Saturday 15 March 2014

Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings

Penny Crayon's drawings used to come to life, but what if your drawings were alive and you could enter their world? Let's follow a boy who can do just that, Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings!




Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings is about a little boy who likes to draw things on his chalk board, in his room. But this isn't an ordinary chalk board, it's a magic one. You see, anything that he draws on it comes to life. He didn't know this initially and only found out by accident when he found a ladder against a fence, down the road, and decided to climb it and go over the fence. When he did, he found himself in the Land of Chalk Drawings, populated with all the people and things that he had previously drawn on his chalk board. The people explained that Simon had brought them to life, and as you can expect, they were very grateful. With this knowledge, Simon tried to draw things for the people that lived there, to make their lives easier and more interesting.

The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog

Based on the console games, comes the first incarnation of Sonic the Hedgehog's many cartoons. This one is from 1993!


Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is a fast-paced cartoon with much slapstick humor, akin to such shows as Animaniacs or Tiny Toons Adventures. The show features very few recurring characters, usually just Sonic, Tails, Robotnik and his two hench-bots Scratch and Grounder (with a third robot, Coconuts, appearing often) - however, there are many occasional minor characters and robots too. The plots often loosely follow the storyline of the video games series, although the franchise was relatively new during that time and lacks much plot or character development, which was filled in by the show's writers.

Phantom 2040

Let's spend some time with a legend, a man who is rumoured to be immortal, The ghost who walks... It's Phantom 2040!



In the year 2040, environmental disasters and the economic Resource Wars of the early 21st century have decimated the fragile ecological balance of an Earth once teeming with life. Everywhere, the privileged and wealthy continue to thrive in expensive real estate developments that tower above the suffering masses. The victims of Earth’s misfortune have been forced to subsist on scavenged refuse from the past on the mangled streets of forlorn city-states.
In Metropia (once known as New York City), the largest and most powerful of the city-states, the powerful robotics manufacturing corporation Maximum Inc. has slowly shaped a cold, steely urban center, consisting of huge, residential towers intertwined with TubeTrain tunnels. Maximum's robotic "biots" (Biological Optical Transputer System) have replaced enormous amounts of human labour, and the corporation is illegally producing prohibited combat biots to form Maximum's personal underground army. Under this guise of efficient progress, Maximum has own plans for the future, all known as the Maximum Era. Through the construction the fortress of Cyberville, an immense survival shelter where only the wealthiest and most elite humans will retreat, and the take over of Metropia by Maximum's biot armies, their plans all ultimately involve the dark path of decline and extinction as the culminating result of man's prior errors and efforts, once Earth finally succumbs to its slowly deteriorating state.
The only hope for the survival of humanity is the Ghost Jungle — thousands of square miles of mutated vegetation that may be the planet's salvation. This secret source of life is submerged beneath Metropia where no one is aware of it, but fortunately, college student Kit Walker Jr. is chosen by fate to save the world, donning the black mask and purple suit of his people’s savior, the 24th Phantom.
The role of the Phantom has been passed on from father to son since the 16th century, leading the world to believe that the Phantom is a single immortal individual. Kit, the 24th in the line, is young, unsure, and inexperienced, but he finds within him the courage and might to battle the evil that threatens to destroy the Earth.

Friday 14 March 2014

Postman Pat

No real need for indroductions for this show! Postman Pat is here to deliver his letters!



Each episode follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a friendly country postman, and his "black and white cat" Jess, as he delivers the post through the valley of Greendale. Although he initially concentrates on delivering his letters, he nearly always becomes distracted by a concern of one of the villagers and is usually relied upon to resolve their problems. Notable villagers include the postmistress, Mrs. Goggins; Alf Thompson, a farmer; and the local handyman and inventor, Ted Glen.

Widget the World Watcher

Time for an environmentally aware cartoon from the early 90's. It's Widget the World Watcher!


