A Basket Full of Easter Cartoons

Here's a quick look at some network animated Easter specials from the 70s and 80s - from when the networks actually aired Easter specials.
A FAMILY CIRCUS EASTER (1982) Based on the beloved comic strip, this NBC special tells the unusual tale of young Billy, Dolly and Jeffy - as they actually trap the Easter Bunny to find out why he delivers eggs for Easter! Sounds a bit scary to me.

BERENSTAIN BEAR'S EASTER SURPRISE (1981) Based on the line of popular childrens books this NBC entry told the story of Papa Bear's adventure with Boss Bunny. Get your mind out of the gutter!

BUGS BUNNY EASTER SPECIAL (1977) 5 classic Warner Bros. cartoons (including "Knighty Knight Bugs" and "Robin Hood Daffy")surrounded by some new animation about Bugs and Granny auditioning replacements for the Easter Bunny. This ran on CBS through the 1980s.

DAFFY DUCK EASTER SHOW (1980) Daffy came to NBC with three new shorts, including "Daffy Flies North". The success of this special led to a Saturday morning series on the Peacock network. The special moved to CBS in the mid-80s.

FAT ALBERT EASTER SHOW(1982) Bill Cosby's Saturday-morning kids came to primetime in this CBS outting as the chubby dude and pals spread good cheer throughout their neighborhood.More to come tomorrow...

Thanks for Tooning In (Again)

Everybody has seen A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING at least once. While not as popular as the other Peanuts holiday specials, it stands out as the most memorable animated Thanksgiving program ever created.
Since 1977, when the show premiered on CBS, we have all enjoyed the exploits of the Peanuts gang as they gather for the annual parent-free feast of popcorn, toast and candy. I've always loved pushy Peppermint Patty and her entourage and how they invade Chuck's holiday meal. Maybe it's because I've known a few people like Patty over the years - but she has always been my favorite Peanuts character. The one disturbing aspect of the show is that Woodstock, clearly a bird, carves and ingests a turkey - therefore becoming a cannibal before our eyes. Yikes!

Some other not-so-well-known specials include: THE THANKSGIVING THAT ALMOST WASN'T - not to be confused with THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T! This syndicated special first aired in 1972-and hasn't been seen since. It told the tale of Jeremy Squirrel who helped orchestrate the first Thanksgiving feast. Who knew? This special came from the guys over at Hanna-Barbera.
Another critter tale, THE MOUSE ON THE MAYFLOWER was first broadcast in 1968. It's a Rankin-Bass classic that was narrated by Bing Crosby. You can read all about it here.

Comic strip cavemen from Before Christ came to life in B.C. THE FIRST THANKSGIVING, which premiered on NBC in 1972. THE FLINTSTONES it's not. You can watch it in three segments here on YouTube.
Another comic strip came to TV in 1989. GARFIELD'S THANKSGIVING was one of the sourpuss cat's many CBS specials. I've never been a fan.
In 1980, NBC aired a compilation of old Warner Bros. cartoons mixed with a new Duck Dodgers episode and called it DAFFY DUCK'S THANKS FOR GIVING.
This was after CBS debuted the similar BUGS BUNNY'S THANKSGIVING DIET a year earlier to big ratings.
In 1980's THANKSGIVING IN THE LAND OF OZ , Dorothy Gale is carried back to Oz by a green turkey balloon to spend the holiday with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who are moving to a nursing home! Along the way she meets Jack Pumpkinhead, a and Tic Toc, and must battle the evil Tyrone the Terrible Toy Tinkerer. Oh boy! This CBS Special should not be confused with the live action atrocity called THE WONDERFUL LAND OF OZ.
Also, it should not to be confused with 1974's JOURNEY BACK TO OZ, which was a theatrical feature from our friends over at Filmation (that actually took ten years to make it to the big screen). Liza Minnelli takes over her late mom's role and she's joined by such talents as Ethel Merman, Paul Lynde, Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Danny Thomas and Margaret Hamilton! With special guest Bill Cosby as the Wiz! (A little Filmation cross-promotion there). It premiered on ABC in 1976.

So there you have it - my quick overview of that rare bird, the Thanksgiving special.

Enjoy!

