Once Upon a Geek

Presenting comic book advertisements for the 1980 Saturday morning cartoons!  Here we have ads from ABC, NBC, and CBS.

If I had to declare a winner for me personally in 1980, I guess it would have been ABC.  I was a big fan of Super Friends and Thundarr the Barbarian, and a moderate fan of Plastic Man and Happy Days Gang.  Conversely, Scooby-Doo had pretty much buried itself with Scrappy-Doo and no longer held any interest for me.  I’d say NBC was close on the heels of ABC in 1980 with winners like Godzilla/Dinomutt Hour, Space Ghost and Herculoids.  About the only time I’d switch over to watch CBS in 1980 was for Drak Pack and the Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour. Interesting that NBC had Daffy Duck and CBS had the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show.  I didn’t realize they split the Looney Toons characters up for these purposes.

I have fond memories as a child watching shows like Looney Toons, Scooby-Doo, Popeye, and Tom & Jerry.  Yet I watched them on weekday afternoons rather than Saturday mornings.  For me, Saturday morning cartoons were reserved for new and exciting adventures, not cartoons I could watch any day after school.  I guess I was a bit of a Saturday morning snob.

If you enjoy these, check out the Saturday morning cartoon ads I’ve run previously from 1983 and 1985.  The 1985 post also includes some of my general commentary about Saturday morning cartoons and what the current generation of kids are missing.

Chuck season 3 starts this Sunday, January 10, on NBC!  It kicks off with a two-hour premiere from 9pm-11pm EST, then will return to it’s usual Monday 8pm time slot.  I can’t wait!  It’s been a long road getting here, but we’re finally in store for some Chuck-tacular adventure!  Below is an extended season 3 preview (running time 5:56) to help get you in the mood.

If you can’t see the embedded video above, please click here.

NBC’s Chuck has not been picked up for a third season yet.  WTF?!?!  Seriously?!?!  Also, there are rumors that it might not get a third season based upon lackluster ratings.  Yikes!  A universe without Chuck scarcely bears thinking about.

Josh Schwartz, executive producer and co-creator of Chuck, explained that the second-season finale (airing tonight) will change the show in a way that will satisfy viewers whether the show is picked up for a third season or not.  Schwartz said, “This is our finale. This would be our finale whether we knew we were picked up, whether … we were picked up for next year or five years. This is what we’ve been wanting to do for a while, and we’ve had this planned since the beginning of season one.”  He continued, “It will end in a way that’s going to launch the show into season three with a real-it’s a game-changer. I think that it’ll be immensely satisfying in its own right, but it also really, really launches the show in a way that, you know, we’re already breaking season three stories and can’t wait to start telling them.”  For more, click here to read the story on Sci-Fi wire.

Before I knew Chuck hadn’t been picked up yet, I’d already started to suspect.  With the recent storylines (i.e. Chuck and Sarah, Orion, status of the Intersect in Chuck’s head, Captain Awesome, etc), it really seems like the show is changing in a big way.  In some ways, it felt like they were wrapping up every dangling subplot.  That’s when I first began to suspect the show might not be coming back.

I sincerely hope the show gets another season.  If it doesn’t, I’m going to be really depressed.  Other than Doctor Who (and its spin-offs), I’m not watching much TV at all.  At the very least, we have an awesome season finale to look forward to tonight (trailer below).

Saturday Morning Cartoons… aaaahhhh, a magical weekly event for us growing up.  Sadly, the current generation of children will never know the joy of Saturday morning cartoons.  They’re spoiled by 24-hour access to cartoons on television and DVD.  They don’t understand how limited our cartoon options were back then.   They’ll never appreciate the excitement and anticipation we felt going to bed on Friday night, knowing that the next morning the television BELONGED TO US!  No parental news programs, no cooking shows, and no The Joy of Painting.  From dawn ’til noon, it was bright colors, zany music, and moral lessons every 30 minutes.  It was OUR TIME!

