TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
What? No, the Soviets would never copy someone else's work. If you doubt their ability to come up with original material just look at the beloved classic "The Wizard of the Emerald City". Where a little girl Elie Smith and her dog Totoshka are transported to a magical land by a hurricane and must defeat Bastinda, the Witch of Violet Land with the aid of her new friends Bogeyman, The Iron Woodsman and...the Cowardly Lion.
But yeah I've seen bits of their hobbit rendition. "Shudder".
I swear the first showing of this movie should have tissue and napkin stands on stand by to be used by the wave of people coming out of the movie crying their eyes our will be immense.
Now I wonder if Undertale will be part of the meme "Where Men cried"
I'm unsure of how Magoose intends to develop third party games, but presumably we can just make third party pitches at any point and then they'll be developed in an action later on or just dumped as a sidestory.
Video Game Pitch: Duolingo Game Developer: Duolingo Inc. Platform: PC Director: (???) Genre: Education, Languages,
Premise: Welcome to Duolingo! A Computer Program that with the help of discs and audio helps the player learn languages that they desire to learn. These can be completed through minigames with their own lessons. Languages include English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, German, Dutch, and more! Revolutionary for the time, the Duolingo Program – with the user's permission – can create notifications to remind the Player about their learning. Another feature of this game is the introduction of online ranking based on "Streaks". So hop down to the World Wide Web and learn languages with Duolingo today!
@Magoose Frank Herbert isn't gonna die so soon like in OTL, is he? Im glad he at least got to see part 1 succeed so completely, but at the very least he should see part 2 as well.
@Magoose Frank Herbert isn't gonna die so soon like in OTL, is he? Im glad he at least got to see part 1 succeed so completely, but at the very least he should see part 2 as well.
@Magoose Frank Herbert isn't gonna die so soon like in OTL, is he? Im glad he at least got to see part 1 succeed so completely, but at the very least he should see part 2 as well.
I have a feeling Undertale will revolutionize films and people across the world its story telling is so great that it breaks the fourth wall also its message will be used by many people for generations as they use the pacifist route to help people
You smiled as the morning light filtered through the curtains, warmth radiating not just from the sun but from the arms wrapped tightly around you. Carrie snuggled closer, her breath soft against your chest.
"You know," you began, running a hand gently through her hair, "if there's something you really want, you can just tell me. But keeping me from working with you? That's not going to help."
She groaned, mumbling something incoherent before burying her face in your neck. "Breakfast first," she finally murmured, her voice muffled but insistent.
"You know I'm not making chocolate chip pancakes," you teased, smirking as she groaned again in protest. "If we're doing this, Carrie, you've got to take it seriously."
"You're evil," she muttered, clutching you tighter like a stubborn child refusing to leave bed.
"I'm not evil," you replied, tilting her chin up so she had to meet your gaze. "I'm making sure you're strong enough to handle this, Carrie. Because, unlike some husbands in this business, I don't half-ass things when it comes to your dreams. If this is what you want, I'll do everything to make sure you succeed. No matter what."
She stared at you for a moment, her fingers traced idle patterns on your chest as she seemed to weigh your words.
Finally, without a word, she rolled on top of you, pinning you to the mattress. Her mischievous grin returned as she leaned down, her face inches from yours. "Fine," she said. "But on one condition."
"Name it," you said, trying, and failing, to suppress a grin of your own.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
You didn't hesitate. Pulling her closer, you pressed your lips to hers, and the world seemed to disappear at that moment. The kiss wasn't rushed or tentative as it was sometimes was when you both woke up, it was slow, deliberate, and full of unspoken promises. You both lingered in the embrace, savoring the electricity between you.
When you finally pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes staring into yours.
"Deal," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
You both let go. "I love you." You said.
"Mommy knows." Mary said as she knocked on the door. "Can you make breakfast daddy! The littles and me are waiting!"
"Duty calls." You stated as you both sighed. Guess what you had been thinking would have to wait.
[]Make a Movie: You want to make a new movie, preferably staying in town. DC: 0 (Begin production of your own film, either as an actor, director or producer. Line tail what you are going to be)
[]Cult of the Preacher: This is one of those films that you have been waiting to see ever since the script crossed your desk. DC: 30
[]The Scripts and the movies: You want scripts made, so give the ideas and make those scripts (Scripts that linetail will be made this turn. Every script is one action.)