The show focused on a 4-foot-tall, purple alien from the Horsehead Nebula named Widget who could shapeshift (usually by spinning like a top into different forms, in early episodes he seems to still be getting used to his power). He and a group of young, human friends; brothers, Kevin, Brian and their teenage sister Kristine, would go through a number of adventures to protect the natural environment from those who wish to plunder or harm it. Later on they were joined by (fellow shapeshifter) Half-Pint, Widget's mischievous, overly-curious, hyperactive cousin. Widget is frequently accompanied by the Mega Brain, an extremely intelligent but somewhat clumsy being who appears as a floating head (with a transparent cranium) and floating hands.

Thursday 13 March 2014

Conan the Adventurer

Time for a little sword and sorcery action on the BCC. Been a while hasn't it? I give you Conan the Adventurer!





Conan lived in Cimmeria with his parents throughout his childhood. While out with his grandfather one night on a trek, "fiery tears" or meteors dropped from the skies. Conan collected them and brought them back to his family. Conan's father, the village blacksmith, used the ore from the meteors to forge Star Metal and used it to create various tools and weapons that would never rust or break or dull. He sold them, but his finest work, a magnificent sword, he kept for Conan. It was laid in a crypt and covered over with a heavy stone slab. Conan's father told his son that only when he was "man enough" (i.e., strong enough) to push off the stone slab, could he rightfully claim the sword.

Meanwhile, the evil Serpent Man wizard Wrath-Amon learned of Star Metal and that in addition to its strength that it possessed the power to open portals between dimensions. He thus sought Star Metal to release his deity Set from "the Abyss" to which he long ago had been banished by the combined powers of virtually every living wizard then on Earth for trying to enslave the human race. As part of his search, Wrath-Amon sought out Conan's family. Conan's father told Wrath-Amon that he had sold all of the Star Metal but the wizard refused to believe it (The wizard was right for aside from the sword, it was revealed in a later episode that Conan's father had hidden pieces of Star Metal with other villagers). Wrath-Amon used the spell of living stone upon Conan's family.

Conan by then had gone to claim his Star Metal sword to attack Wrath-Amon and his followers. When the Star Metal sword got near Wrath-Amon it disrupted his magic and showed his reptilian face. To this, he said, "Those who see the true face of Wrath-Amon must perish!". Having chased away the wizard, Conan then turned to his family and swore in the name of their god Crom to find a way of releasing them from the spell.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

The Bots Master

Time for some futuristic adventure now, with The Bots Master!





In year 2025 A.D., robotics have become commonplace, performing menial tasks and working in industry. For that, the world can thank the young genius robotic engineer Ziv "ZZ" Zulander and the Robotic Megafact Corporation (aka RM Corp) he works for. Ziv's creation of the "3A robot series" revolutionized the world and its application of robotics. However, Sir Lewis Leon Paradim (aka "LLP", president of RM Corp) isn't satisfied being one of the wealthiest men in the world; he desires world domination. With his assistants Lady Frenzy and Dr. Hiss, LLP plans to take control of the planet through a coup, using the very same 3A bots that ZZ had invented to benefit humanity. Dr. Hiss creates a new chip, called the "Krang Chip", which can be used to override any 3A series robot to take orders exclusively from RM Corp. ZZ learns of LLP's evil plan and decides to defect from the company, intending to stop the continued manufacture and distribution of the Krang Chips.
LLP and his cohorts originally seek to capture ZZ and convince him to switch sides, but ZZ refuses. Utilizing his A.I. robotic creations, the B.O.Y.Z.Z. (Brain Operated Young Zygoetopic Zoids), Zulander stages a robotic guerrilla war against RM Corps' military bots. Shortly after escaping RM Corp, ZZ rescues his sister, Blitzy Zulander, and takes his operation literally underground to avoid enemy detection. After securing his base of operations, ZZ and his BOYZZ begin their private campaign against RM Corp.

Tuesday 11 March 2014

The Perils of Penelope Pitstop

Another classic from the Hanna-Barbera stable for you today, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop!





