Oh Yeah! Cartoons: #33: Max (a double bill)

Nickelodeon 

Previously,  A monster can really cook [Here] 

#33.1 Max and His Special Problem 

Season 1, episode 5a 

          Max has a pair of shorts and that means  I will be covering both.  This was created by Dave Wasson , whom you might know if you know about Time Squad. He also worked on The Buzz on Maggie.  This short about Max won him an Emmy. 

            So what is Max's special problem?  He works in a office space and doesn't seem to the most productive worker.  He also has comically large pencils. Anyway, he sneezes and sneezes so hard his brain has popped out. I like how his reaction is that "uh-oh".  Max's boss seems to understand some what and has him take care of it.  There's some dark moments int his too, like touching his brain hurts him, and I think he killed a guy with a pencil.  

            He goes to the doctor to get this taken care of, but then leaves his brain on top of a taxi which drives off then a dog takes it around town. (Dog takes a guy's brain for a walk, interesting) Thankfully Max finds his brain in a shop and goes to the doctor's office.  He now has to sign dreaded forms. This surgery has an audience to see this amazing marvel. The surgeons do some math and tic-tac-toe to figure out his payment. (this really something about our society) They find the best way to get the brain in there is to have have him un-sneeze it back into his head.  Back to normal day and this time he's able to keep his brain in his head when he sneezes, but burps his heart instead. 

             This short is very sound induced.  Only a few lines are spoken, so it's very much carried by sounds including the music and Max making screams, grunts, etc. It's an interesting direction that gives this short a distinctness to it.  The music itself is very jazzy. The montage of Max's brain being carried by a dog, being fed to by a kid, doing poetry, and being punched has a nice score.  The other sounds work to fill in the space like the sound of a pencil being taken out of a guys' head going 'pop' , the lights turning on in the operating theater. How the surgeons dampen the sounds. 

            The running gag of the guy that got an errant pencil stuck in his head shows up twice it's a nice carry over to connect back to Max.  There are little things that are fun to notice in rewatching. Pretty fun short and it was a very special problem indeed. 

More after the jump 

Arthur: Season 2: Episode 1: Arthur Meets Mister Rogers/ Draw!

Arthur  PBS 

Episode 1a: Arthur Meets Mister Rogers 

            This the ultimate PBS cross over, of the ages.  I have to mention that Arthur wore it's PBS life in a pride in away that most other shows didn't on the network. Like, this show did air on other channels in other countries, but had PBS stuff in it , like mentioning Antiques Roadshow and Nova.   The show wasn't really afraid of mention and having real human people we know in the show. (Minus Lance Armstrong, but we all have regrets)  This one was probably the first of the episodes to ever have that happen. 

         Mister Rogers, or Mister Fred Rogers, and I hate that I might have to do an explainer here, had a show on PBS called Mister Rogers' Neighborhood a show that predated PBS by a few years  and ended in 2001. He passed away in 2003. Mister Rogers and his show were probably the first thing one would think of when the name PBS was brought up, that or Sesame Street, but they don't matter for this post. (Then why'd you bring that up?)   

            This episode is the first episode of season 2 of "Arthur" which aired on October 20, 1997. They went for a strong start here.  Let's get in to the episode.  

        Arthur has big news that Mister Rogers is coming to the school, tomorrow.  Prunella, Muffy, and Binky react in a way of saying that Mister Rogers is a baby thing. Again, I get what the plot is going to do because Arthur decides not to tell people that Mr. R is going to be staying at his house, because of that reaction. But, it's freakin' Mr. Rogers, a real life guy on TV, I don't think any kid would act that way, even if his show was for younger viewers, it's freakin' TV star!   

           Mr. Rogers is played by Mister Rogers who is staying at the Read House because they know him somehow.  D.W is really happy he's at the house  and Arthur doesn't want people to know now, because he doesn't want to be embarrassed and made fun of.  Also to be fair, Arthur shouldn't have listened to Prunella, Binky, or Muffy, I mean really.  

             Arthur does things to hide that Mister Rogers is at his house, even pretending he wants to change his name to Fred. D.W wants to take D.W for a walk around. I do think it's fitting Arthur would think that people [Binky and Prunella] would laugh at him for being with Mister Rogers, because he's eight and would think that way,  as much as D.W wants to show him off.  I like how Mister Rogers plays along. Buster being Buster is impressed when he sees Mr. Rogers even forgets his name.  See, Arthur, Buster is a great friend.  Arthur tells Buster not tell people. 

