CROC FILES

 

CROC FILES
(Animal Planet, June 28, 1999-January 6, 2001)
 
Discovery Kids, Australia Zoo Productions Pty. Ltd.

 

       Steve Irwin, known as “The Crocodile Hunter”, was an Australian conservationist, environmentalist, zookeeper and television personality. His parents began what is now known as Australia Zoo, which he took over in 1991 and ran with his wife, Terri, until his death in 2006. She was later joined by their children, Bindi and Robert, when they got older. Seeking to educate people about animals and encourage the preservation of their lives and homelands, the Irwins began making the in 1992 during their honeymoon, with the resulting series, The Crocodile Hunter, airing on Animal Planet from 1996-2004. Rather than preach, Steve chose to share his enthusiasm for nature with the audience with an unconventional presenting style. Along with other documentaries and a feature film, the Irwins produced several spin-offs to The Crocodile Hunter. One of those was Croc Files.

Steve Irwin introducing a snake to the audience.

            Also known as The Crocodile Hunter’s Croc Files, the series was geared more towards children. While similar to The Crocodile Hunter with a lot of on location footage taken both inside and outside of Australia Zoo, Croc Files spent a lot of time with Steve and Terri in a shack full of exploration supplies, scientific models of animals and some animal skulls speaking directly to the audience. The connective tissue of the show lay with the titular “files”. Segments were labeled with animations of the tops of file folders; additional facts were presented over a background of collected news clippings and notes like you would find in a file; and the show’s title itself was placed on the front of an animated filing cabinet. It also featured an animated intro of Steve and Terri leaving the aforementioned shack and encountering animals throughout the Australian wilderness using cutout animation. Sharon Gordon, Leanne Forbes, Ben Hartnett and Jayson Price were credited as animators on the series.

Irwin explaining the construction of a crocodile's skull.

            Croc Files debuted on Animal Planet on June 28, 1999; a co-production of Discovery Kids and Australia Zoo Productions. The theme was composed by Greville Patterson, while additional music was composed by Gary Smith, Scott Lloyd Shelly and “Mr. Jones”. After concluding its run on January 6, 2001, it moved to NBC Saturday mornings the following year as one of the debut programs of the Discovery Kids on NBC programming block. It also aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and Network Ten in Australia. A DVD containing four episodes was released by Family Home Entertainment in 2000.

JOHNNY BRAVO

 

JOHNNY BRAVO
(Cartoon Network, July 14, 1997-August 27, 2004)
 
Cartoon Network Studios
 
 

            Van Partible, born Efrem Giovanni Bravo Partible, attended Loyola Marymount University. His senior thesis project was an animated short film about an Elvis Presley impersonator called Mess O’ Blues. The short ended up becoming quite the spectacle and a source of pride for the university as, when Partible accidentally destroyed the soundtrack during editing, LMU graduate, writer, producer and voice over artist Lee J. Bognar assembled the cast and musicians to perform the soundtrack live when it was presented. Partible’s animation professor showed the film to a friend at Hanna-Barbera and Partible was asked to submit a pitch for their upcoming anthology showcase, What a Cartoon!

The proto-Johnny.

            Partible revised the main character from Mess O’ Blues. He took inspiration from James Dean, giving the character large blonde hair, a t-shirt with rolled-up cuffs and jeans rather than black hair and an Evils suit, as well as a top-heavy muscular build. He was inspired by Michael Jackson’s use of whip snaps and cracks whenever he struck a pose, which the character would do often to show off. Finally, he would be renamed “Johnny Bravo”, a play on Partible’s middle name and inspired by the alias Greg Brady (Barry Williams) used to secure a record deal on The Brady Bunch.

Johnny attempting to woo a woman by showing off.

            After the first three segments debuted as World Premiere Toons, Johnny Bravo became a series on July 14, 1997 with those original segments comprising its first episode. The series centered on Johnny (Jeff Bennett, continuing the Elvis impersonation), a narcissist and dimwitted self-proclaimed ladies’ man from Aron City (a nod to Elvis’ middle name). Johnny spent all of his time trying to impress a woman enough to go on a date with him (and who always rejected him in a comedically violent manner). Johnny lived with his mother, “Momma” Bravo (Brenda Vaccaro). Other characters included Little Suzy (Mae Whitman), a talkative and intelligent young girl that liked to agitate him; Carl Chryniszzswics (Tom Kenny), a geek that idolized him despite Johnny always bullying him; Master Hamma (Brain Tochi), a martial arts instructor that taught Johnny, but considered him weak and stupid; Pops (Larry Drake), the unscrupulous owner of the local diner that made food with strange ingredients and often advised Johnny; Donny Osmond, playing a version of himself that always irritated Johnny; and Jungle Boy (Cody Dorkin), a feral boy with super strength and the ability to talk to animals.