The Perils of Penelope Pitstop was a spin-off of Wacky Races. Every episode, The Ant Hill Mob (Clyde, Dum Dum, Softy, Yuk Yuk, Snoozy, Zippy & Pockets) must protect Penelope from 'The Hooded Claw' and his henchmen, The Bully Brothers. 'The Hooded Claw' is really Penelope's guardian, Sylvester Sneakly in disguise and wants to bump off Penelope so that he can have her inheritence.

Monday 10 March 2014

The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin

Can you remember Teddy Ruxpin, the cuddly bear that told stories? Here is the cartoon that was made to expand the world that Teddy's stories started!



The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin follows young Teddy Ruxpin as he leaves his home on the island of Rillonia with his best friend Grubby to follow an ancient map which leads him to find a collection of crystals on the mainland of Grundo. With the help of his new friend Newton Gimmick, Teddy and Grubby discover the magical powers of what turns out to be an ancestral treasure as well as an organization with ambitions to use it for evil known as M.A.V.O. (short for Monsters and Villains Organization). Along the way, Teddy learns the long-lost history of his species and clues to the location of his missing father.

Doug

Today's first show is one of the original 'Nicktoons' that aired on the Nickelodeon channel. It's Doug!




Doug Funnie and his family (which consists of his parents Theda and Phil, sister Judy, and dog Porkchop) move from the town of Bloatsburg to Bluffington after his dad receives a job promotion. Often, Doug will write in his journal about his experiences in his new hometown.
The show focuses on the surreal and imaginative exploits of its title character, Douglas "Doug" Funnie, who experiences common predicaments while attending school in his new hometown of Bluffington, Virginia. The series lampoons several topics, including puppy love, bullying, and rumors. Numerous episodes center around Doug's attempts to date his classmate Patti Mayonnaise.

Sunday 9 March 2014

Catweazle

Another piece of nostalgic gold for you today, with Catweazle!


Catweazle was a Saxon hermit who lived in a cave in the woods. His attempts at magic made him unpopular with the Normans, who had recently conquered the country, and when soldiers invaded his cave intending to arrest him for witchcraft, Catweazle grabbed his familiar (a toad called Touchwood) and beat a hasty retreat. Pursued, he jumped into a nearby lake while trying to cast a spell to take him somewhere else. For once, his magic worked, though not quite as intended. Catweazle emerged from a small pond on Hexwood Farm, nine hundred years in his own future.
Confused by the changes around him, Catweazle took refuge in a barn, where he was discovered by Edward (or Carrot as Catweazle calls him), the son of the farmer. Carrot befriended the timelost Saxon, and tried to help him learn about his new world (though the untrusting Catweazle bespelled him so Carrot couldn't tell anyone about his new friend). Catweazle for his part was shocked by what he saw as examples of magic all around him (cars, phones, televisions, etc), and became convinced that Carrot was a sorcerer too, when he turned on a lightbulb, or "the sun in a bottle" as Catweazle described it. Basing himself in an old water-tower which he dubbed Castle Saburac, Catweazle set about investigating his new time.

Worzel Gummidge

Morning everyone! Today I'm going to bring you a couple of real nostalgic treats! Firstly, we have the classic Worzel Gummidge!



Worzel Gummidge was a scarecrow that could come to life. Living in Ten Acre Field, he would often visit the nearby village of Scatterbrook. He befriended two children, brother and sister John and Sue Peters, often trying to clear up the messes he created. Worzel had a collection of interchangeable turnip, mangel wurzel and swede heads; each suiting a particular occasion or allowing him to perform a certain task. He also had his own language, Worzelese. Worzel's catchphrases were: "A cup o' tea an' a slice o' cake", "I'll be bum-swizzled" and "Bozzy MCoo".
He was madly in love with Aunt Sally, a vain, cruel-hearted fairground coconut-shy doll who considered herself a lady and far too good for a common scarecrow such as Worzel. Aunt Sally often exploits Worzel for her own ends (in one episode, she promises to marry him if he frees her from a junkshop washing machine, but she never has any intention of going through with it and jilts him at the altar).