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Post by greyfmdan on May 31, 2021 11:11:58 GMT -5
I’ve been revisiting some of the Disney Afternoon classics on D+. And honestly, I’ve been enjoying seeing Bonkers again. While I wouldn’t rank it as high as old-school DuckTales, Darkwing or TaleSpin, I probably have been enjoying it more than Rescue Rangers or Goof Troop. (And that’s no disrespect to the latter two—both were favorites as a kid.)
So I’m wondering why Bonkers really doesn’t seem to get much respect. Probably the biggest thing, IMO, was that due to the timing and similarities in the premise, it came off as something of a Roger Rabbit knockoff. But standing on its own, it’s a decent show. And maybe seeing it as an adult, I’m picking up more on its nuances.
Anyway, I say Bonkers is underrated and under-appreciated. Can you prove me wrong?
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Post by horsemen4ever on May 31, 2021 11:56:39 GMT -5
I agree about the Lucky episodes, and only the Lucky episodes. Not so much the Miranda episodes or the raw toonage shorts.
What do you think, I have had this idea for a long time for a Disney + live action / animated series. A Bonkers sequel that has Lucky's now grown up daughter Marilyn as the main human character.
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Spider2024
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Post by Spider2024 on May 31, 2021 11:59:49 GMT -5
I liked it.
(Quick question while I'm here: Why did the Animaniacs writers hate the show? Because based on a later season episode of Animaniacs, they take some jabs at Bonkers and it seems like there was some backstage/insider drama that I can't seem to find any info on.)
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Post by mrtuesday on May 31, 2021 12:48:31 GMT -5
I liked it. (Quick question while I'm here: Why did the Animaniacs writers hate the show? Because based on a later season episode of Animaniacs, they take some jabs at Bonkers and it seems like there was some backstage/insider drama that I can't seem to find any info on.) Spielberg owns 50% of the Roger Rabbit franchise. Disney can't do anything without his involvement or approval. He, and those he worked with, saw Bonkers as Disney's way of doing Roger Rabbit without having to involve him. So there's a little bitterness there. |
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Post by James Fabiano on May 31, 2021 13:47:38 GMT -5
I liked it. (Quick question while I'm here: Why did the Animaniacs writers hate the show? Because based on a later season episode of Animaniacs, they take some jabs at Bonkers and it seems like there was some backstage/insider drama that I can't seem to find any info on.) Spielberg owns 50% of the Roger Rabbit franchise. Disney can't do anything without his involvement or approval. He, and those he worked with, saw Bonkers as Disney's way of doing Roger Rabbit without having to involve him. So there's a little bitterness there. I remember an urban legend that "Bonkers" was to be A!'s original name, but Disney swiped it first. More likely, it was the A! crew's love of Disney potshots, which like many of the "shoots" the show did got turned up to eleven on Kids' WB. And I actually LIKED Miranda more. |
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on May 31, 2021 13:55:21 GMT -5
I’m pretty sure there was some obvious Roger influence with Bonkers, him being a “toon actor” who works with a slobby detective (difference being since it’s all a cartoon, the human cast are just slightly more realistic). Think I heard something about how they asked artists who were good at drawing Roger to shift that personality onto a fresh animal.
But I always thought it was a cute and charming show, not like a top tier iconic cartoon but I did laugh at it often.
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Post by greyfmdan on May 31, 2021 16:04:09 GMT -5
I agree about the Lucky episodes, and only the Lucky episodes. Not so much the Miranda episodes or the raw toonage shorts. What do you think, I have had this idea for a long time for a Disney + live action / animated series. A Bonkers sequel that has Lucky's now grown up daughter Marilyn as the main human character. I’m not yet to the Miranda episodes in my watch-through, and don’t really remember seeing too many of them as a kid, so my frame of reference at this point is solely the Lucky episodes. Since that was the bulk of the series, though, I’d think that’s how the show is best remembered. And yeah, given the way Disney keeps rebooting/modernizing past franchises, it wouldn’t at all shock me for them to do something like your idea. |
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Post by James Fabiano on May 31, 2021 16:05:54 GMT -5
I agree about the Lucky episodes, and only the Lucky episodes. Not so much the Miranda episodes or the raw toonage shorts. What do you think, I have had this idea for a long time for a Disney + live action / animated series. A Bonkers sequel that has Lucky's now grown up daughter Marilyn as the main human character. I’m not yet to the Miranda episodes in my watch-through, and don’t really remember seeing too many of them as a kid, so my frame of reference at this point is solely the Lucky episodes. Since that was the bulk of the series, though, I’d think that’s how the show is best remembered. And yeah, given the way Disney keeps rebooting/modernizing past franchises, it wouldn’t at all shock me for them to do something like your idea. No they only do it when it isn't needed and wouldn't add to an older title (see: Cauldron, Black.) |
