Some TV shows change their titles during their runs. For example, an attempted Columbo spin-off focusing on the detective's otherwise unseen wife was rebooted as Kate Loves a Mystery, which didn't help, as the show was cancelled anyway.
Given how we have an impulsive, immature president with the comportment of a 5 year old changing Lake Ontario to Lake America just on his say-so (which is wrong), the producers of South Park decided to have a little fun with that, and so, the just launched new season sees a title change to South America.....
Title change aside, nothing else has changed. It's the same kind of subversive satire you've gotten for nearly 30 years. The title change won't last forever----it'll revert when the man-baby in Washington is out of office----and if the owners of Paramount don't have a problem, neither should anyone else.
As they said in the "Naked Gun" movies, just accept it.
HG Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau gets sent up in the episode, "Wild Style", in which Clover and some cruise ship passengers are turned into humanoid animals for the benefit of a deranged fashion maven, who wants to then kill them for their newly acquired fur.....
I'm told the show is still airing somewhere, but not available on local cable at the present time.
Weather Hunters, PBS' ambitious flash animated series built around weather, premiered in the fall, but production has ended after 40 episodes were produced. Not all 40 have aired as yet, but expect PBS to make this available to elementary schools around the country, if that hasn't happened already.
Al Roker (The Today Show) is Al Hunter, TV meteorologist and father of three, who takes his children on field trips to learn about weather patterns, and the how's & why's of meteorological trends. Holly Robinson Peete (ex-Hangin' With Mr. Cooper) plays his wife. Actress-singer Yvette Nicole Brown performs the opening theme. Celebrity guest stars have included Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Frank Welker, and, in "The Windy Day", LeVar Burton (Trivial Pursuit) as a sentient pair of eyeglasses that Lily finds............
Burton has also been heard as Great-grandfather Wallace Hunter in this series.
While it was previously reported that Bugs Bunny was TCM's Star of the Month, the Oscar winning icon got all of the attention a week ago.
The reason? TCM begins 31 Days of Oscar tomorrow, and to spread out their plans for Bugs over the month would've conflicted with the annual promotion. Unless, of course, the shorts that won those Oscars for Bugs & WB are part of the 31 day event.
Comics Dana Gould, Patton Oswalt (ex-Happy!, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, The King of Queens), & Bill Hader (ex-Saturday Night Live) discuss Bugs' eternal appeal.
And here I thought this started sooner than it did.
"This" would be The NFL Today, CBS' pre-game show ahead of their NFL coverage, which launched in 1975. Brent Musburger was the show's 1st anchor, aided by a revolving door cast of analysts and co-hosts, including Phyllis George, Jayne Kennedy, former player Irv Cross, and the infamous Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, whose run with the show was torpedoed in the 80's due to some ill-timed remarks.
Today, James Brown is the anchor, having come over from Fox a few years back, aided by former players Matt Ryan, Nate Burleson (CBS Mornings, Hollywood Squares), and Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher.
To mark the 50th anniversary, Musburger was brought back as a special guest, and the panel honored him with some throwback wardrobe, breaking out some wigs and polyester suits.....
Musburger retired from ESPN a few years back, but still sounds like he can do the job.
South Park returned with new episodes two weeks ago, and promptly gained some major attention by going after the Trump administration. Not just the president himself, but also, as you'll see in an excerpt shortly, certain disreputable members of his administration.
Two weeks ago, Trey Parker & Matt Stone revisited an old gag, subbing Trump for Saddam Hussein in getting in bed with the Devil. That plotline continued this week. Knowing that Parker & Stone are equal opportunity offenders, it won't surprise anyone if/when the most immature president of our lifetime gets around to whining & crying about how he's being portrayed here.
Now, let's check this sampler from last night's show.
I think as long as Trump continues to behave the way he is while in office, Parker & Stone won't let up the pressure any time soon, and they'll soon have some company, with Mike Judge's Beavis & Butt-Head returning later this month, likely airing in back of South Park.
