old fashion slap stick and quick paced comedy as well.  There's acknowledgement that they're cartoon characters and of the creator that's pretty fun.  The kids end up winning  a trip New Zealand.  The guard faints, and it ends with a laugh track.  

       This is one is fun, very retro in tone and it's just there brining the fun. I enjoyed this one alot. Might have been a fun series, but I think nobody wanted a cartoon harking back to the 30's and 40's in the 1990's and early 2000's sadly, and  I guess it wasn't meant to be.  That or if it was slightly earlier, it would have been in the same time as "Animaniacs"  which kind of harkens back to classic Warner Brothers. (Though I'm sure someone would have called this a knock off if that had happened ) 

 

    Do give this one a watch, it's fun.

more after the jump for the purpose of the marathon

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #27: Kitty the Hapless Cat

Nickelodeon 

        Previously,  That's not Family Guy  [HERE]

    #27 Kitty, the Hapless Cat 

Season 1, episode 9a

    Kitty The Hapless Cat  was created by Zac Moncrief.  Tom Kenny voices Kitty  who decides to tell us life story and difficulties. Like he was adopted by an old lady  who isn't all  there and Kitty has to make sure she doesn't harm herself.  After eating her polish and dish soap sandwich he's apparently put up for adoption again. This time a family with a baby, and the baby swallows a phone and he tries to get do CPR and the parents think he's stealing the baby's breath. A weird man adopts Kitty , who apparently hasn't let his old cat go.  Now, Kitty comes back to his current spot and he's been adopted by scientists who are studying him. 

   

       It's a mixture of different things with a cat finding the weirdest owners and having to be sent back. It's simple, but humorous.  There's some fun here, Tom Kenny makes Kitty interesting.  This is one that works better as a short and not as a series.  I can't imagine watching like even 7 episodes of Kitty getting stuck in more weird homes, it would grow tiring pretty quickly. For a short , it's not bad.  

     It's another, there's not much for me to add here, type post though. Do watch it though. 

 That's it for now, tune in next time when I try to get the idea of polish and dish soap being eaten out of my head, yikes! 

Oh Yeah! Cartoon: #26 Zoo Mates

Nickelodeon  

Previously, sometimes you need to fight it out a little   [HERE]

  #26 Zoo Mates

Season 1, Episode 12b 

     Zoo Mates makes us  wonder a parallel world where there's  Nickelodeon running a series created by Seth MacFarlane and directed by Butch Hartman.    This one has a laugh track , that's right , it was filmed in front of a live-studio audience, either that or it's a laugh track.  Helen, who looks like Vicky from "Fairly Odd Parents" but with blonde hair  and voiced by Jennifer Love Hewitt who wants all the animals released from the zoo.

        The zoo director lets  Paul, an alligator,  Warren an ostrich, and Mark a polar get out of the zoo and the  to live normal lives and he'll consider shutting it down.  So yes they get their own apartment and Helen leaves them to see see if they can do it. (That's a smart idea)  The cartoon is very dialogue and slap stick heavy.  

          This of course, doesn't go well., as over night they flood the apartment then start a fire. The sprinkler comes on and they don't know how to turn it off and the flood makes a mess of the apartment and it ends up getting destroyed. 

        Helen says this is going to be harder then she thought and it ends. 

     Uh, I think this supposed to be a parody of sitcoms, hence the laugh, which is overused. There's not much interesting going on in this cartoon, just a bunch of animals and the one joke that ha animals that can talk and stuff, but they can't do human stuff that's funny somehow.    It does try to  be cutting but tame at the same time. 

   Yeah, I'm not sure it would be an interesting series unless MacFarlane changed almost every part of it to something a little more interesting.  By the time this aired though, Family Guy was on the way. and yeah. It's totally bad , it's more meh than anything.  MacFarlane and Hartman did find other better things to do, though imagine a world where they did get a series together on Nickelodeon, a lot of TV would be different, holy wow! 

      That's it for now, tune in next time, when I sue animals for messing up my apartment building. 

 

  

        

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #25 : Hubbykins vs Sweetiepie

Nickelodeon 

Previously, Ocelot  Ocelot , Ocelot   [HERE ]

 #25 Hubbykins vs. Sweetiepie

Season 1, episode 9c

            Back to Rob Renzetti , our cartoon is called Hubbykins Vs. Sweetiepie .   This one is presented dialogue free meaning the cartoon has to henge on its imagination. You do get alot of story Hubbykins is kind of a slob and Sweetie pie is  a nurse  and she also cleans up the house making her tired. 

   Essentially, that's the cartoon, she wants him to be less of slob and clean up after himself and he wants to go out and bowl.   This is like Tom and Jerry but with a husband and wife.  (That's not a sentence I expected to write)  Maybe Road runner stuff too.  This whole thing is like a send back to classic cartoons with slapstick, violence and just two contrasting characters going after each other. 