[]The Lucasarts Projects: So time to give those Lucasarts people more projects, now that they are swimming in money.
-[]Write in two projects you want them to create. (I highly recommend arcade machines for the new Sega Parlors)
[]A Favor: You are owed a favor at Colombia Pictures, so might as well call it in. DC: ???-[]Write in what it is?
[]The People who want you to star in a movie: With most of Hollywood open to you again after the informal ending of your banishment from nonlucasfilm and TV productions, there are a few films that have come to your attention. DC: ???
[]Investing in the Future: You want to Spend some of that money you made into the company and make the whole thing better DC: ??? (Linetail what you want to invest in, and how much money you want to invest in it)
[]Look for Investors: Not that you need the money now, but maybe you can get people on board with this idea you have. DC: ???
[]Distributing Deals: Since you have a Distribution Company, or rather, are one… You can meet the major movie theater companies and strike a Deal with them. Even when you had nothing to offer them. DC: ???
[]Importing Foreign Films: So… you may have a way to get some films showing in American Theaters. Maybe you can go to other foreign film industries and… well, ask to distribute their films. Sure many of those foreign film companies never expected an American company to distribute their films in the US… but maybe you can get money without producing them. (Linetail where you try to get films from, and if there are any specific films, line tail them below) DC: ???
Personal Actions:
[]The Dark Knight: Alan has come to your home, and wants to make the final Batman film now.
-[]Agree to make it
-[]Decline for now.
[]A Boxing Expedition: So the Light Heavyweight title is up for grabs… you are a little light for it as you haven't worked out for it, but honestly, you might as well try for it. Add another feather to your cap. DC: ???
[]Touring: You will be doing a Great tour with Carrie and the Highwaymen. Something close, in the LA Area. DC: ???
[]Trying something new: So, what are you going to do now with all this free time? Well, you might as well try something new. DC: ???
[]Training CArrie: If CArrie is serious, you are going to train her till she is able to do everything. It was her idea to do this… so you are just going to help her DC: 45
[]A New Way To Action: You and some second unit directors had some ideas… so you and the boys got ideas. How to film action to make it real, and stylized. DC: 50
[]Another USFL Greatness: Hopefully this game will be better than the last one. DC: 30
[]Sega and the Masterclass of Advertizing: So Sega saw the comercial, and wants to do another one… though this time, they want you to show that is better than Nintendo in every other way. By… well being Walt Disney. Why does everyone want you to act like Walt! You're a Bruce Dammit! No you are doing it your way! DC: 35
[]The Art of the Siblings: So Mary has proclaimed it was a silly time. And that meant you had to grab your costume. DC: 0
[]The Ideas of Industry: This action is meant for a write-in to act as a sort of Idea machine for the company. You must detail what you want to do below this action. This action can be taken multiple times.
[]Best Friends: So Mary has lots of friends, and she wants them to come over. You need to prepare for that. Carrie, get the cookies.
[]The Family Time: You need a night out with the family dammit! No more drama, no more work, just you and Carrie and the Kids!
[]Hanging out with the Friends: It's been far to long since you, John, and Robin hung out, so you will go out for some drinks and have some fun. DC: 45
[]A Well-Known Fan: So some really famous person is a fan of yours. Maybe you'll learn who they actually are. DC???
[]Learn to play an instrument: You want to learn how to play something DC: 80 (You have no idea what the hell you are doing.)
[]Investments: You want to invest your hard-earned cash into something that you feel will be a good return on investment. And as well as diversify your assets DC: 0 (Linetail what you wish to invest in below this action, and the amount of money you want to invest in)
[]The O'Riely Foundation Lobbying: You want California to help the men who have given nearly everything and more to this country. DC: ??? (Linetail how much money you want to throw at it, and what you want from the State)
[]A Charitable Heart: You want to invest your newfound wealth. Maybe even save some lives while you are at it. (Linetail what you wish to invest in below this action, and the amount of money you want to donate in)
[]Networking: Well time to start finding out who might actually be interested in meeting you. (Write-in what you want to try and network with)
[]Pray: It had been a long time since you went to Mass. You wish for the Lord to give you strength. DC: ???
[]Action Directing: It seems the town has been talking about how much of a beast you are at just being a stunt person. In fact, they knew you were a student of Bruce Lee. And they think you know how to stage and block a fight? Maybe you can DC? ???
