It's a Lookback, Charlie : It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown (Re-Write Edition)

Peanuts  

    Time for another one of my re-write posts, as I've done with other posts,this is away to either take an old post and expand, refresh, and fix up, and this one might need that. (You can red the original one here) 

    This is the 32nd Peanuts special , that first aired on CBS (The Charlie Brown Station) on September 27th, 1988.  This Peanuts special is not like the others in many ways.  I like to think of the 80's Peanuts specials being a period of just whatever they felt like doing, CBS was paying... and all the holidays had been done, so why not? 

   

    This special is another hour-long special (46 minutes without ads) and following "Snoopy! The Musical, the animated version" . This one is about Spike, one of Snoopy's brothers he actually becomes more prominent in the 1980's and 1990's strips  where Charles Schulz must have decided to write more about the desert beagle instead of the famous one.  Spike is named after Schulz's childhood dog and his character lives in Needles, California. 

      There''s a simple  format to Spike's strips, he's alone in the desert, so he's interacting with things more than people. He's writing letters, and has some of his own adventures, much like his brother.  

   "It's the Girl in the Red Truck" starts with a shot  of a desert and a red truck. Wow the animation is amazing, eat your eyes, Pixar, go away anyone else, the desert looks so real and life-like, like wow! The scenery is amazing, it's beautiful, this was made in 1988? wow, we've not advanced at all.  This was peak animation. 

Beautiful/ Copyright Peanuts 

     Alright, I've dragged the joke out too long. This special is hybrid. (it runs on gas and electric) When it cuts inside Spike's home, which is a cactus, the internals all animated, when spike looks out he's animated but the rest is live-action.   This was not even the first time Peanuts had done hybrids like this and they've done it after this for ads as well. But those were ads this was a special.  It also wasn't made in 1988, it took four years to make this and it was delayed, they actually wanted it to air in March.   Hmm? What other live-action/ animation thing was coming out in 1988? (Hmmmmm)  They wanted this out in March because later that year "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" was coming out.  It's funny, they both were being worked on around the same time.  This is not going to be that well done in production,but it's not awful, it's good for CBS. (Cheap But Serviceable-- someone said maybe) 

It's like animation with real life backgrounds/ Copyright Peanuts

     The music is interesting, it takes it's own direction, instead of being jazz it's something. 

It kind of sounds like old video game music or it's for a desert travelogue. This special is 50 minutes long and it will fell 50 minutes long.  The credits say starring Snoopy's Brother Spike, since he doesn't speak, it's very correct.  It's also starting someone named Jill Schulz. I wonder who she is, so besides having his daughter play the girl... (more on her soon calm down)  his son Monte helped with the script. (oh)  

    

    I also have to say, since Spike is added in later, because animation, that means they had some camera people out in the desert just taping desert, without other people to put Spike in later, that's kind of funny.  They also bought some fake cacti to use because the real  ones might not have been in the right spot. (what does even mean?)    

   

    Hey there's Charlie Brown, you remember him,  but he won't be her long. He's just here to remind you, you should be watching a different Peanuts special where he and Snoopy are there longer.  They just are there to tell you his name is Spike incase you didn't see the credits, and fill time between some Spike walking the desert scenes. They are reading a letter Spike sent, and it leads into a the red truck and girl. (Finally, took forever for this special to Girl in the Red Truck) 

The special Charlie Brown-ed before it Girl-ed /Copyright Peanuts 

   

      If you have a strong attention span , this special is for you. Spike and the girl wave back and forth when she drives by.  This is feels like they really wanted to fill out that 50 minutes.  Finally the red truck gets tired, and decides to break down right near spike. The girl (I'll say her name soon, don't worry) hears Spike's French practice tapes, which is interesting for a dog that doesn't talk to be learning.  She's seems impressed by the tape and learns his name is Spike. I do like the blend of animation and not in this movie.   She takes up most of the dialogue because someone has too, as she starts to fix her truck.  

