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AarHan3
09-06-2006, 08:22 PM
(A day of infamy for Tom & Jerry fans!)

The New Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show, a new cartoon series from Hanna-Barbera, premiered - 8:30 (EDT) on ABC Saturday Morning. Here the long-popular Tom and Jerry, after years of rivalry, have (in order to appease ABC Standards and Practices!) become the best of friends (and Jerry dons a red bowtie, so the animators would be able to "fragment" his movements), in episodes wherein they roamed the world competing in sports, enduring on-the-job misadventures, running afoul of dastardly villains, solving mysteries and helping others.

Each hour-long telecast of New Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape was split into five segments in a specific format: alternating with three 7-minute New Tom & Jerry segments were two 10-minute ones concerning a 40-foot purple ape, Grape Ape (voiced by the late Bob Holt) and his fast-talking beagle buddy, a carnival hustler answering to the unlikely moniker of Beegle Beagle (voiced by Marty Ingels), or "Beegley Beagley," as G.A. would lovingly refer to him. It was Hanna-Barbera’s only new series for the 1975-1976 television season.

The first shows on the agenda that week were as follows:

"No Way, Stowaways" with Tom & Jerry
"That Was No Idol, That Was My Ape" with Grape Ape
"The Ski Bunny" with Tom & Jerry
"The All-American Ape" with Grape Ape
"Stay Awake Or Else..." with Tom & Jerry

It would add a new component series, The Mumbly Cartoon Show, in its second and final season on ABC Saturday Morning in 1976-77 as The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape/Mumbly Show and The Tom & Jerry/Mumbly Show (when Grape Ape parted ways with the cast in November 1976 only to resurface on Sunday mornings in 1977-78 as The Great Grape Ape Show). Following the completion of its network run in 1977, the 48 New Tom & Jerry cartoons from 1975 (now The Tom & Jerry Show, which featured each 7-minute New Tom & Jerry cartoon framed in-between main and end title credits) were mixed with the backlog of theatrical-era MGM Tom & Jerry cartoons from 1940-67 for syndication. This, of course, is the version of Tom & Jerry which serious animation fans have and continue to take to with such disdain.

Yes, in spite of every slight, insult, rant and defiling ever cast at this particular version of the beloved cat-and-mouse, it still gets as much airtime as does the classic T&J shorts (thank you CN and Boomerang!). And it remains my firm favorite to this very day.


Happy 31st Anniversary!! (September 6, 1975-September 6, 2006)


And now, if you will, kindly SING ALONG!!!


THE TOM & JERRY/GRAPE APE SHOW THEME SONG
Words and Music by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera and Hoyt Curtin
published by Anihanbar Music, Inc. (BMI)

Set your dial for a while!
Have a laugh, wear a smile!
The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show!
You'll begin with a grin
When you first tune us in:
The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show!

Introducing that famous cat and mouse...TOM & JERRY!
And there it is...it's THE GREAT GRAPE APE!
("I am, I am, Grape Ape, Grape Ape!" "Love that Tom and Jerry!")

(instrumental solo)

Lots of zing, lots to sing!
Everything's gonna swing!
So, get ready - here we go! (Beegle Beagle: "HERE WE GO!")
Big or small, short or tall,
You will all have a ball
On The Tom & Jerry/Grape Ape Show!

http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/1716/tomandjerrygrapeape8wa.jpg

CapnQuisp
09-08-2006, 08:54 PM
I just have to hand it to you Aaron, your enthusiasm for this show knows no bounds! Personally, I thought it was a cool concept to see Tom and Jerry playing nice after years of hitting each other on the head with cast iron skillets. Kinda gave me warm fuzzies. And I remember that theme song being INSANELY catchy, perhaps the catchiest ever. If this show comes to DVD I will definitely purchase it.

Brainatra
09-08-2006, 10:12 PM
>> (A day of infamy for Tom & Jerry fans!)

(Flashback on: September 6, 1975, to a small house in Indiana; fade in on YOUNG BRAINATRA, all of 4-5 months old, being held by MOM and DAD, wearing 70's-era clothing. All are seated in front of a typical 70's-era TV set. YOUNG B. is sucking on a "Shazam!" (Capt. Marvel) doll someone gave him.)

YOUNG B: (Baby gurgling noises)

MOM: That's right---today a new Tom and Jerry cartoon comes on. (Flips through a TV GUIDE with Sonny and Cher on the cover) OK, here it comes... (gets up, turns on the TV set, adjusts the rabbit-ears and sees the show start; however, YOUNG B. starts crying, and his parents turn the set off, trying to coddle him)

DAD: Yeesh---when did those two start playing *nice* with each other? Next thing you know, we'll be seeing that B-movie actor who's running California get elected President or something...

;-)

-B.
Did watch this show in reruns on weekday afternoon TV as a kid, mixed with various old theatrical T&J shorts and the Filmation T&J series...

Eric B
09-13-2006, 10:17 PM
With all the talk about the newfangled Scooby show coming up, nobody mentioned the all new Tom & Jerry show ("--Tales") on CW on the 23rd!
Looks pretty good, from what they show on the Kids WB site (apparently KWB is not being renamed on the new network!) Spike is drawn just like on the classic series!