[] Do auditions(Movies and TV Shows): You are going to go to some of the casting calls that are in the place where you can find work in. DC: 20(Possibility of only getting a commercial or TV show job, or extra work in a low-budget film)
[]Modeling (High Fashion): So you got a call from a photographer in LA, some no name. But that no name works for Gucci. And he wants you on their next lineup of products. And he needs you to model for him. Which is great… one problem, you have no idea what the hell you are doing. DC: 60
[]Modeling (Advertisements): Thankfully another Call Came in, one from an ad firm. They need you to have some pictures taken so that they are used for saner things. Like selling cars, or ice cream. DC: 40
[]Workout: A Healthy Mind and a Healthy Body are Key to having a good life, and you have been slacking as of late. Time to hit the workout and discipline, and perhaps, see things differently. DC: 30 Reward: You work out and feel better.
[] Ask Clint if you can act in a movie of his: You know you want to see if you can act opposite him, for a good time. DC: 40 (Clint wants to work with you.)
[] Gophering, and other signs of stuff: You want to try and learn how work behind the camera works, and what better way than being a gopher. DC: 50 (You have no idea what the hell they were doing, and you have no idea either)
[] Take a walk: Dad always said that the best ways to get inspiration are by walking, talking, and being open-minded. So you'll try that. DC: 10 (You are just going for a walk, what could be really said?)
I think we should start doing the Batman film and get it over and done with, that way we can focus on our other ideas for films.
Aside from that, there are still movies that I want us to distribute, and though we may have lost the timing for Repo Man and This Is Spinal Tap, we can hopefully get others like The Pope of Greenwich Village.
Also, let's see if we can get the rights for Shoeless Joe so that we can make Field of Dreams, as well as the rights for To Live and Die in LA. That movie was underrated in my opinion.
As distasteful as the language may be considering the context, Mobile Suit Gundam was truly the equivalent of dropping an atomic bomb on the world of television animation. While the medium had potential in its humble beginnings, by the late 70s it had fallen hard as just Kiddy TV that the big studios put to keep the kids glued to the sets in the mornings, and then just not give a damn beyond doing the bare minimum. Nevermind how creatively stiffling cartoons were as either comic adaptations or just kids solve mysteries with mascot. Of this, Hanna-Barbera was unfortunately a culprit, though there was little else they could do when they weren't given such respect and Scooby-Doo was their only money printer.
In came Gundam which changed everything. Peak animation and true living art instead of limited and stilted motion. A mature and gripping epic of a storyline that captured an audience of all ages instead of just being for kids. A rich and iconic setting that became a giant of fiction. And a toy empire that was a peer to Star Wars. For the first time, animation could not only be mainstream, but dominate everything else and be incredibly popular. While 0079 wasn't quite the powerhouse that Zeta or ZZ were, it started a revolution that marked the beginning of the Silver Age of Animation.
However, as much as you would like to dream that the animation world was just you and Disney, success does not lie in a vacuum. Even if you had the best of animation, its an industry with intelligent people, artists with ambition and vision who want to match and succeed you. Overtime people would learn and grow, and by now it was becoming apparent that animation was no longer a Disney-Dreamworks Duopoly.
1978
When Mobile Suit Gundam was on the air, the animation world got obliterated. Many cartoon fans turned away from existing shows as Gundam presented a new standard and they were no longer content with just mediocrity and playing it safe. Ironically, Hanna-Barbera suffered the worst of all with dramatic drops in their viewership of more than half and the studios kept on complaining of why they couldn't be more like Gundam. In the end, this all worked out as it got Hanna-Barbera so weak that Taft considered them deadweight and were happy to sell them to you. Thankfully, neither William nor Joseph held a grudge, instead embracing change and looking forward to joining the Lucasfilms Empire in the new decade, where its wealth gave them a safety net to explore whatever they wanted and go as far as they could in animation.
1979
1979 according to William and Joseph, was a year of hell for the world of animation television. Dreamworks had flipped the table and set it on fire with Gundam, Miraculous and Classical Tale and the rest of the studios were struggling to find some way to get into this new game. However, any efforts to improve floundered thanks to shrinking viewership meaning less funding meaning less opportunities for improvement.
