|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jan 3, 2024 12:41:31 GMT -5
One of the problems Filmation had was voice directing. They got several original casts to voice their characters (Brady Kids, Star Trek, New Adv of Batman & Robin, New Adv of Gilligan's Island and Gilligan's Planet); but, they mostly sounded flat, just reading their lines. The regular voice artists (Jane Webb, Lennie Weinrib, Larry Storch, etc) were much better at it and more of them came from radio. The problem was not so much the actors, but the voice direction, from Lou Scheimer, who also used to insert himself for incidental and support characters (he was Orko, on He-Man, MO on The Space Sentinels and would be various people in an episode). His delivery was either that high pitched, sped up stuff, or just a flat response to something. You got the feeling he wanted things as quick and cheaply as possible. Compare that to the rich work Andrea Romano got out of so many actors in Batman TAS.
Most of those tv spinoff cartoons used other voices, but some, like Fonzie nd the Happy Days Gang did use some of the cast. Usually, it was a similar result, which didn't help lame plots and bad comedy.
If you look at the third volume of IDW's Alex Toth series, Genius Animated, you can see presentation art for several cartoon series that didn't sell, including a Bonanza, in outer space, and something with Farrah Fawcett and humanoid animal creatures. I can only imagine. As it was, when ABC had the Saturday Super Star Movie, which had various pilots for potential cartoons, from Filmation, Hanna-Barbera and Rankin-Bass, you had several tv properties. There was Lost in Space (but only with Jonathan Harris), That Girl in Wonderland (with Marlo Thomas), Nanny & the Professor (with Juliet Mills and Robert Long), The Brady Kids (all 6 actors), Lassie, Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection (no Sally Field, though), Tabitha & Adam and The Clown Family (not the original child actors). Nanny and the Professor actually got two specials, but no series. Brady Kids and Lassie both launched series.
|
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Jan 6, 2024 9:30:49 GMT -5
We had a DVD Boxset of the complete series of Witchblade at work. Remember watching the series (or at least pieces of it) when it first came out, always thought it was an interesting premise and was kind of sad that it never really stuck around. Watched the pilot movie, thought it was a very strong start to the show and loved the music inclusions even if most of the were put in there specifically for the DVD re-release
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jan 6, 2024 13:08:03 GMT -5
We had a DVD Boxset of the complete series of Witchblade at work. Remember watching the series (or at least pieces of it) when it first came out, always thought it was an interesting premise and was kind of sad that it never really stuck around. Watched the pilot movie, thought it was a very strong start to the show and loved the music inclusions even if most of the were put in there specifically for the DVD re-release If memory serves, wasn't part of the longevity issue due to the star's substance problems? If so, it is similar to what happened to Grace Under Fire, where star Brett Butler's substance issues led to the series going on hiatus and ultimately being canceled. I never watched it, since I never had interest in the comic. On paper, it sounded like a bit of a swipe from Michael Moorcock's Elric and other Eternal Champion books, and things like the Lensman Saga, where the Lensmen bond with their sentient lens, to be peacekeepers throughout the galaxy, as part of the Galactic Patrol. |
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Jan 6, 2024 15:07:10 GMT -5
We had a DVD Boxset of the complete series of Witchblade at work. Remember watching the series (or at least pieces of it) when it first came out, always thought it was an interesting premise and was kind of sad that it never really stuck around. Watched the pilot movie, thought it was a very strong start to the show and loved the music inclusions even if most of the were put in there specifically for the DVD re-release If memory serves, wasn't part of the longevity issue due to the star's substance problems? If so, it is similar to what happened to Grace Under Fire, where star Brett Butler's substance issues led to the series going on hiatus and ultimately being canceled. I never watched it, since I never had interest in the comic. On paper, it sounded like a bit of a swipe from Michael Moorcock's Elric and other Eternal Champion books, and things like the Lensman Saga, where the Lensmen bond with their sentient lens, to be peacekeepers throughout the galaxy, as part of the Galactic Patrol. I never had much interest in the comic either, same goes for The Darkness. But the TV show seemed fun, a cop drama with a twist. From what I've heard Yancy Butler was kind of scapgoated, so I'm not sure if her substance abuse was really an issue or they were just looking for a way out of producing the show. Didn't the AOL Turner buyout happen during the show's production? |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Jan 6, 2024 15:23:51 GMT -5
