Halloween: The Smurfs Halloween Special (and one more thing)

Halloween 

           We take a dip into the "Smurfs" again this time taking in for Halloween. This special is an episode from season 3 of "The Smurfs" series and doesn't seem to be a popped out primetime special compared the ones like their Christmas specials. The name seems to be both "The Smurfs Halloween Special" and "All Hallows' Eve". That's confusing.  This special aired in 1983. 

                The special starts with Mother Nature, who in Smurfs' lore has shown up before (yes, Smurfs has a lore) she is voiced by June Foray, which will make you think of Granny from the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons.   She's busy making sure that the leaves of the forest are red by Halloween. (Does that mean orange, yellow, and brown leaves are failures?)  I don't know why just red though. She takes her red wand and goes on. 

I'm late for an important date/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera

        Meanwhile, the smurfs are busy making birthday stuff for Jokey's birthday. His birthday is on Halloween.  I like how the Smurfs are amazed that someone has a birthday on Halloween and that Jokey thinks he's the only one that does. It's also not often I see a birthday on Halloween thing, though.  In twist, it's also Gargamel's birthday. He's not happy probably because his name is Gargamel and just naturally he's not happy.  The obsessed on Smurfs man is also annoyed that they are happy (because he's grumpy) because they are celebrating the harvest. 

I also hate telemarketers! / Copyright Hanna-Barbera

More after the jump 

Halloween: A Really Haunted Loud House

Halloween  

        Back in 2021, I wrote about a live-action Christmas movie adaptation of  The Loud House series. I thought it was really enjoyable and pretty good.  At the end of that post I wrote,   " I think I'd like to see them make more Loud House live-action stuff."  Well they did, they made a live-action series under the name "The Really Loud House"  Which began in November 2022. Now, we're back here with a different holiday movie, for Halloween and from 2023, it's  A Really Haunted Loud House 

        This movie starts the day before Halloween with Lincoln and Clyde planning out their Halloween tricks or treats plans. [ I speak in the language of Peanuts]  This movie has lot of stuff thrown at the viewer to set up but it uses it ALL later, everything in first part is used later for the rest of the movie.  The family has made their house really spooky and ready for Halloween. Something from the animated series them multiplied by 100.   

Big Spider/ Copyright Paramount 

         The details in the movie are things like Lisa has grown a giant pumpkin named Esmeralda, that she seemingly had  been talking to so much that she's grown (heh) attached to it.  It's also nice to see it more than just Lucy putting together the house celebration. They also do a nice twist on Lucy doing a scare, and even having Lynn trying to take the role is fitting because she's competitive. 

          Rita has been in control of candy. Lynn Sr. has been so bothered by Lynn Jr.'s scaring is that he's beginning to lose it. There's a Lana candy shooter, Luan made a giant Franken-Coconuts.   There's a dentist appointment scene, this also fits into the plot to move it along. Even Lynn Jr's scaring thing comes to play when she accidently scares the nurse and causes the nurse to inject the dentist with Novocain.  Lisa is able to finish the stuff and tells everyone they have tons of cavities. 

You are the weakest link/ Copyright Paramount 

        That's when Lincoln gets to introduce us to Xander,. Who's Xander? (Who is Xander, I need to know!) Xander is a character they made up for this movie. (oh) He seems to be new but has gained popularity because *checks notes* plot reasons.  He seems to be one of those internet influencer kids, because that's  how you do fellow kids? 

Join our coat gang, we wear coats even in summer/ copyright Paramount 

            Xander Cottington (no offence to the real  Xanders out there) is having a party. (I  should have read what he was going to write, oh well, Xander is cool name) Lincoln wants to go instead of tricks or treats.  Clyde thinks he's gone mad, and tries to change his mind with Ace Savvy  costumes. Then Lincoln tells him that he spoke to Xander.   Since Lincoln took the idea that they are too old to trick or treat seriously.  Then Xander shows up and invites Lincoln and Clyde.  Whatever they paid the kid playing Xander, it wasn't enough to make him say "Hashtag" in a sentence,  I don't think kids speak like that. 

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 3: Listen Up/ Never Say Diorama

The Weekenders Disney 

Episode 3a: Listen Up 

  

            I'm just going to mention here that I think the Pizza shop owner really is losing it, he decided to go with Leftover Pizza this time, I'm concerned.  Tino tells us the plot of the episode, where Tino and his friends are part of a program (we know, we're watching it now!) called Preteen Pals from the in show charity thing of Helpers Helping the Helpless.  Preteen Pals is like 12-year-olds helping 11-year-olds get used to middle school. 

