Behind the Rankings: DC Universe

In this week's rankings, I give DC Universe the #10 slot despite it not existing. It's coming this fall, though, and it generated some chatter at last week's San Diego Comic Con. I'm not thrilled about the price point--7.99 a month, but to be fair it includes some kind of access to digital comic books--and the early glimpses of originals like Titans doesn't impress me, but as a longtime (if lapsed) DC Comics reader, I just want this to be cool.

A while back, I made some suggestions for classic TV shows that should stream on this new streaming video service. Well, we now know some of--hopefully not all--the content DC will give us at launch. It's more than I would have feared but not as much as I hoped.

Perhaps the big showcase effort as far as classic TV is concerned is the 1970s Wonder Woman series. If this is remastered and uncut, hey, I'm there for Lynda Carter in HD. In that earlier post, I wrote:

I already suggested Batman (1966) for Netflix and Wonder Woman (1977) for Amazon. Wouldn't it be fantastic if DC, which is reportedly "securing rights" to old shows and movies, is going to announce each will be on DCU instead? I may even shell out for this thing if it gets both of those.

I think Batman streaming in high-def would be a real game changer for a new service like this, and maybe it's still in the works (or maybe even--I can dream--a surprise announcement being held back for launch), but for now, hey, one out of two ain't bad.

The other shows I picked:
The Adventures of Superman: No sign of that here yet, which is a shame.
Lois and Clark: It's not being touted in the publicity for this service, but the released promo pics indicate the entire series will be on the service. Thumbs up, DC!
The Flash (1990): This is included as well!
Filmation cartoons: I don't see anything about these...yet. I still think it's a natural fit considering many of these
Justice League: Also included!

That's 3 out of 5 I wished for, plus, according to that promo pic, "9 seasons" of Super Friends. You can parse that show many different ways--The New Gods know Warner sure confused things with its endless DVD releases--but I think that means the entire run will be there.

All this plus Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series (though I read it may just be some and not all of the episodes) makes a decent package. Is it worth 8 bucks a month? Well, with the originals, it's worth a look-see, I think. However, at 8 bucks a month, I don't think I would have this an automatic purchase every 30 days. Now, the comic book component could blow me away, and with access to a huge back catalog of comics, I might see it a little differently.

Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming: 5 for DC Universe

Wait, we don't even know exactly when the new DC Comics streaming service will be, so isn't this a bit early? Well, perhaps, but given the reports last week that DC is prepping its back catalog for this service, I am bumping this post up in my ongoing series of Classic Shows That Should Be Streaming.

We also know it is coming "late August" and that some kind of digital comic book/other branding component will be part of this. Several original series are in production now. I am focusing on the old shows, though. Here are 5 that I think DC Universe should carry right from the get-go:

NOTE: I already suggested Batman (1966) for Netflix and Wonder Woman (1977) for Amazon. Wouldn't it be fantastic if DC, which is reportedly "securing rights" to old shows and movies, is going to announce each will be on DCU instead? I may even shell out for this thing if it gets both of those.

1) The Adventures of Superman: From a modern perspective, the first season is great. The rest of the show, especially the later the show went on...not so much. It's Superman, though! It's an iconic TV classic that I think would linger in the public consciousness even without the sordid demise of star George Reeves.

The sad fact is, Warners has never really treated this series like a crown jewel. The DVD releases included some extras, but it didn't seem like there was a desire to invest a lot of money in restoration and supplemental material. A Blu-Ray release looks unlikely at this point. I want to see the new DCU platform step up and make the entire series available and make a big deal out of it. Warner Archive Instant streamed the series for a while, so this one is a definite possibility.

2) Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: Largely forgotten since it aired, and maybe its serialized nature doesn't lend itself to reruns. It certainly had its highs and lows. Yet it mattered for a while, and I watched it and would like to see it again. It's a part of the legacy of DC's flagship character, and considering it (apparently) has little prospects elsewhere, it should be a part of the new DCU service.

3) The Flash: This 1990s precursor to the current CW staple may have too few episodes (22) to draw huge $ in syndication or streaming, so why not throw the whole run on DC's own joint? Star John Wesley Shipp is a regular presence on the new program (co-star Amanda Pays appears as well), and I would like to see some more credit given to this underrated cult hit.