Johnny showing off for Daphne and the Scooby gang.

            Much of the series’ humor came from pop culture references and celebrity guest stars that included Adam West, Shaquille O’Neal, Seth Green and more, as well as other Hanna-Barbera characters such as the cast of Scooby-Doo, Speed Buggy, Jabberjaw and others. Partible had intended for the middle segment to be a parody of The New Scooby-Doo Movies with celebrity appearances, but ultimately guest stars were used informally. Johnny Bravo was put on hiatus before being renewed for a second season; during which time Warner Bros. took over Turner Broadcasting and fired Partible due to his inexperience. He was replaced by Kirk Tingblad for the next two seasons, who retooled the show’s look, tone and humor. Partible, on the basis of a new pitch he attempted with WB, was rehired and oversaw the final season of Johnny Bravo, which undid a lot of the changes made. Johnny Bravo proved a hit for the network, received numerous award nominations, and continues to be fondly regarded in cartoon retrospective articles and lists.

DEXTER’S LABORATORY

 

DEXTER’S LABORATORY
(TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, April 27, 1996-June 15, 1998
November 18, 2001-November 20, 2003)
 
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons/Cartoon Network Studios

 

            While studying at the California Institute of the Arts, Genndy Tartakovsky screened a two-and-a-half-minute pencil test as his second student film for the producers of Batman: The Animated Series; earning him a job on the series. That same short would later earn him a slot in the upcoming Cartoon Network anthology series, World Premiere Toons (aka What a Cartoon!), which was developed to help find the network new content to turn into original programming as well as reinvigorate the classic short subject approach to animation. “Changes” debuted on the network on February 26, 1995, and it became one of the network’s highest-rated What a Cartoon! shorts. Not only did Tartakovsky end up making three more shorts starring his characters, but the network ended up giving him a full series order. Joining him on the production were fellow classmates and co-workers Craig McCracken, Rob Renzetti and Paul Rudish.

Dexter and Dee Dee with Dad and Mom.

            Dexter’s Laboratory centered on a pair of siblings. One was the boy-genius Dexter (Christine Cavanaugh & Candi Milo), who had a massive secret laboratory under his house where he used science to solve a wide range of problems or deal with his arch-rival: Mandark (Eddie Deezen). Dexter was inspired by Tartakovsky’s childhood in Chicago, where he was mocked for his “very thick accent” since his family immigrated from Russia. Dexter, in turn, had an accent since “all well-known scientists have accents.” Dee Dee (Allison Moore & Kat Cressida) was Dexter’s tall, carefree older sister who loved to invite herself into Dexter’s lab and end up causing a mess with his inventions while dancing around. She was designed first, as Tartakovsky wanted to animate a girl dancing. Dexter was created to be her opposite in both personality and shape. Their parents, known only as Mom (Kath Soucie) and Dad (Jeff Bennett), were unaware of their son’s activities. The series also featured two recurring segments. Dial M for Monkey followed Monkey (Frank Welker), Dexter’s pet who was secretly a crime-fighting superhero. Monkey fought crime alongside Agent Honeydew (Soucie) and a team of heroes called The Justice Friends. The other segment, The Justice Friends, followed three of their members: uber patriotic Major Glory (Rob Paulsen); electric guitar-wielding Valhallen (Tom Kenny); and the simple-minded purple Infraggable Krunk (Welker) as they shared an apartment together. They were parodies of Captain America, Thor and the Hulk in a sitcom with a superhero twist. They were inspired by Tartakovsky’s reading Marvel Comics while learning how to speak English.

Monkey with The Justice Friends.

            Dexter’s Laboratory debuted on April 27, 1996. Early episodes premiered on TBS and TNT before airing on Cartoon Network; all of which were then-owned by Turner Broadcasting. The simplistic art style was inspired by UPA shorts and the short The Dover Boys at Pimento University. Other influences included Warner Bros. cartoons, Hanna-Barbera cartoons and Japanese animation.  The series was a hit with the critics, and was Cartoon Network’s highest-rated original series. It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and won three Annie Awards. After 2 seasons, the series was intended to end with the film Ego Trip. However, Cartoon Network ended up ordering 110 more episodes in 2001. As Tartakovsky was busy developing other projects, Chris Savino took over the series for an additional two seasons; with the third being ushered in by a 12-hour viewer’s choice marathon.