The route they choose to compensate and compete was with superhero shows. No one was comfortable to try and attempt a Star Wars or Gundam type show as much as they wanted to. No one knew how to replicate Tomino's storytelling or just what kind of universe they could build. Thus, it was easier to build off the next best trend thanks to Superman's success and how it became the second billion dollar movie, along with Miraculous dominating Saturday Morning. There were 10 superhero shows to air in the Fall of 1979 and heavy investment from DC and Marvel with Plastic Man, Super Best Friends, The Thing, Spider-Woman. However, more than half of them were merely a sketch of a greater comedy show. Unlike Miraculous which told serialized stories that challenged their young audience and kept them engaged with a character-driven narrative, they were just silly adventures. Mary personally loved the World's Greatest SuperFriends, but that was only thanks to Superman and Batman and if they weren't on there then she would switch to something else.
However, in the midst of this mediocrity, one studio rose above the rest and met the new standard set by Dreamworks and Sunrise, Filmation. In many respects, they and Hanna-Barbera were two sides of the same coin. Both pioneers of television animation that had perfected mass production to a T. However, Filmation had its own differences in philosophy from Hanna-Barbera. They loved to experiment and while they previously never achieved a similar level of quality to Dreamworks, they took any opportunity they could in a show to introduce a new form of animation, though at the cost of severe repetition of stock footage that a quarter of their episodes were recycled animation. They were also incredibly reliant on adapting animated versions of existing properties like Archie, the Brady Bunch, DC Comics and most famously Star Trek.
When Filmation witnessed Star Wars, they were filled with a spark of inspiration like Tomino. Here came a newly explosively popular genre which they could explore and use to make animation mainstream and push for a return to their glory days. However, instead of making something original like Gundam, Filmation opted to recreate what gave birth to Star Wars, Flash Gordon. So, going into heavy debt, Filmation focused everything from '77 and '78 into making the Flash Gordon cartoon their comeback story. Perhaps in another world it would have been merely decent, but Gundam's success had unknowingly provided Filmation salvation. Paramount, eager for another prime time animation and having worked well with Filmation before for Star Trek, became their new patrons and thus The New Adventures of Flash Gordon followed Gundam as PTVS' prime time cartoon.
And damnit, it was actually pretty great. The series was a completely faithful homage to the original comic strip and film serials and if it wasn't for the Flash Gordon film that you and George backed, it would probably be the best work of material to date. Filmation had gone out and completely dropped their usual standards of cheapness. It wasn't the Dreamworks Cinematic touch, but if Gundam hadn't existed it would have been the best looking on TV with lots of unique designs, fast paced action and constant usage of rotoscope and other innovative techniques for animation. Not to mention excellent writing that kept the core spirit and fun of the originals while providing a modern brush of storytelling and strong serialization. The series had been strong enough on its own, but thanks to both Star Wars and the Flash Gordon movie, it catapulted in popularity.
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon became one of PTVS' most popular series and frequently breached the Top 30 of the Nielsen charts, though for better or worse never managing to break into the Top 15. It wasn't quite Gundam levels of popularity and cultural power, but it had a large and dedicated fanbase and played a part in creating a Flash Gordon rennasaince with the franchise having a new surge in multia-media presence with Bantam novels, new comic strips, an RPG created by Fantasy Games Unlimited and a regular presence in toy aisles.
New Adventures of Flash Gordon would start its sixth and final season this year and following such was stated to have an feature film in production by Filmation that would release in either '85 or '86. You honestly love that Flash is getting the recognition and support he deserves, though in the process it saw Filmation stabilize and reach new forms of success, cementing themselves as Hanna-Barbera's rival in the world of television. Moreover, Filmation has become a second party of sorts to PTVS who with Gundam and Miraculous' defection to LucasTV, have relied on the studio to help keep the channel competitive against the Big Three. The only good news here is that Filmation is still independent largely due to not wanting to being "Lucas'd" (as if its a bad thing) but also wanting to keep its independence for future animated forms of other popular properties.
1980
You didn't mean to kill the Animation Guild. Contrary to what much of America thought of you as a diehard Reaganist, you knew Unions were necessary to prevent corporate abuse as no industry was perfect, and even if you made sure first and foremost that Lucasfilms' workers were treated like Kings that didn't mean the rest of Hollywood was along for the ride. Unfortunately, the Animation Guild had forced your hand when they targeted Lucasfilms prejudicially for its success and were almost outright bigoted with their aim to remove Sunrise from television, not to mention wanting to kill Pixar in the cradle.