4) Filmation DC cartoons: I think it's a lock that these will be on DCU. Warner Archive Instant streamed the old Superman with the snazzy theme song, Aquaman, and The New Adventures of Batman (the 1977 series with Adam West and Burt Ward...and Batmite). Throw ALL these on the new streamer, DC, and also the Superboy, Teen Titans, and Atom shorts. I really want to see the late-1960s Batman cartoons, too. Why not? No one else is running this. Here is the chance to do something with them.

5) Justice League/Justice League Unlimited: A lot of people would argue Batman: The Animated Series (streaming...for now....on Amazon) is the crown jewel of the Timmverse of DC animated properties, but the JL cartoons were among my favorite TV shows, period, when they aired. They were on Netflix for years but are now in limbo even though many of the feature films of the modern DC animation area are on Hulu. The show is just too good to not be available anywhere. Its inclusion on DC Universe would give the service a solid fan favorite exclusive.

This is a decent start, right? Take these 5 and the live-action Batman and Wonder Woman series, and you really have something. While we're at it, the 1980s Superboy series is collecting dust, and it would be great to put all the endless variations of Super Friends in one convenient location for our streaming pleasure. Throw all this together, and even someone like me who already watches too much streaming video will have to consider signing up.

Behind the Rankings: Boomerang still doesn't get it

Yesterday, Boomerang slipped into the weekly Cultureshark Streaming Video Power Rankings by virtue of adding the rest of The Flintstones. It's great that the whole series is available, and hopefully the later series are on the way. Really, though, what took so long? There's no reason this couldn't have been there at launch. For 5 bucks a month, as I mentioned when I reviewed Boomerang last month, stuff like the complete Flintstones should be a given.

The service got press coverage this week not for adding more classic 'toons, but for announcing new original programming. You know what my reaction to that is? It's the same one I had when I had Boomerang and learned that only some of The Flintstones was streaming:

This piece lays out the Boomerang lineup: https://deadline.com/2018/05/boomerang-turner-scooby-doo-guess-who-yabba-dabba-dinosuars-1202396229/

The family-friendly premium video subscription service is serving up new series featuring classic animated characters. Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? brings back the Mystery Inc. gang for some sleuthing adventures with celebrity guests while Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs! features new stories from Pebbles, Bamm Bamm, Dino and your favorite Bedrock families.

Parents aren't going to pay 5 bucks a month for this stuff. There isn't enough content for the little kids, and the adults who want the old stuff don't care about these new versions. How about you just add more classic Scoob and Flintstones?

Boomerang also announced that the launch of a full Spanish language experience for its users starting Memorial Day weekend. They will also offer families and fans the opportunity to personalize their Boomerang experience through avatar creation and show discovery.  In addition, Boomerang users will have more interactivity with the ability to create and share playlists featuring their personal cartoon favorites along with other features that will elevate interaction with some of Boomerang’s favorite characters.

OK, the Spanish thing is cool. But all the other is window dressing. Better usability of the service would be great. How about just a working watchlist rather than being able to share it?

And how about you just add more classic cartoons from that brontosaurus-sized library?

Boomerang is not going to make it with originals. It is going to make it by luring older folks like me with the archival content. I believe it should try that before spending money on remakes that many (raises hand) are going to be reluctant to even sample.   If Boomerang has some strategy based on holding back content so it doesn't burn through the archives early, well, as I have already suggested, it may be sacrificing viability now by worrying about the future.

Streaming Showcase: Boomerang

I like Boomerang well enough, but there needs to be more of it to make me subscribe to it more often. In the grand scheme of things, 5 bones per month doesn't sound like a huge expense, but when there are so many other options out there, a Streaming Video On Demand service has to offer more content to become one of those automatic renewals I can feel good about.

This Time Warner channel has access to tons of cartoons and iconic characters--Looney Tunes, The Flintstones, Popeye, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo...but instead of unleashing all of it, it siphons it out and waters it down by throwing in modern stuff like Courage the Cowardly Dog. Now, I'm sure that cartoon has its fans, but are they willing to pay 5 bucks per for access to some of it?

If we were talking every Looney Tune, every Scooby, etc., then we are in business. Even if there was the promise of that or  even some vague hope that was the direction, then it would be different. However, there is an assortment of these properties, and new content is added maybe every week or two. It's nice to see new episodes of The Flintstones added, but in a sense, it's like, so what? All of that show should already be on this kind of classic 'toon service.

