Saturday 21 April 2012

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Captain Planet and the Planeteers is an American animated environmentalist television program created by Ted Turner and Barbara Pyle, produced by Pyle, Nicholas Boxer, Andy Heyward and Robby London, and developed by Pyle, Boxer, Heyward, London, Thom Beers, Bob Forward, Phil Harnage and Cassandra Schafhausen. The series was produced by Turner Program Services and DiC Entertainment and it was broadcast on TBS from September 15, 1990 to December 5, 1992. A sequel series, The New Adventures of Captain Planet, ran for three seasons and was produced by Turner Broadcasting and Hanna-Barbera. The original run of the second series was from September 11, 1993 through May 11, 1996. Both series continue today in syndication. The program is a form of edutainment and advocates environmentalism.



PLOT:


Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, is awakened from a long sleep by Hoggish Greedly, who happens to be drilling above her resting chamber. Realizing that the damage is extensive, Gaia sends five magic rings, four with the power to control an element of nature and one controlling the element of Heart, to five chosen youths across the globe: Kwame from Africa, Wheeler from North America, Linka from the Soviet Union (changed to Eastern Europe after the Soviet Union's collapse), Gi from Asia, and Ma-Ti from South America.
These five are dubbed the Planeteers and are tasked with defending the Earth from the greatest of disasters and making efforts to educate mankind to keep others from happening. Gaia uses her "Planet Vision" to discover where the most devastating destruction is occurring and sends the Planeteers to help solve the problem. The Planeteers use transportation (usually a flying machine called a Geo-Cruiser) based on solar power to avoid causing pollution themselves.

In situations that the Planeteers cannot resolve alone, they can combine their powers to summon Captain Planet, a magical entity who possesses all of their powers magnified, symbolizing the premise that the combined efforts of a team are stronger than its individual parts. Captain Planet only appears in his Captain Planet garb. These are not clothes but elements of the Earth that are integral to his composition. He is able to rearrange his molecular structure to transform himself into the various powers and elements of nature. Captain Planet's outfit does not represent a specific culture. He has a grass-green proto-mullet, crystal skin, earthy brown eyes, a fire-red chest, gloves, and boots, and a sun-yellow globe insignia.



In a manner similar to the mid 1950s–1986 incarnation of Superman, Captain Planet has superhuman powers, and seems to gain more proportionate to whatever the situation requires. Nevertheless, he is weakened by pollutants which sap his strength, from smog to nuclear radiation, in much the same manner that Superman is weakened by Kryptonite. Captain Planet's personality is also similar to that of the Silver Age version of Superman; always remaining friendly and upbeat in the darkest of situations. Like the Silver Age Superman, he also dislikes killing even the cruellest bad guys and has a strict sense of justice (such as when Captain Planet allowed himself to be jailed for a crime he did not commit).

The Planeteers cannot use their individual powers while Captain Planet has been summoned. Despite his vulnerability to pollution, Captain Planet is a formidable and valiant hero. Once his work is done, Captain Planet returns to the Earth, restoring the Planeteers' powers. When he does this, Captain Planet reminds viewers of the message of the series with his catchphrase, "The Power Is Yours!"



CHARACTERS:

Captain Planet

Captain Planet is the title character of the series. In the beginning of the series, Gaia assembles a modern-day team of "Planeteers" from several nations. When the modern-day Planeteers combine their powers to summon the elemental warrior, this incarnation takes on the appearance of a superhero, who takes on the superhero-like name of "Captain Planet." Captain Planet displays a wry sense of humor and often uses puns while taunting the show's cast of villains.
The Planeteers summon him when the need arises and when the crisis is too much for them to handle. When summoned, Captain Planet declares "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!". After the crisis is dealt with, Captain Planet disappears, and restores the powers to the Planeteer's rings. His parting phrase is, "The Power Is Yours", implying a duty and the ability of everyone to continue protecting the environment when he is gone.
Captain Planet's abilities are never clearly defined within the show, allowing him to always have a way of defeating his enemy and solving the problem before him. He can shape-shift and alter his structure to take on the properties of any element or material as well as transmuting other objects in a similar fashion. In various episodes he flies, has great strength, and displays telepathic/empathic abilities.
Captain Planet is weakened when he is in contact with pollutants, radiation, smog, etc. Like Gaia, he is bound to the physical realm of Earth. Although he is capable of flying into space, his powers and form begin to fade when he travels away from the planet. However, in one episode he is unable to "return to the Earth" completely because two of the Planeteers (and their rings) have been taken into space, leaving him unable to access his abilities associated with the other three elements.

Gaia






Gaia is the spirit of the Earth. She is a modern rendition of the primordial Greek earth goddess, possessing an amalgamation of physical characteristics from all human races.
Awaking from a century-long slumber, and shocked with the increase in pollution of Earth that has sustained in such a short (by her standards) time, she summons the Planeteers to defend Earth and gives them their elemental rings.
Gaia lives on Hope Island, an island with large crystals in the middle of an ocean, although its exact location is never revealed. She is omnipresent; she can appear in any time or place she wishes, and can communicate telepathically with anyone at any point in time. She is bound to Earth, and her health and well being are connected with the condition of the planet.

