The Lookback: Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Easter  The Flashback 

      Yes, I have done the Rankin Bass Easter themed specials out of order, meaning the third and final post related to their Easter specials is about their first one.  So we look at "Here Comes Peter Cottontail".  This special first aired on ABC on April 4th 1971, (funny enough ABC ends up with two Rankin Bass Easter specials).

     This special has Danny Kaye who you might know from "White Christmas", the movie with Bing Crosby,  he voices a few characters including the narrator named Seymour S. Sassafras, he's  salesman who is in April valley (what happens if Easter is in March?) and is going to see Peter Cottontail to give him colors to paint Easter eggs.  That's right we don't know who that is, good thing  Seymour is going to tell us , right? (I'm going home)

He's a very dapper dresser/ Copyright Rankin Bass and Universal 

          April Valley is where Easter Bunnies live and work, so apparently in this world there's more than one, Easter Bunny, alright.  Peter Cottontail is the chief Bunny, also apparently we are going to be finding out how he almost lost the job. (Budget cuts?) There's an evil rabbit named Irontail  who almost became the Easter Bunny. (You gave him the name Irontail, what do you expect?)

   
          So apparently, the job of Easter Bunny is passed down (like a monarchy!)  like there was Wellington B. Bunny and he has to find a new successor and thinks Peter Cottontail might be a good one for the job. His assistant doesn't like this idea because Peter is boastful and sometimes lies. (like a monarchy!) Every time Peter lies his left ear droops, because sure.  Because this is a Rankin-Bass special, that means we get songs!  The first song is Wellington singing about every Easter Bunny needing to be ready for Easter. (Sung by Danny Kaye, because they got Danny Kaye and they are going to use him!)

I'm not your father/ Copyright Universal 

          We need our villain, and that's Irontail, he's called that because a child ran over his tail (how that work, don't bunnies have short tails?)  and he wears iron one. (Why?)  Anyway they got Vincent Price to voice him, because the casting people were awesome, good work guys!  Irontail is mad at all children because of this. (perfectly reasonable response)

My insurance said either iron or rubber and well... /Copyright Universal 

          Peter is made Chief Easter Bunny, until Irontail comes in with the Constitution of April Valley. (Like a Monarchy!)   We need plot for this special so, he we go; January (that's Irontial) wants to challenge for the Easter Bunny job for who gets the most eggs delivered to be the next E.B.  Peter accepts.  Anyway because Peter is cocky, he has a big party instead of sleeping and getting ready for the next day. Irontail also does some cheating. Thanks to I.T rigging the chicken alarm clock (what?) Peter sleeps in.  Irontail tries to deliver eggs but children apparently don't like iron-tailed bunnies (because children are rude) but, he does give one egg and that's  one more than Peter did so, Irontail is new Easter Bunny, special over!

Oh no! He's killing a flower, he's evil!/ Copyright Universal 

    More after the jump

DCOM: The Luck of the Irish

Dcom  The Flashback 

       Saint Patrick's Day seems to be dead in the TV marketing department, there really aren't  any Saint Patrick's day specials, I mean, Charlie Brown has an Arbor Day special but no Saint Patrick's day!  Disney Channel decided at least , once, to have a Saint Patrick's day related piece of media. The  movie isn't  about Saint Patrick's  Day, but they air it around Saint Patrick's day so, that's how that works.  Plus, since when this is published, we are also looking at Friday the 13th which is connected to Luck so we are trying to kill two birds with one stone.

      This movie first came out in March of 2001 on Disney Channel. It stars Ryan Merriman, who showed up on Disney Channel Original movies before and after like "Smart House" and "A Ring of  Endless Light". There's also  Timothy Omundson, whom you may know from "Psych" as "Lassie" but but, where's my "Judging Amy" gang?  It also stars the late Henry Gibson.

 
        Let's  get started.   Our main character (played by Merriman) is middle school student named Kyle Johnson, he's a popular basketball player at his school. (Because this seems to be a Disney Channel early days go to sport, also it's funny the same actor played a kid who also later plays basketball in "Smart House".  The school is doing a heritage day thing that Kyle is worried about and he also asks his parents where his family is from, like their heritage. His father says they moved from Cleveland. ( This movie makes you want to think these two parents are serial killers on the hide from the law and or kidnappers of Kyle)  There's also the plot device, lucky coin, more on that later.