I had Boomerang for several months, and I enjoyed watching the likes of Yogi (though not nearly all of Yogi was available) and Magilla. I even watched some Richie Rich, which I hadn't seen in years. There just isn't enough. It's cool to see an underappreciated character like Barney Bear get a dedicated section on Boomerang, but it also exposes the fact that, say, Space Ghost is nowhere to be found.

It's like Warners is hedging its bets and trying to hold back as much as possible. This approach is what killed Warner Archive Instant, which turned off potential consumers with its high price and limited library. We're at the point where protecting DVD sales shouldn't be a big consideration; much of the potential material has been on video for years. At a minimum, Boomerang should add classic cartoons every single week so that its older audience (I find it hard to believe adults are signing up so their kids can watch originals like the Dorothy of Oz cartoon and the new version of Wacky Races) know stuff is always on the way. What about all those short-lived "adult" cartoons Warners controls like Wait Till Your Father Gets Home and Where's Huddles?

The service itself is OK to navigate and use. A sortable watchlist with the ability to select individual cartoons (instead of just, say, "Huckleberry Hound") to it would be a huge plus. The streaming quality is decent. There are good efforts to curate cartoon selections for events like holidays; I enjoyed having easy access to Christmas toons around the holidays, for example.

Ultimately, there just isn't the effort there to justify 4.99 a month. Filmstruck caters to the cinephile with curated collections, constant influx of new titles and even bonus material. There is no reason Boomerang can't do this except, I assume, that it wants to appeal to kids and adults. I don't think this service will be in it for the long haul, though, unless it picks a lane OR allows a Boomerang Kids and Boomerang Grownups kind of split, with the pesky bonus material (like the audio commentaries on some of the old DVDs) safely ensconced on the Grownup side where it won't confuse the kiddies.

Mostly, though, it just needs more stuff. I wouldn't care  about the inclusion of 2000s cartoon shows if there were more of the classic stuff--the material that Warner already has. Imagine having such a massive animation library and charging so much for access to so little of it.

Not making this Flintstones Wednesday yet, but...

Boomerang, the $5/month streaming service that keeps adding new cartoons when really all the subscribers want, I presume, is more of the old stuff, did add a batch of vintage Flintstones episodes last week. I won't complain, but this whole series has been complete for years. It might be more exciting, if less, well, GOOD, if Boomerang added some of the various 1970s and 1980s spinoffs.

Any-Yabba-dabba-doo-hoo, I like how Boomerang describes the show in the email blast it sent describing this development:

Yabba Dabba Doo! More episodes of The Flintstones are now streaming on Boomerang! Join Fred and Barney as they race back to Bedrock for family time, friendly banter, and life's adventures.

Say you have a friend who has been living under a bedrock for the last 100 years and yet is still sentient and capable of listening to you and watching television.  Is that how you would describe The Flintstones to that friend?

"friendly banter"?
"life's adventures"?
"family time"? OK, actually that one isn't too bad.

My favorite is "friendly banter"--like Fred and Barney are hosting a morning chat show.

We'll have a...Well, we'll have a time of it, I'll tell you that

I do not remember the incarnation of The Flintstones known as The Flintstone Funnies, but I am pretty sure I was watching it at least some Saturday mornings.

As The Flinstones "franchise" aged, it was like networks felt more obliged to remind everyone that it was funny. "The Flintstones Comedy Hour," "Flintstone Funnies..." What, did kids think it was a documentary?  To paraphrase Bono, "The Flintstone I believe in isn't short on laughs, mister."

What strikes me about this is the change in the lyrics. We will no longer have a GAY old time with the 'Stones. We'll have a GREAT old time.

Hmm...did Anita Bryant force the Flintstones to remove the "gay" reference? Was the possibility for titters and giggles so great in 1982 that--Wait, I was a kid in 1982. Yeah, it's probably for the best that they changed the theme song.

Streaming Video Power Rankings #94

These ratings actually are a lot harder to create when I have more time to watch this stuff. Generally the rankings are based on a combination of buzz, new additions, what I have been streaming, and of course a heaping teaspoon of cayenne pepper. The holidays and the weather have given me more time to enjoy streaming video, and this weekend is shaping up to be a shelter-in-place kind of deal, too, so look out next week.

Of course, I could also READ more.

NAHHHHHH....

1) YouTube: There is just all kinds of cool stuff on here. Perhaps inspired by my inclusion of his YouTube channel in my 10 Things I Loved post, SeanMc went nuts with the uploads this week. Even better, New Year's Rockin' Eve--1979--helped me celebrate 2018. Chuck Mangione, Rick James, The Village People...Erik Estrada and Lauren Tewes hosting the pretapes...What a time that was.