The Planeteers

The Planeteers are summoned by Gaia to defend the world from pollution, criminals, and natural disasters. The five teenagers, each originating from a different region of the world and who together represent several major ethnic groups, are each given a ring which allows them to temporarily control one of the four classical elements - Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water - as well as a fifth element, Heart, which represents love and communication and enables telepathy and empathy, as well as potential mind control. Pyle cites that the inspiration for the five Planeteers came from real people that she was affected by during the show's pre-production in 1989.
To summon Captain Planet, the Planeteers must activate their powers in a specific order, preceded by the phrase, "Let our powers combine"; after his appearance, the Planeteers would cheer, "Go Planet!" It can be noted that during the DiC series, the sequence of special effects preceding Captain Planet's appearance differed each and every time. In the Hanna-Barbera series, there were some creative ideas for Captain Planet's appearance when being summoned; but most of the time, it consisted of flashes of lightning, along with sounds of thunder. Animation in the DiC series was inconsistent, showing some episodes as darker or brighter in color than others, and characters looking different from one episode to the next, and in some cases one segment (or even shot) to the next.
The Planeteers' rings are, like Captain Planet himself, susceptible to weakening when in the presence of toxic waste and pollution to the point that they can no longer use their powers or summon Captain Planet.
The five Planeteers are:

Kwame: From Ghana, Africa, Kwame possesses the power of Earth. He has a soft spot for plant life. Growing up in a tribe in his homeland, he is at one with the land and its purpose, and does what he can to preserve it. The de facto leader of the group, he is the voice of reason that keeps the Planeteers in check when the group begins to lose faith in a given situation.

Wheeler: From North America (specifically Brooklyn, NY), Wheeler controls the power of Fire. Wheeler is shown to be the least knowledgeable about earth preservation trends though this improves as the show goes on (in a way representing the oblivious aspect people have of the harm that they can cause to nature). He is the street-smart comic relief for the group who, while having his heart in the right place, tends to get himself into tight spots when acting impulsively; fittingly, he is sometimes a "hothead". Throughout the series, he openly flirts with and tries to get closer to Linka, almost always having his advances shot down.



Linka: From the Soviet Union (now Russia), Linka has the power of Wind. Linka closely studies bird life and, due to this, is extremely emotional when pollution harms them. Wheeler often tries to flirt with her, and despite more often than not shooting down these advances, is shown every now and again in her own way she too possesses feelings for him. She is a master of strategy and logic, as well as a computer expert.

Gi: Hailing from Thailand (Asia), Gi controls the power of Water. Gi is a self-proclaimed marine biologist. Her compassion for sea life contributes to the overall effort of the Planeteers' protection of animals, becoming extremely emotional when pollution affects them, especially dolphins. She also often works on the mechanical and forensic aspects for the team. Gi can also be seen wearing a gold medallion around her neck.

Ma-Ti: From the Amazon rainforests Brazil and raised by a Kayapo Indian shaman, Ma-Ti uses the power of Heart to instill caring, passion, and sympathy into the people of the world to care for the planet. He can also use this power to communicate with animals telepathically. Ma-Ti also has a pet monkey named Suchi.




Eco-Villains:

The Eco-Villains are a small group of antagonists who cause danger to Earth by committing pollution, deforestation, and poaching. They enjoy the destruction they cause to Earth and the harm they bring upon anyone by any means to obtain wealth, land, or power. Due to conflict among them from their varying self-serving interests and backgrounds, they tend to work alone most of the time. Each of these villains represent a specific ecological disaster. These include:

Hoggish Greedly: A pig-like human who represents the dangers of overconsumption and greed. In the episode "Smog Hog", it's revealed Hoggish has a son named Junior. In the episode "Hog Tide," it is revealed that he has a grandfather named Don Porkaloin. However, unlike Greedly, Porkaloin changed his ways and became environmentally friendly, as shown in the episode "The Ghost of Porkaloin Past."

Rigger: Hoggish Greedly's henchman. In the episode "The Ghost of Porkaloin Past," Rigger mentioned that he worked with Greedly because no one else would hire him. In the episode "Hog Tide," it is revealed that Rigger has a grandfather named Rex Rigger I who was an assistant to Don Porkaloin.

Duke Nukem: A doctor who changed himself into a radioactive mutant who represents the misuse of nuclear power. He is the only Eco-Villain able to single handedly defeat Captain Planet. Apogee temporarily renamed the eponymous character of the Duke Nukem computer game franchise to 'Duke Nukum' so as to avoid any possible trademark claims they could face from the producers of Captain Planet. The character was later found to be under no trademark and the games were restored to their original titles.

Leadsuit: Duke Nukem's cowardly accomplice, who is named after the radiation suit he constantly wears to protect himself from Nukem's radioactive aura. He works for Duke under the belief he will rule the world alongside his boss when he brings about the nuclear age.

Looten Plunder: A wealthy poacher and greedy businessman who represents the evils of uncontrolled capitalism and unethical business actions, his name is even a reference of the phrase "Loot and Plunder". Looten is also shown to have a nephew named Robin Plunder as seen in the episode "Going Bats, Man" and is a play on "Rob and Plunder".



Argos Bleak: Looten Plunder's main henchman, and leader of Plunder's private army. In the episode "The Predator," he appeared without Looten Plunder when it came to tricking the people of the Florida Keys that basking sharks are deadly.