If memory serves, wasn't part of the longevity issue due to the star's substance problems? If so, it is similar to what happened to Grace Under Fire, where star Brett Butler's substance issues led to the series going on hiatus and ultimately being canceled. I never watched it, since I never had interest in the comic. On paper, it sounded like a bit of a swipe from Michael Moorcock's Elric and other Eternal Champion books, and things like the Lensman Saga, where the Lensmen bond with their sentient lens, to be peacekeepers throughout the galaxy, as part of the Galactic Patrol. I never had much interest in the comic either, same goes for The Darkness. But the TV show seemed fun, a cop drama with a twist. From what I've heard Yancy Butler was kind of scapgoated, so I'm not sure if her substance abuse was really an issue or they were just looking for a way out of producing the show. Didn't the AOL Turner buyout happen during the show's production? Yeah, in 2001; but, the tv series was cancelled in Season 2 and the merger happened during Season 1. Not sure you can draw a direct line, there. For instance, WCW was dumped in 2001, specifically because Jamie Kellner, the CEO of Turner Broadcasting, wanted more "upscale" programming, despite the ratings. He felt it would draw better advertisers (read: not a wrestling audience, which he considered too low brow). The merger did allow them to write of the costs of losing properties; so, I suppose it could be an effect, if the show was costing them too much money, for the ratings or the advertising it drew. |
|
|
|
Post by GoldenAge Heroes! on Feb 3, 2024 13:57:04 GMT -5
Well for me, you just can't beat 'Three Company' reruns . . . hahaaa. Physical comedy at its finest. Thankfully they rerun them every Sunday on IFC or you can find them on most streaming service apps like Pluto. Been enjoy 'Lois and Clark' on Tubi as they just got it a little while ago. Fun stuff. First season was always my favorite. Had'nt seen it in 25 yrs. at least. Yeeeeesh. Time flies.
Also sometimes catch Pluto's 24-7 Love Boat channel. Hahaha . . . can't beat it. Those classic stars. Greatest American Hero is always a go too.
Just last year I found the 1992 full uncut pilot of Raven: with Jeff Meek. What a treat. Despite having it on DVD, which is a watered down version of the hour and a half tv movie pilot.
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Feb 7, 2024 22:48:51 GMT -5
I just finished re-watching the 4 series of the UK sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, with Rowan Atkinson (one of his earliest showcases, on tv), Mel Smith, Griff Rhys-Jones and Pamela Stephenson. I have the Best of compilation DVD, which was all that was released to the US; but, found the whole thing on Youtube, in episodic form. Loved that show, even when they parody shows or people I have never seen (like That's Life, or news presenters of the era). Lot of great material, especially the musical parodies (some specific, a lot thematic).
This one sums up a lot of 80s music videos from Post Punk bands. Love the band name, too (Lufthansa Terminal)
They have a rather savage parody of ABBA and one of Rowan Atkinson spoofing Barry Manilow, plus various ones in the style of the Ska revival bands, punk, Metal, psychedelic, New Wave, and pop.
A regular feature is cross editing of news and stock footage to create bizarre associations, especially with sound effects added. Plenty of political material, as it coincides with the early days of the Thatcher government and a sketch where Billy Connolly cracks up at his future wife, Pamela Stephenson, imitating British tv presenter and producer Janet Street Porter. Here is the specific episode, from Series 2; watch after the end credits for Stephenson and her future husband, Billy Connolly...
I'm now watching Alas Smith and Jones, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones' sketch series, which followed the end of Not The Nine O'Clock News (while Rowan Atkinson went off to do the first series of Blackadder and Stephenson went to do a season of Saturday Night Live). Alas Smith & Jones was shown on A&E, for a bit, so I got to see some of that, back in college or just after.