While you were grateful to win the battle, it had its consequences as the Animation Guild disbanded, only having recently been reformed last year ironically due to Dreamworks' activism to protect the industry, being reformed as The Animation Guild proper and independent of the IATSE. However, the immediate fallout was immense with many struggling independent studios going out of business and lots of old timers jumping what they saw as a sinking ship due to many reasons and retiring.
As such, the planned content for the year was cut in half and almost all of it was just packaged skit shows. This put the final nail in the coffin for Hanna-Barbera and pushed them to be purchased by you. Until LucasTV aired, they remained committed to closing off the rest of their concurrent shows to start on a fresh slate, leading to some higher than usual quality animation, but no standouts for the likes of Scrappy-Doo, Richie Rich and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang.
Filmation received a second mega hit that year with an old IP, The New Fat Albert Show. A continuation of Fat Albert, The new show saw Fat Albert and the gang go on more adventures, often more ambitious in storytelling and featuring recurring character storylines for the cast and supporting characters as Fat Albert and friends faced new challenges of growing up and being in a changing world. Once again, Filmation saw new success because of you, more specifically John Henry. John Henry's blockbuster run had lead to a spike in interest in black-dominated shows, and the kids who loved John Henry switched to the next best thing of sorts in Fat Albert, thus having millions of kids who missed out on the original run grow up with the chubby hero. Until LucasTV launched, The New Fat Albert Show had been the number one Saturday morning cartoon for three years in a row and had more than 100 episodes, ready for a triumphant finish in '85 so Bill could be free to focus on the Cosby Show.
Fat Albert overtime has become an icon of animation on a similar level to Scooby-Doo, the Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse, even being part of the Macy's Parade last Thanksgiving and comedically being the largest balloon. Having watched the show with the kids on occasion, you can easily say the success is deserved and you really like Albert as a character and role model. Bill Cosby though...you don't know why but that man just gives you the worst vibes and a strong sense of alarm whenever you see him.
Another studio that saw success was Ruby-Spears Productions. A studio created by the creators of Scooby-Doo, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, they had left Hanna-Barbera due to disagreements of leadership, and unfortunately all your attempts at having them come back were rejected no matter the offered price tag as they strongly valued their independence. Just barely hanging on after the Strike due to their industry reputation, Ruby-Spears managed to produce a single show, Thundarr the Barbarian. A strange fusion of Star Wars and Conan, Thundarr took place in a post-apocalyptic Earth in the year 3994 where technology and magic mixed and Thundarr and his companions traveled throughout the lands of what was once America to fight injustice and aid anyone who needed it. A decent show, but animation was not close to Dreamworks and Sunrise quality, though it made up for it with fun characters and a unique setting. Not one of the greatest shows ever, especially with the lack of serialization, but it found an audience and lasted four seasons until its recent conclusion, finding a healthy life outside the show with a strong Kenner line and a ongoing series of Charlton Comics.
From what you saw, Thundarr was a decent adventure story and Mary loved how it combined her two favorite genres. Although admittedly the main character was basically you but with Blonde hair and brown eyes in appearance. However, while it was a fun addition to animation, it unfortunately pushed the world of tv animation to continue trend chasing instead of constantly innovating. Gone were the days of children solving mysteries with mascots, now science fiction, superhero and adventure shows were the norm.
1981
If there was one thing you loved about Reagan being President, its that his Reaganomics had cut an ocean of red tape for the FCC and allowed not only for more bold, daring and mature stories to be told on the air within reason, but also eliminated most regulations pertaining to television commercialization. It's not like you wanted to make shows just to sell toys, but you barely got away with airing Gundam and Miraculous as the toys came after the show and not before, and it paved the way for adaptations like GI Joe. However, it did admittedly prompt a new wave of commercialization as Sunset Toys' competitors now saw a golden opportunity to repeat Gundam's toy success by directly adapting their own products. Joy.
