Family Toons: Popeye & Son (1987)

 Popeye returned to CBS & Hanna-Barbera in 1987 after a few years away, during which time Jack Mercer had passed on, so impressionist Maurice LaMarche (The Real Ghostbusters) was brought in to succeed Mercer. Otherwise, cast members Allan Melvin (Bluto, Wimpy) and Marilyn Schreffler (Olive, Sea Hag, et al) returned from the previous run.

This, though, was the first iteration to offer Popeye & Olive as husband & wife. Likewise, Bluto had gotten married, and each rival has a son of their own. Talk about your time jumps. Bluto's son, Tank, and Popeye, Jr. are nearly teenagers, even though it'd been 4 years since The Popeye & Olive Show had ended. H-B and King Features didn't learn anything from the time jump that Tabitha had experienced more than a decade earlier when spun off from Bewitched, as, like Tabitha, Popeye & Son was dry-docked after 1 season.

In the opener, spinach-hating Junior must take matters into his own hands and rescue Bluto's yacht party, including the Mayor of Sweet Haven (Rip Taylor, ex-Here Comes The Grump), from the Sea Hag. Then, the predictable tale of a wedding anniversary nearly forgotten, and we learn how our couples, yes, including Bluto & Lizzie, got married.

12 years later, comics & television writer Peter David wrote a 1-shot comic that offered a different take on Popeye & Olive's wedding. Nearly 25 years later, however, it's still not canon.

Rating: B--.