TheLittleSongbird

'The Pink Panther' "Tickled Pink" (1968)

Opening thoughts: The Pink Panther to me is one of animation's most iconic characters. DePatie-Freleng Enterprises' output was very hit and miss, or at least post-1970 it was, especially the later theatrical series. With hits such as Pink Panther and the Ant and the Aardvark, and duds such as Crazylegs Crane. For me, The Pink Panther on the whole was the studio's best theatrical series, though The Inspector and Ant and the Aardvark ones come close. It did become very variable from the mid-70s onwards, but the 60s-early 70s output contained some of the studio's best work.

All the previous years' batches were on the whole very solid, with a very high number of good cartoons and mostly more than that. Of all the previous 1968 Pink Panther cartoons, only 'Pink Valiant' was barely average. Meanwhile, 'Little Beaux Pink' and even more so 'Pinkadilly Circus' particularly stood out in a good way. 'Tickled Pink' is an example of a one joke cartoon, which did have me worried upon rewatching it after a decade as one joke cartoons don't always work due to over-predictability and repetition. But this is an example of one that does.

Bad things: Sure, the premise is very more of the time and there is not much original. It is also on the thin side story wise.

Good things: However, so much is good. The animation is kept simple but has good detail and the colours are pretty. You don't expect the music to be any less than good, and it is good, in fact the music is great. It is jazzy and energetic and the theme tune still has its timeless value.

While there is nothing extraordinary or creative about the gags, that doesn't matter so much because they're still well-timed and funny. It's also very one-joke stuff but it's executed well. The accidental painting of the white lines and Pink's escape from the train in the subway were particularly good. The ending is funny too.

Pink is still of great likability, charm and coolness as a character, carrying the cartoon with no problems at all.

Closing thoughts: All in all, very good and fun, one-joke cartoons don't always work but 'Tickled Pink' did.

8/10.

'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' "Sightless in a Savage Land" (2021)

Opening thoughts: Expectations were rather mixed for "Sightless in a Savage Land". Was absolutely delighted at seeing Rafael Barba, one of the best things about the period where he was on 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' and one of the reasons why the show was still stuck with (despite its decline some time before). At the same time, part of me was apprehensive, as the previous three episodes were very disappointing and there have been times when the show doesn't do returns and exits of characters well.

After three disappointing episodes, Season 22 at least shows promise with "Sightless in a Savage Land". Barba is a joy and far from wasted and overall, despite one major problem, "Sightless in a Savage Land" is very good with many excellent things. As far as Season 22 goes, it is one of the better episodes by quite some way with it being one of the small handful to be above good. Is it a 'Special Victims Unit' high point? No. But it does show that the show hasn't completely lost it, despite the much higher number of average or less episodes with each season.

Good things: So much is great about "Sightless in a Savage Land". The production values are slick and have subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has momentum while also having freedom. The acting is some of the best of the season, though overall the acting was one of the stronger aspects of it. Raul Esparza is authoritative and sassy, which was so refreshing, and it is like he had never left. Of the regulars, Peter Scanavino, who really has shone throughout Season 22, particularly impresses.

Particularly in his dynamite chemistry with Esparza, the conflict between them being surprising and having tension. There is lots of tension in the courtroom and while the story is predictable it still intrigues and grabs the attention in a suspenseful way. The dialogue is thought provoking and there is nothing awkward or preachy in it.

However, "Sightless in a Savage Land" isn't perfect. Olivia is too unnecessarily judgmental towards Barba at the end, do agree that Barba's way of thinking is the opposite of what she insinuated and it does go against what we know about them in past seasons where they generally had respect for each other.

Closing thoughts: Very good episode otherwise.

8/10.

'Showbiz Shark' (1976)

Opening thoughts: Not all DePatie-Freleng's output is below average or bad. In fact, the 1960s Pink Panther cartoons (and some of those from the early 70s) and the Inspector and Ant and the Aardvark theatrical series were very good and excellent at their best. And the Roland and Rattfink and Sherriff Hoot Kloot series, while uneven, had their good moments. So on the whole, generally the output was the opposite of bad, even if it declined quite badly in the mid-70s.

The Misterjaw theatrical series is one of the studio's weaker theatrical series, with none of the 34 cartoons being awful but also none of them good. It is not as bad as the Crazylegs Crane series, which failed in almost every area, but my overall feelings are similar to that of the Dogfather series in finding it rather mediocre and forgettable. Which sums up 'Showbiz Shark' very well, a few good things but also a lot of significant drawbacks done very badly.

Good things: There are good things here in 'Showbiz Shark'. The animation is surprisingly, considering the period for the studio where the quality of almost everything was noticeably cheaper, not bad at all. Some nice colours and good fluidity in the air action.

Did think too that the music had some nice character and that some of the voice acting has some spirit.

Bad things: Unfortunately the drawbacks are many and big, as well as impossible to ignore. It is for one thing very formulaic, with pretty much all the too few gaga being rather tired and predictable to the extent that remembering them long after is hard. Also badly lacking in variety. The catchphrases are very lame and corny to the point of groaning, a big problem when the writing is so reliant on them in a cartoon that feels very repetitive. The cartoon would have been a lot better without the canned laughter track, which sounded cheap and wasn't necessary in the slightest considering that the writing is not very sitcomish.

Furthermore, the story is paper thin yet also feels rushed product like and repetitive. It is also overly silly, even for a premise where serious suspension of disbelief is needed to begin with. The characters are very one note and bland in personality, and they are neither funny or endearing and instead too slapped together and product of the time like. With Misterjaw and Catfish, it was like seeing an even more bumbling Pug and even more annoying Louie from the Dogfather series in fish form. There is not an awful lot of chemistry between them and the ending is mean spirited and felt abrupt and incomplete.

Closing thoughts: Overall, mediocre.

4/10.