My college days were a good time to catch British comedy. Our local PBS station, run by the Univ of Illinois, featured Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, as well as Doctor Who (week nights, at 10:00 pm) and the various detective shows of Mystery and dramas of Masterpiece Theater. MTV featured The Young Ones and then added The Comic Strip, featuring most of the same people. A&E had the first two series of Blackadder, Yes Minister, Last of the Summer Wine, Butterflies, Solo, Alas Smith & Jones, Father, Dear Father and something called the Fait-Hearted Feminist, with Lynn Redgrave. Later, while in the military, the local PBS had Are You Being Served?, Red Dwarf, Doctor Who and May to December and Bravo was showing A Bit of Fry & Laurie, with Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie. Someone was showing French & Saunders, but I can't recall if it was PB or one of the cable stations. After I left the military and was back in Illinois, the local PBS had added weeknight Are You Being Served? and Saturday night block of comedies, with different series shown. Plus, you could get more on VHS (then DVD).
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,210 
|
Post by Confessor on Feb 8, 2024 7:22:17 GMT -5
I just finished re-watching the 4 series of the UK sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, with Rowan Atkinson (one of his earliest showcases, on tv), Mel Smith, Griff Rhys-Jones and Pamela Stephenson. I have the Best of compilation DVD, which was all that was released to the US; but, found the whole thing on Youtube, in episodic form. Loved that show, even when they parody shows or people I have never seen (like That's Life, or news presenters of the era). Lot of great material, especially the musical parodies (some specific, a lot thematic). This one sums up a lot of 80s music videos from Post Punk bands. Love the band name, too (Lufthansa Terminal) They have a rather savage parody of ABBA and one of Rowan Atkinson spoofing Barry Manilow, plus various ones in the style of the Ska revival bands, punk, Metal, psychedelic, New Wave, and pop. A regular feature is cross editing of news and stock footage to create bizarre associations, especially with sound effects added. Plenty of political material, as it coincides with the early days of the Thatcher government and a sketch where Billy Connolly cracks up at his future wife, Pamela Stephenson, imitating British tv presenter and producer Janet Street Porter. Here is the specific episode, from Series 2; watch after the end credits for Stephenson and her future husband, Billy Connolly... I'm now watching Alas Smith and Jones, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones' sketch series, which followed the end of Not The Nine O'Clock News (while Rowan Atkinson went off to do the first series of Blackadder and Stephenson went to do a season of Saturday Night Live). Alas Smith & Jones was shown on A&E, for a bit, so I got to see some of that, back in college or just after. My college days were a good time to catch British comedy. Our local PBS station, run by the Univ of Illinois, featured Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, as well as Doctor Who (week nights, at 10:00 pm) and the various detective shows of Mystery and dramas of Masterpiece Theater. MTV featured The Young Ones and then added The Comic Strip, featuring most of the same people. A&E had the first two series of Blackadder, Yes Minister, Last of the Summer Wine, Butterflies, Solo, Alas Smith & Jones, Father, Dear Father and something called the Fait-Hearted Feminist, with Lynn Redgrave. Later, while in the military, the local PBS had Are You Being Served?, Red Dwarf, Doctor Who and May to December and Bravo was showing A Bit of Fry & Laurie, with Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie. Someone was showing French & Saunders, but I can't recall if it was PB or one of the cable stations. After I left the military and was back in Illinois, the local PBS had added weeknight Are You Being Served? and Saturday night block of comedies, with different series shown. Plus, you could get more on VHS (then DVD). I loved Not The Nine O'Clock News back in the day. I haven't watched it since though. Does it still hold up? |
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Feb 8, 2024 11:21:24 GMT -5