Below is an advertisement that ran in DC comic books in the fall of 1985.  It’s promoting the upcoming fall line-up of Saturday morning cartoons on NBC.  Click the image for a larger view.

Advertisements like this were common in comic books.  You could usually find an ad from each network sometime in the late-summer or early-fall.  It was really the only place we got a sneak peek at the upcoming cartoons.  I remember pouring over these ads, studying the new cartoons, trying to figure out the time slots for each show, and planning my Saturday mornings accordingly.

It was the mid-1980’s when the magic of Saturday morning cartoons began to fade.  It was a combination of factors that really impacted them: the advent of first-run syndicated cartoons on weekdays (such as GI Joe and Transformers), the rise of children-targeted cable networks (such as Nickelodeon), the spread of home videos, and the success of Saturday morning live-action programs (such as Saved by the Bell).  By the early 1990’s, Saturday morning cartoons had lost their special place in most children’s hearts.

Dear Saturday Morning Cartoons… there are those of us who still remember you, still miss you, and still love you… Sincerely, My Geek-Generation.

Looking for some New Years Resolution ideas?  Why not try Captain Awesome’s suggestions! Here they are, stolen in their entirety from ‘Captain Awesome’s Tips for Being Awesome’ blog which you can read by clicking here.

(… in case you don’t know, Captain Awesome is from the awesome NBC TV show ‘Chuck’.  geez, get with the program, you geek …)

Captain Awesome’s New Years Resolutions

1) Be awesome. Everyone should strive for optimum awesomeness
in all situations. Remember: He who thinks he’s the most awesome… isn’t.

2) Help others be awesome. One of the most important things we can do is to make the world more awesome. Part of that is helping others maximize their awesomeness. For my part, I’m going to volunteer, save some lives and, oh, yeah, write a blog.

3) Don’t stress over things that aren’t awesome. Let’s face it, we all have days that are tough. The important thing to remember is that for every day that isn’t awesome, there are dozens, maybe hundreds of reasons to smile. So find something awesome about every day and focus on it. Awesome.

Happy New Year!
–Captain Awesome

Some Chuck items for your Friday!  If you missed this weeks throw down between Yvonne Strahovski and Nicole Richie in the shower, you can catch it on Hulu.com – “Chuck vs. The Cougars”.

I came across some other great Chuck-related resources this past week.  First up is the awesome fansite ChuckTV.net.  It’s a really well done and well-informed site.   They have lots of news, interviews, photo galleries from each episode (almost 2,000 screen captures from every episode!), a forum, and more.  A must for Chuck fans!

Second up is the podcast “Chuck vs. The Podcast“.  Very clever name, by the way.  I had no idea there was a fancast out there dedicated to Chuck!  Yay!  The podcast is affiliated with ChuckTV.net, so they provide lots of great interviews, news, and some spoilers.  They have done nine episodes so far, all offered in two formats. There is the straight MP3 format, and there is the enhanced AAC format that lets you see photos & web links, and also lets you skip from chapter to chapter.  Pretty cool!  Definitely worth your time if you like podcasts and Chuck.

Finally, new information to me that I read about on ChuckTV.net (but has actually been out there for a couple months) is the casting of Captain Awesome’s parents for an upcoming episode.  It’s been revealed that Captain Awesome’s parents will be played by Morgan Fairchild and Bruce Boxleitner!  Apparently they’re both doctors and just as fit and athletic and awesome as, well, Awesome.  That’s hilarious!  I can’t wait!

Do you find yourself yearning for more “Chuck” throughout the week?  Do you find yourself thinking, Monday at 8pm just can’t get here fast enough?  Do you find yourself daydreaming while in Best Buy, imagining it’s the Buy More?  Well, I’m here to help those in-between days.

As I’ve mentioned before you can watch full episodes of “Chuck” online through Hulu.com.  Additionally, you can pick up the Chuck comic book from Wildstorm (issue #4 should still be on shelves).

