If "The Muppets" is a success: What's next?

[Dominicboo1]

Hey, what's with complaining about Toy Story? I laughed so hard in some of those scenes!

I mean that they were upset in the incerinator scene and the monkey part. I love that movie, but parents need to realize if every movie were 1oo% kidified it would be like some 90 minute Nick Jr. Show. Blech!

 

[CherryPizza]

Looney Tunes sort of recovered from BIA, but only after a horrendous turn.

To me, the death of Mel Blanc will always equal the death of Looney Tunes. I lost interest in anything new with those characters post-Blanc.

 

[Drtooth]

To me, the death of Mel Blanc will always equal the death of Looney Tunes. I lost interest in anything new with those characters post-Blanc.

Sorry, but I absolutely hate fans like that. Especially since a LOT of things back when Blanc was still around (but they used Larry Storch instead) was quite dreadful. Ever see a late 60's Looney Tunes cartoon? They're utterly unwatchable. There's more classic Looney Tunes spirit in Tiny Toons and Animaniacs than in anything with Merlin the Mouse or... shudder... worst of all, Bunny and Clyde. Things like Tiny Toons, Animaniacs (which is technically only sort of connected to Looney Tunes, at least to the effect that the Warners and Slappy were retconned Looney Tune characters), Taz-Mania, Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries, and Duck Dodgers were brilliantly executed, and helped carry the franchise beyond the overly edited, PC kiddified cartoon reruns. Space Jam and BIA were miscalculations, but Loonatics and Baby Looney Tunes were unfortunate smears on the franchise. The new show's pretty good, albeit a different kind of humor... and I did like some of the newer shorts they made.

They can't compare to the original classics, but I don't think they need to. Same way i feel about post Henson Muppet projects. Though, Dinosaurs and bear could hold up to anything in the Henson era.

 

[Speed Tracer]

At this point, ALL I want is some answers on why we haven't seen season 4 for 3 years, especially since it was announced to come out last year 2 years ago. I don't even WANT the thing now, just answers. I can take it. it's this kittyfooting around and not giving us the true reasons that's making me mad at this point.

Answers would be nice, but if they want to give it to us... I think that would beat not releasing it, yeah?

 

[CherryPizza]

Sorry, but I absolutely hate fans like that. Especially since a LOT of things back when Blanc was still around (but they used Larry Storch instead) was quite dreadful. Ever see a late 60's Looney Tunes cartoon? They're utterly unwatchable.

I don't deny that there have been woeful Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, especially in the era you mentioned. I also agree that Tiny Toons and Animaniacs were wonderfully Looney Tunes-ish. However, none of this changes the fact that I haven't found anything with the classic characters watchable after Mel Blanc's death. I'm not saying that his death caused the crap, but I just lost interest in anything new with those characters when the slew of woeful imitators just couldn't bring them to life properly.

 

[bingboingcutie]

I mean that they were upset in the incerinator scene and the monkey part. I love that movie, but parents need to realize if every movie were 1oo% kidified it would be like some 90 minute Nick Jr. Show. Blech!

I gotta say that is true.

But I loved the Monkey Part! My sister and I still laugh when we do imitations of him!

Hey, what's the part with the incerinator?

That was what was so great about Sesame Street. Even now, there has always been humor to entertain the adults. Tell me how many preschoolers you know of who love James Brown, for ex.

 

[Drtooth]

I don't deny that there have been woeful Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, especially in the era you mentioned. I also agree that Tiny Toons and Animaniacs were wonderfully Looney Tunes-ish. However, none of this changes the fact that I haven't found anything with the classic characters watchable after Mel Blanc's death. I'm not saying that his death caused the crap, but I just lost interest in anything new with those characters when the slew of woeful imitators just couldn't bring them to life properly.

I see what you mean... though, the LT fan-nerd in me always has to say...

Mel was actually the replacement voice for Porky. The original voice, we all know, actually DID stutter.

To be fair, my problem is with the inconsistency, not the performers. I love Joe Alasky's Daffy, Sylvester and Tweety. I don't think anyone did a great Bugs, Billy West, Jeff Bergman, and Joe were pretty good... not a fan of the guy who did his voice on the Beatles record. The only person I think surpassed Mel at anything was Jim Cummings's Taz... but that's only because they made Taz a slightly more complex character other than another predator of Bugs in the 90's... though, a pinch of that was borrowed from Dizzy Devil.

But somehow they don't want a set cast due to the fact they're afraid the voice actors will want more pay. Even June Foray had to fight to get the voice of Granny in STM. It's that lack of care that's the turn off for me.

Though, I will say, as much as a piece of the LT can never get back with the loss of the man who vocally created most of the characters, more of those pieces are lost with the deaths of the animators and writers who created them. Even going further back, the closing of Termite Terrace. They never reclaimed that. Even with the 60's stuff. Especially with the 60's stuff... though I suppose that was a test run for Freling's Pink Panther and friends cartoon franchise.

Still, worst thing that ever happened to classic characters? The Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape/Mumbley Show. Shudder... even Filmation did a better job, and that show was made by their creators.

 

[minor muppetz]

Sorry, but I absolutely hate fans like that. Especially since a LOT of things back when Blanc was still around (but they used Larry Storch instead) was quite dreadful. Ever see a late 60's Looney Tunes cartoon? They're utterly unwatchable. There's more classic Looney Tunes spirit in Tiny Toons and Animaniacs than in anything with Merlin the Mouse or... shudder... worst of all, Bunny and Clyde.

I happen to be a big fan of the majority of late-1960s WB shorts. Though I don't care much for the Merlin shorts, or Chimp and Zee, or See You Later, Gladiator (which, at least on the GAC forums, is universally considered the worst Daffy and Speedy cartoon). I was happy that the Road Runner entry in the Looney Tunes Super Stars collection focused mainyl on the Rudy Lariva shorts (though I wish it included some classic Chuck Jones shorts, like Hopalong Casualty and the Oscar-nominated Beep Prepared), and my first exposure to Speedy Gonzales was in a Daffy and Speedy cartoon (making me prefer the Daffy and Speedy pairings over the Sylvester and Speedy pairings, though I'll normally prefer a Sylvester and Speedy cartoon over a Sylvester and Tweety one).

But somehow they don't want a set cast due to the fact they're afraid the voice actors will want more pay. Even June Foray had to fight to get the voice of Granny in STM. It's that lack of care that's the turn off for me.

I never knew that regarding June Foray, but I'd read that about the recasts on Mark Evanier's website, though I think it was also said that no two Warner executives can agree on who can best match the voices Mel Blanc did, either.

 

[Dominicboo1]

I gotta say that is true.

But I loved the Monkey Part! My sister and I still laugh when we do imitations of him!

Hey, what's the part with the incerinator?

That was what was so great about Sesame Street. Even now, there has always been humor to entertain the adults. Tell me how many preschoolers you know of who love James Brown, for ex.[/quote
Agreed! Oh the incinerator was the scene at the dump, when it looked like Woody and his friends were going to die, but the aliens save them.

YEAH!! ROGER RABBIT!!!

I agree I love Roger Rabbit. It's one of the funniest movies I ever saw. I don't actually remember being afraid of Doom.

 

[bingboingcutie]

Oh, yeah, I remember this...

...you know what? When I watch SS today, even though it's a show geared towards kids (and I'm obviously not 4 or 5 because I can write this message), even I laugh at the jokes! They're hysterical!