Witch Hazel & A Couple of Rag Dolls

Here's another vintage Halloween-themed post.CBS seemed to be the network that had the most and more frequently repeated animated Halloween specials. In the 1970s, CBS was also the home of Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Warner Bros., Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, so it seemed pretty natural that a Bugs Bunny-themed Halloween cartoon would eventually air. Bugs Bunny was already a popular Halloween costume and starred in numerous Halloween comic books.In 1977 BUGS BUNNY'S HOWL-OWEEN SPECIAL debuted. This was not a new cartoon - in fact it was a "clip show" made up of 10 Bugs Bunny theatrical one-reelers.
Many of the shorts featured a scene-stealing character named Witch Hazel who Chuck Jones created in 1954 as an adversary for Bugs in Bewitched Bunny. Hazel proved so popular with audiences that she returned two years later in Broomstick Bunny and again in 1959's A Witch's Tangled Hare. A Disney character with the same named appeared earlier, but had little in common with Chuck's Hazel other than voice actress June Foray who voiced both. (Only after Bea Benaderet was unavailable to return for the second short).
Hazel also appeared briefly in 1963's Transylvania 6-5000 and then took on Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales in 1966's A Haunting We will Go. She later resurfaced in the dreadful feature Space Jam (1996) and in several episodes of WB cartoon shows.

Airing after Bug's annual outing was RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY IN THE PUMPKIN WHO COULDN'T SMILE - that's a mouthful! Ann & Andy were introduced to the public in 1918 and 1920 as storybook characters in a series of books written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. They made the leap to animation in the 1940s in three theatrical shorts. In 1977, a feature film called RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE met some success - enough for former Bugs Bunny animator Chuck Jones to adapt them for television with June Foray (!) providing the voice of Ann! Is there nothing this woman cannot voice?!

This special continued to air on CBS for a few years, and later on the Disney Channel.

Having never seen it, I'd be interested to see what life Jones was able to breath into these ragdolls. For more on the history of Raggedy Ann & Andy go here and here.

Super Saturday on ABC

Remember when September meant two things: the horror of going back to school and the sheer delight of all the new Saturday morning cartoons? One of my earliest TV memories was watching Casper & Wendy on THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST. This was 1969 and I was only 5 years old, but SMOKEY BEAR, CATTANOOGA CATS, HOT WHEELS, THE HARDY BOYS, THE ADVENTURES OF GULLIVER and FANTASTIC VOYAGE all live on in my memories. I have no clue to what SKY HAWKS was. Most of these animated shows only lasted one or two seasons and were never heard from again. This same season CBS premiered DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY, PENELOPE PITSTOP and a little something called SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (which still lives on in a new incarnation now airing on The Cartoon Network). Holdovers from past seasons included BUGS BUNNY/ROADRUNNER, THE ARCHIES and WACKY RACES. NBC meanwhile welcomed THE PINK PANTHER and H.R. PUFNSTUF, joining THE BANANA SPLITS on their line-up. I still get a warm feeling when I think of the Saturday morning shows I watched throughout the 1970s. Badly drawn shows from Hanna-Barbera and Filmation, creepy live-action shows from Sid & Marty Krofft and everything in between. Ah, these kids today have no idea what they're missing. They can keep their SPONGEBOBs and their DORA THE EXPLORERs - give me my HARDY BOYS.

Easter TV, Part 5

Here's a quick look at some network animated Easter specials from the 70s and 80s - from when the networks actually aired Easter specials.
A FAMILY CIRCUS EASTER (1982) Based on the beloved comic strip, this NBC special tells the unusual tale of young Billy, Dolly and Jeffy - as they actually trap the Easter Bunny to find out why he delivers eggs for Easter! Sounds a bit scary to me.

BERENSTAIN BEAR'S EASTER SURPRISE (1981) Based on the line of popular childrens books this NBC entry told the story of Papa Bear's adventure with Boss Bunny. Get your mind out of the gutter!

BUGS BUNNY EASTER SPECIAL (1977) 5 classic Warner Bros. cartoons (including "Knighty Knight Bugs" and "Robin Hood Daffy")surrounded by some new animation about Bugs and Granny auditioning replacements for the Easter Bunny. This ran on CBS through the 1980s.

DAFFY DUCK EASTER SHOW (1980) Daffy came to NBC with three new shorts, including "Daffy Flies North". The success of this special led to a Saturday morning series on the Peacock network. The special moved to CBS in the mid-80s.

FAT ALBERT EASTER SHOW(1982) Bill Cosby's Saturday-morning kids came to primetime in this CBS outting as the chubby dude and pals spread good cheer throughout their neighborhood.More to come tomorrow...

Thanks for Tooning In...