Now you can also watch a web-exclusive “webisode” of “Chuck”.  It’s only 81 seconds long, but it features a brilliant Agent John Casey moment!  Apparently, there are more of these webisodes on the way.  Yay!

You can also join the Buy More team at the website “Inside Buy More”.  You can choose to be a member of the Nerd Herd or a Buy More Sales Associate (Green Shirt).  There is a message board, employee training (a.k.a. games), and more available on this site.  I found myself playing around on this site far longer than I expected.  If you sign up, look me up under “Co-Workers” and add me as a contact.  You can find me as “OnceUponAGeek”.

Stop by and read Captain Awesome’s missives at “Captain Awesome’s Tips for Being Awesome!!“  This is a blog run by NBC and has some posts from Captain Awesome himself.

You can sign up to get text messages from NBC about Chuck.  I’m not sure what these are going to be (just signed up myself), but it indicates that I’ll get about five messages a week.  They better be full of awesome.

If you like behind-the-scenes things, then you can watch a few Chuck cast related videos from the 2008 San Diego Comic Con on Hulu.com.

• The Comic Con Walk with Chuck & Morgan (5 minutes)
  
• The Chuck Panel (45 minutes)
• Back Stage with Chuck Cast (6 minutes)

Of course if you feel like spending money, you can buy Chuck-related merchandise through the NBC online store.  I’m thinking about buying a Nerd Herd Lanyard before next year’s DragonCon myself.

Finally, if you happen to like Yvonne Strahovski (Agent Sarah Walker), then you might want to check out the website StraHOTski.com.  Very nice.

See… now don’t you feel better?  You can get through your week a little easier with more Chuck in your life.

I watched the “Chuck” season two premiere online this week – Chuck Versus The First Date.  It was AWESOME!  (pun intended)  It was well worth the wait we’ve endured since last season. The story was funny, the action was good, and the romantic tension really worked. 

Zachary Levi’s comedic talent continues to shine as the lovable, yet doofy, Chuck. Adam Baldwin brings a real intensity and straightforwardness to the role of the no-nonsense Agent Casey. And Yvonne Strahovski divides her time between being absolutely gorgeous and kicking some serious butt. It’s hard to believe her natural accent is Australian. They did a good job reinforcing the core concepts behind each of these characters and thus reminded us why we love them so much.

I’ve outlined below some of my favorite bits from the episode, however, be warned THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD.

If you want to watch the episode now before it airs on NBC next Monday, visit Hulu.com.

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SPOILER SPACE – I’m serious here.  I’m really going to blow the episode for you if you continue.

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SPOILER SPACE – You’re still reading?  Okay, you’ve been warned.

Overall the episode was very enjoyable.  There were several really funny scenes, possibly some of the best in the show’s history.  The chemistry between Chuck and Sarah was done especially well and seemed believable.  Casey struggling with his mission was interesting and made the character even more likeable.

A few things I enjoyed worth mentioning:

• Great opening scene featuring Michael Clarke Duncan holding Chuck by his tie.  Chuck leaning back like that was hilarious!  And later Duncan holding Chuck by his feet was good too.
• I was very pleased to see the opening credits now include Captain Awesome, Big Mike, Jeff, Lester, and Anna.  I like all those characters, so it’s cool they are getting the proper recognition. 
• I was laughing hysterically at Chuck’s shell-shocked expression in the aftermath of the shower scene!  Captain Awesome makes me laugh every time he’s on screen. 
• Yay for the ridiculously over-sexed yogurt scene (including the crazy windswept hair) and the underwear scene. 
• Casey’s tricked out apartment (camera, showers, and emergency adrenalin needle) and his love for Ronald Reagan.  Brilliant additions to this character.
• Casey’s fantastic rescue of Sarah and Chuck in the Chinese restaurant
• The use of Huey Lewis music and the posters in Chuck’s room (Tron, San Diego ComicCon, & “Y the Last Man”)
• The uncalled for and unwelcome advances from Jeff during the interview scene!  LOL!
• Morgan’s new haircut, his Call of Duty masterplan, & most of all the Thunderdome cage match!!!
• Chuck’s imposing team of tactical agents and the clever dialogue to go with it
• The fascination with Jeff eating 90 Twinkies; especially how Casey’s interest piqued when he heard that Jeff might die.

