Saturday School: Flying Rhino Junior High (1998)

Canada's Nelvana studios felt it was time to take viewers back to school toward the end of the 20th century. However, what they had in mind wasn't exactly targeted at improving minds or imaginations.

Flying Rhino Junior High, which spent 2 seasons on CBS (1998-2000) is centered on a disgraced student, Earl, who hides in the school's basement, creating a super computer which he uses to alter reality, or at least try to. Considering that it was airing opposite some live-action high school comedy on NBC (i.e. Saved By The Bell: The New Class), I think viewers were gradually turning away once they saw how hokey this was. If ya don't believe me, scope the open:



Never saw the show, so no fair rating can be given here.

Looney TV: Loonatics vs......Fuzz Balls? (2005)

Ah, Loonatics Unleashed. Warner Bros.' attempt at creating a funny animal version of the Justice League, using futuristic descendants of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, et al. It lasted two seasons, but had engendered quite a bit of backlash even before the show launched, as we've previously documented.

The following episode pays homage to Joe Dante's irreverent 80's film, "Gremlins" and its sequel, as the Loonatics investigate the emergence of some bizarre monsters, resulting from the trendy pet du jour, the fuzz balls, ingesting chocolate. Hmmmm, sounds like a call for healthier eating may be the subliminal message within, eh?



To think Cartoon Network refuses to pony up the cheddar to bring this show back from limbo? As Sylvester, Jr. used to say, back in the day, "Oh, the shame of it all!".

Rating: A.

Toons You Might've Missed: Wacky Races Forever (2006)

After Duck Dodgers bit the dust, producers Spike Brandt & Tony Cervone turned their attention to another cartoon icon in 2006----Wacky Races.

With the series' 40th anniversary two years away, Brandt & Cervone developed Wacky Races Forever, which brought back Dick Dastardly (now voiced by Jim Cummings) and Muttley, who were now working for the duplicitous Mr. Viceroy, who was also the lawyer for former racer Peter Perfect (Jeff Bennett), who had, in the interim, married Penelope Pitstop (Kath Soucie), and the couple have two grown children, son Parker (James A. Taylor) & daughter Piper (Soucie in a dual role), competing in their parents' cars. The fact that Viceroy is secretly plotting a hostile takeover recalls Penelope's 1969 solo series, only Viceroy isn't resorting to wearing a costume, not when he has Dastardly around to do his dirty work. Naturally, Dastardly proves to be dumber than a bag of hammers, as usual.

Amazingly, Cartoon Network passed on the project, but, as we all know, Brandt & Cervone moved on to two other projects, both of which have been completed--Scooby-Doo: Mystery, Incorporated, which stretched two extended seasons over three years, and The Looney Tunes Show, which is wrapping its broadcast run on CN as we speak.

Now, let's check out what might've been.



Maybe another, better administration at CN can take another look at this before it gets shopped elsewhere, like to the Hub, which has made a habit of picking up WB properties that CN gives up on.

Rating: A-.

Rein-Toon-Ation: Quack Pack (1996)

Disney didn't quite revive their late 80's adventure series, DuckTales, but they did bring Donald Duck back to daytime television, along with his now-teenage nephews, Huey, Dewey, & Louie, in Quack Pack, which was added to the Disney Afternoon block in 1996. That was the good news. The bad? The show lasted one season only.

The producers reportedly used Donald's solo shorts as an inspiration for the new series, rather than as a sort-of continuation of DuckTales, which is why you don't see Uncle Scrooge or any other supporting characterf from that series. There was a villain to be dealt with from time to time, particularly, The Claw (Frank Welker), though we won't see him in the following video.

I never saw the show, so I can't honestly rate it. Anyway, here's the intro:

Saturtainment: Dance Fever (1979)

A more comprehensive review of this subject appears on my other blog, The Land of Whatever.

Dance Fever sprang from the mind of entertainer Merv Griffin, whose production company produced the original version from 1979-87. ABC Family latched onto the remake, which lasted a few weeks in 2003. Denny Terrio remains closely associated with the series, but some folks might not realize that he wasn't around when the series ended its 1st run in 1987, having been replaced by actor Adrian Zmed (T. J. Hooker) with season 8.

Here's a sample clip:



Rating: C.

Krofftverse: The Bugaloos (1970)

Sid & Marty Krofft's 2nd series for NBC was The Bugaloos, which bowed in 1970, and was, like H. R. Pufnstuf before it, co-produced by TV vet Si Rose (ex-McHale's Navy), whom I believe left the Kroffts' employ not long after.

The Bugaloos were not only the guardians of a magical forest, but also a pop group, as there would be musical numbers included with virtually every episode. Billy Barty began his long association with the Kroffts, landing a featured role as Sparky, the firefly, who eventually becomes the band's mascot-sidekick. Martha Raye, however, was featured as Benita Bizarre, a vain veteran performer who was jealous and envious of the younger musicians.

Unfortunately, the series merited only 1 season's worth of episodes, and, after a brief rerun cycle in syndication in the 80's, hasn't been seen in years.

Edit, 4/15/22: We've added a screencap of the title card:

Norman Gimbel & Charles Fox, who composed the music, would later work on Garry Marshall's family of sitcoms for Paramount & ABC. Like, whodathunk?

Rating: B-.

You call this a tribute?: The Wacky World of Tex Avery (1997)

Brody Dowdler isn't that well known in animation. However, in 1997, Dowdler attempted to create a series that would serve as a homage to the works of legendary animator-director Fred "Tex" Avery. Unfortunately, the fact that Dowdler hasn't been heard from again speaks volumes about how well The Wacky World of Tex Avery wasn't received by critics and viewers alike.

Wacky World lasted 65 episodes, exactly 1 season, but they should've quit after the first week, because this was beyond awful. Since the rights to Avery's actual creations laid elsewhere, Dowdler had to create new characters, including a cowboy named---wait for it----Tex Avery, but loosely based on the title character of a WB cartoon that starred Bugs Bunny, Red Hot Ryder, and that was some 50-odd years earlier! Billy West (Futurama) voiced the animated Avery and assorted other characters, joined by stalwarts such as Maurice LaMarche & Cree Summer.

Following is the series opener. Judge for yourself how stupidly bad this is:



More recently, the series aired on This TV, but that was 3 years ago. And ya wonder why there ain't a DVD release to be had?

Rating: D-.