                Brain, Prunella, and Rubella are at the ice cream shop and Rubella thinks Arthur has been taken by zombies and worries that everyone else could end up zombie slaves. A) I didn't zombies did slavery, B) If this was Buster, he'd be saying Aliens, C) it's funny that the eldest character here is saying this.  

         I do love Buster's reactions with Mister Rogers it's wholesome and sweet.  Rubella. Prunella, and Brain decide to peek in Read's windows because sure.  He also ends up thinking that zombies have taken them. I love how Arthur saying that Buster is there for homework help snaps him into thinking zombies are a possible true answer. 

               The police show up because a neighbor thought the trio were prowlers.  Now the news shows everyone that Mister Rogers is at the Read house.  Arthur feels bad and Mister Rogers comes to talk to him.  I like how everyone is impressed that Mr. Rogers was at his house and even Binky is impressed when he shows up.  

            This episode also introduces Arthur lore that Arthur messes with his glasses when he lies, it does show up in other episodes too, it's nice someone used as his thing.   This episode is pretty great, more than just having Mister Rogers in it, it's has some funny moments too. The heart is really nice here too and Mister Rogers brings his charm.  I think it fits that this show was going for an older kid audience than many parts of PBS Kids fare where 8 , like Arthur's age, would be where a kid might see things like Mister Rogers as a baby or out of their age range type thing.  Arthur built up an occurrence in his head after seeing the other kids react in a way that worried him and plays with that through. The message of a true friend wouldn't be mean shows through like Buster, his best friend, doesn't even hint at making fun of Arthur is really happy to see the Mr. R.   

I will also mention the word from us kids segment  here, being the kids wondering how Mr. Rogers was turned into a cartoon worked. It's a nice little look at animation and voice acting. 

            A great start to season 2, and a good memorable episode. 8/10.

More after the jump. 

Arthur: Season 3: Episode 11: Double Tibble Trouble/Arthur's Almost Live Not Real Music Festival

Arthur   PBS 

Episode 11a: Double Tibble Trouble 

       The Cold Open: DW and her friend Emily seem to be going on a dangerous journey and this danger is the Tibble House. The terrible twin duo boys who like to terrorize others on the Earth. 

    The Episode: You know the way to tell the Tibble twins apart is the scarfs they wear, Timmy wears red fitting a high energy personality and Tommy wears blue.  That's for this episode to put out how these two interact and how they are different when cleaved.   First the whirring and playing playing plane crashing into gasoline tanks. (Uh help)  D.W notices that Tommy is alright unless Timmy eggs him on to something, and she'd like to see how he would be if Tommy was out of the picture.(She's going to have him taken by the mob?)  She makes a wish, a disturbing one, that she could only play with Tommy without Timmy.  Even though it was a helicopter, her wish came true.  

         Timmy is out sick, Tommy is also wearing the red scarf because the show really wants us confused. Tommy doesn't really know what to do without Timmy and seems less energetic.  D.W and Emily are enjoying this.    They want to cheer up Tommy to get his mind off of Timmy but that's hard. In a twist, D.W and Emily try to be like Timmy to work with Tommy. They take turns to be Tibbles which again defeats the thing in the first place. 

            D.W finds out that she doesn't like being a Tibble and quits. Thankfully they got quit feelings at the right time, when Timmy is well and now Tommy is sick. Timmy is happy that they helped his brother out.  Now, D.W and Emily get to fill in for Timmy.  Now where's an episode where Tommy or Timmy fill in for D.W?

            Simple episode, pretty fun to see some Tibble stuff to a point. D.W and Emily pretty much having to be Tibbles to fill in was something different and kind of interesting.  It was very nice to see this work the way it did.   

More after the jump

Arthur: Season 1: Episode 13: So Long, Spanky/ Buster's New Friend

Arthur PBS 

       Episode 13a: So Long, Spanky 

      The Cold Open: D.W has a bird name Spanky (that's a name) and that Arthur mentions that he's not a big fan of the bird. He does feel a little sad for him though since he does have to be D.W pet.

The Episode:  A little of season 1 flavor for us this time. You get a bit of that early Arthur charm. This episode deals with death.  Death of pet, but death.   D.W was talking to her bird and notices he's a little sick and thinks to get him some water but then death. D.W brings Spanky to her father to tell him he's not getting up and David explicitly says dead. But this is a PBS show and PBS shows for children aren't shy,  so death ,  a heavy topic, gets a spotlight here. Commendable.  I think this is one of the first Arthur "issues" episodes where the show takes an approach of looking at a more serious topic and working with it. 

