Warner Home Video has announced Volume 2 of its 1960s and 1970s Saturday morning cartoon collections. Not being a big fan of many of the series included, I passed on the first go-round. Those interested in reading a review of Volume 1 of the 1960s collection can read a good one here. It looks as if Warners has made many of the same questionable decisions for Volume 2 that it did for Volume 1, and added a few new ones:
1. The 1960s volume features an ep of a syndicated Japanese cartoon, in this case, Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero.
2. Though Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm does get a shout-out on the 1970s set, its parent series, The Flintstones, once again takes up some space on the 1960s set, as does The Jetsons. (The Flintstones episode included is, in fact, "The Flintstone Flyer" -- the very first one aired!) We then get one of each of the older series on the 1970s volume, as well. Both of these series have long since been collected, so this is basically wasted space.
3. The 1975 Tom and Jerry Show is included... on the 1960s set!
4. Two eps of Filmation's 1966 series, The New Adventures of Superman, are included... one in the 1960s volume, one in the 1970s volume. This is particularly strange because the Wikipedia episode list lists these two eps as #1 and #2.
5. The 1970s volume includes an episode of The Banana Splits with parts #1 and #2 of the live-action serial Danger Island. I don't know how long that bizarre production ran, but I'm sure it's not completed on this set. Surely there must be some Danger Island fans out there who would have preferred to see the serial collected all by itself?
Verdict: Pass.
Chris:
ReplyDeleteDon’t figure that what is listed today does in any way resemble the final product. The initial listings for the VOLUME ONE RELEASES were largely incorrect and later revised – and, given the evidence I cite here, the same will have to apply to the VOLUME TWO sets.
Here are my comments sent to Home Theatre Forum:
Is WHV “Wrong Again” in its initial press release for SAT AM Cartoons Volume Two – just as it was when it first introduced Volume One? Let me attempt to count the ways…
I’ll limit my comments to the sixties set, and let those better versed in seventies cartoons speak to that set.
1: Touché Turtle is on the 60s box – but was never a Sat AM series. Along with Wally Gator and Lippy the Lion, these were weekday syndicated series. As much as I’d like to see Huckleberry Hound, that was also a weekday syndicated series and should not be included here.
2: Though Touché Turtle is on the box, he is not listed among the contents of the list released today. So… either Touché Turtle will be included in error – or the box is wrong and will be revised.
3: Peter Potamus: “Fe Fi Fo Fun” was on Volume One – so it cannot be correct.
4: I can’t be sure, but something smells funny about the Porky Pig Show. “Scaredy Cat” (1948) sounds like it was a little too early to have been part of the 1960s ABC package. “Claws for Alarm” (1954) and / or “Jumpin’ Jupiter” (1955) …the other two components of what I call “The Cowardly Sylvester and Stupefying Oblivious Porky in Danger Trilogy” would likely have been part of The Porky Pig Show. But, I’m not so sure about “Scaredy Cat”.
5: Frankenstein Jr. & The Impossibles: The Shocking Electric Monster, The Bubbler were on Volume One – so it cannot be correct.
6: The Herculoids: The Beaked People, The Raider Apes were on Volume One – so it cannot be correct.
7: Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Heat Thing, The Worm People, Zorak were on Volume One – so it cannot be correct. That would be a TRIPLE-DIP, counting the Space Ghost set!
8: Magilla Gorilla: Gridiron Gorilla was on Volume One – so it cannot be correct. This would also be a TRIPLE-DIP!
So, consider that Items 3 and 5-8 are clearly duplication from Volume One – and that Items 1-2, and 4 are possible errors as well – and we WILL be seeing a revision of this content list.
…And I really want to see more Quick Draw McGraw, so I’m looking forward to the revisions.
Joe.
Joe,
ReplyDeleteWow, how could Warners HV have been so inaccurate? That being said, a lot of my other points, I think, still are valid.
Chris