Pinehead Brothers: Oakey and Dokey are two oversized lumberjacks that are Looten Plunder's henchmen in the final season of "The New Adventures of Captain Planet."

Sly Sludge: An unscrupulous waste disposer who represents ignorance and the dangers of short-term thinking.

Ooze: Sly Sludge's sidekick.

The Rat Pack: A gang of rat/human thugs under the command of Skumm.

Dr. Blight: A mad scientist with a half-scarred face hidden behind her hair who represents the dangers of uncontrolled technology and unethical scientific experimentation. In the episode "Hog Tide," it is revealed that Dr. Blight had a grandmother named Betty Blight who assisted Don Porkaloin in his plot. In the episode "Hollywaste", it is revealed she has a sister named Bambi and through Bambi, it is revealed to the viewers and the Planeteers that Dr. Blight's first name is Babs.



MAL: Dr. Blight's evil highly-intellectual supercomputer.

Zarm: Zarm is the former spirit of the Earth who left Gaia in search of other lands and ended up laying other populous planets to ruin lacking Gaia to balance out his methods. He represents war and destruction. Even though Zarm does not have any henchmen of his own, he would often manipulate other people to do his bidding. Zarm once united Hoggish Greedly, Looten Plunder, Sly Sludge, Duke Nukem, Verminous Skumm and Dr. Blight under his leadership in the two-part episode "Summit to Save Earth".

Captain Pollution


A polluting counterpart to Captain Planet named "Captain Pollution" appears in the two-part episode "Mission to Save Earth" when Dr. Blight steals the Planeteers' rings, creates polluting duplicates of them, and distributes the duplicates to most of the other Eco-villains. Each Eco-villain received a specific ring:

Duke Nukem has a Super Radiation Ring (counterpart of Fire).
Looten Plunder has a Deforestation Ring (counterpart of Earth).
Sly Sludge has a Smog Ring (counterpart of Wind).
Verminous Skumm has a Toxics Ring (counterpart of Water).
Dr. Blight has a Hate Ring (counterpart of Heart).



Each of the evil rings have malevolent faces on them, in contrast to the more element-themed Planeteer rings. Captain Pollution is weakened when he is in contact with pure elements such as water or sunlight, while he gains power from contact with pollutants (and is later shown to gain power without limit when in contact with pollutants after his resurrection). When he is summoned he says "By your polluting powers combined, I am Captain Pollution! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!", and when he disappears, he declares "The polluting power is yours!"
In his first appearance, he is sent by the Eco-villains to destroy the Planeteers but gets chased off by Commander Clash, and after a fight with Captain Planet, he returns to the evil rings causing them to explode. In the two-part episode "A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste", Captain Pollution is brought back to life by toxins of the 5 evil rings that seep into the earth.
Captain Pollution resembles Captain Planet, but his skin is pale yellow, and covered in brown lesions. His hair is red, and styled in a Widow's peak and he has red eyes. His costume is the same color and style as Planet's, but the chest is torn in the middle, with two halves of a cracked version of Planet's chest symbol on either side. His voice has a California Valley twang to it. Captain Pollution is defeated twice by Captain Planet; first in Mission to Save Earth by being rammed through earth, lava, air and water, and then again in A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste by being tricked into going into an underground magma chamber.
His role as an evil/imperfect duplicate mirrors that of Superman's imperfect duplicate, Bizarro; albeit more malevolent and less of a harmless dunce, and with normal intelligence and lack of confusion at his surroundings.



Thursday 19 April 2012

Dexter's Laboratory

Dexter's Laboratory (commonly abbreviated as Dexter's Lab) is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios (also co-produced with Hanna-Barbera from 1996–2001). The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions. The series premiered in the United States on Cartoon Network on April 28, 1996 and ended on November 20, 2003. As of 2006, Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang has been airing re-runs of the series.

The series initially debuted on the What A Cartoon! show as a cartoon short and later became the first of said program to be adapted into its own series. Each 22-minute episode consists of two to three segments (with the exception of the initial series finale). Dexter's Laboratory originally ended in 1998 after 52 episodes, but it was later revived for a TV movie, and, even later, 26 more episodes featuring a different production team.



PLOT:

The series revolves around Dexter, an eight-year-old genius boy, who has a secret laboratory (which he pronounces with a stress on the second syllable, luh-BOAR-uh-tor-ee) filled with highly advanced equipment hidden behind a bookshelf in his bedroom. Access to this never-ending laboratory is usually achieved by speaking various passwords or by activating hidden switches on his bookcase (such as pulling out a specific book). Dexter is normally in conflict with his ditzy older sister, Dee Dee, who always mysteriously gains access to his lab no matter what he does to try to keep her out. Dee Dee eludes all manner of security and, once inside, delights in playing in the lab, often destroying all of his creations and often by pushing the wrong button(s) on an invention. This is often preceded by Dee Dee asking "Oooooh, what does this button do?", without waiting for an answer. Despite her hyperactive personality, Dee Dee sometimes makes more logical decisions than Dexter, or even gives him helpful advice. Dexter, though highly intelligent, often fails at what he has set out to do when he becomes overexcited and makes careless choices. He manages to keep the lab a secret from his clueless, cheerful parents, who amusingly never notice any evidence of the laboratory, even when it was right before their eyes. Despite coming from a typical all-American family, Dexter speaks with an accent, a reference to Tartakovsky's own accent that he spoke with during childhood. Despite the fact that almost all of his inventions have highly sophisticated computer and electronic components, the assembly of the devices usually involves tightening a large nut with a wrench and/or pouring green and purple chemical liquids into each other. The final component of most inventions is a hand-held remote control with a large red button and radio antenna.