I just finished re-watching the 4 series of the UK sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, with Rowan Atkinson (one of his earliest showcases, on tv), Mel Smith, Griff Rhys-Jones and Pamela Stephenson. I have the Best of compilation DVD, which was all that was released to the US; but, found the whole thing on Youtube, in episodic form. Loved that show, even when they parody shows or people I have never seen (like That's Life, or news presenters of the era). Lot of great material, especially the musical parodies (some specific, a lot thematic). This one sums up a lot of 80s music videos from Post Punk bands. Love the band name, too (Lufthansa Terminal) They have a rather savage parody of ABBA and one of Rowan Atkinson spoofing Barry Manilow, plus various ones in the style of the Ska revival bands, punk, Metal, psychedelic, New Wave, and pop. A regular feature is cross editing of news and stock footage to create bizarre associations, especially with sound effects added. Plenty of political material, as it coincides with the early days of the Thatcher government and a sketch where Billy Connolly cracks up at his future wife, Pamela Stephenson, imitating British tv presenter and producer Janet Street Porter. Here is the specific episode, from Series 2; watch after the end credits for Stephenson and her future husband, Billy Connolly... I'm now watching Alas Smith and Jones, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones' sketch series, which followed the end of Not The Nine O'Clock News (while Rowan Atkinson went off to do the first series of Blackadder and Stephenson went to do a season of Saturday Night Live). Alas Smith & Jones was shown on A&E, for a bit, so I got to see some of that, back in college or just after. My college days were a good time to catch British comedy. Our local PBS station, run by the Univ of Illinois, featured Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, as well as Doctor Who (week nights, at 10:00 pm) and the various detective shows of Mystery and dramas of Masterpiece Theater. MTV featured The Young Ones and then added The Comic Strip, featuring most of the same people. A&E had the first two series of Blackadder, Yes Minister, Last of the Summer Wine, Butterflies, Solo, Alas Smith & Jones, Father, Dear Father and something called the Fait-Hearted Feminist, with Lynn Redgrave. Later, while in the military, the local PBS had Are You Being Served?, Red Dwarf, Doctor Who and May to December and Bravo was showing A Bit of Fry & Laurie, with Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie. Someone was showing French & Saunders, but I can't recall if it was PB or one of the cable stations. After I left the military and was back in Illinois, the local PBS had added weeknight Are You Being Served? and Saturday night block of comedies, with different series shown. Plus, you could get more on VHS (then DVD). I loved Not The Nine O'Clock News back in the day. I haven't watched it since though. Does it still hold up? I thought it did, quite well. The cultural stuff is still pretty good and the music parodies are great. Some of it needs context, but enough is just plain wacky to be funny to anyone, like some of the visual gags and the use of stock footage. Even some of the political stuff works because it doesn't necessarily need Thatcher for context, like a panel question show, with representatives from different parties, where the main question is about their impending doom.... Or the record shop sketch.... |
|
|
|
Post by Prince Hal on Feb 8, 2024 12:06:28 GMT -5
Mel Smith is one of my favorite Sir Toby Belches, in the 1996 film directed by Trevor Nunn.  |
|
|
|
Post by GoldenAge Heroes! on Feb 8, 2024 17:38:30 GMT -5
Always loved plopping on the couch and catching "I dream of Jennie" reruns back in the day. Now I think you can bing it on FreeVee or Pluto. Not quite the same, but fun classic television none the less.  |
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Feb 8, 2024 20:18:00 GMT -5
Haven't seen it for years but I liked it a lot as a kid. I think of him more as that character than as JR on Dallas. Has anyone ever written a comparative analysis of Jeannie and Bewitched? Similar premises with different treatments.
Not the Nine o'Clock News I've never seen but it's on my list of shows to watch from that time, late '70s to early '80s.
Witchblade I don't think I've ever seen, though I would usually try anything genre-related like that back then if I had the chance. Maybe I didn't know about it or maybe I was turned off from having seen the comics, as they really didn't look very good from what I recall.
|
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Feb 9, 2024 0:00:38 GMT -5
Jeanie is definitely a different dynamic, with the whole genie/master relationship and a bit more anarchic. Bewitched definitely had more of a family perspective, as Darren was always dealing with Samantha's family and the jokes were kind of built around in-law stereotypes, taken to a fantasy extreme. You think you have a bad mother-in-law; mine turns me into a goat!
