Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera were the dynamic duo behind virtually every major Saturday-Morning cartoon I remember growing up, with the noteable exception of the Smurfs. But with a resume spanning decades and including titles such as Yogi Bear, The Flintstones & Scooby Doo even the Smurfs seem a small accomplishment.
Joe Barbera died today. He was 95. His partner of so many years passed away in 2001. The era of the cartoons created by those two men ended many years ago, but today I just wanted to be nostalgic for a bit. From the humorous to the clever, Hanna-Barbera cartoons were always entertaining and through the years and the many series the only thing that could be said to remain the same from cartoon to cartoon was the simple and effective stylings of the drawings themselves.
And so farewell Mr. Barbera. Only a few men can be said to influence entire generations of children and you were one such man. Godspeed.
- one
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Although on the surface the two shows have little in common, their similarities run deep. Both SciFi Channel's Battlestar Galactica and
NBC's Heroes (which can also be seen on the SciFi channel) are gripping dramas with incredibly well-written characters who are true to themselves being put into extraordinary situations which tie the overall arc of the story together and keep pushing it further with each episode.
On its surface the show borrows quite a lot from the X-Men comic series, but frankly and as much as I love Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, Heroes paints a much more intensely believable world. Clearly there's a big difference between telling a complex story in 120 minutes and telling it in 20+ 46 minute episodes, but just as clearly the latter has a lot more potential and the producers of Heroes haven't wasted an ounce of it.
I'm aware that many fans in TV-land favor The Shield, but I've got to say I stopped watching because there was too-much side-story and not enough main-event. Not as bad as X-Files, and the side-stories were well-written, like this week's Galactica, but if BSG made those episodes the norm instead of the exception I'd stop watching them also. It's all about the quality and I don't play favorites.
24, another fan-fave, I find (and always have) to be a bit artificial in plot construction. I still watch it because the characters are terrific and they overall plot keeps moving nicely, but it is still too flawed to be a contender for "Best Show on Television". TIME magazine bestowed that honor on Battlestar last year but this year it may be Heroes that gets the nod for top-spot.
Certainly it is the best NEW show on television, without a doubt. For anyone that likes their TV shows complex and extremely well-written, if you haven't seen Heroes I highly recommend you do. It comes back on the air New Years Day with a marathon that will bring you up-to-speed, but if you can't wait NBC has jumped on-board with a new fad I actually quite like: Offering episodes of their show, streaming in their entirety from their website. They're going to start broadcasting new episodes (second half of season 1) on January 22. Check it out, I promise you will not be disapointed.
- one
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The writing team at Battlestar Galactica never ceases to amaze me. Time and again they address difficult plot issues in ways that can only be described as perfect. SPOILER ALERT!
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Last week it looked likely that we were going to lose two of our cast regulars in a mass execution. We've all seen the ridiculously convenient last-minute rescues on other shows and in the movies. BSG's writing staff never takes the easy way out, and last night's last-minute rescue was a shining example of that. The entire episode was solid and moved the plot along nicely, but got me a bit concerned as well.
Leaving New Caprica so soon would be like culture shock, and as good as the first two seasons were, going back to space right now would feel like rehashing old material. On the one hand I'm extremely eager to find out what the next exciting thing the writers have up their sleeves to keep us glued to the set but at the same time another part of me is leery of being let down.
Many great shows were cancelled before their time. Star Trek, Firefly, Wonderfalls, the list could go on for a while but perhaps these shows were lucky in some respects. They didn't last long enough to disappoint their fans. Perhaps I shouldn't have included Star Trek, because those of you who actually saw the third season of the original series probably felt more than a little disappointed, but hey it's like the original cancelled megaclassic.
Getting back to my point, what goes up must come down and as a fan of this show I love the heights it's soaring to but dread the fall, which seems like a heart-attack waiting to happen. Maybe not this season, but the show can't keep this adrenaline up forever.
Anyway, don't let these thoughts get you down. Enjoy it while it's hot! And boy is it ever. If you aren't a fan, I urge you to watch the miniseries that served as a prequel for season 1. It's not just for Sci-Fi fans and it will blow you away like no television show ever has.
- one
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