Dexter has an arch-nemesis, a boy from his school named Susan Astronomonov who dubs himself "Mandark", who lives down the block from Dexter and has a secret laboratory of his own. Mandark's schemes are generally evil and are designed to gain power for himself while downplaying or destroying Dexter's accomplishments. Dexter often makes better inventions than Mandark, but Mandark tries to make up for this by stealing Dexter's inventions. Mandark is also in love with Dee Dee, though she prefers to ignore him and never returns his affections. As the series progressed, Mandark's schemes became significantly more evil, his laboratory darker-looking, industrial and angular, in contrast to his original brightly-lit lab which had more rounded features.



Continuity is not generally an aspect of the show, and many episodes are self-contained or leave characters in predicaments that are left unresolved and never referenced afterward (e.g., the entire lab is completely destroyed, Dexter is turned into a sandwich, etc.). Most episodes end in disaster because of a flaw in Dexter's logic or in his inventions. Dexter usually fails at what he has set out to do with Dee Dee often besting him.

The shorts occasionally chronicle the adventures of other characters besides Dexter, Dee Dee, and Mandark. Chief among these were Dexter's pet monkey, Monkey (who secretly lived a double life as a crime-fighting super-powered secret agent), and Dexter's favorite superhero, Major Glory. Both of these characters were often associated with a superhero team called The Justice Friends, which included the superheroes Valhallen and The Infraggable Krunk.



BACKUP SEGMENTS:

In season 1 of Dexter's Laboratory (and a few episodes of season 2), the middle segment would have centered around characters from the Dexter's Laboratory universe other than Dexter's family. Two kinds of these segments were shown, primarily during the first season, running during 22-minute slots: Dial M for Monkey and The Justice Friends. Dial M for Monkey appeared in the first half of the first season, while The Justice Friends appeared in the second half of the first season. Monkey often appeared in the Justice Friends segments and vice versa, having teamed with his fellow superheroes while Dexter and Dee Dee sometimes appeared in the Monkey segments.

Dial M for Monkey:

The Dial M for Monkey shorts feature Dexter's pet lab monkey, Monkey, who, unknown to Dexter, has superpowers and fights evil with his lovely secret agent and a team of superhero partners. Villains range from a cranky and irritable lava monster that just wants silence because it needs to sleep, to a woman obsessed with making fur coats from endangered species across the universe, to a bounty hunter who wants to kill Monkey for use as a hunting trophy. Monkey's true identity is revealed to Dexter in the episode "Last But Not Beast", although Dexter's memories are erased shortly afterward.



The Justice Friends: 





The Justice Friends consists of Major Glory, The Infraggable Krunk, and Valhallen, who are all roommates living in an apartment complex called Muscular Arms. Most of the adventures of The Justice Friends deal less with their lives as superheroes and more with their inability to get along as roommates. Most of these adventures play out like a sitcom along with a laugh track. The segment's title likely derives from the DC Comics superhero organization The Justice League and its sanitized animated cartoon version, Super Friends, though the team itself was clearly a parody of Marvel's Avengers as the three main characters were loosely based on Marvel Comics characters: Major Glory resembled Captain America (though his powers roughly mirror those of Superman), The Infraggable Krunk resembled Hulk, and Valhallen resembled Thor - Valhallen's name was a portmanteau of Valhalla, the spiritual plane of Norse mythology, and Van Halen, an American rock band. Valhallen frequently referred to himself as the "Viking God of Rock", and wielded a wing-shaped electric guitar (referred to as the "axe") instead of a war mallet.




Tuesday 17 April 2012

The Addams Family

The Addams Family: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the eponymous comic strip characters. It ran from September 12, 1992 to November 6, 1993 on ABC and was produced by Hanna-Barbera. The series' development began in the wake of the successful 1991 Addams Family feature film. Two seasons were produced. It was the second-to-last Hanna-Barbera-produced show to premiere on ABC.



PLOT:


Geared towards children, much of the family's macabre nature was toned down; although, Fester retained his love of explosives and light bulbs. In order for the series to fit with other Saturday morning cartoons, plot lines were geared around the family living in Happy Dale Heights and facing some kind of threat from a series of recurring villains—individuals who either wanted to force the Addams' from their home or capture one of them (usually Fester) for nefarious purposes.

The first episode to air involved a plot against Fester by his "arch nemesis," a faceless gangster; the episode was aired out of production order, however, and relied on the viewer's having seen previous episodes for context, thus leaving the audience in the dark as to why Fester had an arch nemesis. Later episodes would introduce the series' most common recurring villains, a yuppie family named the Normanmeyers that lived next door to the Addams and despised them for their lifestyle being an affront to typical suburban living. Episodes dealing with the Normanmeyers usually involved the father, Norman, trying to either convince Gomez to move away or force him to sell the home; the family's adolescent son, NJ, was friends with Puggsley and Wednesday, inevitably leading to interfamilial conflict.