Of all the new shows, they were pretty much superheroes as the more ambitious space series were still in planning development, everyone wanting to get things just right and get the next Gundam or Star Wars instead of just a seasonal piece. Filmation was hard at work producing an impressive six new animated shows to take advantage of Hanna-Barbera's rebuild as much as possible. Alongside Flash Gordon, they produced a second primetime animated show for PTVS, The Case Files of Dick Tracy. A straight adaptation of the classic comic, it was like Flash Gordon very faithful and high quality with fun spoofs on modern police procedurals with a comedic if not adult Noir twist. It never quite reached Flash Gordon's dominance, but it was a reliable spot in the Nielsen Top 30-50.
As for the rest of the Filmation lineup, they were all decidedly meh to above average, most likely a consequence of stretched resources. Nowhere was this more apparent than Blackstar, another Conan-Star Wars cash-in, though unlike Thundarr it only lasted two seasons as it was really generic fantasy and Science Fiction with Thundarr doing everything literally just better. The one exception to this was Hero High, a show about superheroes in training at a titular hero high school who had to balance traditional school stuff with saving the day. It was an admittedly fun and original take on the genre and felt like a neat fusion of Happy Days and the Justice League. With good comedy and great characters, Hero High would last four seasons and while limited in legacy, would go down as one of the quintessential 80s cartoons.
Ruby-Spears' sole contribution for the year would be Goldie Gold and Action Jack. It was a quirky adventure/romantic comedy of sorts where heiress Goldie Gold finds herself in ownership of the "Gold Street Journal" left by her parents. Goldie, wanting to prove herself and honor her parents becomes a reporter and goes on adventurous with Pulitzer prize winner "Action" Jack Travis and her cocker Spaniel nugget. It was a weird cross between Scooby-Doo, Superman and Miraculous. The latter two because of Jack being like a male Lois Lane and leading Goldie on journalistic adventures, and Miraculous because the relationship between the two deuteragonists was what basically sold the show. Taking notes from Miraculous, Ruby and Spears made sure to have Goldie and Jack have a sort of Ladybug and Cat Noir type chemistry and for most viewers, it was enough to pull them in and have them fall in love with the pairing, helped by the Season 1 finale seeing them become a couple with them remaining one throughout the rest of the show, something Miraculous fans were happy to point out in letters venting why Adrien and Marinette haven't gotten together. The show would last three seasons, and while it's not the most commercially dominant like Scooby-Doo, it had a very dedicated fanbase, thus marking potential for a franchise.
Lastly, another studio would bite the dust with the closure of DePatie-Freleng. The animation strike had hit them hard and their last show had been a hard flop, forcing the studio to shut down. David Depatie would leave to join Hanna-Barbera as a producer while Fritz Freleng oversaw the sell of the studio to Disney, where he rejoined his old Looney Tunes coworkers and helped to make some shorts and Duck Dodgers. DePatie-Freleng did create The New Fantastic Four and Spider-Woman, though thankfully Disney sold all rights to you for a return of $3 million. This did mean unfortunately that the Pink Panther was now a Disney property.
1982
With the creation of both LucasTV and the Disney Channel for the 82-83 season, the independent animation studios did everything they could to survive in a post Lucas-Disney landscape on television with high quality hits for both prime time and Saturday Morning. This turned out in a very mixed way, but in the end a few would remain and television animation would remain a very diverse industry. All the while, Lucas and Disney's massive success had spurred a panic to fund whatever animated shows they could to remain competitive among the Big Three.
Filmation was a weird division of half bad, half good. In what you feel is like the swan song for sitcom adaptations, they posted Gilligan's Planet (Gilligan's Island but IN SPACE!) and the Mork & Minday/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz power hour which was a cartoon version of their Happy Days verse. Both were very safe and cheesy, reliant on tropes of the 70s and were quickly cancelled after one season, their only redeeming quality being Robin's voice acting. On the other hand, they did release two decent superhero shows. Green Lantern Corps, a Prime time adventure serial and also a buddy cop show with Guy Gardner and John Stewart fighting evil across the galaxy, occasionally with the help of Hal Jordan. While it was pretty good, it didn't quite surpass Spiderman mainly because it felt less like a superhero show, and more like a copy show in space starring superheroes, though plenty of fans loved it. There was also a Justice Society of America show, starring the classic characters and essentially being a higher quality verison of Super Friends. Apparently, Sid wanted for Hanna-Barbera to do JSA, but DC strongly opposed such in deference to giving the competition more glory and Stan was also against the idea, at least until the MAU was firmly established
Ruby-Spears was better generally with its two shows. It would make its first prime time animated series with Roxie's Raiders on ABC, essentially being an Indiana Jones spoof named Roxie Robinson who had a colorful cast of adventurers from around the world that aided her in uncovering lost civilizations and battling crime syndicates. Like other Indy spoofs, it was a ratings darling though it had personally yet to reach a cultural hold. Ruby-Spears also made a more traditional Saturday morning show with Gargoids, about a team of scientists who gain super powers and become superheroes. It did its best but it was more of a poor man's Fantastic Four and was set to be cancelled later this year after two seasons.
