 DVD Review: Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960s & 1970s Vol. 2 Sets
By Craig Byrne - KryptonSite Webmaster
Warner Home Video recently released compilation DVDs of many of their classic cartoons. Probably aimed at those who grew up watching these programs, these "decade" sets provide a little bit of everything from the Warner Bros. animation library.
The best thing about these sets, for someone like me, is seeing some classic animation I've never seen before. Sure, I've seen, say, Quick Draw McGraw, but a Gulliver cartoon? Didn't even know it existed. That's pretty cool. Plus it's amusing to see characters such as Peter Potamus or Sealab 2020 in their original incarnations rather than what we see on Harvey Birdman or Sealab 2021.
The introduction to each disc is intended to be a "throw-back" to times past, but to be honest, if they were going to make this a "time capsule," I wish they had presented it like animation would have been in the 60's or 70's. Whether it's with original network bumpers (with permission) or even some of the local TV hosts, it just felt like, well, a DVD intro, rather than a trip through to Saturday mornings of the past.
Of the two sets, the 70's set is actually more to my liking. There's an episode of the Gilligan's Island cartoon which, despite seeing so much of the original series and even a reunion movie or two, I had never seen the cartoon. Some of the shows on the 1970's set are also a bit more obscure, which means they brought out more curiosity in me. On Disc 2 of the 70's set there's even an episode of The Banana Splits Show that had more of that "time capsule cartoon intro" feel that I wish all of the sets did.
Some shows have their original bumpers and the original Hanna-Barbera logos; unfortunately, in some cases they're replaced with a modern logo which also took me out of the moment.
One HUGE complaint I have about these DVD compilations is that nowhere on the packaging or within - unless you put in the disc - does it have any listing of what exactly is on the disc. It would've taken some designer all of an hour to do, and it would've served as a great guide for myself (or any potential viewer) to find what we like.
Being a child of the Eighties, I really wish that Warner Bros. would do a 1980's set of the cartoons they have access to. Apparently Thundercats and Silverhawks are part of the WB menagerie (I'm still waiting for the Vol. 2 Silverhawks set), but beyond them, what about The Flintstone Comedy Hour with the Shmoo? Scooby Doo with Scrappy? (Yes I went there!) Mister T? The Gary Coleman Show? Or even going into the late 80's, things like The Flintstone Kids? I would eat a set like that up and rewatch over and over... much like a child of the 60's or 70's might with these current sets.
Additionally, I would love it if Warner Bros. would raid their vaults to find obscure television series for similar sets. Take a decade like the 80's - not many people would buy a Just The Ten Of Us DVD set, but if it was part of a set including episodes of shows like Head Of The Class, Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, and other Warner Bros.-owned favorites? Definitely! I'd even go so far as to say I'd be down for a DVD compilation of the classic TGIF line-up (you know, when people actually watched TV on Friday nights)... or a "Classic The WB" set (now I'm really dreaming, aren't I?)
Either way, especially if you grew up in an era when these classic cartoons were on, check out the sets. It's good clean fun, too, for kids if you have them. Both sets were recently released from Warner Home Video.
Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Volume 2 and 1970s Volume 2 arrived on DVD on October 27. Order yours from Amazon.com and support this site!
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Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Volume 2 & 1970s Volume 2
Warner Home Video
Available October 27, 2009
Many episodes, 2 discs per set
KidsWB.com
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