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Post by horsemen4ever on May 31, 2021 16:19:22 GMT -5
I agree about the Lucky episodes, and only the Lucky episodes. Not so much the Miranda episodes or the raw toonage shorts. What do you think, I have had this idea for a long time for a Disney + live action / animated series. A Bonkers sequel that has Lucky's now grown up daughter Marilyn as the main human character. I’m not yet to the Miranda episodes in my watch-through, and don’t really remember seeing too many of them as a kid, so my frame of reference at this point is solely the Lucky episodes. Since that was the bulk of the series, though, I’d think that’s how the show is best remembered. The thing that really bothered me about the Miranda episodes. Is how Bonkers interact with his old Bonkers cartoon (the Raw Toonage shorts) co stars. In the Lucky episodes, they are fellow actors that talk like they were on a TV show, while on the Miranda episodes, they are all still in character. So confusing. You don't have Baby Hermine act like he was a real baby when they are not in the cartoons. Speaking of, in my reboot idea, it is role reversal for Bonkers and Fawn Dear relationship. She would have a crush on him, and Bonkers would be too dense to realize it, like a regular Naruto / Hinata type thing. |
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Post by A Platypus Rave on May 31, 2021 16:50:00 GMT -5
I liked it. (Quick question while I'm here: Why did the Animaniacs writers hate the show? Because based on a later season episode of Animaniacs, they take some jabs at Bonkers and it seems like there was some backstage/insider drama that I can't seem to find any info on.) Spielberg owns 50% of the Roger Rabbit franchise. Disney can't do anything without his involvement or approval. He, and those he worked with, saw Bonkers as Disney's way of doing Roger Rabbit without having to involve him. So there's a little bitterness there. My understanding is that it started life as a Roger Rabbit cartoon but they couldn't for that reason. I’m not yet to the Miranda episodes in my watch-through, and don’t really remember seeing too many of them as a kid, so my frame of reference at this point is solely the Lucky episodes. Since that was the bulk of the series, though, I’d think that’s how the show is best remembered. The thing that really bothered me about the Miranda episodes. Is how Bonkers with his old Bonkers cartoon (the Raw Toonage shorts) co stars. In the Lucky episodes, they are fellow actors that talk like they were on a TV show, while on the Miranda episodes, they are all still in character. So confusing. You don't have Baby Hermine act like he was a real baby when they are not in the cartoons. Speaking of, in my reboot idea, it is role reversal for Bonkers and Fawn Dear relationship. She would have a crush on him, and Bonkers would be too dense to realize it, like a regular Naruto / Hinata type thing. Part of that is because despite airing later Miranda was created first... before the retweaked the show... which is also why several character from the Lucky era seemingly vanish in the Miranda episodes. |
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Post by BlackoutCreature on May 31, 2021 17:53:50 GMT -5
I sat down and tried to watch some episodes from the lesser regarded Disney Afternoon shows (Bonkers, Goof Troop, Mighty Ducks, Quack Pack) about a year ago. Honestly the only one I could make it through whole episodes of was The Mighty Ducks. I tried both Lucky and Miranda episodes, but Bonkers just did nothing to grab my attention.
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CMWaters
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Post by CMWaters on May 31, 2021 18:01:05 GMT -5
The biggest (and possibly weirdest) memory of "Bonkers" I have is after they showed the debut movie that started the series, they re-aired "Down and Out With Donald Duck" with Lucky and Bonkers giving comments at the start and end of each commercial break.
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Post by greyfmdan on May 31, 2021 22:15:41 GMT -5
Re: The Roger->Bonkers evolution... Take this FWIW, but one of Disney’s animation series developers at the time said in a Q&A a few years back, that while Roger was an inspiration for Bonkers, the intention was always for Bonkers to be his own character/show. /*Yeah, not sure I totally buy it either. I sat down and tried to watch some episodes from the lesser regarded Disney Afternoon shows (Bonkers, Goof Troop, Mighty Ducks, Quack Pack) about a year ago. Honestly the only one I could make it through whole episodes of was The Mighty Ducks. I tried both Lucky and Miranda episodes, but Bonkers just did nothing to grab my attention. There’s some room for opinion on this so YMMV... But I’m not sure Goof Troop was really a lesser regarded show. It ran during DA’s peak era, it was big enough to get two follow-up movies, and one or two of its original characters have been adopted into Disney canon (Max, & arguably PJ). That said, its tone was quite different from other DA shows, and I get that it wouldn’t necessarily have appealed to everyone. I’m enjoying seeing it again myself, but as I said in my OP, I’m not sure it holds up as well as some other DA shows. |
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Post by carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) on May 31, 2021 22:29:34 GMT -5
I always really liked the theme song. All the Disney Afternoon shows had fabulous theme songs.