Jeanie had a little of that, with her sister/cousin (forget which it was), who had evil tendencies (similar to Samantha and Serena, though), but mostly it was trying to please Master and help him out and him trying to hide her efforts. I would say the last season of I Dream of Jeanie was probably when it was most like Bewitched, with the marriage and domestic relationship and not using magic for everything.
When you look back at both, they haven't aged well, in terms of the female character's independence, as both end up serving their husband/master's wishes, rather than their own desires, denying part of who they are to please the man. At the same time, they were something more than just a housewife, totally subservient to the man, in all respects. There were some feminist elements, sneaking in there.
To me, Larry Hagman was always Major Nelson first, since that was how I first encountered him, since the show was still on prime time, when I was very young. When I saw Dallas, I kind of felt like Major Nelson sold out, without Jeanie!
I always found both Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden attractive; but Eden was smoking hot, for a long, long time. Montgomery always cam across as kind of a serious, classy type, trying to do more serious stuff. I actually missed meeting her once. While I worked for Barnes & Noble, in Springfield, IL, she had come out to New Salem (Abe's old home, in his younger days), to do their Chautauqua and she stopped in the store for some reading material. One of the employees mentioned she was there and noted the Gucci bag and whatnot. Said she was very nice.
|
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Feb 9, 2024 0:50:02 GMT -5
Jeanie is definitely a different dynamic, with the whole genie/master relationship and a bit more anarchic. Bewitched definitely had more of a family perspective, as Darren was always dealing with Samantha's family and the jokes were kind of built around in-law stereotypes, taken to a fantasy extreme. You think you have a bad mother-in-law; mine turns me into a goat! Jeanie had a little of that, with her sister/cousin (forget which it was), who had evil tendencies (similar to Samantha and Serena, though), but mostly it was trying to please Master and help him out and him trying to hide her efforts. I would say the last season of I Dream of Jeanie was probably when it was most like Bewitched, with the marriage and domestic relationship and not using magic for everything. When you look back at both, they haven't aged well, in terms of the female character's independence, as both end up serving their husband/master's wishes, rather than their own desires, denying part of who they are to please the man. At the same time, they were something more than just a housewife, totally subservient to the man, in all respects. There were some feminist elements, sneaking in there. To me, Larry Hagman was always Major Nelson first, since that was how I first encountered him, since the show was still on prime time, when I was very young. When I saw Dallas, I kind of felt like Major Nelson sold out, without Jeanie! I always found both Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden attractive; but Eden was smoking hot, for a long, long time. Eden always cam across as kind of a serious, classy type, trying to do more serious stuff. I actually missed meeting her once. While I worked for Barnes & Noble, in Springfield, IL, she had come out to New Salem (Abe's old home, in his younger days), to do their Chautauqua and she stopped in the store for some reading material. One of the employees mentioned she was there and noted the Gucci bag and whatnot. Said she was very nice.
It's been so long since I've seen either show I can't really remember enough details to have a strong opinion, but my impression is that Samantha was really the head of that family even though she devoted her powers to helping husband Darren in his career. One could argue that Jeanie was doing the same with Major Nelson, letting him think he was the Master even though she had all the power. But I remember her as being more mischievous and playful than Samantha, who was the protective mother of her family circle, while Jeanie was more the fantasy girlfriend, always dressed in alluring, exotic attire. But it's been so long, my memories are likely not reliable. I look forward to watching both shows again one of these days.
|
|
|
|
Post by Prince Hal on Feb 9, 2024 9:54:07 GMT -5
It's been so long since I've seen either show I can't really remember enough details to have a strong opinion, but my impression is that Samantha was really the head of that family even though she devoted her powers to helping husband Darren in his career. One could argue that Jeanie was doing the same with Major Nelson, letting him think he was the Master even though she had all the power. But I remember her as being more mischievous and playful than Samantha, who was the protective mother of her family circle, while Jeanie was more the fantasy girlfriend, always dressed in alluring, exotic attire. But it's been so long, my memories are likely not reliable. I look forward to watching both shows again one of these days.
But no exposed bellybuttons, please! At least not until someone asked about it... |
|