WHAT A CARTOON! / THE WHAT A CARTOON! SHOW

 

WHAT A CARTOON! / THE WHAT A CARTOON! SHOW

(Cartoon Network, February 20, 1995-November 28, 1997)

 

Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Cartoon Network Studios

 
 
           
            Fred Seibert was hired to be the final president of Hanna-Barbera before the studio was completely absorbed into Warner Bros.’ operations. He was tasked with rejuvenating a studio that had largely fallen from grace and keep then-owner Ted Turner—who just wanted its library for his 24-children’s network, Cartoon Network—from shuttering it altogether. That network, subsequently, also needed some new programming to lure in advertisers. Seibert decided to revive an idea he had during his tenure at Nickelodeon he felt wasn’t executed as he intended, which would also get the network repeated publicity and allow the studio to revisit its roots and produce short cartoons like during the Golden Age of animation. Hanna-Barbera would produce 48 short cartoons that Cartoon Network could air every other week, and Cartoon Network could take the most well-received and turn them into full-fledged shows to populate its schedule. Once Turner and Seibert’s boss, Scott Sassa, approved, the studio began searching for talent around the world with the promise that the animators were in charge, not the suits. And, for the first time in the studio’s history, individual creators were allowed to maintain their rights over the material submitted. Over 5,000 pitches were received to fill those 48 slots.

            Initially broadcast under the name World Premiere Toons, each 7-minute cartoon was a product of the original creators’ vision with no executive meddling. Creators from various levels of experience came on board, such as veterans like Don Jurwich, Jerry Eisenberg, David Feiss, Mike Milo, Robert Alvarez and Ralph Bakshi, and newcomers like Genndy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken, Rob Renzetti, Butch Hartman, Van Partible, Seth MacFarlane and John R. Dilworth. Even founders William Hanna and Joseph Barbera each produced two shorts.

            The first short, Powerpuff Girls, premiered on February 20, 1995, during a special episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast titled “1^st Annual World Premiere Toon-In”. The show was simulcast on Turner networks TNT and TBS as well as Cartoon Network. Further promotion involved showcasing the shorts at water parks and large municipal swimming pools. The following week, each What a Cartoon! debuted on Sunday nights until an accumulation was repackaged as World Premiere Toons: The Next Generation. They would again be packaged as World Premiere Toons: The Show until the summer of 1996 saw it become The What a Cartoon! Show. The experiment proved successful, turning Cartoon Network into an industry leader by the end of the 1990s and helping to revive television animation. The shorts would continue to air in reruns under various package names, and would lead to the creation of several full series: Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, The Powerpuff Girls, and Courage the Cowardly Dog.

THAT'S SO RAVEN

 

THAT’S SO RAVEN
(Disney Channel, January 17, 2003-November 10, 2007)
 
It’s a Laugh Productions, Brookwell McNamara Entertainment (season 1-3), That’s So Productions (season 4), Warren & Rinsler Productions (season 4)
 
 

            Created by Michael Poryes and Susan Sherman, That’s So Raven (originally The Future Is on Me, and later Absolutely Psychic before the lead was cast) focused on teenaged Raven Baxter (Raven-Symoné) who had something special about her: she was psychic. Raven would receive random psychic visions that she would misinterpret as bad, and tried to protect her friends and family by taking steps to ensure the vision wouldn’t come true. Pratfalls ensued, which often included costumes designed by her for herself and whatever friend she roped into helping. Her secret was shared by her best friends Chelsea Daniels (Anneliese van der Pol, after Raven originally auditioned for it), an environmentalist, and Eddie Thomas (Orlando Brown), a girl-crazy aspiring rapper, and her family that included her father Victor (Rondell Sheridan), a chef that would eventually open the teen hangout The Chill Grill, mother Tanya (T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh), a law student, and brother Cory (Kyle Massey), who had entrepreneurial ambitions.

The Baxter family.

