Where's the love for Rocky and Bullwinkle?

D'Snowth

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I just got to thinking...

Sid and Marty Krofft were celebrated earlier this year, not only because of the Land of the Lost movie, but 1969 kicked off their legacy of large-headed, acid-trippy puppets with high-concept television shows, beginning with H.R. Pufnstuf.

And of course, Sesame Street is celebrated right now, as it's been on the air for 40 years, and made a big difference in children's education.

But it just now occured to me... Rocky and Bullwinkle aren't getting any love this year... this year marks their 50th anniversary, TV Guide not only named them one of the greatest animated shows of all time, but the duo also made number three in TV Guide's Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of all time. So, with them being so great an all, how come nobody is recognizing their anniversary as well?

EDIT: Well, I forgot WGN America DID add them to their Saturday night lineup for a few weeks, but still...
 

GonzoLeaper

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Well, it's also the 40th. anniversary of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? first airing and Neal Armstrong walking on the moon but I haven't seen as much hype over that either. It's a shame because these are all great shows/events.:concern:
 

Drtooth

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I blame the movie, even though I did like it, and found it to be a more flattering movie based on a cartoon than all the ones I usually rant about. But then again, whoever it was who had the brilliant idea to choke up the movie with that useless Mary Sue should be blacklisted from ever working period. Not even at McDonalds. "Sure, I thought a cheeseburger would be nice, but how about I put a banana peel in it for no reason?"

Seems that killed the franchise, and the death of Sony Wonder gunking up the works on the DVD releases of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show isn't helping either...

I'm sorry, but Bullwinkle IS an important animated program.. much more so than even the Flintstones. It literally caused networks to react negatively at all of the producers stunts, and it sent shockwaves through the industry.

And while I could go on about that, I wanna say this... where the heck is the love for Hoppity Hooper? The long lost stepheaded redchild of Jay Ward lore? I only found it on bootlegged expired copyright DVD... even Fractured Flickers got an official release.
 

D'Snowth

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It literally caused networks to react negatively at all of the producers stunts, and it sent shockwaves through the industry.
Yeah, like when the Bullwinkle puppet told the kids watching at home to pull the dial off their TV sets to make sure they'll tune into the same channel next week... then that next week him telling the kids to glue the dials back on "and make it stick".
 

Erine81981

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I think that all shows no matter should get anniversary specials or at least some like people talking about their favorite episodes or serials. Maybe we'll here about something during the Thanksgiving Parade this year.

I wouldn't mind seeing a speical of all of Jay Wards shows. They all are great and all but i do miss Nick showing Underdog and Bullwinkle and Rocky.

The first time i saw season one of Bullwinkle and Rocky i bought it right away. But never did get the rest of the DVDs and then i heard they never did release the rest of the seasons. So now i don't know if i should get rid of the first season or keep it in case but it was one of the other first DVDs i bought. Still has a little sentimental value.
 

GonzoLeaper

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Bullwinkle and Rocky are definitely tops! I love the cartoon and Dudley Do-Right in particular. George of the Jungle and Underdog are both good too- Jay Ward had lots of great cartoons.
And though I haven't gotten around to seeing the Underdog movie yet- I have seen the movie versions of Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right and George of the Jungle (yes, including the sequel) and I thought they were all great! I laughed like crazy at the Dudley Do-Right movie- and I thought Bullwinkle was hilarious! I've seen that one numerous times. And both George of the Jungle movies were hilarious- even the direct-to-video sequel, which was surprising.:smile:
 

Drtooth

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The Dudley Do-Right movie was the worst of the bunch, I think... I enjoyed it the first 2 times I watched it, but after that, I just didn't wanna pick the video up again, other than watching the new Fractured Fairy Tales they produced... based on a lost, unproduced script, no less. Seems the only people in the movie who got what Dudley was all about were the guy who played Snidely and the guy who played Inspector Fenwick... I really didn't like SJP's version of Nell (much how I disliked her husband's Inspector Gadget... and I both like them as actors), and Brendan Frasier was just better as George all together.

I think George was the best... it went off book, and did its own thing several times, but it at least kept the spirit of the show... even the DTV sequal kept that spirit... wisecracks to the narrator, snide asides... and having John Cleese as an Ape named Ape was perfect casting... I wish the new George of the Jungle cartoon was that good... it ain't.
 

GonzoLeaper

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much how I disliked her husband's Inspector Gadget... and I both like them as actors
Inspector Gadget probably wasn't all it could have or should have been- but it was at least an interesting back story for the character and it did reveal the face of Dr. Claw- that was neat. And again, I was surprised that the direct-to-video sequel wasn't as horrible as I thought it might have been- though I don't know that French Stewart is necessarily any better as Gadget than Matthew Broderick. (Of course, the best casting would've been Don Adams in his prime, obviously.:smile:)
 

Drtooth

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If I could list everything that was wrong with Inspector Gadget the movie, I'd pretty much just wind up retyping the entire screenplay. Mathew Broaderick got the role well before he watched an episode, and even then, he wasn't all that into it. I really think Tony Shaloub would have done a much better job. But that's besides the point.

All interrest really faded from Bullwinkle after the movie, and the lack of the PROMISED seasons 4 and 5 (the last 2 seasons of the show) on DVD did nothing either. Of course, I'm really glad we got George of the Jungle on DVD. Especially since it had the rare, never aired pilot films of George and Super Chicken on there... Too Bad William Conrad only did the narrator of SC for that one pilot. I really wish that somehow, the other pilots Ward produced would be leaked somewhere, either on DVD or the internet...I'm dying to see Hawkear the Pioneer Scout and Rah Rah Woozy. Not to mention the unsold puppet pilot "The Watts Gnu show."
 

JJandJanice

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Yeah I would have to agree with Drtooth. The movie did do a lot of damage to the franchise. That's the kind of damage that can take some time or hard work to come back from. Like how 1998's Batman and Robin almost killed the entire Batman franchise. Why Joel is still making movies, I'll never know.
 
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