I'm also confused 

          First, the movie wants us to watch a basketball game, because it has time for this.  Kyle seems to have luckiness to him, he's a good basketball player, popular, the girls want him (probably some guys do to)  and yeah.   Meanwhile, there's another important character for this movie her name is Bonnie Lopez, she's in charge of the heritage day committee. She wonders about Kyle's , remember he doesn't know. (Maybe he's french; I wish the title of the movie would tell me)
\

         Movie likes to show that Kyle has weird dumb luck just to make a point. Also, they want to show the mom makes weird food, this is contrast for later.  Kyle presses his parents to figure out his heritage, but they still seem like they are serial killers. (I'm uncomfortable)  This part of the movie is one music change from being a horror film.

He's one step from taking Kyle out/ Copyright Disney 

            Kyle decides to use the 2001 internet to see if he figure out his heritage and family. Bonnie helps him figure it out.  He also doesn't know his mother's maiden name , which means he makes it harder for identity thieves.  We are pressing hard on his mother's side now because it's important. So far the movie is not doing anything that's not important for it's plot, they are either doing some tight writing or I'm over thinking.   He finds out his father's real name is Bob Smith (I'm calling the police) really making me think he's a serial killer, or hit man or something. Also, maybe the lucky charm coin is lucky.

My father had a very boring name/ Copyright Disney 

         Meanwhile, the coin has a match to something he has on his coin and yes he might be Irish. What? Irish? no way? It's not like the title would say anything about that. Meanwhile, Irish stuff.  Meanwhile, Henry Gibson and makes this movie even more fun with his presence!  Remember his shoe symbol, that's important.  Also, obvious CGI is obvious.

He's not CGI. Copyright Disney 

more after the jump

But First These Messages: Mazda 100

But first these messages 

        Did you know Mazda has turned 100 years old this year?  Well, we have decided to use that as a way just do some Mazda commercials as a future for this edition of "But first these Messages". Let's go find our perfect Mazda. 

            Not paid for by Mazda, I mean that'd be cool if Mazda did but, they didn't, we are just doing this for fun. 

        But First these messages... 

       

        This is an ad from Japan for the Mazda Cosmo.

I'm sure this car could fit all 5 of these ladies... 

I don't speak Japanese, so all I know is that they are promoting a car with the international language of  sexy ladies, I guess.

             

             The Mazda GLC, that's the name of this car in North America, stands for Great Little Car.  That name alone sells it.!

            You know, I really am not completely  sold on this car I need...
           

 Oh my god! I has whitewall tires!!!!!!!!! I'm buying it!!!!!!!! Yes!

There is only one phrase that Mazda has implanted into my face and brain  subconscious and it's so simple and yet it's the first thing I think of with Mazda. I see a Mazda on the road I think of this.   

           
            ZOOM ZOOM

               In 2000, Mazda introduced a new slogan called "Zoom Zoom" using a song from 1994 song called "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom" The whole commercial is saying that we as humans have this inherent urge to move and Mazda is part of the urge to go!   I guess, that's what they are saying.

             
              Get it!  Protegé , teacher , I do !!!

                       This is commercial is like we are trying to make a boring sedan seem cool, so yeah it's learned it's tricks from a sports car. Also, look at this we are showing these two cars on a high rock that's cool!

Good, we finally found a parking spot. 

          
           Try trick, show us the cars, the guys aren't talking about cars, but yet they are talking about the cars.  Also zoom zoom kid is heard not seen, but the song lives.

This dog is living the Mazda life, a life you can have if  you buy a Mazda

After a decade and a half of service, Mazda took out the old Zoom Zoom tagline and sent it to the farm.  They instead went for a slogan that makes me feel like they are going to be selling Mazda brand bottled water. 

 Much like the zoom zoom idea, this tagline has a similar idea that you will feel freedom and "feel alive" while driving a Mazda.  They are expressing humans doing activities and being alive while saying your Mazda will get you to those places and you'll be living.

Whoa it's smooth and shiny , that's the future, I feel alive! 

more after the jump

It's a Lookback, Charlie Brown: She's a Good Skate, Charllie Brown (Re-write edition)

Peanuts  The Flashback 

           So, I have written about this special  before, but I feel  since this special is turning 40 in 2020, and I have more thoughts and insights into special, that I'd do a rewrite. Keeping the old post up, but doing something a little updated and what I hope is a better look than the old one, it's always good to try and improve on something.

          Peppermint Patty is probably one of more interesting Peanuts characters because she stood out as a character with a lot character.  I always heard this rumor that Peppermint Patty was considered for her own strip, if anything, she would be a character that could hold a strip.

     "She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown" is the 19th Special in the Peanuts line of specials, it's first of the 1980's specials coming out on February 25th 1980 airing on the CBS network. (Charlie Brown station) As of this writing, it makes yearly appearances on ABC with "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown" as a lead-in.

