The Richie Rich Show (80s version) Talkback

[Shawn Hopkins]

I saw a talkback for the DVD release, but those are meant for talk about the DVDs, not the show generally. So here's this.

I am a Scooby fan and I've been watching the Scooby episodes on the Richie Rich/Scooby Doo Show DVD. And I haven't been skipping the Richie Rich shorts. It's not as masochistic an exercise as I thought. I don't mind that they made Richie older and his new design is fine, and Dollar with his daydreams can be funny. Although there are definitely some annoying, repetitive things about the show.

The biggest problem with it is that, I guess for more gender diversity, they use Richie's girlfriend Gloria as his sidekick in almost every episode instead of using his best friends PeeWee and Freckles, who I think I saw in one episode so far in barely recognizable form. But the problem is Gloria isn't Richie's friend or sidekick, she is his girlfiend, so all of their adventures play kind of like really fun dates.

Also, as a fan of the comics I think they missed the boat by taking the spotlight off Cadbury and putting it on Irona as Reggie's most loyal servant. Sure, Cadbury can't turn into a helicopter, but his hypercompetence as the world's most perfect butler would add more adventure to the show than Irona's goony antics.

Frankly, the cash gags and Dollar screwing things up get old fast, so the show is better when it focuses on adventure than when it tries comedy. One segment, "One of Our Aircraft Carriers Is Missing," actually manages to have a very exciting story with lots of chases and boat crashes. It's the most Scooby Doo like of the episodes I've seen, too, it has a mystery and the villain is designed in such a way he looks like he walked off the Scooby Doo set.

So, what do you guys think of the show?

[Tobias]

I always liked Richie's Hanna Barbera design. His regular Harvey Comics look always looked weird to me.

The only thing I never cared for were Dollar's antics. He was far more annoying that any version of Scrappy Doo.

WB/CN should really strike another deal with Harvey Comics. I'd love to see Cartoon Network tackle a current day Richie Rich/Casper (Not that horrible CGI series) 2D show.

[Anthonynotes]

I liked watching Richie Rich as a kid; as an adult, I still find it enjoyable, though agree some of Dollar's antics can get old after awhile. The Constructo episode was amusing (Keenbean carries a strait jacket around with him? Heh... and Irona's now-dated line about enjoying gasoline "at a dollar a gallon"---made back during the end of the 70s fuel crises that sent gas prices up), as were the time-travel episodes.

I also liked Irona, "goony antics" and all... :-p

-B.

[Silverstar]

As a fan of the comics I think they missed the boat by taking the spotlight off Cadbury and putting it on Irona as Reggie's most loyal servant. Sure, Cadbury can't turn into a helicopter, but his hypercompetence as the world's most perfect butler would add more adventure to the show than Irona's goony antics.

True, Cadbury could have been utilized more, but Irona was a robot. Kids love robots. If a Saturday morning TV exec has to choose between a human butler and a robot who can turn into a steamroller, 9 times out of 10 they're going to go with the robot. I guess the producers figured that Irona's shtick would fare better in TV animation than Cadbury's perfection.


Frankly, Dollar screwing things up get old fast.


Agreed. Dollar's bits of business involving him somehow losing the dollar signs off his hide or imagining himself performing some feat of daring-do, then screwing up in the actual execution might have been cute if only done once in a while, but week after week those gags just became tiresome.

[Anthonynotes]

True, Cadbury could have been utilized more, but Irona was a robot. Kids love robots. If a Saturday morning TV exec has to choose between a human butler and a robot who can turn into a steamroller, 9 times out of 10 they're going to go with the robot. I guess the producers figured that Irona's shtick would fare better in TV animation than Cadbury's perfection.


(Flashback to 1980...)

THE ONE OUT OF TEN TV EXEC FROM ABOVE: I'm telling you, this'll be stellar! A butler who's perfect in every way!

WRITER: I dunno, I mean, the butler's good and all, but I mean, we're talkin' about a robot who can turn into a steamroller!

TV EXEC: *Puh-lease*... do you really think kids are going to watch a TV show about shape-shifting robots? That's *not* what the kids of the 80s will want to tune into! I mean, kids *love* butlers... look at that guy that waits on Batman!

WRITER: Um, "The New Adventures of Alfred Pennyworth" doesn't have the same ring to it...

TV EXEC: Who cares? Pitch me an idea about the butler so I can pitch *it* to the other execs tomorrow! I'll change their minds yet! (Sees the lights dim) And call the electrician---must be that faulty transformer again...

WRITER: "Transformer"? Hmm...

:-p

-B.

[Shawn Hopkins]

(Flashback to 1980...)

THE ONE OUT OF TEN TV EXEC FROM ABOVE: I'm telling you, this'll be stellar! A butler who's perfect in every way!

WRITER: I dunno, I mean, the butler's good and all, but I mean, we're talkin' about a robot who can turn into a steamroller!

TV EXEC: *Puh-lease*... do you really think kids are going to watch a TV show about shape-shifting robots? That's *not* what the kids of the 80s will want to tune into! I mean, kids *love* butlers... look at that guy that waits on Batman!

WRITER: Um, "The New Adventures of Alfred Pennyworth" doesn't have the same ring to it...

TV EXEC: Who cares? Pitch me an idea about the butler so I can pitch *it* to the other execs tomorrow! I'll change their minds yet! (Sees the lights dim) And call the electrician---must be that faulty transformer again...

WRITER: "Transformer"? Hmm...

:-p

-B.

That is hilarious. I guess I just like the comics Cadbury a lot. In my defense, he was basically Batman in formal wear and could also become a superhero named Crashman.

Also, it makes more sense that a boy people are always trying to kidnap would be placed in the care of the world's most asskicking butler than in the care of robot screwup.

But then again, without screwups there wouldn't be much of a show. The villains and threats are so generally non-threatening that the only way the show can seem to find to prolong the running time is to have one of the characters, usually Dollar but sometimes Irona, mess everything up and let the bad guy get away or wreck the plan.

[Superboy Prime]

Loved this show!!

[Shawn Hopkins]

Sometimes, not all the time, Nancy Cartwright's, Gloria on this show sounds exactly like her Bart Simpson. It's a very weird thing to watch.