Bucky O'Hare

When Toads turn bad, who is going to save the day?

Bucky O'Hare will!!

The storyline of Bucky O'Hare follows a parallel universe (the aniverse), where a war is ongoing between the slightly inept United Animals Federation (run by mammals) and the sinister Toad Empire. The Toad Empire is led by a vast computer system known as KOMPLEX, which has brainwashed the toad population.

The series only consisted of 13 episodes, another one of those situations where there seemed to be more episodes than there really were!

Danger Mouse

Arguably one of the greatest cartoons ever made at any time ever, it's Danger Mouse!!

Danger Mouse is a wacky and hilarious adventure featuring a white secret agent mouse and his trusty bumbling sidekick hamster assistant, Penfold. Penfold is lovingly daft and usually needs to be saved from one situation or another, and is the greatest sidekick ever known. Together, they are given assignments by Colonel K., their commander/walrus.
They regularly have to foil the dastardly schemes of their arch nemesis, a meglomanic frog named Baron Silas Greenback and his henchman crow, Stiletto.

Fun Facts - In 1983 when Danger Mouse was at it's peak popularity, it was getting 21 million viewers in the UK, beating the likes of Coronation Street and is a record still unbeaten by any other children's show to this date!

The theme tune was sung by Myfanwy Talog, who was the partner of Sir David Jason (voice of Dangermouse) for 18 years until her death from breast cancer in 1995.

Penfold's first name is Ernest!!

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

This is my third post of the day, and my final birthday celebration post for this year, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends!!

Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Bobby Drake (Iceman), and Angelica Jones (Firestar) are all college students at Empire State University. After working together to defeat the Beetle and recovering the "Power Booster" he stole from Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) the trio decide to team-up permanently as the "Spider-Friends". They live together in Peter's Aunt May's home with her and a pet dog, Ms. Lion, (adopted from Firestar). Together, the superheroes battle various supervillains.
Some stories featured team-ups with other characters from the Marvel Universe, including Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Sunfire, and the mid-1970s line up of the X-Men. (taken from Wikipedia)

X-Men (1989)

Today is my birthday, so today's TV shows are based on one of my other loves, Marvel comics. First up to the plate is the 1989 pilot for the X-Men series that never made it past this one episode. Entitled Pryde of the X-Men, it features a very different line-up to the later 90's series. (to be posted in the future)

Funding for this pilot actually came from the budget for RoboCop - The Animated Series. Instead of making a 13th episode of RoboCop, Marvel Productions decided to use their funding to have Toei Animation produce the animation for this pilot. The pilot itself is most specifically influenced by issues #129-139 of Uncanny X-Men.

Narrated by X-Men co-creator Stan Lee, Pryde of the X-Men stars Professor Xand the X-Men (Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, (who speaks with an Australian accent despite being Canadian in the comics) Kitty Pryde, and Dazzler) saving the world from Magneto and his "Brotherhood of Mutant Terrorists" (Toad, the Blob, Pyro, Juggernaut, and the White Queen).

Fun Fact - The reason why Wolverine has an Australian accent in this version was to capitalize on the Aussie craze of the 80's (Crocodile Dundee, Mad Max, etc). Supposedly, the comics were meant to reveal that Wolverine was an expatriated Australian, but it never got past the planning stages, so he was left as a Canadian.

Transformers The Movie (1986)

In celebration of my birthday today, I am slightly changing things up a bit. As well as the usual TV shows, I'm throwing a full length movie into the mix!

Today we have my favourite animated film of all time, Transformers The Movie!

The story takes place in 2005, 20 years after the events of the TV series' second season and serves to bridge into the third season. Set to a soundtrack of synth-based incidental music and hard-driving metal music, composed by Vince DiCola, the movie has a decidedly darker tone than the television series, with detailed visuals in Toei Animation's typical anime film styling, and like G.I. Joe The Movie, Decepticon villains that are more menacing, killing without hesitation. The film features several grand battles in which a handful of major characters meet their end.
The film's tagline was: "Beyond good. Beyond evil. Beyond your wildest imagination."

I first went to see this movie at the cinema with my brother for my 8th birthday!!

The Wuzzles

“Here in the land of Wuz, they’re having twice the fun, ’cause every single thing is really two-in-one…”

Responding to a request from a Broom Cupboard Club fan...

It's The Wuzzles!

The Wuzzles features a variety of short, rounded animal characters (each called a Wuzzle, which means to mix up). Each is a roughly even, and colourful, mix of two different animal species, and all the characters sport wings on their backs.
 All of the Wuzzles live on the Isle of Wuz. Double species are not limited to the Wuzzles themselves. From the appleberries they eat to the telephonograph in the home, or a luxury home called a castlescraper, nearly everything on Wuz is mixed together in the same way the Wuzzles are.

Fun Fact - Eleroo was voiced by Henry Gibson, who appeared in many movies, including The Blues Brothers, The 'Burbs, Innerspace and Gremlins 2!

Thunderbirds 2086

Today's first offering is Thunderbirds 2086!

The series takes place in 2086 and chronicles the adventures of TechnoVoyager, a rescue team portrayed as the "Thunderbirds" working for the International Rescue Organisation.
Unlike the original International Rescue, which was small-scale and family-run, TechnoVoyager is a vast organisation comprising numerous branches and overseen by the Federation, this series' equivalent of the United Nations.
Although the show is called Thunderbirds 2086, the Tracy family, who ran IR in the original series, are not mentioned. In this version, the Thunderbirds name is used to refer to the team, while in the original series the name merely referred to their vehicles.
Also another major difference in this series is that there were a total of 17 different Thunderbird vehicles used throughout the show.

