The Jetsons - Season 2, Volume 1

Following the success of The Flintstones, Hanna Barbera took the same basic premise of transporting a traditional sitcom in time but sent it into the future by 100 years, creating The Jetsons, who resembled the typical American family. George Jetson and Jane, his wife, had two kids (“his boy Elroy/ daughter Judy”) and a dog named Astro.

After airing in prime time from 1962 to 1963, the 24 episodes ran on Saturday mornings for years. Two decades later, the series’ on-going popularity spawned new episodes for syndication, first airing in the fall of 1985. This three-disc set presents 21 episodes from throughout the second season, though not ordered by airdate.

This new production finds the premise of the show more directed towards an audience of children. The science-fiction aspect was played up more in the stories and computers are much more prominent. The Jetsons family also had a new addition in the form of an alien named Orbitty, a small gremlin-type creature with springs for legs that changed colors to reflect its mood. While decent enough for kids, as an adult I didn’t find the stories to be particularly funny or memorable.

The entire cast is reunited for this new round of production, including legendary voice talents Mel Blanc (George’s boss, Mr. Spacely) and Hanna Barbera regulars Daws Butler (Elroy) and Don Messick (Astro), which is great for continuity.

The Jetsons' original opening credits were used with a slightly different arrangement of the theme song. A difference in the animation can be seen, particularly in the brightness of the colors. I was disappointed that the closing credits were changed from the original series where George takes Astro out for a walk on the sidewalk treadmill

On disc 2 there is the lone Special Feature of the set: “The Jetsons Return to the Future” a much-too-short, eight-minute documentary about the new series with people who worked on the show and animation historians. For an animation fan, it is the most interesting item of the set.

Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection, Vol. 3

Tom and Jerry, the iconic cat and mouse, are not only the funniest duo in cartoon history, but under the direction of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, they were arguably one of the greatest comedy teams ever, deserving to be mentioned alongside other all-time greats like Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and The Three Stooges, whose comedy was the closest human equivalent to their animated high jinks.

Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection, Vol. 3 concludes the series by presenting 35 cartoons ranging from 1947’s “A Mouse in the House” to four of the last in-house MGM shorts from 1958, as the studio shut down their animation department the previous year. While it’s very good to have these cartoons available on DVD, Vol. 3 unfortunately continues Warner Home Video’s trend of upsetting the adult collector, who they claim on the box this set is “intended for.”

The entire second disc contains 15 newly remastered cartoons in their original CinemaScope Widescreen format, 2.4:1. Unfortunately, the 20 other cartoons aren’t given the same treatment, resulting in a less than pristine appearance as dirt and scratches can be seen. Not enough to bother the casual fan, but obvious to the serious animaniac.

Throughout their madcap adventures, recurring characters periodically join Tom and Jerry. Butch is a black cat who alternates between being Tom’s friend and nemesis. Spike the bulldog, not the one from the Droopy cartoons, was also known as “Killer” and “Butch.” When he spoke, Daws Butler gave him a voice like Jimmy Durante. Quacker was a little duck with a distinctive voice, a precursor to the Hanna-Barbera character Yakky Doodle. In “The Duck Doctor” he looked like a mallard, then in “Downhearted Duckling” he was all yellow.

For the cartoons that find Tom and Jerry in a house, they usually have to deal with Mammy Two Shoes, a caricature of African-American maid, an unfortunate yet typical mindset found in many cartoons of the ‘40s and ‘50s. In fact, this former attitude has caused WHV to not include two cartoons from the series, which has upset a number of adult collectors. The official statement reads,

Two shorts, "Mouse Cleaning" and "Casanova Cat," will not be included in the third and final Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection of theatrical animated shorts from the Hanna-Barbera era at MGM. Although this collection is intended for mature audiences and collectors (not for children), Warner Home Video made the decision to omit these two shorts because, regardless of their historical context and artistic value, the offensiveness of certain scenes containing inappropriate racial stereotypes would diminish the enjoyment of the Collection's 35 other classic cartoons for a large segment of the audience.