          Though unlike Tom and Jerry, Hubbykins does feel bad that there was  mess after she starts crying and he cleans up the house, well his own way.   Pretty sweet.

            There's not much to write about this in terms of the plot, but it s a fun to watch , it really has a fun energy to it .  It does feel like a love letter to old cartoons though.  This is one I don't think could have been a series, not sure if there a large audience of people who'd want to watch husband vs. wife antics in cartoon form ...on Nickelodeon.   Renzetti did get a show on Nick, I'm sure he's happier with the Robot show being the one that was picked. 

 

   Give this one a watch though, I really mean that, it's fun! 

 Tune in next time when I pitch a cartoon about a married couple  who fight each other with various weapons  to show their affection.  

      

Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #24 :Zoey's Zoo

Nickelodeon 

        Previously, positive dragon interaction is a fun idea [HERE]

 #24 Zoey's Zoo

Season 2, Episode 12b

    Zoey Zoo was created by Amy Ellyn Anderson and David Burd.    I love the theme song it's fun in its own way. Also Zoey reminds me of a mixture of Marcie from Peanuts  and Lisa Loud from The Loud House.  Zoey is a girl who a has lot of animals, and apparently her mother is like Charlotte Pickles for the not paying attention to her daughter awards. Anyway, she wants an ocelot for her "zoo"  and she keeps telling her mother that she wants to get one but the woman again isn't paying attention.

        I wish we lived in  a world where everything had their own store to easily find it.  Zoey calls Ocelot Hut and gets to order one. She wonders if it's going to be a girl one or a boy one so she calls again and doesn't clarify that she already ordered one so  I mean, the full title has the words lots of ocelots guess what happens? 

        She realizes she needs to order ocelot food, so she calls again a few times when she think up something and calls them 62 times. (uhhh) (Don't order an ocelot at home folks)  And they won't stop coming and won't stop coming.  Zoey's reaction really makes this funnier because she's  not worried about them messing up the house and bothering her sleeping father, she casually looking for the ocelot food  and wonder how she's going to feed them all. She also only named 2 of them. 

     Zoey restores order in the calmest way possible and the ocelots end up looking like house decoration and she requests to her mother , if she can have a baby brother.  And more theme song.

   

  It kind of reminds me of Peanuts mixed (mmm Peanuts mixed) with a little pre school shows where the character seems to just talk matter of factly. Zoey is the main character and she essentially has to  hold the whole thing going.  She's a charming character though. I counted , Zoey says Ocelot 29 times, 30 if you her using the genus name, and ocelot is mentioned 38 times or 39 altogether. 

   There's a fun charm to this, I think I would have had fun with it as a series, not sure how far this could  go, but it would be fun to see what animals she collects next.   I do give this a recommendation go watch it and let the theme capture you as well. 

  

That's it for tune in next time when we ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot ocelot. 

   

      

         

          

Oh Yeah! Cartoons #23 Enchanted Adventures

Nickelodeon 

 

 Previously, Be the dog that's inside you [HERE]

       #23 Enchanted Adventures 

Season 1, Episode 7c 

          Back to John Eng & Bill Burnett this time together, the team up you know you wanted.  This one is interesting the biggest thing to notice is the animation, it kind of harkens back to like late 80's early 90's action cartoons with a budget.  This one looks like they spent more money than a few others. 

      This cartoon takes place in a fantasy kingdom that has been infected with a plague (uhhh) a woman  Brangwen  comes in and says her father had found away to cure it, the king has to send his inexperienced teenage son, Galen with her to get the final ingredient from a dragon.  

          He has a magic transforming sword. Here comes a dragon and Galen has a hard time fighting it; the dragon talks to him and apparently speaks like Jeff Goldblum so that's something . (Good work Jess Harnell) the dragon is named Kaltor.  Kaltor asks why does Galen want to kill him and Galen explains the plague and the dragon says there's no plague (pulls collar) and that the people have been poisoned.  Also Brangwen has disappeared. (she must be evil then?) 

    Her father's name is Zim (oh my) and is actually an evil troll. Katlor says it must have been an distraction to steal the Ebro Crystal, which is stolen now.  The evil trolls real name is Brok and yes he has the crystal  to evil things with.   

   When a  Galen vs Bork battle !    He's able to get the crystal back after using the boomerang trick  from before. 

  

   This one feels way different to the other ones that we've looked it. It just kind of stands out in both design and storytelling.  If anything, I can tell that this cartoon probably wasn't picked up, because it doesn't seem to fit what Nickelodeon was airing at the time at all. It seems like it would have been a fun story, it could have worked either as story driven or episodic with character development. Kind of  shame that it didn't.  I like how it also does its own little things like, the dragon isn't evil and can talk , and just little things like that to make it work.  

     

    The idea is pretty interesting, the story of the short is  epic (the original meaning ) and packs a lot in the 7 minutes, give it a view 

  

  That's it for now, tune in next time when we venture to the parallel world again to see what different Nickelodeons picked from this series.