            That’s So Raven debuted on Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, with reruns airing on Disney-owned ABC starting that fall as part of the ABC Kids programming block. Raven and Brown would perform the series’ theme, composed by John Coda. It was the network’s first multi-camera sitcom and the highest-rated original series in its history; surpassing Lizzie McGuire and earning numerous award nominations. It also became the first to break Disney’s controversial 65-episode rule, running for 100 episodes. Originally planned for only 3 seasons like other Disney shows, the series was renewed for a 4^th. That ended up costing them Keymáh, who had to leave to care for her ill grandmother. Tanya’s absence was explained by her going to England to study. Raven was promoted to a producer on the series at 19-years-old, giving her more input on casting, scripts and special effects; although she declined an offer to direct an episode. During this season, the series took part in a crossover with fellow Disney shows The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana called That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana.

Raven with her besties Eddie and Chelsea.

            Ultimately Disney decided to end the show as the actors were aging out of their roles, and a companion film slated for 2007 never saw production due to Raven’s busy schedule. Instead, Disney commissioned its first Disney Channel spin-off series Cory in the House, which would follow Cory and Victor to Washington, D.C. where Victor served as the White House executive chef. It lasted two seasons. An Indian version, Palak Pe Jhalak, debuted on Disney Channel India in 2015 and ran for a single season. 2017 saw the return of Raven and van der Pol in Raven’s Home, which initially followed the now adult friends that were both divorced single mothers before a soft reboot sent Raven back to San Francisco to care for her ailing father. Her son, Booker (Isaac Ryan Brown) inherited his mother’s powers, creating a whole new generation of mishaps. It lasted longer than the original series, running 6 seasons and 122 episodes.

LITLE BILL

 

LITTLE BILL
(Nickelodeon, November 28, 1999-February 6, 2004)
 
Nickelodeon Animation Studio (as Nick Jr. Productions)
 
 
 

            Little Bill was a series of children’s books written by Bill Cosby with collage-style art from Varnette Honeywood, whose work was collected by Cosby and his wife and were featured on the sets of his programs. The titular character was based on Cosby and his then recently-deceased son, Ennis, for which the books were dedicated and from where the character’s catchphrase—“Hello, friend!”—originated. The books were told in the first-person as Little Bill dealt with things like bullying, honesty, family, friends, boredom and more. 12 books were published by Scholastic between 1997 and 1999 and received critical acclaim for their realism and accessibility. In late 1997, Nickelodeon entered into discussions to adapt the books into three specials, with a potential series to follow.

The cover to one of the original books.

            The animated version of Little Bill, Cosby’s second after Fat Albert, debuted on Nickelodeon on November 28, 1999, as part of its Nick Jr. programming block (although the first 8 episodes originally aired on Sunday nights). Little Bill Glover Jr. (Xavier Pritchett) was an inquisitive 5-year-old boy with a knack for storytelling and daydreaming that learned about everyday life through his family, friends and imagination. He lived in Philadelphia with his father Big Bill (Gregory Hines), a building inspector; mother Brenda (Phylicia Rashad, who played Cosby’s wife on both The Cosby Show and Cosby); sister April (Monique Beasley), who was 10-years-old and tended to be competitive and played sports; brother Robert (Devon Malik Beckford & Tyler James Williams), an 8-year-old violin player and member of the Boy Scouts; and great-grandmother Alice Kendall (Ruby Dee). Elephant was the family’s pet hamster, named for Little Bill’s favorite animal, and tended to roll around the apartment in his plastic hamster ball. Cosby would appear in live-action during the show’s opening sequence, composed part of the theme song with Don Braden and Jon Faddis, and portrayed Little Bill’s favorite superhero, Captain Brainstorm.

The series' characters: Little Bill, teacher Miss Murray, sister April Glover, friend Kiku Wong, April again, brother Bobby Glover, cousin Fuchsia Glover, Bill again, Kiku again, Bill once more, Bobby again, best friend Andrew Mulligan, grandmother Alice the Great, mother Brenda Glover, father Big Bill, and Elephant.

            The series ran for two seasons, being nominated for several Daytime Emmy Awards and winning one and spawning a book series of its own. Nick Jr. would continue to air episodes through 2006, while it also aired concurrently on CBS Saturday mornings as part of the Nick on CBS programming block. In 2007, the series moved to the Noggin channel and then to the channel version of Nick Jr. in 2009. Reruns would continue to air until 2014. When allegations against Cosby came to light, networks and studios began to distance themselves from the comedian; with his shows and specials—including Little Bill—being pulled from schedules. The books themselves had also been targeted for removal from school libraries. Since then, Nickelodeon has largely scrubbed Little Bill from its history; excluding it from a 2022 illustrated timeline of its programs and not offering it up for streaming. However, episodes were still available to purchase through Prime Video.