Everybody has seen A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING at least once. While not as popular as the other Peanuts holiday specials, it stands out as the most memorable animated Thanksgiving program ever created.
Since 1977, when the show premiered on CBS, we have all enjoyed the exploits of the Peanuts gang as they gather for the annual parent-free feast of popcorn, toast and candy. I've always loved pushy Peppermint Patty and her entourage and how they invade Chuck's holiday meal. Maybe it's because I've known a few people like Patty over the years - but she has always been my favorite Peanuts character. The one disturbing aspect of the show is that Woodstock, clearly a bird, carves and ingests a turkey - therefore becoming a cannibal before our eyes. Yikes!

Some other not-so-well-known specials include: THE THANKSGIVING THAT ALMOST WASN'T - not to be confused with THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T! This syndicated special first aired in 1972-and hasn't been seen since. It told the tale of Jeremy Squirrel who helped orchestrate the first Thanksgiving feast. Who knew? This special came from the guys over at Hanna-Barbera.
Another critter tale, THE MOUSE ON THE MAYFLOWER was first broadcast in 1968. It's a Rankin-Bass classic that was narrated by Bing Crosby. You can read all about it here.

Comic strip cavemen from Before Christ came to life in B.C. THE FIRST THANKSGIVING, which  premiered on NBC in 1972. THE FLINTSTONES it's not. You can watch it in three segments here on YouTube.
Another comic strip came to TV in 1989. GARFIELD'S THANKSGIVING was one of the sourpuss cat's many CBS specials. I've never been a fan.
In 1980, NBC aired a compilation of old Warner Bros. cartoons mixed with a new Duck Dodgers episode and called it DAFFY DUCK'S THANKS FOR GIVING.
This was after CBS debuted the similar BUGS BUNNY'S THANKSGIVING DIET a year earlier to big ratings.
In 1980's THANKSGIVING IN THE LAND OF OZ , Dorothy Gale is carried back to Oz by a green turkey balloon to spend the holiday with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who are moving to a nursing home! Along the way she meets Jack Pumpkinhead, a and Tic Toc, and must battle the evil Tyrone the Terrible Toy Tinkerer. Oh boy! This CBS Special should not be confused with the live action atrocity called THE WONDERFUL LAND OF OZ.
Also, it should not to be confused with 1974's JOURNEY BACK TO OZ, which was a theatrical feature from our friends over at Filmation (that actually took ten years to make it to the big screen). Liza Minnelli takes over her late mom's role and she's joined by such talents as Ethel Merman, Paul Lynde, Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Danny Thomas and Margaret Hamilton! With special guest Bill Cosby as the Wiz! (A little Filmation cross-promotion there). It premiered on ABC in 1976.

So there you have it - my quick overview of  that rare bird, the Thanksgiving special.

Enjoy!

Animated Halloween Specials (part 2)

CBS seemed to be the network that had the most and more frequently repeated animated Halloween specials. In the 1970s, CBS was also the home of Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Warner Bros., Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, so it seemed pretty natural that a Bugs Bunny-themed Halloween cartoon would eventually air. Bugs Bunny was already a popular Halloween costume and starred in numerous Halloween comic books.In 1977 BUGS BUNNY'S HOWL-OWEEN SPECIAL debuted. This was not a new cartoon - in fact it was a "clip show" made up of 10 Bugs Bunny theatrical one-reelers.
Many of the shorts featured a scene-stealing character named Witch Hazel who Chuck Jones created in 1954 as an adversary for Bugs in Bewitched Bunny. Hazel proved so popular with audiences that she returned two years later in Broomstick Bunny and again in 1959's A Witch's Tangled Hare. A Disney character with the same named appeared earlier, but had little in common with Chuck's Hazel other than voice actress June Foray who voiced both. (Only after Bea Benaderet was unavailable to return for the second short). 
Hazel also appeared briefly in 1963's Transylvania 6-5000 and then took on Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales in 1966's A Haunting We will Go. She later resurfaced in the dreadful feature Space Jam (1996) and in several episodes of WB cartoon shows.

Airing after Bug's annual outing was RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY IN THE PUMPKIN WHO COULDN'T SMILE - that's a mouthful! Ann & Andy were introduced to the public in 1918 and 1920 as storybook characters in a series of books written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. They made the leap to animation in the 1940s in three theatrical shorts. In 1977, a feature film called RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE met some success - enough for former Bugs Bunny animator Chuck Jones to adapt them for television with June Foray (!) providing the voice of Ann! Is there nothing this woman cannot voice?!

This special continued to air on CBS for a few years, and later on the Disney Channel.

Having never seen it, I'd be interested to see what life Jones was able to breath into these ragdolls. For more on the history of Raggedy Ann & Andy go here and here.