Disney

Jessie is essentially a platform for Disney to showcase its Next Big Thing, that thing being series star Debby Ryan – who just so happens to be an adorable and highly marketable pop singer. The titular character is a young woman from Texas moving to New York City and working as the nanny for the children of two self-obsessed, obnoxiously vain parents. Her charges include the couple’s one biological and three adopted children as well as an enormous lizard named Mr. Kipling.

The hilarity includes a much-too-young child relentlessly hitting on his nanny, a complete lack of parental involvement, and a butler who openly disdains the children left in his care. Oh, and fat jokes. Lots and lots of fat jokes at the butler’s expense.

The acting in Jessie is so poor that my dear mother thought it was intentional as part of the gag. If only that were the case. But sadly, it’s just bad acting.

Series creator Pamela Eells O’Connell previously worked on Charles In Charge, a show about a young man acting as a nanny, and The Nanny, whose title says it all. I guess it should be no surprise that she ran out of anything remotely like a fresh idea on the nanny premise by her third go-around. Maybe her next show could be about a robot nanny from outer space. Or maybe a regular nanny hired by a family of ghosts?

The absolute worst thing about Jessie – worse than the acting, the plot, the production values, and the occasional age-inappropriate content – is the fact that my kids love it. Mine, and four million others. The show premiered to a respectable 4.6 million viewers and appears, after 8 episodes, to have reached a plateau at about 4 million. From an adult’s perspective, this show is utterly unwatchable. But it’s not for us; it’s for the kids. And the kids – poor, uncultured souls that they are – just love it. So it looks like Jessie might be around for a while.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

In this TV special, Charlie Brown is feeling a little depressed despite all the gifts and the decorating. He visits Lucy, who suggests that he should direct the school’s Nativity play. But everyone wants to update the play and include dancing and music, while he prefers to keep its traditional qualities. He announces to the group that they need a Christmas tree for the play. He finds a real Christmas tree, but everyone else prefers the aluminum tree. He decides to take it home and decorate it. A Charlie Brown Christmas reminds us that Christmas is not about the presents and the decor and the parties. The true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ, and not how commercial it has become.

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Based on the book by Dr. Seuss of the same title,  the Grinch wakes up one Christmas Eve to the busy sounds of Whoville down below, decorating and preparing for Christmas. Declaring he’s had enough, he devises a plan to steal all the presents and decorations and everything that he believes Christmas is about. He ties them up in a bag and brings it to his mountain cave to drop everything down the mountain. He snickers and waits for the cry of Whoville but is surprised to hear them singing. He then realizes that Christmas is not about presents, and his heart grows three times bigger.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Rudolph always has been tormented because of his shiny nose. He runs away with Hermey, an elf who can’t get along with other elves, and Yukon Cornelius, a prospector, but they are attacked by Bumble, an abominable snow monster. They are able to escape Bumble and find themselves in the island of Misfit Toys, where Rudolph leaves his friends because of Bumble’s attraction to his shiny nose. In the end, Santa uses Rudolph to lead him and the sleigh in the foggy night.

It’s A Wonderful Life

In this classic Christmas movie, George Bailey is about jump off a bridge and commit suicide but his guardian angel, Clarence, steps in to stop him. Clarence shows George his past, his present and what life would be like without him. George realizes his life is worth something, and he backs out on his decision to commit suicide. He goes back to his family and friends where all his prayers seemingly are answered.

What are your favorite TV programs and movies to watch during the holiday season?

Check out your TV schedules for these shows this Christmas season.

1. Disney

I’ve grown up watching Disney movies and was excited when I realized that there was going to be a Disney Channel on cable. I’m too old for the target market of the channel now but find myself still watching the shows they have.

Some notable shows that seem to be on the must-watch list of their target market include:

a. Hannah Montana

Starring Miley Cyrus and her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, Hannah Montana features Miley, a regular teen who leads a double life as a singer and celebrity, Hannah Montana. Only her family and best friends know about her secret life.

b. JONAS

JONAS stars pop band, The Jonas Brothers, as Kevin, Joe and Nick Lukas. Like Hannah Montana, they try to lead a normal life by attending high school while trying to balance being in a band.

c. Wizards Of Waverly Place

Wizards of Waverly Place stars Selena Gomez, as Alex, who comes from a wizarding family. She uses her magic powers most of the time to make things easier for her and to get out of trouble, but this backfires most of the times. Good thing her older brother is always there to rescue her.

2. Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon shows used to cater to a really young target audience. But they’ve since refocused their image to include the pre-teen crowd. Can they compete against Disney?

a. iCarly

iCarly stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly who has created her own web show with her two best friends, Sam and Freddie. What started out as an innocent way to broadcast the funny videos they had on hand, iCarly evolved into a weekly webshow that has become the most popular webshow among her peers.

b. True Jackson, VP

True Jackson is the adventures of True Jackson, the youngest VP of the youth apparel division of the fashion house, MadStyle. True Jackson also happens to be a teenager.