YOGI'S TREASURE HUNT

 

YOGI’S TREASURE HUNT
(Syndication, September 6, 1985-March 25, 1988)
 
Hanna-Barbera Productions

  

For the history of Yogi Bear, check out the post here.

        Yogi’s Treasure Hunt was the fifth entry in the Hanna-Barbera’s Yogi Bear franchise, and his third headlining an ensemble program. As with his previous series, Yogi’s Gang, Yogi (Daws Butler) and his friends—Ranger Smith, Boo-Boo Bear (both Don Messick), Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, Snooper, Blabber, Augie Doggie (all Butler) and Doggie Daddy (John Stephenson)—were once again on a flying ship, the S.S. Jelly Roger (a Jellystone-inspired play on Jolly Roger), travelling around the world. This time, however, they were sent on treasure hunts by Top Cat (Arnold Stang) who provided them riddles and cryptic clues to lead the way. However, they were often in an unknown race against Dick Dastardly (Paul Winchell) and Muttley (Messick) using their usual dirty tricks to try and get the treasure first on their own ship, the S.S. Dirty Tricks. This premise was similar to the Popeye’s Treasure Hunt segments of Hanna-Barbera’s earlier The All-New Popeye Hour.

Top Cat giving Yogi and his gang their next clue.

          Yogi’s Treasure Hunt debuted on September 6, 1985, running as part of the syndicated programming block The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbra. In fact, its working title was The Funtastic Treasure Hunt as an extension of Hanna-Barbera’s “fantastic” branding, and remained the title of the series’ theme performed by Jon “Bowzer” Bauman from Sha-Na-Na and the “Funtastic Singers”. This would be Butler’s final show voicing his characters for the studio as he would die in May of 1988 (the television films The Good, the Bad and Huckleberry Hound would air that month and Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears later that year). Reruns of the series would air on USA Cartoon Express before moving to Cartoon Network from 1993-99. In 2024, it would join the rotating line-up of Yogi cartoon on retro animation network MeTV Toons.

SOFIA THE FIRST

 

SOFIA THE FIRST
(Disney Junior, Disney Channel, January 11, 2013-September 8, 2018)
 
Disney Television Animation

 

 

            Sofia the First centered on Sofia (Ariel Winter), a young peasant girl that became a princess when her mother, Miranda (Sara Ramirez), fell in love with and married the king of Enchancia, Roland (Travis Willingham). Sofia gained a new family that included her twin step-siblings Amber (Darcy Rose Byrnes) and James (Zach Callison, Tyler Merna & Nicolas Cantu), attended the royal school headed up by good fairies Flora (Barbara Dirickson), Fauna (Russi Taylor) and Merryweather (Tress MacNeille), and received a powerful artifact as a gift from Roland: the Amulet of Avalor. The amulet would bless Sofia for doing good deeds and curse her for doing wrong, as well as linked her to “all the princesses there ever were” that allowed them to help each other when needed. Ten princesses from Disney’s past were featured: Cinderella (Jennifer Hale) from Cinderella; Jasmine (Linda Larkin, Lea Salonga singing) from Aladdin; Belle (Julie Nathanson) from Beauty and the Beast; Ariel (Jodi Benson) from The Little Mermaid; Aurora (Kate Higgins) from Sleeping Beauty; Snow White (Katherine Von Till) from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Mulan (Ming-Na Wen, Salonga singing) from Mulan; Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) from Tangled; Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) from The Princess and the Frog; and Merida (Ruth Connell) from Brave (Anna and Elsa from Frozen were denied an appearance, but Josh Gad’s Olaf was allowed a guest spot). It also gave her the ability to talk to animals, allowing her to befriend rabbit Clover (Wayne Brady), squirrel Whatnaught, and birds Mia (Ashley Eckstein) and Robin (Meghan Strange).

Sofia with her animal friends.