The only real criticism I have is that the Intersect 2.0 plot was cleaned up a little too neatly.  I got the impression that the CIA Director knew it was going to blow.  Perhaps he was affiliated with Fulcrum.  I just hope they revisit this plot later, otherwise it will feel too ’throw away’. 

The plot point of Chuck trying to better himself by leaving the ‘Buy More’ got me wondering how long that element of the show can survive. While I’m loving the ‘Buy More’ setting right now, I can envision a period in the future in which this part of the show becomes repetitive and tiresome.  It’s not boring right now, but could become that way someday.

I’m thrilled that season two has gotten off to such a great start.  I can only hope the rest of the season lives up to the example set by this episode.  Now I’m going to be miserable waiting two weeks for the second episode of the season to air!  Arrrggghhh!!!

If you know me, then you know I love the TV show “Chuck”.  I didn’t watch much TV last season, but I sure as hell didn’t miss an episode of “Chuck”.  Funny, action-oriented, clever, geeky, and a beautiful Australian blond.  That’s a recipe for awesome.

The good news is that the season premiere of “Chuck” airs on NBC on Monday, September 29.  Check out the official NBC website for details. The even better news is that the season premiere can be seen online a week earlier (Monday, September 22) on Hulu.com according to the “Chuck Online” fansite.

If you haven’t seen these already… check out these cool, yet subtle costumes from Dragon*Con that I saw this year.

If you need something to tide you over until the season premiere, you can watch older episodes of Chuck online through NBC.com or Hulu.  Additionally, you can check out the “Chuck” comic book from Wildstorm (see an earlier post of mine for details).

Finally, here are a couple “Chuck” season two commercials to get you jazzed.

Other than the Doctor Who dynasty of shows, I don’t watch much television.  However, there is one new show that I have totally fallen for in the past year… “Chuck” on NBC.  The show is about a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government’s most vital secret. With the government’s most precious secrets in Chuck’s head, NSA’s John Casey and CIA’s Sarah Walker assume the responsibility of protecting him. The show is a mixture of action/adventure and sitcom, with just a dash of angsty romance.  Somehow they’ve hit upon a magical formula that just works.

If you haven’t seen the series, you can watch a few episodes (including the pilot) at the official NBC web site for Chuck.  The series features the hilarious and brilliant Zachary Levi as Chuck.  Sara Walker is played by one of the hottest women to come out of Australia, Yvonne Strahovski. John Casey is played by fantastic Adam Baldwin.  The supporting characters are also awesome (pun intended, if you watch the show)!

Recently Wildstorm comics started a six-issue mini-series based upon the show.  It’s being written by series co-executive producer Peter Johnson and series writer Zev Borow, so it’s not just some lousy throwaway spin-off.  The first issue came out last month (hopefully you can still find it in stores), while the second issue is slated to come out this week.  I felt that Issue #1 was well done.  Since its being written by people from the actual show, you get the sense that they got the characters “voices” right.  I love the homage to Gilligan’s Island in the beginning where Chuck plays Gilligan and his boss plays Skipper.  Funny stuff!  Also, some former Chuck adversaries make appearances in the comic, so that was fun.  Finally, there is a one-page back-up called “Captain Awesome’s Tips for Being Awesome!!”  That was great… or dare I say AWESOME!  All told, I think the comic mini-series is off to a good start.

There were also a few recent Hellboy II: The Golden Army commercials featuring Chuck.  Check them out below.

 Chuck hangs with Hellboy…

Better head to the Buy More…

If you can’t view the embedded videos, just head over to the official NBC web site for Chuck.