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Post by BlackoutCreature on May 31, 2021 22:53:24 GMT -5
I sat down and tried to watch some episodes from the lesser regarded Disney Afternoon shows (Bonkers, Goof Troop, Mighty Ducks, Quack Pack) about a year ago. Honestly the only one I could make it through whole episodes of was The Mighty Ducks. I tried both Lucky and Miranda episodes, but Bonkers just did nothing to grab my attention. There’s some room for opinion on this so YMMV... But I’m not sure Goof Troop was really a lesser regarded show. It ran during DA’s peak era, it was big enough to get two follow-up movies, and one or two of its original characters have been adopted into Disney canon (Max, & arguably PJ). That said, its tone was quite different from other DA shows, and I get that it wouldn’t necessarily have appealed to everyone. I’m enjoying seeing it again myself, but as I said in my OP, I’m not sure it holds up as well as some other DA shows. Goof Troop is kind of a weird case for me. I really do like the characters, and I appreciate that characters like Max have been adapted into the Disney canon proper. I also really like A Goofy Movie. But when you mix Goofy's antics with Pete's antics and then the kid's antics and then combine that all into the traditional sitcom formula the show was going for, well it just runs thin quick. In small doses it's enjoyable, stretched out to 78 episodes at 22 minutes a pop like the show was, I just lose interest way too quickly. There's a reason why the character previously was best known for his seven minute shorts - any longer and you're just wondering why anybody still lets him anywhere near a ladder. |
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Post by A Platypus Rave on May 31, 2021 22:56:24 GMT -5
My favorite part of Goof Troop is that Pete's wife and daughter being named after Pete's old nicknames.  |
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Post by greyfmdan on May 31, 2021 23:32:45 GMT -5
There’s some room for opinion on this so YMMV... But I’m not sure Goof Troop was really a lesser regarded show. It ran during DA’s peak era, it was big enough to get two follow-up movies, and one or two of its original characters have been adopted into Disney canon (Max, & arguably PJ). That said, its tone was quite different from other DA shows, and I get that it wouldn’t necessarily have appealed to everyone. I’m enjoying seeing it again myself, but as I said in my OP, I’m not sure it holds up as well as some other DA shows. Goof Troop is kind of a weird case for me. I really do like the characters, and I appreciate that characters like Max have been adapted into the Disney canon proper. I also really like A Goofy Movie. But when you mix Goofy's antics with Pete's antics and then the kid's antics and then combine that all into the traditional sitcom formula the show was going for, well it just runs thin quick. In small doses it's enjoyable, stretched out to 78 episodes at 22 minutes a pop like the show was, I just lose interest way too quickly. There's a reason why the character previously was best known for his seven minute shorts - any longer and you're just wondering why anybody still lets him anywhere near a ladder. That’s a fair assessment. To some extent, I’d say Quack Pack ran into the same issues. Personally I’m enjoying seeing it & find it pretty reminiscent of the classic Donald + nephews shorts. But I can see where, for some viewers, stretching it out to a 22 minute daily show would cause it to run thin. And unlike Goof Troop, I can’t really defend its legacy based on the follow-up. QP was sort of just forgotten. |
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Post by carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) on Jun 1, 2021 14:04:17 GMT -5
There’s some room for opinion on this so YMMV... But I’m not sure Goof Troop was really a lesser regarded show. It ran during DA’s peak era, it was big enough to get two follow-up movies, and one or two of its original characters have been adopted into Disney canon (Max, & arguably PJ). That said, its tone was quite different from other DA shows, and I get that it wouldn’t necessarily have appealed to everyone. I’m enjoying seeing it again myself, but as I said in my OP, I’m not sure it holds up as well as some other DA shows. Goof Troop is kind of a weird case for me. I really do like the characters, and I appreciate that characters like Max have been adapted into the Disney canon proper. I also really like A Goofy Movie. But when you mix Goofy's antics with Pete's antics and then the kid's antics and then combine that all into the traditional sitcom formula the show was going for, well it just runs thin quick. In small doses it's enjoyable, stretched out to 78 episodes at 22 minutes a pop like the show was, I just lose interest way too quickly. There's a reason why the character previously was best known for his seven minute shorts - any longer and you're just wondering why anybody still lets him anywhere near a ladder. This is a weird thing to say, but as a kid I couldn't get into Goof Troop because I was kind of a Goofy snob. But it's a different way of saying the same thing you're saying here: Those Sports Goof shorts are FANTASTIC. Goofy just works best as a silent foil to a snobby voice-over. |
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Post by horsemen4ever on Jun 3, 2021 18:56:36 GMT -5
One thing I don't understand about "New Partner On The Block", could they have temporary write off Lucky, he is taking a temp job, he will be back soon?
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CMWaters
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Post by CMWaters on Jun 3, 2021 18:59:43 GMT -5
One thing I don't understand about "New Partner On The Block", could they have temporary write off Lucky, he is taking a temp job, he will be back soon? From what history I have gathered (someone can correct me on this if I messed up): The Miranda episodes were actually made first, but some higher ups didn't think the show would sell to the audience as well if they aired as is. Thus, the Lucky episodes were created (with an origin pilot this time) to start things off, and then the switch off to the Miranda episodes would come later. Given Lucky and company weren't conceived when the Miranda episodes were made, they had to find a way to write him off permanently (getting a new job elsewhere and taking a certain amount of the cast with him) so viewers wouldn't wonder why he wasn't back. Again, might be missing some details or such there, but IIRC that's the gist of it. |
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