       This special starts Peppermint Patty. You will only see her, Marcie, Snoopy. and Woodstock in prominence. Can Peppermint Patty hold an entire special?

   
       It starts with Peppermint Patty ice skating while, being coached by Snoopy who acts like an old Soviet ice skating coach. Then after the intro, it has the familiar,from the strips, Peppermint Patty being asleep in class. Also, there's a voice for the teacher and it's trumpets it's actual woman's voice, so this a rarity.  The reason why Peppermint Patty is dozing off is because she's been waking up at 4:30AM to train for ice skating. (That is early, like even local news shouldn't be on that early early)

Sandals in  the snow, how brave/ Copyright Peanuts 

            Hey there's Chuck, she wakes up him just to tell him that she's going to wake up Snoopy, tells him to go back to sleep.   I'm pointing this out now, ABC air this differently, like really differently. They start with a scene later on that'll point out, then show the title, then they cut the part where Peppermint wakes up Chuck and just goes straight into her waking up Snoopy and bringing him to the pond to practice  They cut almost of the stuff I mentioned above, then show her practicing to the music of "O mio babbino caro" (It was my Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown will later use this piece of music) This part is where we come back together with ABC's airing.    One of the cool things about special's animation is the ice skating.  They asked professional skaters if everything they did was accurate before they finished the special. The main goal was to have it be believable that Peppermint Patty would be ice skating in a regional competition.  They filmed three skaters : Mary Ellen Kinsey, Amy Schulz, and Karen Hutton and studied the results frame by frame.  This shows the great care and attention that went into Peanuts specials and respect for the audience, I love this fact.   (my source)

She is a good skate/ Copyright Peanuts

            Up next,  some skaters show up and want to ride play hockey they want to force Peppermint Patty and Snoopy off , but these two knock them with two pushes and Snoopy just scoops them off the ice. (Don't mess with these two, ever!)   This part is where ABC starts their airing with more Peppermint Patty practicing with the music and Marcie there this time. ( Watch this post be weird f the specials change networks and that network airs this unedited.)

 
         Peppermint Patty wants Marcie to make her skating dress, and in true Peppermint Patty fashion she doesn't listen to Marcie saying that she's not someone who can make a dress. (I'm not going to mention every ABC edit because that bogs down everything)  It's interesting to hear them use a woman's voice for the fabric store woman as well, that's a little wow.   After a quick moon transition, peppermint Patty shows up to look at the dress. Marcie made one with out arms (it's hip in some countries)
                                    
                                        Fashion trend of the future/ Copyright Peanuts


more after the jump

The Flashback: Pepper Ann: Valentine's Day Tune

Disney Pepper Ann Valentine's Day  The Flashback '

        I had to do this "Pepper Ann" episode not just for Valentine's Day, but also for the fact that this episode is turning 20 this year. As it came out on February 14, 2000.    

      This is "Pepper Ann" episode 42 . 

                 Pepper Ann doesn't like Valentine's  Day. That's set up for this episode that Pepper Ann doesn't like Valentine's Day. They take first the few minutes showing the school really loving Valentine's Day (which is actually the next day) and showing Pepper Ann being really annoyed by it all.  This full 24 minute episode is going to be using a plot that's normally used for Christmas, yep, they are going to use "A Christmas Carol".   

I'm going to be translucent with you / Copyright Disney 

  

          The episode starts with following the normal process you'd find in "A Christmas Carol" to see how they mold it for both Pepper Ann and Valentine's Day.  First a ghost visits her warning that she will suffer if she doesn't change her way.  Then the first ghost appears, in the form of her first grade boyfriend, to take her to the past. (I like Pepper Ann enjoying that she can fly)  The ghost takes her back to a moment of time when Pepper Ann tried to get her parents back together after their divorce. And she tried it on Valentine's Day. Then it takes her to the moment where her mother got her a locket for Valentine's Day. And she does feel bad on how she treated the gift. 

I put your locket away/ Copyright Disney 

          Next, the second ghost from the present.  The mother works on her Valentine's cake and never gives up.  There's a school bully who really wants a valentine. (Yep) She sees her friends Nikki and Milo are sad that she's not the Valentine's dance. 

I also can power 3 cities/ Copyright Disney 

            Finally, she meets the ghost of future.  They keep this one in the grim reaper fashion as per tradition.  Instead of Pepper Ann being dead, she's a crazy rich old cat lady.  (At least she's rich?)  Then they go more to the future (more future-y)  the year 2468.  There's this couple hiding from Robot Pepper Ann  trying to give Valentine's because love is forbidden in the building; she kicks them out.  