Silverhawks

It's SilverHawks!! The space adventure series produced by the same people who brought you ThunderCats!

Bionic policeman Commander Stargazer recruited the SilverHawks, heroes who are "partly metal, partly real," to fight the evil Mon*Star, an escaped alien mob boss who transforms into an enormous armor-plated creature with the aid of Limbo’s Moonstar. Joining Mon*Star in his villainy is an intergalactic mob: the snakelike Yes-man, the blade-armed Buzz-Saw, the "bull"-headed Mumbo-Jumbo, weather controller Windhammer, shapeshifter Mo-Lec-U-Lar, robotic card shark Poker-Face, weapons-heavy Hardware, and "the musical madness of" Melodia (uses a "keytar" that fires musical notes).

Quicksilver (formerly Jonathan Quick) leads the SilverHawks, with his metal bird companion TallyHawk at his side. Twins Emily and Will Hart became Steelheart and Steelwill, the SilverHawks’ technician and strongman respectively. Country-singing Col. Bluegrass played a sonic guitar and piloted the team’s ship, the Miraj. Rounding out the group is a youngster “from the planet of the mimes,” named Copper Kidd, a mathematical genius who spoke in whistles and computerized tones. Their bionic bodies are covered by a full-body close-fitting metal armor that only exposes the face and an arm, the armor is equipped with a retractile protective mask, retractile wings under-arm (except Bluegrass) thruster on elbows, and laser-weapons over the body.
At the end of every episode, Copper Kidd was quizzed (along with the home audience) on various space facts by Col. Bluegrass.

Fun Fact - The voice of Melodia was performed by Maggie Wheeler, famously known as Janice from Friends! Oh. My. God!

Paddington Bear

Paddington Bear!

Found at Paddington train station by the brown family and taken home, this friendly and polite bear from darkest Peru is here to warm your hearts. With a never ending love for marmalade sandwiches and a penchant for getting himself into trouble, Paddington always tries 'so hard to get things right'!

It was one of the few television programmes to combine a puppet show with cartoon - Paddington himself was a puppet, but other characters in the series were depicted as cartoon characters.

The Wind in the Willows

Everyone knows the tales of The Wind in the Willows, so I have posted the Cosgrove Hall stop motion classic for you to enjoy!  The series follows on from the feature film produced in 1983, made by the same production company.

The series is set at "The Riverbank", a mythical location somewhere in Berkshire. The Riverbank is where Ratty, Mole and Toad live. Nearby is the Wild Wood, where Badger and the Wily Weasels live.

The series stars David Jason as Toad and the Chief Weasel, Michael Hordern as Badger, Peter Sallis as Rat (replacing Ian Carmichael who voiced Rat in the original 1983 film), and Richard Pearson as Mole. Ian Carmichael remained in the series, re-cast as the narrator. The Chief Weasel was almost always accompanied by his unnamed bumbling henchman.

Badger, Ratty, Moley and Toad are all waiting for you!

Captain Planet

Captain Planet! Earth needs your help!

Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, is awakened from a long sleep by Hoggish Greedly, who happens to be drilling above her resting chamber. Realizing that the damage is extensive, Gaia sends five magic rings, four with the power to control an element of nature and one controlling the element of Heart, to five chosen youths across the globe: Kwame from Africa, Wheeler from North America, Linka from the Soviet Union, Gi from Asia, and Ma-Ti from South America.
These five are dubbed the Planeteers and are tasked with defending the Earth from the greatest of disasters and making efforts to educate mankind to keep others from happening.
In situations that the Planeteers cannot resolve alone, they can combine their powers to summon Captain Planet, a super hero, who possesses all of their powers magnified, symbolizing the premise that the combined efforts of a team are stronger than its individual parts. 

Fun Fact - The voice cast was riddled with Hollywood stars. Whoopi Goldberg, LeVar Burton, Meg Ryan, Tim Curry, David Rappaport, Dean Stockwell, John Ratzenberger, James Coburn, Martin Sheen, Neil Patrick Harris and Elizabeth Taylor all lent their voices to the show at one point or another!

Willo The Wisp

Willo The Wisp was a cartoon featuring all manner of odd yet wonderfully enchanting creatures. The Wisp himself narrates the stories about the various characters living in Doyley Wood.

All of the character were voiced by Kenneth Williams of the 'Carry On' movies.

Join us now and find out what Brian the caterpillar, Mavis the fairy, Carwash the cat, The Moog (the dog who shouldn't think) and Evil Edna the TV are up to!

The Real Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters!!

Not just any old Ghostbusters, mind! (Yes Filmation, I am looking at you!)

It's The Real Ghostbusters!

Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston are suited up, proton packs charged and have traps at the ready to save the city, and even the world from those menacing spooks and spectres!

Fun Facts - Ernie Hudson was the only actor from the films who auditioned to voice his character in the cartoon. He lost out to Arsenio Hall!
Also many early episodes were written by J. Michael Straczynski, who went on to create Sci-Fi classic, Babylon 5 and also spent time writing issues of Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man comic!

The Animals of Farthing Wood

Farthing Wood is in danger. Humans are planning on tearing it all down an building a housing development on it. There is nothing the resident animals can do except leave and try to find a new home.

And so begins the epic quest of the Animals of Farthing Wood!

Based upon the novels written by Colin Dann, the cartoon series ran for three seasons chronicling the adventures of Fox, Vixen, Badger, Mole, Adder, Owl, Toad, Kestrel and many more as they travel to White Deer Park in search of a new place to call home and the subsequent adventures after they arrive!