       However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses as Enchancia was threatened by numerous evil forces; some of whom wanted Sofia’s amulet for themselves and their own ambitions. Among them was the bumbling royal magician, Cedric (Jess Harnell), who wanted to overthrow the royal family; Princess Ivy (Anna Camp), who took over Enchancia and wanted to make it as devoid of color as her own kingdom; Prisma (Megan Hilty), an evil crystal-conjurer determined to outclass her sister, Azurine (Rachel MacFarlane), no matter the cost; Glacia the Ice Witch (Phylicia Rashad), who bestowed anyone that brought her a gift with magic; Vor (Paty Lombard), an ancient enchantress imprisoned in the Locket of Vor for spreading evil throughout the world in order to conquer it and manipulated Prisma to get free; Slickwell (Christian Borle), a young steward that sought to replace the royal steward, Baileywick (Tim Gunn); Miss Nettle (Megan Mullally & Anna Vocino), a fairy that sought to surpass her former mentors, the good fairies; and Morgana (Catherine O’Hara), the egocentric arch-enemy of Merlin (Jeff Bennet) who sought nothing more than to defeat him, among others.

Sofia, Amber, James and Miranda.

            The series was created by Craig Gerber after he was approached by Nancy Kanter at Disney Junior for an idea for a show about a princess targeted to 2 to 7-year-olds. Gerber took inspiration from his life and family to create Sophia. His son, Miles, liked to play pretend and emulated fantasy characters he didn’t really have anything in common with. Gerber decided that his character should go through a lot of the same life situations Miles would, to serve as a “magic mirror” that would allow him to enjoy the fantasy while identifying with the scenarios on the show. He also incorporated his own childhood experiences of being from a blended family and posited what if Sofia wasn’t always a princess, but became one overnight. It was a way to modernize the princess dynamic and allow Sofia to be bold and curious as she explored her new role and the world around her.

Vor manipulating Prisma for her freedom.

            Sofia the First debuted with a Disney Channel television movie, Once Upon a Princes, on November 18, 2012. It was the 5^th most-watched program for the week, and the highest for a Disney animated special since 2009’s Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! The series proper debuted on January 11, 2013 on Disney Junior.; becoming one of the top 3 broadcasts for girls ages 2-5. The series ran for four years, picked up Emmy and Humanitas awards, and spawned the spin-off series Elena of Avalor. For the series’ 10^th anniversary n 2022, a sequel series was announced on social media called Sofia the First: Royal Magic; which was officially greenlit in 2024 and set to debut in 2026 (as of this writing). The original Sofia continues to air in reruns on Disney Junior and on the official Disney Junior YouTube channel, and is available to stream on Disney+.

MONSTER HIGH (2022)

 

MONSTER HIGH (2022)
(Nickelodeon, October 6, 2022-October 24, 2024)
 
Mattel Television, Nickelodeon Animation Studio

 

 

Monster High is a fashion doll and media franchise produced by Mattel, who first trademarked the name in 2007. The line was developed by toy designer Garrett Sander and his twin brother, Darren, and featured the teenaged children of monsters and other mythical creatures attending the titular school in the fictional town of New Salem. While shopping with young girls, the Sander brothers noticed they were into goth fashion. That inspired the idea for a toy with a dark aesthetic, further influenced by monster movies, Tim Burton films, and Lady Gaga (who would go on to partner with the line in support of her Born This Way Foundation). The line officially launched in 2010, with the first dolls consisting of patchwork monster and central character Frankie Stein, vegetarian vampire Draculaura, werewolf Clawdeen Wolf, blue-skinned sea monster Lagoona Blue, mummy princess Cleo de Nile, and laid-back gorgon Deuce Gorgon. They were joined a few months later by brilliant and mute zombie Ghoulia Yelps, and Holt Hyde, a descendent of Mr. Hyde who had a human alter ego of Jackson Jekyll and some fire elemental traits. Other monsters would follow, resulting in over 750 different dolls being produced for the line. These were bolstered by a full multi-media campaign that included a web series on YouTube, a series of television films on Nickelodeon, video games, books and music releases.

The original dolls: Clawdeen Wolf, Lagoona Blue, Cleo de Nile, Deuce Gorgon, Frankie Stein, and Draculaura.

        The line proved a massive success, thanks to its edgier appeal and messaging of anti-bullying, personal acceptance and diversity. They racked up $500 million in annual sales and sold so quickly the dolls were often hard to find in stores. Monster High eventually diminished Mattel’s Barbie line sales, although not quite surpassing it. However, sales began to decline in 2014 as the brand aged and other companies tried to produce their own competing toys. When they reached their lowest point in 2016, the line underwent a reboot to appeal to a younger age group. The ploy ultimately failed and the line was discontinued in 2018. Special collector dolls were released in 2020 and 2021 and did well enough to warrant a second reboot in 2022; targeting general consumers and collectors that came up with the franchise. While still drawing on the familiar characters they created, changes were made to their designs and backgrounds to help spark new interest and further increase diversity. To bolster this reboot, a live-action musical film and a new computer-animated series entered production, both in partnership with and slated to air on Nickelodeon.