        I like the idea of the 12-year-olds in the show also thinking of 11-year-olds as younger than  what an 11-year-old is, but plays a nice way of showing how those years can be different. The day has come and the kids get paired up with a younger one.  Tino gets a big kid, who I hope isn't just some 30-year-old actor playing a kid, that'd be strange ... except in Dawson's Creek. 

             The interactions here are fun: Tino is awkward with the big kid and trying to make sure he's actually a kid. Tish's kid doesn't want to be there. Lor and her girl don't know what to say to each other. Carver is not listening to his kid named Tommy at all.  Bluke (the kid in dark overalls) and the girl who picked him have the best interactions here.      

             Mrs. Duwong notices that Carver isn't really listening to Tommy and pulls him aside after the the meeting and he's fired. He rambles to his friends- how can he be bad listener? and doesn't listen to his friends telling him.  They help him learn how to listen.  He's given another test by Mrs. Duwong to see if he really is going to listen.  Carver copying her is also a really funny moment.  But fails at getting the point. (oops) 

            He goes to his sister, Penny, for help and no. He goes to the museum lady to help.  She sends him to Jules.  In a great moment, Carver figures out what he should do himself.   He wasn't able to go back to the thing, but he does find Tommy at the arcade.  He listens to him, actually, and helps him out. A good moment too.  Mrs. Duwong was there playing virtual knitting, well that's a game and offers him  a second chance. 

           This was a good episode, it flowed well from being the friends to focusing on Carver.  This one has some simple funny moments, which also works to the series. There's humor without it being too over the top to make it seem off.  This one is very direct in its message which is fine, the idea of listening to others and really be listening is something at even adults should probably try more of too.  Good episode 8/10. 

More after the jump

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 2: Cry/ The Perfect Son

The Weekenders  Disney 

Episode 2a: Cry 

  

      Tino is hiding in a bush because he humiliated himself in class, that is until he's kicked out of the bush by other kids who also did the same.  Tino explains to us , that in 5th period he watching Romeo and Juliet and he cried when when Juliet went down. Also, I think this the most we've seen inside the school since this series premiered, besides the gym it's been mostly exterior shots.   

     The other kids are making fun of him for crying. Good thing it's Friday. His friends also seem not helpful. There's an interesting thing about this episode being about emotions and expressing them, especially for boys to do something.  He tells his Mom that she's the reason why he's "an emotional whimp" and he decides to no longer show any emotion. 

     Tino's Saturday goes with him being emotionless. The other friends are concerned and want to show him its okay to have emotions and they try different things to get him to be emotional.  That doesn't work, so plan B is to make him angry. Which mostly seems to be breaking things.  Plan B doesn't work.  His mom tells him that she's tried to help him be InTouch with his emotions because that's important. 

     The next day, looks like the friends seem to have a new plan.  A Chugafreeze guy shows up and tells him good on him for giving on up emotions. He did the same and is proud of it, even if his wife left him. (She didn't take is emotions in the divorce) He lost his business and can't a hold a job. This works.  Tino's Mom apparently paid the guy 20 dollars do tell him that story. (Her plan 1 , Friends' plan 0)  

             Then he finishes off the episode by expressing his emotions hard.   Though maybe in current times, people can be too emotional. (Someone is not going to like that)  This is good episode to show that it's healthy, especially for boys, to be in tuned into their emotions. The episode does a good job at saying emotions are good within reason and are normal for people to have.  It's pretty funny to see the ways the friends try to fix Tino. Tino's Mom coming in clutch but this time by paying a guy and giving him some food  was a different way than normally.   It's a good episode.  7.5/10. 

More after the jump 

One Shot Posts: The Simpsons: Uh oh the 1990's

The Simpsons  

        My past posts on The Simpsons have been episodes I think might gems but also not from the early seasons. This one is not that.  This one is a controversial episode from season 19. I'm going to remark that season 19 came out in 2007 and 2008. "That 90's Show" aired in January of 2008,  and time is important for this post. 

           This episode doesn't seem to be well liked. I checked IMDB because I wanted to see how people on that site rank the episodes of season 19. This one isn't the lowest rated, but it's in that zone.  There's reviews from the episode I found from different places, from the time it aired and it also doesn't seem to be well received.  