You're familiar with Thomas The Tank Engine from British shorts being shown on Shining Time Station and its own stand-alone series. In 2021, Canada's Nelvana was given a license to adapt Britt Allcroft's books into a fully animated series, airing first on Cartoon Network as part of its Cartoonito block before moving to Netflix last year.
With the news that Allcroft has passed away, I thought it might be a good idea to find something to post, and happened across this series, which I was not aware had been on the air until now.
In "Choo-Choo Check-In", Thomas and his, well, girlfriend, Kana, are pushing exhaustion, and it's having an effect on their work.
While DC has launched a new Creature Commandos comic book, featuring revamped versions of the original team, it has little to do with James Gunn's new animated series on Max, which recently launched.
The only link between the two is Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, "The Suicide Squad", ex-How to Get Away With Murder), who is assigning Rick Flag, Sr. (Frank Grillo) the task of leading this new version of the Commandos in the present day.
Max & DC made the series opener available for free screening on YouTube, but we know better than to use it, so we'll sub in a trailer. Mind the language.
The opening credits in the 1st episode gives the cast some star billing, aside from Davis, who isn't credited until the end titles. I found it amusing to find the Bride reading an issue of an old DC book, Young Love, only to tear it up. Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk, Resident Alien, Harley Quinn, etc.) was once a prominent Batman foe back in the 70's who's now getting a new lease on life, and, per this series, a new origin having to do with another Bat-foe, Rupert Thorne. Gunn inserted an image of himself in the opening credits, probably because his head's still swollen from being a character on Harley Quinn.
As the title implies, Xploration DIY Sci was part of Fox's Xploration Station block when it launched 10 years ago. Today, the series is in syndication, but now known as simply DIY Sci, even though the block bug is still present. Locally, the MyNetwork TV affiliate carries the show.
2nd generation producer Steve Rotfeld put the block together, and signed another Steve---Steve Spangler, that is---as series host. Spangler was a frequent guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show before launching this series.
Following is a sample episode:
I would venture the target audience would be grades 6-12, perhaps up to college. Spangler brings the wacky, too, with some comedy skits.
Contrary to what you may think, Batman: Caped Crusader is not a reboot or a sequel to the seminal Batman: The Animated Series, even though Bruce Timm is part of the creative team, along with Matt Reeves ("The Batman"), writer Ed Brubaker, who has written his fair share of Batman & Catwoman stories for DC, and JJ Abrams.
There are some distinctive changes. To wit:
The Penguin, for example, is now a woman, Oswalda Cobblepot (Minnie Driver), and figures into the opener, as seen in this excerpt:
The series is set in a post-World War II Gotham, with televisions & radios of the period prominent. Despite this, you have an African-American Commissioner James Gordon, just like in "The Batman", and, by extension, his daughter, Barbara, now a public defender, is African-American as well.
Natalia Knight, aka Nocturna, has been de-aged and repackaged, purposely, one would think, to resemble Wednesday Addams, a subtle nod to a certain Netflix series. McKenna Grace voices Knight, whose vampiric powers are more akin to a succubus than an actual vampire.
Harvey Dent (Diedrich Bader) is the DA running for mayor, but has to deal with mob boss Rupert Thorne, seeking to keep his hooks in city hall by any means necessary. You know his story will be told.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Jamie Chung), aka Harley Quinn, has been restyled, with a new jester's costume, but working alone.
Selina Kyle (Christina Ricci), aka Catwoman, is presented here as taking inspiration from the Batman himself (Hamish Linklater) to adopt a costumed persona. However, it makes her less of an attraction than you'd think.
Alfred Pennyworth is presented here in his plus-size iteration from the Golden Age, but with a mustache, as later versions would have.
There are other characters normally not associated with the Bat-franchise included, such as Patrick "Eel" O'Brien (Tom Kenny), presented here as a photographer. There'll be a pool on whether or not he becomes Plastic Man. Jim Corrigan works for Gotham PD, but takes a bribe to try to kill Barbara. Lois Lane shows up, looking as she did back in the 40's.