So which channel do you think is better? Disney? Or Nick?

17. Voltron

I’m not really sure if people in the US remember this show or if it were available to them at all, but I loved watching this show. It was the first animated series that featured girl power in the form of Princess Allura. They used a giant robot to defend their country. I don’t know about you, but they had me with the robot.

18. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This show jaded my thinking of turtles when I was  younger. Whenever I saw turtles, I kept picturing them jumping up and brandishing swords and fighting crime. Yeah, I outgrew that when I got older. But that may be the reason why I have a secret love for turtles.

19. Super Friends

I love Super Friends! Where else can you watch all your favorite superheroes in one show? There was Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman and Aqua Man. A couple other superheroes joined the Super Friends later on, but the other superheroes who joined them later on and I loved, were the Wonder Twins, Zan and Jayna.

20. Smurfs

Ah, who could forget the Smurfs? Who could forget those little sky blue creatures, living in a village in the middle of the forest called Smurf Village? They had brave and adventure-filled lives, led by Papa Smurf. If you miss them, catch the syndicated series on Boomerang.

And this concludes our series on the animated shows during the 80s. Are there other TV shows you want us to feature on future series here on Couch Tuber? Let us know!

13. Flintstone Kids

Ever wonder how Fred and Barney were as kids? How about their wives, Wilma and Betty? Thanks to Flintstone Kids, we never had to wonder again. The animated show features the Flintstone parents as 10-year-old kids and all their crazy adventures. Featuring Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty with their puppy, Dino, imaginations ran wild in this animated show. This also featured the debut of Captain Caveman and Son.

14. Garfield And Friends

Based on the comic strip by Jim Davis, Garfield and Friends was an animated show featuring the lazy adventures of Garfield, his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and his pet dog, Odie. Garfield and Friends was actually one of the longest animated programs shown on television with seven seasons, running from 1988 to 1994 on CBS and 1997 to 2000 on Nickeledeon.

15. The Real Ghostbusters

The Real Ghostbusters, an animated series that ran on ABC from 1986 to 1991, is based on the 1984 film, Ghostbusters, starring Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd. The same characters were featured in this series as they hunted ghosts in the city. I remember watching this religiously with my siblings, and we always imagined ourselves as part of the Ghostbusters team, if only to use the Proton Blaster and Containment Unit.

16. The Jetsons

I was such a big fan of George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, Astro and Rosie, otherwise known as The Jetsons. They made me believe in their world so much that I actually thought that by the time 2000 rolled in, we’d be living in skypad apartments and getting around in flying saucers. But it’s 2009 and we’re still living just above the ground.

Do you remember watching these shows? What else did you watch?

I’m Popeye the sailor man. I’m strong to the finish ‘coz I eat me spinach. I’m Popeye the sailor man! Whoo whoo! You remember Popeye. He’s the muscular sailor who loves to eat spinach, gets constantly bullied by Bluto for his girlfriend, Olive Oyl.  He actually got me to eat spinach because I believed it was going to make me stronger.

10. Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace represents every little boy growing up. He has two best friends: Joey, who always listens to his every word, and Ruff, his dependable dog. They were always experimenting with different “play techniques” and irritated the heck out of Mr. Wilson, Dennis’ next-door neighbor. Always amusing, Dennis seemed to charm everyone with his mischief because he made me think he was doing something fun, even when it wasn’t.

11. Beverly Hills Teens

Do you remember this show? I forgot about this until I came across it again. It’s the 80s cartoons equivalent to Gossip Girl and The OC. There is one thing different, though. These kids never seem to go to school even though they’re supposed to be in high school. I watched this when I was still in elementary school, so I had no idea that this was a total exaggeration of high school life. But it made me imagine what high school could be like and they got me excited about it. Sure wish I could go to school in a limo with a pool on it, though.

12. Alf

Alf, or Alien Life Form, a.k.a. Gordon Shumway, crash landed in the Tanner’s backyard from outer space. He was only supposed to be there for a short time while he fixed his spaceship. He ended up staying for four seasons. I loved Alf so much that I begged my parents to buy me the moving Alf doll. I ended up sleeping with Alf on my bed for a long time. Then he was taken off the air, and I never knew what happened to Alf. What do you guys think?

I’m getting in the hang of this cartoon series. Stay tuned for more!

5. Transformers

Transformers, “more than meets the eye”! I’m glad they developed this into a full-length feature film. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing my favorite robots in their full glory. Does anyone not know what Transformers is all about? It’s about the never-ending war between the Autobots (who wanted a peaceful co-existence) and the Decepticons (who always looked for conflict). They both end up on Earth, and the Autobots vow to protect the human race from being wiped out by the Decepticons. The latest Transformers movie, Revenge of the Fallen, starring Shia Lebouf and Megan Fox opens on June 24

6. G.I. Joe

Based on the Hasbro action figure of the same name, G.I. Joe’s main purpose and goal is to defend the human race and their freedom from the terrorist group, Cobra. Do you remember G.I. Joe’s catchphrase? “And knowing is half the battle”. It has recently been made and produced into a full-length feature film, G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, opening August 7.