At the end of several episodes, when the conflict was resolved, Gomez usually suggested a family dance. The first suggestion for the dance was usually thrown out because of some weird requirement. Fester is usually the one to point out the reason the first suggestion shouldn't be accepted albeit sometimes Gomez and Fester found themselves in a role reversal (with Fester making the suggestion and Gomez pointing out the reason not to follow it). The second suggestion was accepted and there was usually a requirement for that dance too. The show's theme song, which was similar to that of the original live-action series, was slightly different and was sung by a single baritone voice.



CHARACTERS:

Addams Family:


Gomez Addams - The patriarch of the family. He is a caring and enthusiastic father and is deeply in love with his wife, Morticia. He usually spends his time with unusual activities in the home, mostly accompanied by Fester. Unlike the other versions, Gomez is usually seen wearing a pink suit.



Morticia Addams - The matriarch of the family. Like her husband, she is very much involved with the raising of her children, and enjoys the attention she is receiving from her husband. Her hobbies include painting and taking care of the plants. She can be described as a vamp and is commonly seen wearing black gothic dresses.

Wednesday Addams - The daughter of Gomez and Morticia and the little sister of Pugsley. She can be described as a girl with low enthusiasm and enjoys torturing her brother with dangerous objects, though in a friendly atmosphere. Unlike its other versions, she is the tallest of the two children. Wednesday is trademarked by her pigtails and blue dress, and often carries her beheaded doll Marie Antoinette with her.

Pugsley Addams - The son of Gomez and Morticia and the big brother of Wednesday. He is an overweight boy with blond hair who can be described as slightly dimwitted. He has a close bond with his sister, but likes to terrorize her. Pugsley usually wears a yellow shirt with green stripes.



Uncle Fester - Gomez's bald older brother with white skin who takes a special interest in blowing himself up. He commonly joins the children with their unusual plans, taking it to the limit, and also spends a lot of his time creating formulas in the basement lab. Uncle Fester also has a superhero counterpart called Festerman who is the protector of Happy Dale Heights in the Festerman comics that Uncle Fester writes.

Grandmama Addams - Morticia's mother, Gomez'z mother-in-law and the grandmother to Wednesday and Pugsley. She has psychic powers expressed through a magic ball, which she uses for her own fortune-telling line. Granny is a witch who doesn't get along with Fester.


Lurch - The blue-skinned butler of the Addams family. He is very tall and strong, which intimidates most guests, although he in fact has a little heart. He almost never talks and usually responds by mumbling in a deep voice.

Thing - A relative of the Addams' who takes the form of a disembodied hand. He constantly helps out the family by reaching them objects, and although he lives in a box, can pop up everywhere in the house. Unlike in other versions, Thing has the ability to fly.

Cousin Itt - The cousin of the Addams'. He is trademarked by his body fully covered by hair and high-pitched voice with gibberish language. Although credited in the main cast, Cousin Itt appears as a recurring character, and is not seen in all episodes, much like the original live-action series. Cousin Itt is apparently a government agent.

Snappy - An alligator that lives with the Addams Family.


Addams Family Relatives:


Aunt Flora and Fauna - A two-headed woman with one head being African-American and the other head being Caucasian. They are the family's friendly aunts. They wear an old Victorian dress.

Uncle Cleaver - A member of the Addams family, who can be recognized by his constant nervous behavior. He has red hair and wears a long brown raincoat, in which he hides knives.


Uncle Frankus - A giant with features of a pig, Frankus is one of the several members of the Addams' who is not human. Intimidating due to his height and temper, he does not speak very often. He doesn't like it if his mother is insulted.





Normanmeyers:

Norman Normanmeyer - The Addams' neighbor. The opposite of the Addams' in almost every way, he is often annoyed by their unusual activities and tries to sabotage most of their plans. Normanmeyer is the CEO of an underwear company and often wears a blue suit.

Normina Normanmeyer - Mr. Normanmeyer's traditional wife. Like her husband, she often tries to sabotage the Addams Family and Morticia in particular.

N.J. Normanmeyer - The pre-teen son of the Normanmeyers. Unlike his parents, he likes the Addams' and is able to look through their odd behavior. When not spending time with Wednesday and Pugsley, he often attempts to prevent his parents from ruining their neighbors.


Other characters:

Spy Twins - Twin criminals who have set their eyes on the Addams fortune and are common enemies of Cousin Itt. They are long and skinny, and usually wear long raincoats with matching hats. The Twin Spies are trademarked by the habit of finishing each other's sentences. Their plots would usually go horribly awry with them getting hurt. Fans of the show believe their names are Choke and Dagger base on the title of the episode they first appeared.

Fingers - A spy for RumpCo (the rival company of Mr. Normanmeyer). He is large, bald and very intimidating, though somewhat dimwitted.

Mr. Limp - A health inspector and acquaintance to Mr. Normanmeyer. He is seduced by Grandmama.

Mrs. Quaint - A red-haired guest at the Addams residence, she turns out to be a criminal who is looked for in eight states for hotel burglarly. She tries to steal the family treasures.



Lurch's Girlfriend - The female equivalent to Lurch. Like her boyfriend, she is very tall and big, thus intimidating. She is pink-skinned and has dark hair.

Harry Palmer - A movie star whose right hand Finger Fellow lost an audition against Thing. Since then, Harry Palmer has developed a grudge on Thing and tries to get rid of him which always goes awry.