2) Netflix: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has finally premiered, though it irritates me that they are now in "collections" and not seasons. Netflix deserves credit for throwing a bone to people who still  look for catalog content. It added several popular franchises like The Godfather, Lethal Weapon, and Batman. If it could pull that off every month, people like me wouldn't complain about the shrinking library. The conversation about Black Mirror continues. Plus David Letterman's talk show has a premiere date--next week--and an official slate of high-profile guests.

Personally, I am enjoying not only GLOW, which may be my favorite Netflix Original when I catch up, but also One Day at a Time.

3) The CW: Hey, I am all caught up now on my superhero shows. Please, shows, don't give us any new episodes for another few weeks. I still need to catch up on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

4) Hulu: And when I do catch up, it will be on Hulu! My children taking over the Roku and seemingly trying to maintain a perpetual Teen Titans Go/The Fabulous Thundermans marathon might be enough to rank Hulu pretty high; the 2017 documentary Gilbert only helps its case. In a less competitive week, it would be number one. I plan to boost my Hulu watching this week, so put your Bitcoin on it to be higher next time.

5) Amazon Prime: A new addition is a 1961 series called Almanac which consists entirely of old newsreel footage. It took me about 10 minutes to find out what year it was from, too. Cool! I didn't watch the parody Rose Bowl Parade coverage Amazon streamed on New Year's Day, but I think it's a great idea, and I like that Amazon tried something different there.

6) Warner Archive Instant: Back into the rankings as I dive back into Kildare and Eight Is Enough, but--I'm just saying--still no new content in months and still no activity on the Twitter account since October 22.

7) PBS: Thanks for the memory...of letting me watch the American Masters Bob Hope documentary without a log-in.

8) PBS Kids Go!: Speaking of public broadcasting, I didn't realize until this week that you can enjoy a free livestream of the national PBS Kids channel on the Roku through this app. There are a lot of episodes and clips you can enjoy without a log-in, too, so big ups to PBS Kids. Too bad my kids are rapidly growing out of interest in it...

9) Boomerang: And sadly, my kids aren't OLD enough to appreciate something like Magilla Gorilla  on Boomerang, but I plan to work on it.

10) Up Faith and Family: I like to highlight new SVOD services in the rankings, even if I have no interest in them. In this case, I give Up credit because it shows that even wholesome, family-friendly channels are liable to charge way too much for way too little content if they get the opportunity.

Screengrab Theatre Presents Countdown to Christmas: Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper

This is the 1982 Hanna Barbera special that Mark Evanier wrote in two days--literally two days--as he recounts in a great post right here.

My personal favorite part of this special is, without a doubt, the encounter Snagglepuss has with Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Snag is in "the big city" trying to find a little girl's parents, and Fred and Barn are sidewalk Santas because...why not? Snagglepuss even asks them if they aren't, oh, about 3 million years away from home. The boys' response--and the special's response--is to ignore it, continue with the scene, and not bring it up again. Works for me!

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows

WEEEEE HAAAAVE THE POWERRRRR!

 

 

It's He-Man on today's episode. Check it out right here, folks. Don't ya dare miss it!

Journey Into DVD: Charle Brown and Friends

(Editor's Note: 'Mooners Monday will return next week. On Monday.)

This is a single-disc repackaging of material from the Peanuts: 1970s Collection DVD set. It consists of 3 half-hour animated specials originally aired on CBS in the late 1970s along with a featurette.

It's great to see the holiday-themed Peanuts specials every year, but there were tons of other ones on TV back in the day. It's a shame they don't get much play, and it's also a shame that Warner Brothers has released these in confusing subpackages rather than going with affordable comprehensive collections, BUT if you  look hard enough, you can find the old stuff and enjoy it today on DVD.

This particular disc reminds you that the Peanuts specials were weird. We sort of chuckle at the quirks of the holiday ones because we've seen them over and over again, but when you revisit some of these lesser-known efforts, you scratch your head sometimes.

The first special is What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! There may not be too many children's animated specials prominently featuring the word "nightmare," but does it really surprise you that Peanuts would give you one of them?

This is a bizarre half-hour focused on an odd dream Snoopy has. It starts when Charlie Brown, apparently in one of those moods, decides he wants Snoopy to guide him around like a sled dog. When his pet isn't up to the intense  physical exertion needed to do that, Chuck berates him and says he's too civilized, etc., etc.