Robot Pepper Ann is a head of all us/ Copyright Disney 

      They do whole thing were it takes Pepper Ann takes a while to figure it out that it's her.  Pepper Ann says she'll lighten up on Valentine's Day. She goes through the change of heart and embraces Valentine's Day.   

 

Happy Arbor Day/ Copyright Disney 

        First off, I like this episode going with the embrace  of non romantic love  for Valentine's Day and focusing on friendship and family.  That's not saying romantic love is bad or anything, it's just nice to see Valentine's Day plot line have more than just that kind of love be used. The idea of using "A Christmas Carol" as a basis for the plot is rather creative, for a piece of media that's been used a lot.   The ghosts were creative, giving people that Pepper Ann would remember or know.   

        It has the good Pepper Ann well-written humor that ties everything in a nice package. Valentine's Day is one of those easier holidays to say feels like it was there just for marketing things compared most of the other holidays giving Pepper Ann, the character, kind of a point but, they also give reasons why there's something worth celebrating. That you should appreciate the  love around you and try to spread some  as well, and I think that's great message.   

    That's our lookback, tune in next time when we do Saint Patrick's Day: A Christmas Carol style. 

 Also brought you by the Get Pepper Ann on Disney Plus squad. 

Valentine's Day: For Better or For Worse: A Valentine from the Heart

Valentine's Day The Flashback

       I have been enjoying writing about "For Better or For Worse" animated specials, and thankfully there's another holiday to use to talk about a holiday special this one being Valentine's Day.  This special came out in 1993.

      This is "A Valentine From the Heart"

   It starts with pizza, which has already shown this special understands love already.  Michael and his friends are having Pizza  and they are talking about a dance, they want to do but can't at a school because the principal is not happy with a past incident.  Michael convinces his mother if he can have a party at his house. Which she allows. (wow cool)

Yeah I need my right to party! 

      Also Brad from the Halloween special is back, and he's still creepy. Also, this special shows takes place a little later than special because Michael is fifteen.(Which fits with the comics aging in real time)  It cuts to Brad who earlier helped  Elizabeth at the grocery store when she was knocked over. While Michael's parents are talking about how great and carefree it is to be 15, we see Brad taking care of his over worked mother. I like how it contrasts so well.

   Elly and John are a great couple and they're loving shows well in this special. The party is about to start.  I wasn't expecting a song sung by Liz, like it comes out of nowhere. She wants to have a valentine. The party seems to be going well until, Brad shows up.  Michael lets him stay as long as he's not trouble.  He does try to talk this girl named Allison but she wants nothing to do with him.  When someone bumps into him , he pushes back a little hard and causes a mess and gets kicked out of the party.

 

     After the party, they lament about Brad.  Later Brad's mother comes by and she says Brad hasn't come home.  Brad calls Allison from a bus station and he's leaving to Vancouver  because she did say she wanted him to disappear. (He took it literally)

       Everyone goes to catch up, while Brad is on a  bus, all sad. They call to him  on the bus and cause people's trip to get delayed. He's quiet and hugs his mother and takes him back to the house. Liz gives Brad her valentine, since she's the boy who she saw earlier. Which I think makes him turn around a little bit.

    It ends with Pizza and Brad shows up and he joins Michael and his friends.

    There's a good great use of visual work for this special. They show us how Brad's life is without any thing he or his mother saying anything, they used a contrast of Elly and John's words to Brad's segment.  They were saying that fifteen year olds have it easy and there's Brad not having an easy life.
 
   The things about these specials is how they stay in the realism and do it well. Liz's subplot plays well into the main plot and everything comes together nicely.  Much like the Halloween special, Valentine's day is used as plot device, but how it uses it here to show kindness as a kind of love more than just romantic love.  It's not something you see much especially for Valentine's Day where the focus always seems to be romantic.  It's a good special with some great heart to it that really has it 's own charm.

 That's our look back tune in next time when we send Valentine's.

 

 

     

   

The Lookback : Kids of Degrassi Street: Ida Makes a Movie

The Flashback  Joshuaonline Canada 

     "Degrassi" is an interesting show, depending on who you are, invoking this name might mean different things.  Degrassi is a franchise from Canada that being 1979 with a four short films akin to the after school special.  These films became part of the series   "Kids of Degrassi Street". The basic premise of is really just kids being kids and it focuses on kids who live on Degrassi Street. The show was mostly realistic and dealt things like honesty, death, divorce, and other issues kids could face in their lives.  It got popular and spawned a spin off series "Degrassi Junior High" and later "Degrassi High"   All these series ran in Canada on the CBC and PBS had in a America.