Meet the new class: Deuce Gorgon, Toralei Stripe, Heath Burns, Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf, Frankie Stein, Lagoona Blue and Cleo de Nile.

            Monster High debuted on the network on October 6, 2022. It followed the lives and antics of the students of Monster High, a boarding school built over a wellspring of magical power and hidden from humans by a magical barrier. Clawdeen Wolf (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green), now the Afro-Latina daughter of a werewolf mother and human father who grew up in the human world, was sent to Monster High with a necklace that allowed her to access her wolf abilities. She was made the new central character and shown to be on a quest to embrace her monster side and discover what happened to her mother. She was the leader of the Boo Crew, which featured Frankie Stein (Iris Menas), now the non-binary kid of mad scientists Dr. Mary (Debra Wilson) and Dr. Victor Stein (Vishesh Chachra); Draculaura (Courtney Lin), now half-Taiwanese, vegan instead of vegetarian, and who fed off the energy from success and feeling good about herself along with a  passion for the forbidden practice of witchcraft; Lagoona Blue (Valeria Rodriguez), originally a blue-skinned Australian sea monster now depicted as a pink-skinned Honduran who grew up in a sunken castle with little knowledge of the outside world and a love of telenovelas; and Cleo de Nile (Kausar Mohammed), depicted as a bit kinder than previous portrayals, but was still prideful and standoffish given her royal status and always desired to be #1. Other characters included Deuce Gorgon (Tony Revolori), son of Medusa and a barista in the local hangout, the Coffin Bean Café; Toralei Stripe (Alexa Kahn), who was initially antagonistic of Clawdeen and led a band called The Hissfits; Heath Burns (Alexander Polinsky), the son of fire elementals and passionate environmentalist; and Headless Headmistress Bloodgood (Wilson), daughter of the Headless Horseman who oversaw the school.

The 2022 relaunch dolls.

            The animated series ran for 2 seasons and 50 episodes. While developer and showrunner Shea Fontana shared fans’ hopes for a third season, the production has yet to receive an order for more episodes. After the series’ initial run, it continued to be aired on the network in reruns; even finding its way to their Saturday morning schedule.

COMMANDO CODY: SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE

 

COMMANDO CODY: SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE
(NBC, July 16-October 8, 1955)
 
Republic Pictures

 

            Commando Cody was a rocket-powered science-fiction action hero appearing in serials produced by Republic Pictures. Cody (George Wallace) was a civilian researcher and inventor from the near future assisted by Joan Gilbert (Aline Towne), Ted Richards (William Bakewell) and Dick Preston (Gayle Kellogg) and often tasked by the government to defend the world from alien invaders. The characters first appeared in Radar Men from the Moon, where Cody discovered the Earth was under attack by Retik, the ruler of the moon (Roy Barcroft). The 12-chapter serial began in theaters on January 9, 1952. It would be re-released in 1957 and on television under the title Retik the Moon Menace in 1966. The serial would often be confused with 1949’s King of the Rocket Men due to its liberal use of that serial’s flying sequences and costumes to save money.

Cody with Joan and Ted.

            Republic’s next Cody project was a television series that would serve as a prequel to Radar Men. Cody (now Judd Holdren) was tasked by the U.S. government to investigate strange climate changes affecting the planet. Joan and Ted (now William Schallert) applied for jobs with Cody as the story began, and together they discovered that the disasters were being caused by space alien forces led by The Ruler (Gregory Gaye) from the planet Venus. However, production on the series was put on hold after the first three episodes to work on a direct sequel, Zombies of the Stratosphere. While the serial still starred Holdren and Towne (Schallert was replaced by Wilson Wood due to availability), it was decided shortly before shooting to completely rename the characters--with Cody now “Larry Martin”--and make the film its own distinct thing. It was also released in 1952 to a cooler reception than its predecessor, and was later edited down and re-released as the 1958 feature film Satan’s Satellites. Notably, Zombies marked one of the earliest film appearances of actor Lenoard Nimoy. Production resumed on the television series, with Schallert having been replaced by Richard Crane (future star of Rocky Jones, Space Ranger) as Dick Preston, and The Ruler gaining a new henchwoman played by Gloria Pall.