Snoopy often comes off as aloof and not all  that likable in the specials, but here Charlie is a real jerk, and it's no wonder his poor dog has a nightmare about actually becoming a sled dog. 



The day Charlie went from proletariat to bourgeoise

Snoop has all kinds of adventures, including working in, performing in, and playing poker in a saloon, before he "goes savage"  to become the lead dog in a pack. If you ever wanted to see Snoopy give menacing growls, bare his teeth, and get into a fierce struggle with a "realistic"-looking dog, here's your chance!

I think *I'm* having nightmares after seeing these images

The other two specials are more conventional. It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown spotlights a football game, and it's refreshing to see a team sport besides baseball. It may be a mistake watching it right after Nightmare, though; after seeing Charlie act like such a tool in that one, I was actually rooting for Lucy to pull the football away from him so he would fall on his duff.

Oh, and how old are these kids? First Kiss delves into the anxiety caused by boys and girls exchanging a smooch, but to do so, it sets up big football games, homecoming courts, and all the things you expect to see from a high school.  Actually, even many high school probably don't have the budgets to do all the stuff Charlie's school does in this one.

You don't see these kinds of parades on Thanksgiving, these days

You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown shows Chuck entering the Junior Olympics, specifically the decathlon, and screwing things up in classic Charlie fashion. Along the way, we see the Masked Marvel, a surprising bit of business from Marcie, and even a Bruce Jenner reference.  My favorite line is Peppermint Patty, trying to encourage her pal, calling Charlie "Chucko." His puzzled "Chucko?" response is classic.

Why, Marcie!

Added value comes in the form of the 18-minute featurette You're Groovy, Charlie Brown: A Look at Peanuts in the 70's." No, this is not footage of the Peanuts gang gettin' down to the sweet sounds of fuzz guitar. It's more a general overview of the strip, the production of the specials, and especially creator Charles M. Schulz. It's a nice look at Peanuts, though, and a welcome bonus on the DVD.

These aren't on the level of the perennial holiday favorites we've come to know and love, but they represent a significant portion of the Peanuts legacy and are part of TV history as well. These specials are fun, if a little out there at times, and deserve wider exposure.

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows

Note: I'm running this sneak peek today because I hope to have some Thanksgiving-related content here tomorrow, but I also recommend you check out our podcast tomorrow for a brand-new episode to listen to on your way over the river and through the woods, in between football games, or while you wait on hold to make a reservation because you ruined your turkey.

My Favorite Batmans (or should it be my favorite Batmen)?

Years ago, as I have explained before, I went through a brief phase in which I was embarrassed by the attention the 1966 Adam West Batman got and how that vision of the character crowded out all others in the eyes of the general public. Eventually, it hit me: So what?

There are many different versions of Batman, and I enjoy just about all of them! I was Batman for Halloween last month--sort of--and while my costuming was more reminiscent of Licensing Batman (McDonald's mask) plus 1966 Batman (t-shirt) plus Zorro (cape--hey, it worked in a pinch), my characterization was mostly the Adam West persona. Why? Well, it was more fun, people responded to it, and it's kind of a pain to talk like Christian Bale all day.

What, then, are my favorite versions of Batman? Here is my ranking. If I leave any off, it's probably because they don't stand enough out to me or I just don't enough about them. For example, I don't read New 52 Batman, so there is no current comics Batman here. I revisit this ranking every few years, so I do reserve the right to change my mind:

1) 1970s/1980s Comic Book Batman: I grew up reading the adventures of a Batman who was cool, with  it, dark when he needed to be, but basically a pretty good dude. Oh, he struggled with the sociopathic tendencies instilled by seeing his parents murdered in front of his eyes as a child...but they didn't define him.

I generally think of this Batman--MY comic book  Batman--as the Jim Aparo version. Nothing against Neal Adams Batman, but I loved Aparo's rendering, and Brave and the Bold was one of my favorite comic books (Bats AND another superhero each issue!).

2) Licensing Batman: Very similar to 1970s/1980s Comic Book Batman in my mind because Batman was everywhere when I was growing up, and that Batman looked very much like my comic version. I still find this one everywhere, on t-shirts, magnets, and even on stuff like cups. In fact, I am still bummed that I burned the bottom off my kick-ass tall Licensing Batman plastic cup I bought at Wal-mart a few years ago.