Lastly were the weird ass independent outliers of Pandamonium and Meatballs and Spaghetti. The former was made by MGM animation in their first television show in years, and by the Lord do you wish Kirk would just sell the damn studio to you because it was awful seeing the most generic and cheesy adventure cartoon on the air which represented the worst cliches of Hanna-Barbera. As for Meatballs and Spaghetti, a Sonny and Cher clone that had shit music, enough said.
1983
1983 would see the true dawn of a new age of programming, Commercial Shows. Shows adapting the story of a toy or product with its storyline and structure primarily designed around selling said toy to children of the masses. Admittedly, you may have started this whole affair with Gundam and GI Joe, but for the latter storytelling always came first and Hanna-Barbera firmly prioritized character and plot over commercial opportunism. Though in the end, you can't exactly blame either the toy companies or the studios. The companies needed some boost to stay competitive in a post-Star Wars world and what better way to do so then to turn their existing products into fun shows? As for the studios who even with their recent successes had nowhere near as much capitol as you or Disney, every dollar mattered and when their independence could be guarnateed by a corporate check, why not cash-in?
Ruby-Spears seemed to be the biggest culprit of this. They would create three new shows based on existing properties. Mr. T, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Rubik the Amaz-what? Rubik....the Rubik Cube. Ruby-Spears made a cartoon based off of the Rubik's cube.
Yeah, that was not your proudest deposit into the Swear Jar and Carrie had been quite cross when you cussed like that in front of the kids, but COME ON! A Rubik's Cube cartoon?! Thank the Lord that piece of shit got cancelled in one season, what the hell were they thinking? The most mindless baby show ever. Thankfully it was uphill from there. Mr. T was often said to be a domestic GI Joe and you can see the similarities. Nowhere near as good, but Mr. T's personality and character made it at least some silly fun. Ruby-Spears did have a genuine hit with Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was an overall cute show of talking chipmunks in a band which drew in kids from Alvin's antics and the personality of him and his brothers and had them stay for the hip music. Though the Goslings didn't seem too interested. After all, why listen to squeaky chipmunks when they had the greatest Rockergal as their mom?
Filmation continued to lead the pack with He-Man and Star Trek: Polaris. He-Man was probably the pulpiest show on the air besides Flash Gordon and Dick Tracy, and it embraced it to the fullest and was a fun action packed sci-fi fantasy adventure with lots of iconic charaters. Frustratingly, this did mean that it carved out its own niche in the busy holiday season and will likely be a strong competitor the rest of the decade. On the other end of the sci-fi spectrum is Star Trek: Polaris, a wholly original Star Trek show covering the USS Polaris with Decker, Rand and Chapel serving as senior officers along with a new and colorful expanded cast. Polaris seemed to embody the best of the original animated series in spirit, but had even better animation and the new characters seemed to break the mold in diverging from the old Enterprise tropes and explore new storylines. The show really took advantage of it being an animated show with lots of exotic and beautiful new worlds and strange species which would be hard to pull in live action, in fact some Trekkies seemed to prefer it when Trek was animated as it gave no limits on creativity. Polaris was just as accepted into the Trekkie fandom as Phase II and would comfortably bring in around 10 million viewers, with more expected for the next year thanks to Gundam's conclusion and the return to the moon.
A newcomer in the world of animation was DIC Animation. It was a French studio who sought to have France be known in animation for more than Miraculous, a Japanese anime and leave their own mark in America. They would debut in the states with two shows. The first was The Littles, a show of tiny people living in the home of a normal family and navigating the human world. The second was Inspector Gadget, a bionic detective who fought crime with his niece and the help of his many built-in gadgets. Both shows were fine, but were simple though entertaining children's shows that didn't innovate or push the medium, and thus they got lost in the competition. Both faced moderate success in syndication, Inspector Gadget more so where it had a modestly profitable toy line, but they were just overwhelmed with the competition and likely wouldn't last more than another season.
