Tube Talk Thursday - Brought To You by Hans S.

Hello, everyone!  And, welcome to the brand new home for all television discussions!  It's a theme day that I like to call "Tube Talk Thursdays".  And, in Tube Talk Thursdays, anything that has ever aired on television is up for grabs.

So, what are some of the topics that could come up in Tube Talk Thursdays for discussion?  Well, I'm glad you asked.

CARTOONS

SITCOMS

SOAP OPERAS
PRIME-TIME DRAMAS
REALITY SHOWS

CABLE CHANNELS

TALK SHOWS
NEWS PROGRAMS
KIDS SHOWS
GAME SHOWS
PROGRAMMING FROM OVERSEAS
VARIETY SHOWS

And, so much more!  The reason why I decided to do this is so I could give equal attention to all different types of television - not just one.  You'll notice that I have exactly twelve different topics up for possible discussion.  This means that I can go in a twelve week cycle featuring one different kind of show per week.  I certainly hope that you enjoy the new twist on an old favourite!

In fact, I have a confession for all of you.  I decided to start with a discussion on a cartoon series because I was given the idea by one of the readers of this blog!  (Thanks again, Hans S.!)  He sent me a message through the Facebook Fan Page for this blog (which you can all join if you use Facebook simply by clicking HERE), and we had a great chat about a particular cartoon that he not only used to watch, but is in the process of seeking out quality copies of the program.

Now, I hear what you're saying.  Considering that hundreds of cartoon series can be readily purchased on DVD or Blu-Ray, you're thinking that the discussion that Hans and I had deals with a program that is incredibly hard to find.  And, you're absolutely right.  It is hard to find.  I honestly haven't seen one episode of the cartoon series, yet, strangely enough the name of the series rings serious bells.  It's as if I remember it, but I don't remember it.  You understand what I'm saying?  Yes?  No?  Maybe so?

Have you ever heard of a cartoon series called "Mighty Orbots"?  Well, judging by the entry that I looked up on Wikipedia (seriously, there are literally no other sources where I can find any information on the series), it was a collaborative effort between Japan and the United States, and it originally ran for thirteen episodes at the tail end of 1984.

(Wow...no wonder I don't remember it.  I was all of three years old back then.)

Though, just based on the premise of the show - a group of six robots using their powers to battle against the evils of the world (circa the 23rd century).  When all six robots are formed together, they have the power to become the Mighty Orbots, capable of standing up to any foe in the quest for peace and harmony. 

By the way, the six robots, in case you were wondering, were named Tor, Bort, Bo, Boo, Crunch, and Ohno.

Of course, Mighty Orbots was one of those programs that was quite controversial in its short run.  Whilst doing research for this television show, I discovered that a lawsuit was actually filed against the creators of Mighty Orbots by Tonka Toys!  Apparently, Tonka accused the creators of the show of stealing ideas from their GoBots line of toys - which were adapted themselves from Bandai's Machine Robo line.  It just seemed like it was too much of a coincidence that one of the robots in the cartoon had almost the same exact colours as the Godmars toy from Bandai - even though the colours were later changed.  Though I'm unaware of how that lawsuit ended (I couldn't find any information on any sort of aftermath), I can say that the lawsuit likely spawned the premature ending of the show after just thirteen episodes - and was one of the few cartoons of the 1980s to have a definite series finale.

At any rate, I kind of wish that I was old enough to remember this show.  Judging by the premise of it, it did look like something that I would have been interested in seeing it.  And, some of the voice actors who were a part of this program either already did some iconic voices, or went on to do iconic voices.  Barry Gordon and Jennifer Darling were both principal cast members of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", and of course, the late Don Messick was the voice of Scooby-Doo for nearly three decades!

But you know, just talking about "Mighty Orbots" got me thinking about other cartoon shows that I remember watching as a kid that I haven't thought about in years.  Shows that have only lasted a season or two that I remember really liking but had too short of a shelf life to get really attached to.

Take the show "Camp Candy", for example.  The cartoon aired on NBC for just a couple of years before NBC became the "Saved By The Bell" channel, and I loved that show.  I thought the idea of John Candy becoming a camp counselor to a bunch of children was an ingenious one, and I definitely wish that series would be released on DVD at some point because I would love to be able to watch it again.

Or, how about "Galaxy High", the show where two high school students from Earth are accepted into the only intergalactic school in the solar system?  It was a brilliant show which showed us all that sometimes the top dog of the school will have to start all over again...and that sometimes the biggest nerd in the school can become popular.

And of course I loved "My Pet Monster".  To me, it seemed like that show lasted longer than a year as it was always on television.  But, how could I not watch it?  How could I not love a monster that ate garbage, befriended three kids, ran away from a gigantic evil monster named Beastur, and scared the neighbour's dog in a variety of different ways?  I tell you, that's another show that I want to try and find on DVD format. 

(Don't judge me.  I already have a lot of childhood cartoons in my DVD collection.  If I ever have kids, they'll come in handy someday.)