In an effort to cross-promote Cartoon Network's Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast, which premiered a year earlier, CN's sister network TBS began airing a variety-anthology series, Cartoon Planet, 6 days a week, running during after school hours on weekdays, and as a lead in to WCW wrestling on Saturday mornings.
Planet, like its parent series, presented Space Ghost, reincarnated as a talk-variety show host, aided by former foes Zorak (as the one-man band), Moltar (formerly Moltor, the producer), and Brak (comedy relief). Brak became the breakout star of the show, such that he was granted a primetime special a few years later, and, after the launch of [adult swim] in 2001, his own 15 minute comedy series. There were classic cartoons from the Turner networks' library, which, of course, included episodes of the original Space Ghost from 1966, so viewers could see Space Ghost, Brak, Zorak, & Moltor as they originally appeared.
In this clip, Brak & Zorak perform "What Day Is It?":
There would also be the occasional skits with a live-action Space Ghost (Andy Merrill, one of the show's producers and the voice of Brak), usually at the end of the broadcast. Quite a comedown for a classic Hanna-Barbera superhero, don't you think?
Planet ceased producing new material after 2 years, but the repeats kept rolling until 1999. After the first year, TBS moved the series over to CN, and it has spent time on [as] in the past. Unfortunately, today, the subversive, twisted comedy lies in the Turner vaults, all but forgotten.
Rating: B+.
No comments:
Post a Comment