Principal Macnamara - The principal of the school that Wednesday, Pugsley, and N.J. attend.

Shella - A foreign class mate of Wednesday and Pugsley who is, due to her sweet character, a beloved person in school. She falls for Pugsley, but soon has to return to her home land.

Mortimer - The overweight red-haired school bully who often takes Pugsley as one of his victims.

Mrs. Blossom - The school teacher of Wednesday, Pugsley and N.J.

Ian Thundermane - A criminal with metal hair who is one of Cousin Itt's enemies.




Sunday 15 April 2012

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon series, Scooby-Doo. It premiered on September 13, 1969 at 10:30 a.m. EST and ran for two seasons on CBS as a half-hour long show. 

This cartoon series featured four teenagers - Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Norville "Shaggy" Rogers - who solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps. Hanna-Barbera took the basic idea and felt it needed something to add humor to the cartoon and make it less frightening. Iwao Takamoto believed it should be a dog - a big dog. And what bigger dog than a Great Dane. So he created Scooby-Doo. After speaking with professional breeder of Great Danes, Iwao went the opposite direction and gave Scooby bow legs and floppy ears.




Origin:

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was the result of CBS and Hanna-Barbera's plans to create a non-violent Saturday morning program which would appease the parent watch groups that had protested the superhero-based programs of the mid-1960s. Originally titled Mysteries Five, and later Who's S-S-Scared?, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! underwent a number of changes from script to screen (the most notable of which was the downplaying of the musical group angle borrowed from The Archie Show). However, the basic concept - four teenagers (Freddie, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy) and a cowardly, clumsy Great Dane dog (Scooby-Doo) solving supernatural-related mysteries was always in place.






Writing:

The main concept was as follows:

1. The Mystery, Inc. gang turn up in the Mystery Machine, en route to or returning from a regular teenage function, when their van develops engine trouble or breaks down for any of a variety of reasons (overheating, flat tire, out of gas, etc.), in the immediate vicinity of a large, mostly vacated property (ski lodge, hotel, factory, mansion, etc.).

2. Their (unintended) destination turns out to be suffering from a monster problem (ghosts, Frankenstein, Yeti, etc.). The kids volunteer to investigate the case.

3.The gang splits up to cover more ground, with Fred and Velma finding clues, Daphne finding danger, and Shaggy and Scooby finding food, fun, and the ghost/monster, who gives chase. Scooby and Shaggy in particular love to eat, including dog treats called Scooby Snacks which are a favorite of both the dog and the teenage boy.




4. Eventually, enough clues are found to convince the gang that the ghost/monster is a fake, and a trap is set to capture it. Or they will occasionally just call the local sheriff and get stopped by the villain half-way.

5. The trap may or may not work (more often than not, Scooby-Doo and/or Shaggy falls into the trap and they accidentally catch the monster another way, usually if the plan is explained in detail before attempted execution fails). Invariably, the ghost/monster is apprehended and unmasked. The person in the ghost or monster suit turns out to be an apparently blameless authority figure or otherwise innocuous local who is using the disguise to cover up something such as a crime or a scam.

6. After giving the parting shot of "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids" (sometimes adding "...and your stupid dog!"), the offender is then taken away to jail, and the gang is allowed to continue on their way to their destination.



Thursday 12 April 2012

Recess



Recess is an American animated television series created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere and produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series focuses on six elementary school students and their interaction with other classmates and teachers. The title refers to the period of time during the school day in which children are not in lessons and can spend time outside with friends, known as recess in Canada and the United States. One of the main features of the series is how the children form their own society, complete with government and a class structure, set against the backdrop of a regular school.




PLOT :

Recess portrays the lives of six fourth graders as they go about their daily lives in a highly clichéd school environment. The students of Third Street School have set up a microcosm of traditional human society complete with its own government, class system, and set of unwritten laws. They are ruled by amonarch, King Bob, who has various enforcers to make sure his decrees are carried out. The little society has a long list of rigid values and social normsthat imposes a high expectation of conformity upon all the students.




Recess is illustrated to be a symbol of freedom — a time when children can express themselves and develop meaningful relationships. Most episodes involve one or more of the main six characters seeking a rational balance between individuality and social order. They are often defending their freedom against perceived threats by adults or social norms. The group's leader, T.J. Detweiler, tends to have the most complete vision of this struggle, though even he has times when he inadvertently leads the group too far toward an extreme of conformity or nonconformity.


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Tuesday 10 April 2012

The Jetsons

The Jetsons is an animated sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987. It was Hanna-Barbera’s Space Age counterpart to The Flintstones, a half-hour family sitcom projecting contemporary culture and lifestyle into another time period.Reruns can be seen on Boomerang.

While the Flintstones live in a world with machines powered by birds and dinosaurs, the Jetsons live in a futuristic utopia in the year 2062 of elaborate robotic contraptions, aliens, holograms, and whimsical inventions.




PLOT :

George Jetson is married and lives with his family in the Skypad Apartments in Orbit City, where all homes and businesses are raised high above the ground on adjustable columns in the Googie style, reflective of Seattle's Space Needle and the Theme Building of the Los Angeles International Airport. George is married to Jane, the homemaker, and the couple have two children, teenage daughter Judy who attends Orbit High School, and early-childhood son Elroy who attends Little Dipper School. Housekeeping is seen to by a robot maid, Rosey, handling chores not otherwise rendered trivial by the home's numerous push-button Space Age-envisioned conveniences..