The Ruler getting an update from his men.

            Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe ended up having to receive a theatrical release due to contractual issues. It debuted in 1953 and ran as a typical serial. However, a debate has arisen among film fans as to whether Sky Marshall should be classified as a serial or not since it lacked the cliffhanger endings at the end of each episode that defined the genre. Sky Marshal eventually made its way to syndication on July 16, 1955 through Republic’s TV arm, Hollywood Television Service, and aired on NBC stations. Ultimately, this wound up being the final Commando Cody project. The series has seen numerous home media releases, including on Blu-ray for the first time in 2016 by Olive Films.

BABY LOONEY TUNES

 

BABY LOONEY TUNES
(Syndication, Cartoon Network, September 16, 2002-April 30, 2005)
 
Warner Bros. Animation

  

            A late entry in the babyfication trend started by 1984’s Muppet Babies, Baby Looney Tunes was Warner Bros. Animation’s first preschool animated series. The concept originated back in the 90s when companies released merchandise featuring the Looney Tunes characters as babies called Looney Tunes Lovables. Kathleen Helppie-Shipley, head of Warner Bros. Classic Animation, had wanted to do a series of educational videos that never moved forward. When Warner Bros. Consumer Products wanted to promote the Baby Looney Tunes licensees, they decided to do a feature-length, direct-to-video collection of shorts in the traditional slapstick Looney Tunes fashion. Earl Kress wrote the shorts with Spike Brandt, Gary Hartle and Kirk Tingblad set to direct each one. However, funding for the project suddenly disappeared. Brandt loved his short so much that on his own time and expense he cobbled together a full presentation. The higher-ups were impressed by it, and after a little convincing and negotiation, funding was found to produce “Little Go Beep”, which featured baby versions of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Additionally, Warner Bros. decided to make the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies libraries exclusive to Time Warner networks, making it easier to produce a series for release on Warner channels.

Babies Tweety, Taz, Bugs, Sylvester, Lola and Daffy.

            For the actual series, Warner had to follow more strict guidelines to achieve a TV-Y rating. That meant Baby Looney Tunes couldn’t rely on the slapstick and visual gags the franchise was known for. The show instead dealt with real world problems and morals that children would encounter and could relate to; including sharing, emotions, playing with others, inclusion, dealing with change, baking and more. Despite not being designed as educational, an expert was retained to examine the series. The main babies included Baby Bugs (Sam Vincent), just barely the oldest of the bunch that made him the leader; Baby Daffy (Vincent), who tended to be self-centered; Baby Lola (Britt McKillip), a fiercely independent tomboy that tended to take charge; Baby Sylvester (Terry Klassen), who was shy and anxious and tended to be manipulated by Daffy; Baby Tweety (Vincent), the youngest and smallest with an insecurity about his size, a deep curiosity, and a very logical brain; and Baby Taz (Ian James Corlett), who often mistook things for food and tended to break things with his spinning. They were eventually joined by Baby Petunia (Chiara Zanni), the most intelligent of the group with an adventurous streak, and Baby Melissa (Janyse Jaud), an easy-going girl with a highly logical and practical mentality. Caring for the babies was Granny (June Foray, the only American in the otherwise Canadian cast), sometimes with the help of her nephew, Floyd Minton (Brain Drummond). Other baby characters made appearances either in cameos during song numbers or as guest stars.

Granny taking care of the kids.

            Baby Looney Tunes debuted on September 16, 2002, initially syndicated to Warner affiliates before finding a permanent home on Cartoon Network. The series was developed by Sander Schwartz and featured music by Steve and Julie Bernstein, with a theme composed by Lisa Silver and Patty Way. The series ran for 4 seasons and one direct-to-video film. Additionally, two direct-to-video films utilizing puppets were released in 2003. Neither were released outside of VHS, but Musical Adventures was made available to stream on HBO Max and Tubi and Backyard Adventures on Binge in Australia. As for the series itself, it aired in reruns on both Cartoon Network and Boomerang until 2020. It became one of the first shows broadcast on the American version of the preschool programming block Cartoonio on Cartoon Network in 2021 and aired until 2023. The Warner Bros./Discovery merger saw the series air on Discovery Family, and then on retro animation network MeTV Toons.