Believe it or not, I'm actually looking forward to next week's release of Alvin and the Chipmunks -- if only because, way, way back during the Antediluvian Period, when I was 10, I was a major fan of The Alvin Show, a TV cartoon series that aired Wednesday nights on CBS. But to give you some idea just how truly whack my childhood was: I would watch The Alvin Show each week right after the CBS affiliate in my hometown of New Orleans aired reruns of M Squad, quite possibly the most violent series in the history of television, featuring Lee Marvin as a pre-Miranda hardboiled cop and the coolest theme song I can remember from that era. Did I watch both shows? You bet. And, oddly enough, my sainted mother never saw anything wrong with this.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Remembering Alvin (and Lee)
Believe it or not, I'm actually looking forward to next week's release of Alvin and the Chipmunks -- if only because, way, way back during the Antediluvian Period, when I was 10, I was a major fan of The Alvin Show, a TV cartoon series that aired Wednesday nights on CBS. But to give you some idea just how truly whack my childhood was: I would watch The Alvin Show each week right after the CBS affiliate in my hometown of New Orleans aired reruns of M Squad, quite possibly the most violent series in the history of television, featuring Lee Marvin as a pre-Miranda hardboiled cop and the coolest theme song I can remember from that era. Did I watch both shows? You bet. And, oddly enough, my sainted mother never saw anything wrong with this.
These cartoon retreads make me wonder ... who are they aimed at? Today's kids wouldn't know Alvin from Mister Ed, so they're not invested in such a big screen translation of the original cartoons. And while you're looking forward to the film from a nostalgic point of view, I'm betting you're the exception.
ReplyDeleteYou have a valid point -- after all, look what happened to that live-action version of Mr. Magoo a few years back -- but there's more at work here than just a decades-old TV show. There have been several other TV series and specials (and even a feature-length cartoon), to say nothing of new records and LPs, that have helped keep Chipmunkmania alive for nearly 50 years.
ReplyDeleteI think it's about brand recognition - parents have kids (or grandkids) who enjoyed the '60s (or '80s) cartoons, so they're more likely to take their kids to the movie.
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