Jetson's workweek is typical of his era: three hours a day, three days a week. His boss is Cosmo Spacely, the diminutive yet bombastic owner of Spacely Space Sprockets. Spacely has a competitor, H. G. Cogswell, owner of the rival company Cogswell Cogs . Jetson commutes to work in an aerocar that resembles a flying saucer with a transparent bubble top. Daily life is leisurely, assisted by numerous labor-saving devices, which occasionally break down with humorous results. Despite this, everyone complains of exhausting hard labor and difficulties of living with the remaining inconveniences.



CHARACTERS :

George Jetson: Age 34, is a loving family man who always seems to make the wrong decision. He works.at Spacely's Sprockets as a computer engineer. He is married to Jane and together they have two kids, Elroy and Judy. George is the protagonist of the show.

Jane Jetson: Age 33 (self-reported in the first episode), is George's wife, mother of their two children, and a homemaker. Jane is obsessed with fashion and new gadgetry. Her favorite store is Mooning Dales. She is also a dutiful wife who always tries to make life as pleasant as possible for her family. Outside of the home, she is a member of the Galaxy Women Historical Society and is a fan of Leonardo de Venus and Picasso Pia.

Judy Jetson: Age 16, is the older child in the Jetson family. A student at Orbit High School, she is a stereotypical teenage girl whose prime interests include: clothes, going out, and revealing secrets to her digital diary. .

Elroy Jetson: Age 6½ . is the younger of the two children in the Jetson family. He is highly intelligent and an expert in all space sciences.

Rosey: Age 45, is the Jetsons' household robot. She's an outdated model but the Jetsons love her and would never trade her for a newer model. Rosey does all the household chores and some of the parenting. She is a strong disciplinarian and occasionally dispenses advice to the family..

Astro the Dog: Astro is the Jetsons' family dog. Prior to being a Jetson he belonged to the fabulously rich Mr. Gottrockets. Astro is one of George's best friends.



Cosmo G. Spacely: is George's boss and owner of Spacely Space Sprockets. His company was founded in Newfoundland in 1937, where it continued to prosper until massive surface pollution necessitated a move to the elevated platforms seen in the series. .

Spencer Cogswell: is Spacely's big competitor. He owns Cogswell Cogs company and causes a lot of trouble for Spacely and George. To a lesser extent Cogswell is another of the series' antagonists. He and Spacely are always finding ways to bring each other's businesses down..

R.U.D.I.: is George's work computer and also one of his best friends, next to his dog, Astro the Dog. His name is an acronym for Referential Universal Digital Indexer. He has a human personality and is a member of the Society Preventing Cruelty to Humans.

Henry Orbit: mid-1960s, is the Jetsons' apartment's repair man. He is always helpful and always in a good mood. His robot Mac has a crush on Rosey.





Sunday 8 April 2012

Johnny Bravo

Johnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality. Plots typically revolve around him trying to get a woman that he has targeted throughout the episode to fall in love with him. He is often beaten up or stunned by his target or companions, or is ditched by them in the end.



CHARACTERS :

Johnny Bravo: The muscular main protagonist of the series. His middle name was rumored to be Boston. He has incredibly narcissistic and dim-witted traits, though still hardly the only questionable figure in town, which lead to a severely incorrigible inability to attract women, becoming a running gag throughout the series. He claims to dislike his "best friend", Carl Chryniszzswics.



Bunny "Momma" Bravo: Johnny's mother. She has had a lively past and sometimes reveals a surprising hidden talent. The show's original format portrays her as a calm, nurturing woman, but was made into a louder, more extroverted character once the show was retooled. .

Little Suzy: A little red-haired, intelligent girl from the neighborhood (often called "Little Neighbor girl" by Johnny), who is very cunning and talkative. In many episodes, Suzy is shown to have a major crush on Johnny (although the feeling is not mutual). Her parents were never shown, but she is often shown to be related to big time celebrities. ..

Carl Chryniszzswics: A local nerd, also known as Carl Shocker, considered by many (especially Johnny) to be extremely annoying. He is Johnny's "best friend". He is a local genius and geek, who is very intelligent, but somewhat eccentric and timid..
Pops . — The greedy owner of a local diner. He often gives tips and advice to Johnny; however, his advice often turns out to be useless, sometimes provoking trouble for Johnny...





HISTORY :


The series premiered on July 14, 1997 and the first season completed in December of that year. The series was put on hiatus, until it was picked up for an unexpected second season in 1999. During that season, the show undertook a major creative re-tooling, in which new characters were introduced, re-designs of characters with new personalities were prevalent, and the tone and humor of the show changed considerably. Some of the changes the show experienced during the re-tooled version were the heavy emphasis on Johnny's stupidity, the removal of the Jungle Boy characters and new catchphrases. Most viewers did not take kindly to the changes while others thought the show greatly improved and took off with a slapstick style. The show kept this format until the series' third season ended in 2002. The series sat in limbo once again until it was renewed for a fourth season in 2003, which aired in 2004. The final season of the series returned to the humor of the original shorts and first season of the series (Although the Jungle Boy characters from the first season never returned). The show was cancelled officially in late 2004. Reruns premiered on Cartoon Network's sister network Boomerang and the series returned for a short time to Cartoon Network in November 2009.


