Jackson 5ive: Michael in Wonderland

Jackson 5ive: Michael in Wonderland
ABC
September 30, 1972
Cartoon
VHS
B+

This aired between reruns of H.R. Pufnstuf and new episodes of The Osmonds cartoon, a couple hours before The Brady Kids.  It sounds like a line-up I would've watched, although again, four was a little young for my viewing anything outside of Sesame Street and the like.  I might've caught up with this show later in the decade, but I certainly remember watching it (and The Osmonds) as a small child, when it didn't seem particularly remarkable that a pop group would have their own cartoon.  This episode is actually from season two and taped off of cable, around 1990, when it was already an ironic period piece.

I don't know if other episodes could match the sheer giddiness of this one, combining as it does lovely J5 songs ("ABC" in the credits, with "Got to Be There" and "Maria" as the musical sequences), typically corny Saturday morning humor, a classic of children's literature, and Yellow Submarine rip-off animation, and, yes, that's a compliment.  I don't know if it's that this wasn't made by the usual suspects (Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, etc.) but it doesn't look or sound like the other cartoons I'm examining from the time.  There's a touch of Krofft of course but that feels different in animation than in live action.  And then how do you explain things like that it's the future owner of Neverland Ranch who's the brother who goes to the magical world, or that he has a pet snake named Rosie?  Rosie has eyes of two different colors and seems a lot more useful an animal sidekick than Moptop et al.

If you can watch this episode without being charmed, then you must have no appreciation of early '70s kitsch.  Or maybe you wish that the Jacksons had actually provided their own speaking voices.  (The songs are definitely theirs.)

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
ABC
December 14, 1970
Cartoon, TV-Movie
DVD
B-

This Rankin-Bass holiday special is of course one I grew up with, although for a long time my only copy was a syndication-hatcheted version on VHS.  It does need to be watched in full: Rudolph joke, Jessica acid trip, and all.  It's definitely a product of its time, with a sociopolitical subtext that can be read as a comment on everything from hippies to Nazis.  The songs, especially "One Foot in Front of the Other," are pretty good and I'm generally happy with the character design, except for the little girl who smiles when she cries.  I'd go with a B except that I don't think Mickey Rooney's line readings are very good.  On the other hand, Fred Astaire is just right as the kind and patient narrator, and Keenan Wynn does well both as a menace and as a good guy.

George of the Jungle: Episode 17

George of the Jungle: Episode 17
ABC
December 30, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
B-

GJ: "Kings Back-to-Back"-- B-, George wins the election for King of the Jungle through dumb luck and the hippie vote;
SC: "The Wild Hair"-- B-, a living toupee runs amuck;
TS: "Mack Buster Trophy"-- C+, continuing the long-hair theme, one of Tom's competitors is Beatle-ish Lenny Johns.

Perhaps not surprisingly, "Tom Slick" segments average out to a C and "George of the Jungle" to C+, but "Super Chicken" also averages out to C+, although a higher C+.  I'm still fond of the theme songs, but I don't think the show is otherwise superior to Rocky & Bullwinkle.

Be prepared for a lot of nothing but That Girl for awhile....

George of the Jungle: Episode 16

George of the Jungle: Episode 16
ABC
December 23, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

GJ: "The Forest's Prime Evil"-- C+, an evil land developer is defeated by himself;
SC: "Dr. Gizmo"-- B-, the title character and Super Chicken outsmart each other;
TS: "Swamp Buggy Race"-- C, everyone is fooled, as usual, this time by the Baron in drag.

George of the Jungle: Episode 15

That's supposed to be a portrait of Lawrence Welk.

George of the Jungle: Episode 15
ABC
December 16, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

I'd give every segment a C+ this time-- nothing really stands out in terms of quality-- although I will note that TS has Gertie in hippie boots and trying to kill Marigold with a bow and arrow at the shooting gallery and "love-in," while Clutcher flies the blimp and the Baron tries to scheme from ground level.

George of the Jungle: Episode 14

The Chi Chi Dog

George of the Jungle: Episode 14
ABC
December 9, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

The main notable things about this episode (with C+s for GJ and SC, C for TS) are that it references Muncie twice and Gertie has the line, "It isn't George of the Jungle."

George of the Jungle: Episode 13

George of the Jungle: Episode 13
ABC
December 2, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

GJ: "Big Flop at the Big Top"-- C+, why anyone would want to hire a man as prone to crashing into things as George is beyond me, but we do get some bad puns, including umpire/empire;
SC: "Salvador Rag Dolly"-- C+, the title character is an artist with the right kind of mustache, but his voice sounds like Baron Otto Matic's minion Clutcher;
TS: "Sneaky Sheik"-- C, well, at least the Arab stereotypes aren't too bad, and this time the character who sounds like Phil Silvers looks like him.

George of the Jungle: Episode 12

George of the Jungle: Episode 12
ABC
November 25, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C

GJ: "Rescue Is My Business"-- C+, George gets an agent who wants him to charge for rescues, rather than doing it for "freesies";
SC: "Merlin Brando"-- C+, despite the title, no actual Brando imitation here, although "The Isle of Lucy" is probably the best pun ever on the show;
TS: "The Apple-Less Indian 500"-- C-, the title is one of the better puns for this segment, but the race is one of the duller ones, and of course there are Native American stereotypes.

George of the Jungle: Episode 11

George of the Jungle: Episode 11
ABC
November 18, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
B-

GJ: "Dr. Schpritzer, I Presume"-- B-, nice twist with George trying to rescue someone who doesn't want to be found, with a happy ending for all;
SC: "Fat Man"-- B, Maltese Falcon satire that includes adorable voodoo dolls;
TS: "Double Cross Country Race"-- C+, yes, even this segment steps up its game a bit, with anti-California jokes and a hippie visual gag.