I'm the girl not in the red truck/ Copyright Peanuts

        She asks Spike would he like to come with her and he decides..yes., I think I will. Also safety first message, they make a point of mentioning that Spike but his seatbelt on and how smart he is for doing so. (Click it or die it) It got my attention.  They go to the diner  and we get scene where Spike knows the diner owner, Molly. Classic Peanuts dogs favorite drink is root beer, he's a regular customer. (That's the world I want to live in) 

                

Nice of this place to serve cartoon dogs/ Copyright Peanuts

           Molly and Jenny (going to use her name now) are talking and giving us some information about Jenny and some stuff about a guy should be coming back.  Jenny is an aerobics instructor as well.  Back to the red truck, since it's in the title it needs love too.  Again, this special is really filling out it's  50 minutes; though, it is nice to see Jenny and Spike spending some time together.  There is an awkwardness to using Spike, because Jenny has to do all the talking essentially to fill in space, it's like when Peanuts characters are with Snoopy or an adult and have to do the lifting. 

Standing on the dock of the bay, there's  a lady looking a nothing/ Copyright Peanuts

         Spike gets to watch TV at Jenny's nice house, I like how the remote switches from real to animated when the need for Spike to use it. Hey, it's Jeff!  You know Jeff.  Fine, Jeff is Jenny's boyfriend, at least I hope he is, and he comes into the house and is surprised to find Spike and thinks he's a wild animal, and doesn't like that he's in his chair.  You can feel the tension, is Jeff jealous of Spike? (Find out... after the jump) 

This is my chair. I love this chair !/ Copyright Peanuts

Saint Patrick's Day: A Look at "Lucky"

Nickelodeon  St. Patrick's Day 

          Since this blog usually (well actuallyyyyyyy) posts on Thursday and this year Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Thursday, we decided to look at something that would work for the holiday. The problem is that Saint Patrick's day as a holiday doesn't get much media; there's no "A Saint Patrick's Day, Charlie Brown", and not much really given to the holiday in that respect.   Many times it's written as away to get your characters drunk or something. 

         I would go deeper and try to find some stuff that can work for the holiday, and I guess a Nickelodeon special works, it's about a leprechaun. This gives a leg up and making a "Lookback" post before it old enough to be one.  

     "Lucky" is  2019 Nickelodeon animated special  (It's 42 minutes long, it's a special)  that premiered on March 8. Just in time for the holiday, and they've not really aired this special much sense that first year. (Oh)  

    It was directed by Casey Leonard who worked on "Breadwinners" and  the animator on "Out of Jimmy's Head". It's done in 3D CGI animation because of course it's done in 3D CGI animation. It was written by two "Kim Possible" writers Both Roth and Bill Motz , along with Bart Coughlin  who worked as a writer on "Alvinnn!! and the Chipmunks" and had been the arts part of animated movies. 

        The story starts with a leprechaun named McSweeney who was minding his own business, whilst carrying his gold around, which is not a smart thing to do, because someone or something might want to take that gold, like a dragon who takes his lucky pot gold. (Which means it's not that lucky is it?)   The luck was undone and the family has been affected by this including our main character named Hap McSweeney. (The McSweeney's were lucky in getting love though) 

       He's late for school because of the bad luck.  You'll also notice that the house the family lives in , is very crooked, the parents seem to be more accepting of the stuff than their son.   Hap does an anime girl is late to school run, minus the toast, and it let us see his place where he lives and notice all the mystical people creatures that live here like elves, gnomes, etc. 

Friendship is dangerous/ Copyright ViacomCBS

    At school we meet Hap's friends (the true luck is friendship) they are going to Houlihan Tower, which is some rich guy's house.   (Gee, I wonder if ... hmm)  The guy who lives in this city called Fortune City (which is bit much) in the mansion is named Harry Houlihan the luckiest man in town. (Gee, I wonder if...) 

        This movie isn't animated like a big budget movie, but it not badly done either, it has maybe at least Nick Jr/ Disney Jr. quality level of CGI is at least good, and not too bad for a TV special, it's on par with that level and that's not bad. 