Making his debut into a formal series was Charlie Brown with The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. Unlike the specials, these were more half hour skit shows that both adapted the comics and did original story ideas as a way to show the Peanuts in different situations and just show more of the characters. Since Charlie Brown came out, you loved the Peanuts and all the Goslings, even Little George had fallen in love with it so it was a must watch for Saturday mornings and reruns. Thankfully, that same quality from the Specials translated well and each episode was hillarious with witty dialogue and the characters being themselves. In a cartoon landscape filled with very high concept shows along with anime pushing for more serious stories, having Charlie Brown and the gang just be themselves was a welcome respite for older audiences and kids, and thus it had fairly strong ratings in its first season. You just really hope that one day Charles Schultz would be open to working together with Lucasfilms, if not a movie then perhaps some Genesis games. Sarah and Joseph would most definitely love such a development.
Lastly was HBO's first attempt at a cartoon, Braingames. A show that strived to be quality edutainment, it was an interesting skit show where each episode had two skits, either in traditional animation or stop motion that presented a question to young viewers and prompted them to think about how to solve it with answers being provided over the course of the episode, leading to the true answer in the solution. It was essentially an interactive riddle, not too difficult yet not an easy baby's game, it was fun if you were into brain teasers and Mary having stumbled upon it in December fell in love with the premise, though Joseph and Sarah thought it was rather boring. Unfortunately, it only lasted a single season since HBO wasn't really a family channel and those who did have premium channels watched Lucas or Disney. However, it may not be dead yet as word was Disney was in talks to transfer it to their channel as a replacement for that failed gameshow.
1984
Heading into 1984, it was now clear that television animation was divided into two types of shows, commercial shows that sell toys and high quality artistic programs...that sell toys really well. LucasTV is still leading the pack between its trans-Pacific duo of Hanna-Barbera and Sunrise, especially with no one coming close to its prime time success. But Disney was a really strong and close second with its lineup, and it's undeniable that for every stinker from the rest there was genuine gold to be found. You needn't look no further than your own household where the Goslings while loving LucasTV first, didn't mind channel surfing and seeing what the other channels had to offer.
Still, as successful as the Commercial Shows have been, there is a rising movement turning against it, proclaiming that television is not providing their children with the educational content they need to become upstanding people and its rotting their brains in a thirst for consumerism. Various Democratic primary candidates have said that once they are in the White House they'll reempower the FCC to be a stricter watch dog. Although perhaps it's not as popular as they may believe as Reubin Askew made an infamous gaffe in a townhall where he said, "We're gonna restore class to television. We'll cancel the toy garbage like GI Joe, He-Man, Rubik and all those superhero shows". Cue a flood of concerned kids across the nation who were panicking that someone wanted to be President and kill all the cartoons, leading to protests from parents, Askew in total freefall in the polls and the DNC telling their candidates to shut up about cartoons.
Both Filmation and Ruby Spears are hoping to increase production of prime time cartoons to achieve a similar level of success as Zeta Gundam, though they'll still produce saturday morning stuff. A newcomer is walking onto the scene with Sunbow Entertainment, a creation of Hasbro who while happy with GI Joe, wants to advertise as much of their products as possible independently to get the most profits. They've been really doing their best to recruit Carrie for some show called Jem. A train show called Thomas and Friends was dominating in the UK and the channels were having a bidding war for the show. Mattel is also trying to start its own bidding war by offering a carrot to all the studios in the form of the rights to adapt Barbie, even Hanna-Barbera as they want a guaranteed hit. Nintendo is also beginning its own networking around Hollywood, wanting to see if anyone would be interested in adapting their properties to boost NES sales in North America.
Dreamworks may be the biggest fish on television and the creme de la creme of cartoons and anime, but it's becoming an ever crowded pond and the rest of the 80s are sure to be a legendary content war for the ages.
At the same time, you would be wise to keep an eye on Japan. Just what the hell was Voltron and Fist of the North Star and why was Sunrise warning you about them?
[]Training CArrie: If CArrie is serious, you are going to train her till she is able to do everything. It was her idea to do this… so you are just going to help her DC: 45
At the same time, you would be wise to keep an eye on Japan. Just what the hell was Voltron and Fist of the North Star and why was Sunrise warning you about them?
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