Friday 6 April 2012

The Little Mermaid



The Little Mermaid is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation based on the 1989 Disney film of the same name. It features the adventures of Ariel as a mermaid prior to the events of the film. This series is the first Disney television series to be spun off from a major animated film.



PLOT:

The Little Mermaid television series is a prequel to the movie of the same name. The story is set before the events in the 1989 film, and follows Ariel's adventures as a mermaid still living under the sea with her father, Sebastian and Flounder. Various episodes highlight her relationship with her friends, father and sisters, and usually involves Ariel foiling the attempts of various enemies that intend ill harm to her or to her kingdom.



CHARACTERS :

Ariel: She is the seventh daughter of the sea king who loves to sing and go on adventures. She also has developed magic in season 2 to save her world.

Sebastian: A small red trinidadian crab who acts as the king's adviser, court musician, and a baby-sitter-like figure for Ariel.

Flounder: Ariel's best friend, a bright yellow and golden blue colored tropical reef fish called a juvenile blue tang who follows along on her adventures, and can be easily scared.

King Triton: He is Ariel's father and ruler of Atlantica who protects his kingdom with his magic trident.

Scuttle: He is a seagull who is friends with Ariel. He first appears in the episode "Scuttle".



Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella and Alana are Ariel's six older sisters.

Ursula is a powerful sea witch who occasionally antagonizes Ariel.

Flotsam and Jetsam: They are Ursula's green moray eel henchmen who do her evil bidding for her.

Prince Eric: Ariel's future husband. His first appearance is in the episode "Thingamajigger" and appears occasionally throughout the seasons with his dog, Max, as a puppy. Ariel first sees him saving a dolphin from a net, which technically makes this scene the first time she has ever seen Prince Eric, but does not know who he is.


Tuesday 3 April 2012

The Powerpuff Girls

The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three kindergarten-aged girls with superpowers, as well as their "father", the brainy scientist Professor Utonium, who all live in the fictional city of Townsville, USA. The girls are frequently called upon by the town's childlike mayor to help fight nearby criminals using their powers.



PLOT:

The Powerpuff Girls revolves around the adventures of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. Each of the girls has a color: Blossom is pink, Bubbles is blue, and Buttercup is green. The plot of a typical episode is some humorous variation of standard superhero and tokusatsu fare, with the girls using their powers to defend their town from villains and giant monsters. In addition, the girls have to deal with normal issues young children face, such as sibling rivalries, loose teeth, personal hygiene, going to school, bed wetting, or dependence on a security blanket. Episodes often contain more or less hidden references to older pop culturE

The setting of the show is mainly the city of Townsville, USA. Townsville is depicted as a major American city, with a cityscape consisting of several major skyscrapers..




MAIN CHARACTERS :

Blossom is known for being the smartest one, as well as being the self-proclaimed leader of the Powerpuff Girls. Her personality ingredient is "everything nice", her signature color is pink, and she has long fiery red hair with a red bow. She was named for having spoken freely and honestly to the Professor shortly after her creation. She is often seen as the most mature, level-headed, and composed member of the group.

Bubbles is the cute and sensitive one. Her personality ingredient is sugar, her signature color is baby blue, and she has short blonde hair in two ponytails. She tends to act like the baby of the group, despite being the same age as her sisters, but she sometimes can get extremely mad. .

Buttercup is the toughest of the three. Her personality ingredient is spice, her signature color is light green, and she has short black hair. She is the tomboy in the group, and she has a very short temper. Sometimes her aggression gets the better of her, making her reckless and stubborn. She has, however shown a softer side in several episodes.


Sunday 1 April 2012

The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries

The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, is an animated television series which aired from 1995 to 2001 on Kids' WBand was later re-run on Cartoon Network. It follows Looney Tunes characters Sylvester and Tweety Bird, and their owner Granny, along with bulldog Hector (who appeared in several cartoons alongside Tweety, Sylvester and Granny but was in the series given a new design similar to that of Marc Antony), as they solved mysteries, even with Sylvester still trying to eat Tweety in the middle of solving the mysteries, but Hector acted as a bodyguard for Tweety, and would even beat Sylvester up.




CHARACTERS :

Sylvester - The titular character and protagonist. Sylvester acts as narrator throughout the episodes, and continually tries to eat Tweety, though he is always thwarted by Hector or Tweety's craftiness. Despite their never-ending feud, the pair manage to get along for the most part, and Sylvester will defend Tweety when someone else tries to harm the canary.

Tweety - The second titular character and deuteragonist. Tweety is often trying to escape Sylvester by foiling him through either his flying, clever timing, or his virtual bodyguard, Hector. Tweety usually stays with Granny and is responsible for some major clues. Despite his feud with Sylvester, the pair will team up if Granny is threatened and can work together very well.






Granny - A world-renowned detective, Granny travels the globe with Sylvester and Tweety, attending events such as races or canary contest and is often called upon by the locals to solve a crime. However, there have been attempts to frame Granny, causing some difficulty in finding clues.

Hector - Granny's bulldog and Tweety's bodyguard. Hector keeps Sylvester from eating the canary and will often beat him up if he gets in his way. Hector will defend Granny, Tweety or even Sylvester if threatened, but is not above stealing food or trying to please others.