The series has already been renewed for Season 2, which is just starting production. Warner Bros. Discovery should've held on to this one, but gave it up out of sheer stupidity, and while they do make some coin, Amazon reaps the benefits.
Along with Bugs Bunny Builders (previously reviewed), Batwheels is part of the foundation of Cartoon Network's Cartoonito morning block.
Launched nearly 2 years ago, this series isn't so much educational, but more of an informercial for a proposed toy line and, based on some of the chase scenes in the opener, a video game.
Batman (Ethan Hawke) has given the Bat-computer sentience, and a female personality, to boot. In turn, after Batman, Robin, & Batgirl are captured, the computer and her assistant, M. O. E, set out to program the Batmobile and the rest of the Bat-vehicles with sentient personalities of their own.
I should point out that the Batgirl used here is Cassandra Cain, and Robin is Duke Thomas, otherwise The Signal in the comics.
Our voice cast also includes Tom Kenny, Leah Lewis (Nancy Drew), and, though not heard from in the opener, Gina Rodriguez (ex-Jane The Virgin) as Catwoman.
Let's take a look at the opener.
Edit, 8/19/24: The video has been privatized. In its place is a promotional poster.
In the books, Cassandra usually wears more of an all-concealing mask as Batgirl. The Bat-ears & domino mask here make little sense, other than for the purpose of promoting an action figure. Your actual mileage may vary.
You've heard about it, and you've probably seen it. Bugs Bunny Builders recasts Bugs and friends as a construction crew in the town of Looneyburg in this Cartoonito entry for Cartoon Network & Max.
In the opener, Mayor Foghorn Leghorn (Jeff Bergman) hires Bugs (Eric Bauza) and the gang to create a "Splash Park".
Overshadowed by the revival of Wild Kingdom last fall was the return of the Harlem Globetrotters to Saturday morning television for the first time in 45 years.
Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward is a reality series as part of NBC's The More You Know Saturday block, packaged by Hearst Entertainment. These are not your father's Globetrotters, but a new generation who have taken time out from their tour to educate audiences, and, in turn, educate themselves with various occupations.
Check the trailer from the team's YouTube channel:
Unlike each of the team's previous series, this one's likely to stick around a while.
5 years after the project was first in development, the X-Men are back on the air.
X-Men '97 picks up where the 1992-7 series leaves off. Professor Charles Xavier is believed to be dead. In the original series, he had been taken to a distant world where his girlfriend, Lilandra, hoped to cure him of his illness. 27 years later, the creative team has decided to sell the idea that Xavier had been assassinated by rogue government agent Henry Peter Gyrich.
As we resume, the time-traveling Bishop and the shape-changing Morph have been added to the open. Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, has wed Jean Grey, who is expecting their first child. Roberto DaCosta, aka Sunspot, who debuted in the pages of The New Mutants circa 1992, makes his debut, and they're already teasing something between him and Jubilee.
Check the trailer.
Comics from the 90's are being adapted in this 10 episode 1st season, airing on Disney+. Two more seasons are in the planning stages, and Marvel is helping with a 5 issue miniseries tie-in. The original theme music by Haim Saban & Shuki Levy has been updated.
Wild Kingdom, sponsored, as always, by Mutual of Omaha Insurance, marks its 60th anniversary this year, and, earlier this month, began a 2nd run on NBC, adding the subtitle, Protecting The Wild. Peter Gros, who has been hosting repeats of the original series on RFD-TV, hosts the new version. Gros had originally joined the original Kingdom in 1985, after Marlin Perkins retired.
Cosmetic changes and modern technology aside, it's the same show your parents will remember, fitting comfortably opposite similar programming on ABC. Check the trailer for the new Kingdom:
Current episodes are available online on Peacock and NBC.com, as well as On Demand on your cable system.
The Tiny Toons are back, but now, they're in college!!
Tiny Toons Looniversity bowed on Max 2 weeks ago, with episodes airing on Cartoon Network on Saturdays. The gang's all here. Babs & Buster Bunny, now revealed as sister & brother. Plucky Duck. Hamton Pig. Dizzy Devil, and the rest.