          I am concerned that Arthur just runs into the kitchen and asks is something dead? like that.  But he does care when he finds out that Spanky has died.  D.W asks a question about if Spanky will ever wake up and her father says he won't, he's gone.  They do a funeral for Spanky.  Also a toad shows up and that's important for later. 

           This episode does give some nice Arthur and D.W moments, though he might be acting too quickly on the idea of helping her find a new pet.  She tells the toad that it can't stay in the can she put on top of Spanky's grave, then in jumps into her backpack and scares two kids whose plan were to scare her. (Also Billy and Bobby seem like protype Tibbles that didn't make it)  Later is causes some havoc in her preschool class. 

             Later the toad comes back and helps get D.W's purse that fell out of her hand. (Sentient toad) When she's getting tucked into bed, she asks about Spanky again, and then the todd shows up in her bird cage. She then chases him around her room. The next morning, she wants to find him and seems worried about him after not seeing him.  She finds him when she thought her mom had put him the washing machine, then he leaps through the house.  

            Finally, she decides to make him her pet. 

        The episode doesn't linger on the death and how D.W handles it, but it does bring it up as part of what happens to Spanky, a bird we only saw this episode, and brings that as something that happened.   It handles the topic with care but doesn't into stretching it for the entire plot as much. D.W asking questions that fit well with her age and what could be her way of trying to understand.  I liked Arthur trying to help her, and the Toad was pretty fun.  

        It's a good episode, unless you are a bird. 

More after the jump 

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 6: Best/ Broken

The Weekenders Disney 

Previously: you poor soul. [read here] 

Episode 6a: Best 

   This episode's title has a lot riding on it, I mean "Best" is a bold name. Is this episode the best?  What's best about it? This is about those school year book thing the best hair, best dressed, stuff like that. Tino hasn't been given a best of most thing and he's not happy about it.  He didn't even get Best Tino. ( I think he's best Tino)  Tino also demands a recount ,which might come back into play. 

       This has caused him to worry what his legacy will be and he has a spot of how he sees his friends doing well -20 years in the future- and he's not doing well in that future.  He's decided that he's going to focus on the next year and try to get the most or best thing.  Like he goes around smiling, whistling (which goes badly), he messes up a bush.  Later, he tires to have the best physique, which is bold for Tino. 

            The friends want Tino to get out of this funk and try to think of ideas to help.  Guy had to be wheeled home and the friends come over and give him the Best Friend Award as they explain why he's a great best friend.   It's a great moment there. 

            We get a rare Monday appearance as the kids go to school and that recount thing comes in to play where there was one vote for "Most Sarcastic" which Tino is.  

             I love how the recount thing came into play at the end, it could have just been a simple random line, maybe someone thinking about the 2000 election when they made this ,but it was nice to see it come in to usage. It fits that Tino is very sarcastic at times. The other part where the friends give him that award and tell him he's a great friend worked because this is season 3 and we've seen how he does do a lot for them when they need him.  It did that well, without being to sappy.

        There's some funny moments that work great  here as well. I think it's a fun episode, not the best, but it was most(ly) fun.  I give it 7.5/10 

More after the jump 

Weekendering: The Weekenders: Season 3: Episode 5: The Most Dangerous Weekend/ Charity Case

The Weekenders  Disney 

        Previously,  Tino  tires to be a lone wolf, that goes not well.  [read here] 

Episode 5a: The Most Dangerous Weekend 

 

                Tino has sprained his wrist.  This is an interesting plot as in many cases we as people do something and then it goes wrong and we might not want to do it again. Sometimes, this is a good thing like this is how we found out that fire burns and hurts and passed that down to the masses  at some point.   Sometimes it goes wrong. Tino went skating without his wrist guards and fell down causing his sprain.  I love how Tino's mom takes over his 4th wall break to explain what happened.  Also doctor is also a magician which is something. 

            Tino has now got it in his head that average everyday things you do can be dangerous. (not reading this blog though. Switching tabs on the other hand, is bad.)  He has decided to "take precautions" by padding the kitchen and rest of the house. He's gone out dressed like he's going on a hike. It is funny he is trying to be safe but also using a putty spreader for the sun putty wouldn't that be dangerous, Tino?!  I hope SPF-182 was a Blink 182 reference.  

            The friends, mostly with Tish, have decided to work with Tino in the hopes he'll snap out of his paranoia.  I think that also goes badly as it seems to have spread to them. Though they are kind of able to shake it and working again to help Tino.  They after waiting all day for him to get ready for the beach, they give up and leave. Tino's Mom helps (again) to bring up the idea that maybe all this worry might affect his friendship.  So he comes to clarity. 