While it’s an understandable position not wanting to offend people, it is at odds with WHV’s own warning at the beginning of the discs which states that while WB finds these depictions wrong and don’t represent their views they “are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.” Some of the censored material was included in the Special Feature “Cat and Mouse: The Tale of Tom and Jerry,” a great documentary that covers many of the people responsible for the cartoon series, but apparently that’s okay because someone tells the viewer what they are seeing is wrong since the adult collector is unable to figure that out on their own. WHV comes off as inconsistent in the matter, and if there is enough demand, might change their decision.

If you haven’t started buying the series yet, Vol. 3 should be left to complete the set because there is quite a bit of repetition. Disc one has three best-of cartoons: “Jerry’s Diary” (1949) includes clips from 1945's “Tee for Two,” “1944's Mouse Trouble,” 1946's “Solid Serenade,” and 1943's Academy Award-winner “The Yankee Doodle Mouse;” “Life with Tom” (1953) samples 1946's “Cat Fishin’” and 1948's “The Little Orphan” and “Kitty Foiled;” and “Smarty Cat” (1954) also takes gags 1946’s Solid Serenade” and “Cat Fishin’,” as well as 1952’s “Fit to be Tied.” Three of the CinemaScope cartoons are remakes from 1949. “Hatch Up Your Troubles,” nominated for an Academy Award Short Subject/Cartoons, became “The Egg and Jerry” (1956), “Love That Pup” became “Tops with Pops” (1957), and “The Little Orphan” became “Feeding the Kiddie” (1957). While the picture got bigger, that didn’t mean they got better, particularly the animation. All the backgrounds look terrible and hastily drawn. However, there are plenty of laughs, which is the most important factor.

Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, Volume Three

Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law is a show so wonderfully bizarre, wildly unpredictable, and oddly humorous it is not bound by the laws of continuity, so it doesn’t matter where you jump in. Volume Three collects episodes #27 through series finale #39; these shows premiered from August 2005 to July 2007. It is just as good a place to start as any.

The series uses a concept similar to that of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, updating an old Hanna-Barbera superhero, but instead of a talk show, Birdman appears in a courtroom show working as an attorney for Sebben & Sebben. The episodes are 12 minutes long and feature the talents of Gary Cole, Stephen Colbert, and a number of talented actors in a variety of roles. Guest appearances include Lewis Black as Elliott, The Deadly Duplicator, Michael McKean as Evelyn Spyro Throckmorton, and for H-B fans, cartoon voice veteran Frank Welker in the finale.

The cases involve other HB characters in ridiculous yet plausible circumstances. This collection includes Top Cat involved with illegal gambling, Atom Ant being cited by the EPA for high radiation levels in his home, and in an amusing post-modern tweak, “Identity Theft” pokes fun at how a number of Hanna Barbera cartoons, Scooby Doo, Speed Buggy and Jabberjaw, had the same premise (a group of kids solving mysteries) and characters (Shaggy, Tinker, and Clambake respectively).

Fans of Birdman and the Galaxy Trio and 1960’s H-B cartoons will recognize the cast, albeit in appearance only. Avenger, a purple eagle that was Birdman’s sidekick, now works as his legal secretary. Falcon Seven, Birdman’s superior, is now Phil Ken Sebben, his boss at the law firm. Former villains also show up. Reducto and Vulturo are opposing attorneys, and Mentok the Mind Taker is a judge. But don’t worry; the scales of justice are balanced as The Mighty Mightor, a former star of his own superhero cartoon, is as well. Plenty of other characters from the H-B library with the strangest deviation coming in the form of Peter Potamus as the irritating, sex-obsessed co-worker. In this volume, he develops the ability to turn into a creature similar to The Incredible Hulk.

The wildest shows of the set occur outside the courtroom. “Turner Classic Birdman” is hysterical with TCM’s Robert Osborne introducing a “discovered” classic episode that the creative team has messed with. There is also a funny industrial orientation video for new employees joining the law firm Sebben and Sebben.

The language on the two-DVD set is censored, which as usual is funnier than hearing the curse words. There are special features that show behind the scenes with the voice actors, deleted scenes, storyboard animation, and a joke timeline of the running gags throughout the series, so every appearance of Inch High Private Eye and every utterance of Black Vulcan saying, “In my pants,” is revealed.

The show is a lot of fun if you can keep up with the rapid-fire pace. An awareness of the character’s previous incarnations aren't needed to enjoy the show, but they do make it more rewarding. Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law currently still airs on Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network.