However, the voice cast has been overhauled since the original Tiny Toon Adventures ended. Original cast members Don Messick & Joe Alaskey have since passed on. Charlie Adler, the original Buster, was not invited back, with Eric Bauza taking over. New voices for a new generation, I suppose. Since the show is on CN, that means it's also accessible on your cable system's On Demand service.
The following sample is a parody of a certain long running daytime soap that turns 60 this year. Here's "General Hogspital":
Edit, 9/28/23: CN decided to privatize the video. In its place is this promo card:
Seth MacFarlane paid homage to the Rat Pack by performing "Mr. Booze" (from "Robin & The 7 Hoods") in a season 9 episode of Family Guy. Yes, he makes a mockery of Alcoholics Anonymous in the course of all this, but with Seth singing as Brian & Peter, plus backing vocals from the likes of H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob's Burgers) and Phil LaMarr (ex-MadTV, Justice League, Static Shock, Samurai Jack, etc.), among others, it is at the same time a love letter to one of the auteur's likely favorite movies.
20 years ago, WB & Cartoon Network decided to experiment.
Teen Titans didn't have the standard look of DC's animated fare of the period. Instead, the character designs were made with Japanese chibi anime in mind. The series was a huge enough success, such that fans are still waiting for the series to be revived as an alternative to the current cash cow, Teen Titans Go!, which CN continues to spam into the ground on a daily basis.
My Adventures With Superman, which premiered this morning on [adult swim], and is streaming on Max, with replays on [as]' Toonami block starting Sunday morning, also uses anime influences in its designs. Based on what we've seen so far, you could make a case for WB acquiring the rights to do an American version of Dragon Ball Z, as some of the designs are similar.
Second generation actor Jack Quaid (The Boys), son of Dennis Quaid & Meg Ryan, has the title role as the Man of Steel and his alter-ego, Clark Kent. Clark, along with Lois Lane (Alice Lee) and Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Salhid), is an intern at the Daily Planet, which places the three on equal ground, a refreshing change from traditional canon. Flashbacks to Clark's youth show Clark (voiced by Kari Wahlgren in these segments) already sporting glasses, which he didn't get until years later in traditional canon.
Plans call for Superman to encounter an iteration of Task Force X, aka the Suicide Squad, as well as Monsieur Mallah (Brotherhood of Evil), Deathstroke (Chris Parnell, ex-Saturday Night Live), and Brainiac (Michael Emerson, ex-Arrow, Person of Interest). Livewire figures into the first two episodes, but, as with Jimmy and Perry White, has a new look. Subsequent episodes will premiere at Midnight every Thursday night/Friday morning, and will continue into the end of August.
Long time fans will love the almost immediate meet cute between Clark & Lois, so they're not wasting any time there, plus the fact that this Lois, as a 20-something, is cute as a button.
We've previously discussed our next topic over at The Land of Whatever, but it also belongs here, too.
American Top 40 launched on July 4, 1970, and grew into as much of a pop culture icon as the music itself. Series co-creator and original host Casey Kasem (Scooby-Doo, Hot Wheels, Cattanooga Cats, etc.) had worked in morning drive radio in places as diverse as Buffalo, Detroit, and Los Angeles, and developed the show's format with co-creator and producer Don Bustany. After a decade, the duo expanded their scope to add a TV version, the half hour America's Top 10 (previously reviewed), which launched in 1980, and ran into the 90's before being cancelled.
While the series was at its peak, Kasem also continued to work in cartoons (i.e. Super Friends), and did commercials for Soft 'n' Dri, Raid, Ford, Chevron, Red Lobster, and other sponsors. After 18 seasons, however, and a salary dispute, Casey left, with Shadoe Stevens (Hollywood Squares) taking over, and bringing along his own bizarre brand of humor. This lasted for 7 years before the series was cancelled, only to return with Kasem back at the helm three years later. Casey retired, and passed the mic to current host Ryan Seacrest in 2009.
We lost Casey in 2014, but the memories will always be there. Here's a sample clip from 1972.