     It came back in a new form with "Degrassi:The Next Generation" which ran on CTV in Canada and The N in the US. It began in 2001 and ran long enough that the next generation were gone and they dropped that name and called it just Degrassi. Then as of this writing, there was Degrassi: The Next Class, which is apparently the shortest lived Degrassi series. 

    It was created by Linda Schuyler, who was school teacher and worked on short films that insipired the idea of Degrassi.

    Anyway, this blog post is going to be talking about the very very very first piece of Degrassi media that ever existed, this is "Ida Makes a Movie" that first aired September 12th 1979.


            The movie starts with Ida and her friend Cookie at the park and there's a sign for a movie competition. Ida decides she wants to make a film but finds that the camera needs a little work, but her mother encourages her to at least check to see how much it would cost to fix and to get some film for it. 

   
         The quality of the short does have this style of someone making like a low cost movie, it kind of just feels like we're watching a film of Ida trying to make a film, it's kind of a nice presentation really.  Ida doesn't have enough money to fix her camera. She tries asking her brother,Fred, for the money ,but he is of no help.  So, Ida decides to sell some of her old junk.

this must have been a good garage sale, they sold the garage! 

          This works and she figures out how to make record things.  She wants to make a movie about garbage and Fred helps her and Cookie.  I will point out that Fred is wearing a helmet that he purchased from Ida and uh this will play into this film soon.  Poor Cookie's doll got lost up in the action into a garbage truck.

       Two weeks later, Ida found out her film has selected as a finalist in the film festival. Oh, the film people think that the movie is about war and its effect on children. ( Yep, that's what I got from the movie too) Cookie says they might get made when they find out the movie is about garbage and not war.  Ida's not going to let this get out. (scandal)

           Finally, it's the awards night and she did let the guilt eat at her.  After a roundabout way of asking her mother, she decides to go to the awards show.  Ida wins the thing and they show the film, first before anything else. Yep, and I can see how the movie can be seen as like war.   Ida Lucas gets called up to the stage.  Ida explains that the movie wasn't about war, it was about garbage and she hands back the award.   The man explains that there was more to the movie than just the idea of it being about war and still felt it had merit so, Ida gets the award anyway.

   

Better than the Oscars

          You can the tell the moral is about honesty. It does have that feel like they would play this in a class then ask the students questions. (who would do that?) I do like depicts a childhood situation naturally, even the lines feel natural, and the film style does feel like someone was recording Ida's moments and just following her, that's kind of great style.  Maybe it's because were so used to polished stuff it feels like this might been an intended style and it might have been but, I'm not going to let that stop my sentence.

       It is based off a book of the same name.  But from the cover, Ida wasn't a cat in this film. (Hollywood, uhhh Toronto always trying to make things more flash)

     It's kind of an interesting way to see how Degrassi got its start with focus on normal kids doing normal things and presenting  a moral for it's audience to think about without forcing it.   It was a nice bit of slice of life. 

    That's our lookback, and we've now go to tell someone that this blog isn't about the dowers of war, I'm still confused on how they got that confused. 

    If you are interested in this series and are in the United States, PBS has it for sale on their site. https://shop.pbs.org/the-kids-of-degrassi-street-complete-collection-dvd-3pk/product/WG31169  They didn't pay us to say that, we just wanted to pass it along.  I've also seen it on Amazon in the US and Canada, I wish I could say where else in Canada it's sold.  

   

     

     

But First These Messages : Post AT&T

Commercials 

          Many of our readers (I hope we have older readers too, please?!) may have been around when there was really only one telephone company. We mean when telephones required a cord and had to be in your house or on the side of the street to work.   To put history short,  AT&T was brought to court and 1982 agreed to be broken up into seven regional companies. These companies were :  Ameritech. Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, NYNEX, Pacific Telesis, Southwestern Bell, and. US West.  

       This time we are be going to be breaking our normal format to look at ads from these post AT&T companies with  some history tidbits thrown in for effect.  If you like our more wackier format , that's not going away , I just wanted to try something a little different.   

    But First These messages....

       

         Ameritech , alphabetically, is the first company to arise out of the break up of AT&T in 1983, it embosed Illinois Bell, Indiana Bell,  Michigan Bell, Ohio Bell, ,and Wisconsin Bell. 

      

    Wow an early ad from the company's existence.  They play off the tech part of their name here by talking about their modern 1984 tech.

 This company was so powerful they merged these states in one 

         

Ahhh pay phones. I like how the lady broke down near a pay phone very convenient .

   For the first few years , The other bell names stayed so that's why this says Indiana Bell with the tag line of "An Ameritech Company" In 1993 they dropped those names and just went with Americtech,

They put this pay phone in the sky! 

    In 1999 Ameritech merged with SBC, a company we'll get to later.  More after the Jump