        We meet, Harry Houlihan, if he's not evil, then he's dressed incorrectly for someone who's not evil.  Hap ends up in a room where Harry has his security cameras being monitored, by nobody, and he notices that the guy who looks evil  has his family's gold right there.  How convenient.  (He's also voiced by Mark Hamill) 

That's not Willy Wonka/ Copyright ViacomCBS 

   Back at school, Hap tells his friends what he saw and  wants to get family's gold back. The friends decide to want to join him and get the gold.  If you think this is moving a little quickly, it is , but it's a 42 minute special, we don't have time for dragged out stuff, which at least removes some of the filler that could happen, because we have to get straight to the action and plot. That being they are going to try and sneak into the mansion during a big gala to retrieve the gold. 

        They dress up to blend in with the gala.  It's a heist movie!   They make it to the spot where the pot of gold is being held, but Harry is watching from the surveillance room, still getting evil vibes from him.  We get a cool explosion to get the doors open.  Harry shows up and being evil, and fun fact: Harry is not just evil, but also is an evil dragon. (what a twist!, the dragon part that is) 

How to train your dragon to also be a man who is beloved by a City because of immense luck that he stole from a leprechaun / Copyright Viacom CBS 

           Now we get a them versus a dragon fight, as Hap is free to go get the gold, while is friends are fighting Harry the dragon.  Hap is able to grab the gold , that pot has his family name on it.  It cuts to his house to see the rain storm that was just happening over their house move away. The parents are happy too  The dragon breaks free from the friends and captures them threatening to drop them into the lake of magma running there. 

            This movie is going for the real luck is the friends we make along the way, and Hap decides the best idea destroy the gold by throwing it into the magma, and I think dragon guy dies.  He didn't die, because apparently we can't kill villains in this movie, but he has bad luck. (uhh, so death would have been the better outcome for him) 

             The movie ends with Hap being more used to his life being this way now and a change of perspective (and reusing scenes we  had before, yay!) 

    

        Again, this is not a bad special, it checks the marks of the story and is pretty fast paced to fit 42 minutes of content and that's fine. It's a fun treat, the story is simple, it goes for the real luck is the friends you have along the way, and the message of changing your perspective, that the parent characters give in the start. You can understand why Hap was invested in changing his situation, and his parents being mostly optimist characters. 

      His friends are interesting, though not too much is developed on all of these characters since we don't get that long, but you do at least understand their characteristics in basic form and their roles. Going back to the animation, it's not bad and it's good for TV. The villain  is obvious, but you know what? It's better than forcing a surprise villain. 

  

   The comedy is fine, a kid would like it a little more, but it's not bad.  It's a little fun, watch it for Saint Patrick's day, you can watch it anytime really, but give it a look.  

       That's it for now, tune in next time when we take our pot of gold on a walk, hope no dragons want it. 

        

NewsNation: Expands programming, "Donlon Report" ending

NewsNation TV News 

           Nexstar owned, Chicago-based news channel, NewsNation  is making programming expansions and changes once again. 

             Already expanded on weekends as of March 5, "NewsNation Prime" weekend version is on for 3 hours 7 to 10pm Eastern.  

  

          Since February 24th, News Nation had been doing a special report news cast at 11pm Eastern  with Prime anchor Marni Hughes and "On Balance" host Leland Vittert. This program is now permeant and will be anchored by  Hughes and Vittert. 

     

     "Morning in America" which launched in September 2021, as a 7-10am Eastern morning show will be expanding to four hours from 6am Eastern come June.  This will be replacing an hour of off-network dramas that currently air in the hour. 

           Also another NewsNation original host is leaving, Joe Donlon, who started when the network launched as a news program in primetime as co-anchor in September 2020, moved to his show in March 2021, "The Donlon Report", will be leaving on March 25. 

   

   Starting March 28, early evening news program, "Rush Hour" will be running 2 hours from 5 to 7pm Eastern.

     For Clarity:

     

• "News Nation Prime" weekends expanded to 7 to 10pm Eastern from March 4th 
• Live newscast at 11pmet to continue, anchored by Marni Hughes and Leland Vittert
• "Donlon Report" is set to end on March 25, and will be replaced by a 2nd hour of "Rush Hour on March 28
• "Morning in America" will expand to 4 hours from June (planned)

  "On Balance with Leland Vittert", "News Nation Prime with Marni Hughes" ,"Dan Abrams Live "and "Banfield" will be staying at their times and hosts from 7-11pmET.  

Press release after the jump

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.