                  This one is fine. Really the concept over thinking how something can be dangerous is very human and having an experience where something you do normally then it going wrong and causing injury can have an affect on what you think about things. The episode doesn't rachet it up to take it too seriously. It does fit Tino's character as he does tend to get into a thought of over reacting. The friends really did stick with him long  enough until they justifiably get mad when it takes him six hours to get ready and making them miss a beach day. Again six hours.  I give it 7/10. 

More after the jump 

Arthur: Season 15: Episode 1: Fifteen

Arthur PBS 

           Episode 1 : Fifteen 

        Arthur turned 15 years old and began its fifteenth season in the year 2011. They decided to go for a full half hour (24 minute) length episode to commemorate and also to really nail in the fact that the show is fifteen by using the number alot.

 

The Cold Open:  Arthur asks do you always feel like you are in a rush?  (modern living) Then it cuts because Arthur runs out of time.  Not really ironic. 

The episode:   This episode goes big on the number 15 and 15 minutes.  But what it also does is provide three running stories into each other.  The first of part of the episode sets this up. First, George is going to be on a radio quiz called 15 minutes of fame (ding) and will have to answer questions for a grand prize of $500, which will be donated to the school. (not $1500?, weak)  That will be happening the next day.  Also that next day, the students of Mr. Ratburn's class have to turn in their reports for art history.  Also if every report is handed in time and the class will get enough points on whatever Ratburn is doing there for a no homework day. This part will focus on Arthur who did a report on Michelangelo ,but forgot to bring it to school, so he has 15 minutes to go back, get his report and bring it to school.  And there's a plot with Pal and Kate.  

The writer of this episode. 

                I've not really [ At least, I don't think I have as of this point] delved into the Arthur series and Baby Kate and Pal plots. They seemed to have started pretty early on, meaning season 6 with "The Secret Life of Dogs and Babies". This is where the go with the baby character of the Read Family and the dog , Pal, being able to communicate with each other ...and other babies and animals because sure?  I don't think those are the most entertaining episodes of the show, since it seems to just take away from doing well anything else.  What at least helps here is that it's not the only plot of this episode.   They have a plot that will tie more into Arthur's.  

George FM / Copyright WGBH 

         First, George's plot. George is practicing for the radio show quiz and asks Arthur to help him. Arthur's plot connects to his a few ways. Arthur tells him he has to go after helping for a minute and the Michelangelo thing will come to play later.   George makes it to the radio station (92.5 fm Quiz fm , coming next week, we are  92.5 FM The Screech)  after scaring a lady off the bus. Also odd running gag of messing up George's name, 

        The school gets to hear the radio show in an assembly. With a static shot of George, in case they forget who he is. George's way of figuring out answers for questions is pretty neat. He uses recalling different memories to get an answer.  Though this episode decides to change Wally's, George's Dummy, origin story for some reason.  Also the questions are real questions and accurate like baseball bat's traditional wood being ash wood.  The Latin question works because the third grade teacher decides to teach like an 8th grade teacher and apparently uses Latin word when needed. 

         Arthur's plot, which will get fully into in a moment, ties into George's.  That report he was doing on Michelangelo plays in the final question George has to answer.  Also the part where the radio show uses the 'phone a friend' style thing works with Arthur's plot too. I'll just say here, George gets it right and woo hoo. 

Are you going to eat that.. stapler, or the money/ Copyright WGBH 

            Let's go to the star of the show's plot, Arthur.   Arthur comes to school and realizes he left it home. He has to hand it in so the class can get No Homework Day.  He decides to turn around and go get it.  Arthur's Dad found the report and decides he's going to bring it to Arthur. (Good ole Dad) Would make  good question of who is faster?  Anyway this goes wrong as the classic thing of dropping some papers he though he scooped up the right ones and brings it to Buster since Arthur is on his way back home.  The real papers are in the recycle bin.  The Kate and Pal plot also will tie into this, but that's later for us.  

        

            As mentioned earlier, Arthur meets some obstacles, like being stopped by George to help him with some last minute studying. He makes it home and thanks to his dad finding the report, he can't find the report now. (What a mess)   Buster calls him on his cell phone, that's right Arthur characters have cell phones, and tells him that the report is at school. Buster doesn't know.  

        Thanks to Francine being curious about what Arthur wrote about she peeks at the report and it's not  the report. Buster calls Arthur and tells him, now Arthur has to go back. Buster also has to cover for Arthur because he's a good friend like that.  How Arthur finds his report, because he does, ties into the Pal and Kate plot, so we'll move on him going to school, right when George called his name for a 'phone a friend' thing.  He thankfully makes it to give George the answer for Michelangelo's full name is Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. (That's right you learn things in this blog)   Good thing that Principal Haney being confused with tech gag played into the episode to give some time for Arthur to show up.   