7. Astroboy

Astroboy originally was a manga created by Osamu Tezuka and was further developed into an animated series in 1980. Astroboy is a robot created by Dr. Tenma to replace his dead son.  The head of Ministry of Science, Professor Ochanomizu, however, noticed Astroboy’s powers and used them to fight evil and crime. As with the first two shows, Astroboy also has been produced into a full-length animated film of the same name, opening in October 2009.

8. Care Bears

Like G.I. Joe, the Care Bears was based on the Care Bears stuffed toys developed by American Greetings. They live in the clouds, in Care-a-lot, Kingdom of Caring.  They go around the world on different missions to spread care. Professor Coldheart and Wizard No Heart are on hand to always try and stop the Care Bears from completing their mission.

So what do you think? Which other cartoons do you want me to feature here? Let me know!

She-Ra or Princess Adora, was the ultimate female superhero! As a baby, Adora was kidnapped by Hordak from her parents and raised to live their evil ways. She discovered her true identity and vowed to free Etheria, her land, from the hands of the evil Hordak.

The first episode aired in September 9, 1985, and the whole series lasted until 1987. There were plans to bring back She-Ra in the updated series of He-Man in 2002, but the show was cancelled before it could happen.

2. Jem and the Holograms

“Jem is my name, no one else is the same. Jem is my name!” From 1985 to 1988, young children, mostly girls tuned in every Sunday to watch Jerrica Benton and her alter ego, Jem, with the Holograms beat out Eric Raymond and The Misfits. I never missed an episode of Jem, and I knew all the songs by heart. I used to sing all the time (I still do, sometimes).

3. Bioman

Bioman was the first action superhero show that I watched when I was a kid. I believe this was the only show I watched with my older siblings. Centuries ago, Peebo and Bio Robo arrived on Earth after the fall of the Bio Star. Bio particles were showered unto five people by the Bio Robo. The descendants of these five people are the key when Doctor Man and Shin Teikoku of the New Empire threaten to rule the world with their evil ways. Together, these five descendants formed Bioman, determined to rid the world of all evil.

4. Thundercats

In 1985, a Japanese-American cartoon debuted on TV. It was called Thundercats. Thundercats is about a group of superheroes, aliens with cat features from the planet of Thundera. They arrive on Earth after being attacked by their enemy, the Mutants of Plun-Darr. The Mutants track and hunt them down to grab the Eye of Thundera to rule the Earth.

I still have a lot of favorite cartoons in mind. Maybe I’ll do another series and focus on the cartoon shows we all loved as a kid. So let’s hear it.

What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

The half hour television show heavily focuses on problem solving. At the start of each episode, before Mickey and his friends start to work out the problem presented in each show, they have to go to the Mousekedoer to get their Mouseketools.  They include a variety of miscellaneous things they will need in order to find a solution to the problem — whether it be helping Goofy with his magic show, saving BooBoo Chicken from the Giant of the beanstalk, or waking up an enchanted sleeping Minnie.

There are anywhere between three and seven tools that are loaded onto “Toodles,” a quirky little mouse ears robot that follows the gang around to be called when they need one of the tools. The characters also address the concept of cause and effect. One of the characters will suggest a tool, like a stick of glue to bathe a puppy, and Toodles will show the gang what would have happened if they would have used the glue instead of the soap. There is always a mystery Mouseketool, so if none of the featured “tools” are any help, then it is time for the gang to call for the mystery one with a lot of fireworks and fanfare.

Along with the problem solving of matching what Mouseketool item is needed to fix which situation, the show also addresses shapes, colors, counting, patterns, and size comparisons. I think it’s great to have shows that kids find entertaining and also teach them something as well. I give this show two thumbs up.

The Little Einsteins is a children’s cartoon shown on Disney Channel during their Playhouse Disney (a series of shows blocked together geared towards preschool-aged children) time slot. It’s about four children who each have a different special talent — Leo (conductor), Annie (singer), Quincy (musician), and June (dancer) — and they use that talent to problem solve different situations and to help different characters with their problems. Each episode focuses on a couple different pieces of artwork, anything from paint on canvas to Navajo basket weaving, and music by a classical composer — Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, among others. These are always introduced at the beginning of the episode with the artist and composer name given with the art. The music always is incorporated throughout the episode while the art serves as backdrops to the action that’s happening.

In an era of mindless cartoon violence with no real lessons or values taught, it’s nice to have a children’s show that tries something a little different to engage kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love Saturday morning cartoons as much as the next person and I let my son watch what he wants that is age appropriate, but it truly gives me a kick when he walks around humming Swan Lake and knows that Tchaikovsky was the composer.