George of the Jungle: Episode 10

George of the Jungle: Episode 10
ABC
November 11, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

GJ: "The Trouble I've Seed"-- C+, the return of Dr. Chicago;
SC:  "The Noodle"-- B-, some nice role reversal for Fred and SC when the latter loses his memory, thanks to the title villain, and yes, they go there for a pun on "chicken noodle soup";
TS:  "Overstocked"-- C+, better than usual for this feature, thanks to the announcer's struggles with "rubber baby buggy bumpers."

George of the Jungle: Episode 9

George of the Jungle: Episode 9
ABC
November 4, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C

GJ: "Treasure of Sarah Madre"-- C+, more wordplay than usual, and not just with the title;
SC: "The Laundry Man"-- C, inevitable Chinese stereotypes;
TS: "Irish Cheapstakes"-- C, inevitable Irish stereotypes, including from "Ott O'Matic."

George of the Jungle: Episode 8

George of the Jungle: Episode 8
ABC
October 28, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

GJ: "The Desperate Showers"--C+, again the natives are white, and we hear (I think for the first time) that Ursula is George's wife, even if he sometimes thinks she's a man;
TS: "The Cupp Cup Race"--I actually almost went with a C+ on this, since Gertie Growler wears "hippie boots" and knows Karate (suggesting she's a prototype of the old lady Sara on Wait Till Your Father Gets Home), but I was annoyed when the "sissy" competitor's girlfriend is charmed by him telling her to shut up, so the usual C;
SC: "Rotten Hood"--C+, the title character goes from robbing squirrels to robbing the rich, and we find out that no one watches TV in Kansas City.

George of the Jungle: Episode 7

George of the Jungle: Episode 7
ABC
October 21, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C

All three segments (GJ: "Next Time, Take the Train," SC: "The Geezer," TS: "Dranko the Dragster") are pretty forgettable.  OK, I did hear of Dr. Chicago before Dr. Zhivago, but other than that, shrug.

George of the Jungle: Episode 6

George of the Jungle: Episode 6
ABC
October 14, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
C+

GJ: "Monkey Business"-- B-, for a change this segment is easily the best part of the episode, actually laugh out loud (if Tom Slick is ever the best part, I'll worry);
TS:  "I Was Railroaded"-- C, a train race this time;
SC:  "The Elephant Spreader"-- C, nonsensical, and not in a good way, with the villain failing to consider that having snow in India might be a bad thing.

George of the Jungle: Episode 5

George of the Jungle: Episode 5
ABC
October 7, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

GJ: "Little Scissors"-- C+, no one points out that the District Commissioner is himself a small man, and note that the Pygmies are clearly white (and all able to imitate Edward G. Robinson);
TS:  "The Great Balloon Race"-- C, two sets of villains this time, although one eliminates himself early on;
SC:  "The Easter Bunny"-- B-, now even the cops are breaking the fourth wall.

George of the Jungle: Episode 4

George of the Jungle: Episode 4
ABC
September 30, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C

GJ: "Ungawa the Gorilla God"-- C, Slight racism, light King Kong parody;
TS: "Snow What"-- C, Baron Otto Matic's second race, here in the snow, with one rival looking suspiciously like Dudley Do-Right;
SC:  "The Oyster"-- C+, some fourth-wall breaking but otherwise forgettable.

This is, unless I've left off tags, the 100th program of mine to air on ABC.

George of the Jungle: Episode 3

George of the Jungle: Episode 3
ABC
September 23, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

GJ:  "Oo-oo Birds of a Feather"-- C+, references movie stars Liz, Debbie, and Zsa Zsa, as well as has George call Ursula "Fella" for the first time outside the theme song;
TS:  "Send in a Sub"-- C+, better than usual, partly because of the Natasha-sounding villainess Sonia Nar and her Aquanuts;
SC:  "Wild Bill Hiccup"-- B-, a villain who looks and sounds like John Wayne, and the first reference outside the theme song to Fred knowing the job was dangerous when he took it.

George of the Jungle: Episode 2

George of the Jungle: Episode 2
ABC
September 16, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

Each of the segments improves, GJ with, for instance, a Medicare joke ("The Malady Lingers On," C+), Tom Slick by having an actually not terrible joke (shown in the picture above, for "Monster Rally," C), and Super Chicken getting some cute humor at the expense of Rhode Island and other states ("One of Our States Is Missing," B-).

George of the Jungle: Episode 1

George of the Jungle: Episode 1
ABC
September 9, 1967
Cartoon
DVD
C

This inauspicious debut includes the GJ segment "The Sultan's Pearl" (C), the Super Chicken feature "The Zipper" (C+), and the Tom Slick story "The Bigg Race" (C-).  While the writing generally isn't as good as it would get, SC at least tries to be a little naughty about zippers and it features two passing hippies, while the jokes in TS are as weak as they always are.  Both GJ and TS resort to racial stereotypes, and TS is further weakened by the fact that no one recognizes that Tom only wins the race because another driver tows him along.

This is the 200th program I've reviewed, almost half of that Gilligan's Island.

George of the Jungle: Pilot

George of the Jungle: Pilot
ABC
1967
Cartoon
DVD
C+

This is actually my review of the "never before seen" separate pilots for George and Super Chicken on the DVD.  While I usually preferred SC to GJ, I have to admit that that segment is the stronger one here, containing as it does a Bogart & Hepburn parody.  Neither show is as good without its memorable theme song.  But it is nice to hear the Jay Ward gang again.