          I'm not going to be saying people wrong or tearing the episode apart, but giving a look and also a look at some context of why this episode isn't beloved.  (No, Patrick, it's not because it's a season 19 episode) 

            One of the biggest things I've seen as something that brings the episode down is the continuity thing.  The episode has Bart finding Marge's memory box and the kids find out that Marge went to college, that's not the continuity thing that makes the episode less appealing to Simpsons fans. What does is that Homer mentions that he and Marge were a young couple in the 1990's.  

             The Simpsons has and is a current show, its main thing is that it takes place in current times (plus the months it takes to make an animated episode). The series started in 1989. (Yes, and earlier with shorts) That's not to say the show can't and hasn't done things that are timeless and feel timeless, but it is also interlinked with times. The show has never really fully locked the characters into the time the series started, since the characters don't really age.  We, on the other hand, sadly do.  

            This episode is a flashback episode, something the show did before this one and did after this one. The difference though, was that a flashback episode about Homer and Marge in The Way We Was (Season 2; Episode 12) from 1992 told a story of Homer and Marge met and fell and love in 1974. Which works for an episode that takes place in 1991-1992.  That would be hard to work in for an episode that takes place in 2007-2008 and still have the characters meeting in 1974.  Being a network show , and even more at the time this one aired, they wanted a targeted demographic. The broadest part is 18-49.  The youngest viewer in that demo, turning 18 would have been born in 1989 or 1990, if they had a January birthday.  It would also be coming in when 90's nostalgia was really starting to become a big thing, much like how late 60's/ early 70's nostalgia was  in play during the Simpsons' early days.  

           I don't think the continuity thing hurts the episode, because it is kind of understandable why there would be a 90's flashback in a show that started in the 90's , but was on long enough to where if it had ended earlier, there'd probably had been a 90's nostalgia fueled bring up the show to the point it might have been brought back in the 2010's.  I can see how someone would be bothered by the show doing this when the classic stories were the ones that they really attached and loved. 

               That doesn't mean that the episode is strong. Some of the episode is very much like "HEY IT'S THE 90'S REMEBER THE 90'S!"  That's many of the jokes the punchline is the 90's thing. "Heh dial up internet."  Homer, Carl, Lenny, and Officer  Lou are part of an R&B group, which kind of feels like them going with that time Homer was part of a doo-wop group in the 90's in a flashback episode in the 90's. (stop that) That's kind of a nice touch. 

This is how the 90's looked/ Copyright Fox 

        Homer finds out that Marge applied to college and has gotten accepted and finds out that college is expensive. Homer decides he going to work to help her pay for it and his Dad runs a laser tag spot. Marge goes to college. She also has 'The Rachel' haircut because 90's.  Marge has a professor named Stefane August who is like the professors a talk radio host would go after.  

Imagine wearing a jacket, sweater, and shirt/ Copyright FOX 

             The episode, really though, is using the flashback and the 90's to really kind of cover over that it's a basic plot the show has done before in some way.  Homer sees the professor  and that the man is handsome and that Marge seems to be infatuated on him.  Homer gets jealous and maybe he's justified, but it's not an episode that's trying anything new or interesting as a story, except using that hook of the flashback. That actually kind of hurts it more because you really know that Homer and Marge are going to end up together, so whatever happens here in the flashback doesn't matter and doesn't bring anything interesting to the table.     Going back to "The Way We Was" , there we also know Homer and Marge are going to get together, but it presents an interesting story about the characters as teens and why Marge ended up liking Homer and why Homer likes Marge.  

more after the jump

It's CW Affliaton Change Day

The CW  TV News 

           Today is Friday, September 1, 2023 and some more changes have happened at the CW. The network has been changing under its new ownership of Nexstar Media Group.  So far, that had been programming, leadership, and behind the scenes stuff.   Today marks another change to the network and that's how it's supplied in some areas of the country. 

   Back in May, CBS (the old C in the CW) announced that their 8 stations that had been part of the network since the 2006 launch would be dropping the network and going non-affiliated, from September 1st. 

     The stations affected in this were  WUPA-TV Atlanta,  KBCW-TV Bay Area, WKBD-TV Detroit, WPCW-TV Pittsburgh, WPSG-TV Philadelphia, KMAX-TV Sacramento, KSTW-TV Seattle, and WTOG-TV Tampa.  This meant in those markets  that Nexstar would have to find new affiliates for the CW network as CBS' plans were for non-affiliated stations.  Here's a look at those changes by market.

  

Atlanta 

      Atlanta is one of the areas where CBS owns a single station, but not a CBS affiliate. Instead, they owned a CW station that was a hold over from the days pre first Viacom merger that CBS ended up owning after the split.  WUPA-TV Channel 69 swaps from being CW69 to Atlanta 69 as a branding.  