           But even though the report has made it, and the class will get their day, Buster talked to much and Mr. Ratburn makes them write a report about what happened today.  

More after the jump

I have gathered you here today to tell you about what I found online/ Copyright WGBH

            Now we rewind, one more time. This time to Pal and Kate's plot.  As mentioned before, their plot starts when Arthur's dad finds the report. Pal hears big trouble and wants to help Arthur out.  The dog didn't catch what a report was and that Arthur's dad already picked it up. This is a strange thing to write. He and Kate go searching around for the report.  They find a picture.  

       This episode goes deep with it's artist references Buster did a report on Pieter Bruegel , Dutch painter from the 1600's.  The picture Pal and Kate find is an Arthurized version of  L.H.O.O.Q. by Marcel Duchamp, a French artist, where he took the picture of the Mona Lisa and added a Mustache. (This is why Disney fears the public domain) 

            Nemo, Francine's Cat, decides to grab the picture because reasons.  Francine's cat breaks into other people's houses apparently.  This gets weirder, D.W's imaginary friend, Nadine, shows up. In "Arthur" lore the pets and babies can see imaginary friends of other kids.  Also Vicita's friend and the Tibble's friend shows up. Why? They think the picture part of a plot by cats to eliminate imaginary friends to kids will play with cats more.  (They don't know anything about cats do they?)   Nadine says that Nemo is part of the group to find the secret formula and Pal and Kate have to get the picture back. Alright then. 

                Anyway, not going to deep into their plot and will just connect that Pal gets the image back from Nemo and drops it in front of Arthur. It has dog drool on it and Arthur is disgusted that causes him to bring it to the recycle bin, where he finds his report.  Good thing because the truck comes and takes the stuff from the bin. That makes the the friends and Kate think their mission was accomplished.  

            That's the episode. It's a pretty fun episode with a mixture of things going on to not drag anything down too much.  I like how each plot works with other and the side stuff being added in really brings a nice combination to it. It even manages to make a Pal and Baby Kate plot be entertaining.  I do like the tension brought up each part. Will Arthur find his report? Will George do well? Will cats take out imaginary friends?  (What?)

         It's not a bad episode, it feels well paced, uses it's time well, and has an interesting set of plots. It plays well in the context of it being a 15th anniversary special but also can feel not to be one. I like the art references in this too. it is funny to forget that Arthur works under PBS' mission to explain and educate and the episode does that too without feeling too oft and forced. 

            It was fun.  That does it for now for us, tune in next time when we write a blog post in 15 minutes.  

                 

            

Arthur: Season 23: Episode 3: The Pea and the Princess/D.W. and Dr. Whosit

Arthur PBS 

Episode 3a : The Pea and the Princess 

    The Cold Open:  No, this episode isn't Arthur doing a whole episode in the world of the Princess and the Pea. Though kind of. Prunella is running a play with the 3rd graders (Arthur's class) and has done the Disney thing of making the play one name "The Pea" instead of you know. (We found it would test better with boys if it just didn't have the word Princess in it. Francine didn't like the new name and gets into a skirmish and causes a heavy vase to hit Prunella's leg. We get a break a leg joke. Proud of her taking out Prunella, Francine talks to us and says now let's go back to the beginning.  (Apparently this was the middle?) 

The Episode:   Rewinding back, Prunella has done her own version of a public domain story (Public domain rules!) and is able to cast students for it.  So first, there are auditions.  Francine and Muffy have both been made into princess. This episode makes two behind mentions, good for it.  Apparently, Prunella's idea is her play has two princesses because Francine fits the role of a strong princess and a prim and proper one.  Binky has been made the pea, which apparently is a role now.   

          Prunella makes instant changes to play like somehow, both Buster and Arthur are both horses' rear ends. (someone thought that was funny)  Francine thinks its annoying and wants to fix the play.  It seems the final straw was her renaming the play "The Pea".   And the events we saw earlier happened, and now Francine made some changes. Binky quits.  This also goes badly. Then there's a quick apology and then there's work to fix the play. Francine gets Binky and now the evening showing of the play. 

            Then it goes fine. This episode is simple, mostly Francine getting annoyed and not quitting, strange play moves, and random things in-between. The idea of the episode is that Prunella made a play her way and wasn't really being bossy or rude, but trying to make her vision work and Francine didn't like it, especially after having some lines cut.  That's really it.    I don't know 6/10? If we're grading here. 

The Kids segment: Improv is cool. 

More after the jump