3) DC Animated Universe Batman: The Paul Dini version, more or less, right? This is like the version we wanted to see on screen. He's maybe a little darker than the one I grew up in, but it works. Voice actor Kevin Conroy's characterization over the years has been an outstanding asset. In short, this Batman rules.

4) 1966 Adam West Batman: But so does this one! Yes, he's silly, but you know what? He's also morally sound and dedicated to the cause of justice--a perfect role model. If this were the ONLY Batman around, we might have a beef, but why fret over a funny Bats?

5) Super Friends and other 1970s/1980s Animated Batman: Pretty bland, truth be told, but as a kid, that only made it easier for me to project my vision of Batman on him. Even the Filmation incarnation voiced by Adam West fit right in to this world. Slightly less charismatic than 1) and 2)

6) Brave and the Bold Animated Series Batman: Deidrich Bader surprised me with this one. The only reason it's not higher is the show's relative lack of broader impact and longevity.

7) 1950s/1960s Comic Book Batman: Just like the era he represents: Stolid, blocky, prone to bizarre fantasies involving monsters and space aliens.  Uh...I think I was going for something there that didn't quite come together.

8) Post-Frank Miller's Dark Knight (sometimes kind of a jerk) Comic Book Batman: I haven't read enough Batman comics over the last 10 years to make a judgment, and even in the 1990s on, my comic reading was spotty, but I am combining those Batmans with the post-Crisis one who did stuff like punch out Guy Gardner in Justice League. He wasn't always a total butthead, but he could be kind of a pill, especially as the years went on.

9) Golden Age Batman: Sure, he looks crude by modern standards, but we have to show love for this primitive Caped Crusader. He was offing hoods long before it was trendy.

I have an affinity for the comic books, and the movie guys just don't compare. Hence their placement at the bottom of my list:

10) Christian Bale Batman: The best movie Batman, IMO, though the voice thing still gets to me sometimes.

11) Michael Keaton Batman: He had the advantage of low expectations but did a tremendous job all things considered. I think he could go up on my list next time I see the Tim Burton films.

12) Dark Knight Batman: Frank Miller's version of the character set a template for years of stories to come, and the original miniseries is still a fascinating product of its time. However, it just doesn't "feel" like Batman to me...

13) George Clooney Batman: ...but at least it's not the Clooney Batman. I don't necessarily think Clooney is terrible, but, jeez, would you want to see it again?

14) Old Movie Serials Batman: Often laughable, but they tried. I can't for the life of me remember the difference between Lewis Wilson (the first serial) and Robert Lowery (from the second), and I can't say that I want to expend a whole  lot of effort to do so.

(Note: If it's not on this list, I didn't see it and/or it didn't make enough of an impression. I haven't yet seen Ben Affleck Batman, for example, and something like Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier Batman might have placed had he appeared more often)

Tom and Jerry: Gene Deitch Collection--Review up at ClassicFlix! (Shameless self-promotion dept.)

A bit of shameless self-promotion, if you will allow me: My latest review at ClassicFlix examines the divisive Gene Deitch era of Tom and Jerry. This excellent set collects all the "episodes" Deitch's studio supervised in the 1960s and includes extras that contextualize the run.

Are these the best Tom and Jerry cartoons? No, but in many ways they are more interesting to me than the Chuck Jones shorts that followed. These ones are low-budget and sometimes low-animation, but as I say in the piece, they are worth seeing.

I posted this interesting screencap a while back, saying that these toons are not known for their subtlety:

This comes from "Mouse Into Space," which provides an...interesting setting for the boys:

One solid aspect of this series is the inventive title cards:

 

 

And some of the backgrounds are sparse, but some are unique and even kind of cool:

 



And probably the most popular of the Deitch series is the self-mocking "Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit":

Yet these cartoons can also frustrate. The characters look a little off sometimes:

And there are gags that don't make sense, like in "Landing Stripling." The idea is that Jerry and this bird are foiling Tom's plan to flush them out, so they pinch the hose...

But it somehow affects the other end of the hose, where the water is coming out of some unknown pipe under the ground.

 There are also elaborate setups that don't pay off, like this one in the same short:

Yet for all its quirks, these are definitely worth watching at least once, and Warner Brothers did a great job with the collection. Check out my review for a lot more words and a lot less pictures, and tell 'em Cultureshark sent ya!

Subtlety was not the hallmark of Gene-Dietch-era Tom and Jerry

From "Mouse into Space," 1962