   The CW will be finding a new home on Channel 17, PeachTree TV ,WPCH. This station is owned by Gray. For the historical note, WPCH was the station that Ted Turner bought and used later to launch TBS. This station will be affiliated with its first network ever.  It was also later owned by Warner as their only OTA station , but didn't join the CW (W being Warner) in 2006. 

      On WUPA, the station will replace the CW programming with 8pm local news (probably produced outside the market as before)  and 48 Hours  at 9pm.   Peach Tree TV is replacing local programming at 8pm and the local news at 9pm with the CW.   

      

BayArea (Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose) 

     
 In the Bay Area, the station KBCW TV will also be changing it's call letters to KPYX, and on air going from KBCW to KPIX+ after sister station KPIX-TV.   In speaking of KPIX-TV, the hours on KPYX-TV that held the CW will be replaced by 2 hours of news from KPIX at 8 and 9pm. Giving the area its only 8pm and 9pm newscasts.  Though, not CW leaving related the station will also be adding a morning newscast from 7-9pm: The Morning Edition from CBS NEWS Bay Area. 

           Nexstar didn't have to go far to find a CW replacement, they own local station KRON-TV "KRON 4" which airs My Network TV programming. They are switching to the CW , still branded as KRON 4.  They have replaced their 8pm and 9pm local news with CW programming. They are adding an 11pm newscast back to their line up along with 2pm news. 

Detroit 

     

   In the Detroit area, CBS owned WKBD is leaving the CW. They've changed their branding from CW50 to Detroit. Their primetime line up will include Family Feud at 8, and 48 Hours  at 9.  The CW will be moving to WADL-TV channel 38.  This station is currently in a sale to Mission Broadcasting to be run by Nexstar in the future, if approved. 

Philadelphia 

    
    In Philadelphia, WPSG is going back to a branding they had pre-UPN days and had been using on their CW logo "Philly 57".  They are replacing the CW with local news from sister station KYW-TV at 8pm and 48 Hours at 9pm. 

        Nexstar owns WPHL-TV "PHL 17"  and CW programming is moved there.  The station, like KRON-TV ran My Network TV after hours  so they are replacing off network sitcoms at 8 and 9pm.   

Pittsburgh 

   
   Like San Francisco/ Bay Area,  WPCW will be changing their call letters to be WPKD , in homage to sister station KDKA. Also they will be rebranded on air as KDKA+ . They will continue to air High School Football on Fridays, and will be adding an 8pm newscast in November, The 10pm news continues.  48 Hours will air at 9pm.  

      Nexstar doesn't own a station in Pittsburgh, but made a deal with Sinclair Broadcasting to have WPNT-22  - 22 The Point! air CW programming.  The station was airing My Network TV on normal timing (8-10pm) so the CW programming is replacing that.   

Sacramento 

     

   In Sacramento, KMAX-TV is changing from CW31 to KMAX 31.  The station is adding an 8pm newscast from sister station CBS 13 and  48 Hours at 9pm. 

       Nexstar owns  a station in the area, but they are dropping FOX programming from KTXL, instead, Hearst owned KQCA-TV channel 58 (MY 58) will be airing CW programming. The station aired My Network TV in the late hours and will continue to do that.   

Seattle 

    
    Like Atlanta, this is a market where CBS owns only a CW station, KSTW will be now Seattle 11 and airing Family Feud at 8 and 48 Hours at 9pm. 

        Nexstar, doesn't own a station here and they've made a deal with Sinclair to air CW programming on KOMO-TV's digital sub channel.   

Tampa Bay 

    

    Last, of the CW  stations , but not least. WTOG-TV is going to be Tampa Bay 44 . They are replacing CW programming with The Simpsons reruns at 8 and 48 Hours at 9pm. 

      Nexstar-owned WTTA , Great 38, will be now called CW Tampa Bay. Also with the CW programming being added, the hour long 8pm news from their sister station WFLA 8 will be moving to a half hour at 10pm, and Spanish language newscast Noticias Tampa Hoy  will be moving from 9pm to 10:30pm. Todo Tampa Bay moves to 11pm. My Network TV programming will still air after hours. 

  But, wait, There's More! 

        Non CBS related, but Sinclair station KOCB-TV Channel 34 in Oklahoma City will be leaving the CW network and instead Nexstar station KAUT-TV Channel 43 "Freedom 43" will be airing programming instead.   

    

The next age of the CW continues and interesting to see what else CBS will do with their independent stations. There is a chance that as regional sports cable networks seem to be getting hit hard, that they could pick up local teams

  

Sources: 

https://sbgi.net/the-cw-network-and-sinclair-expand-and-extend-affiliation-partnership/

https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-news-and-stations/shows/stations/releases/?view=108406-cbs-to-transition-eight-company-owned-stations-from-affiliates-of-the-cw-to-independents-on-friday-sept-1

https://www.peachtreetv.com/2023/08/30/atlantas-peachtreetv-becomes-cw-affiliate/

https://www.kron4.com/news/kron4-new-network-new-newscasts-live-sports/

https://www.nexstar.tv/the-cw-and-sinclair-expand-and-extend-affiliation-partnership/

https://www.nexstar.tv/the-cw-and-gray-expand-extend-affiliation-partnership/

https://kfor.com/programming/kaut-tv-will-carry-cws-primetime-entertainment-and-live-sports/

https://www.kcra.com/article/the-cw-on-my58s-launch-on-sept-1-kqca/44954850

https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/nexstar-stations-in-philly-san-fran-and-tampa-to-become-cw-affiliates

The Lookback: UPN Kids ( and a little more too)

UPN  The Flashback

        UPN, the United Paramount Network, was  launched in 1995 in January of 1995, but in that fall they also jumped into the ground other networks also did (minus NBC because it's 1995)  and did children's programming. This time we are talking about UPN's kids programming.  We kind of did that on this blog before, but we felt that post (which was combined with TNBC) was lacking and maybe UPN needed it's own story page. (Plus, it's good to try and improve things) 

        On Sunday, September 10, 1995, UPN Kids launched. You may notice I said Sunday and not like Saturday, a lot of these blocks start on Saturday or have Saturday programming, UPN did not. They were a Sunday Morning block. There are reasons for this that to be at thing.

 

    Most UPN stations were former independent stations, a lucky few were former Fox stations that needed   a network when Fox left them for better VHF stations or something (not sure how lucky they felt, oh that FOX thing is important for our story), others maybe just launched. Also in 1995, another network launched , The WB, and maybe a few stations were both UPN and the WB and that's a whole other mess. The good reasons for a Sunday block versus Saturday is that some of the new FOX stations that decided they were too good for children's shows even on Saturday (minus the ones the government said to air for the education reasons) a UPN station could air FOX Kids on Saturday (and weekdays).  In Milwaukee, for example, WITI was a CBS station that ended up with FOX, but decided that FOX Kids wasn't for them so the former FOX station,  WCGV-TV, aired FOX Kids, but WCGV was a UPN station.  Another reason, could be syndicated programming, there was still syndicated children's programming (though that market was dying by 1995) and stations had commitments (who knows how long UPN could last?) , and the finale good reason is Sunday is just less crowded than Saturday. 

        UPN Kids started as a Sunday only block and not just Sunday but a 1 hour Sunday block. (You can't say they over did themselves)  the planned time slot of the 10am hour. That makes it easy for us.  

The first program was "Space Strikers".  "Space Strikers" was a French cartoon brought to the US from  Haim Saban's company which also was an invested owner in FOX Kids.  "Space Strikers" is based on the novel  "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" but in Space. (yay!)  This show was was told as one story, meaning viewers had to turn each week to see where the story went next, which wasn't a long story, because it was 13 episode series.   The show also used early computer animation for the action scenes and also promoted the fun of 3D viewing. (alright then) 

more after the jump

Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2023 schedule

Halloween Freeform

    It's that time of year again, as fall is almost upon us and the (hopefully) cooler weather. Freeform is back with their annual event of "31 Nights of Halloween" starting October 1.   The new movies included on Freeform for this season are Encanto , Zombies, and, Zombies 2 (from sister network Disney Channel). 

    All times ET/PT 

Sunday, Oct. 1

7:00 a.m. - "Mrs. Doubtfire"

10:10 a.m. - "Scared Shrekless"

10:40 a.m. - "Halloweentown"

12:45 p.m. - "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween"

2:50 p.m. - "The Haunted Mansion" (2003)

4:55 p.m. - "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas"

6:35 p.m. - "Hocus Pocus"

8:45 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania"

10:50 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation"

1:00 a.m. - "Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic"

Monday, Oct. 2

10:30 a.m. - "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror"

11:00 a.m. - "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween"

1:00 p.m. - "Twitches"

3:00 p.m. - "Twitches Too"

5:00 p.m. - "Shrek Forever After"

7:00 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania"

9:00 p.m. - "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation"

12:00-2:00 a.m. - "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror" episodes