Out of Jimmy's Head - "Outdoors" - Talkback [3/7]

[Space Cadet]

Premieres: March 7th at 8:30 pm Eastern
Repeats: March 9th at 9:00 pm Eastern; March 21st at 9:30 am


This is the last Season 1 episode of OOJM. Next week, season 2 starts up. Maybe the season 1 finale episode will be good to an otherwise mediocre season.

[Silverstar]

Yeah, season one of OOJH was indeed mediocre. Shame too, since there are some promising elements to the show which could be entertaining were they not surrounded by the multiple layers of badness and weak writing. Here's hoping that season 2 will be an improvement (though "Cartoons Drive" seemed to be following in the same footsteps of mediocrity.)

-I'm ashamed to admit it, but one of THE funniest OOJH moments from season 1 was the 'Dad tries to teach Jimmy to skate' montage from "Skate Night". That was one of the few bits on this show that I genuinely found funny for some reason, even though they completely ripped it off of an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. Anybody know when that episode will be rerun?


As with any new episode, I'll refrain from commenting on "Outdoors" until after I've seen it.

[Movie06]

Maybe OOJH might last for just two seasons. I mean the ratings can't be good right?

[Blackstar]

Maybe OOJH might last for just two seasons. I mean the ratings can't be good right?

The show doesn't seem to be anyone's favorite, but from what I understand, it's been getting fairly decent ratings. The fact that it hasn't been yanked from CN's schedule yet is proof of this. Heck, if Squirrel Boy can find an audience, any show can!

A lot of fans hate OOJH with the fury of 1000 suns for being a live action show on CARTOON Network, and to an extent, I can see where they're coming from, although in the shows' defense, there is some animation in it. Plus, the live action bits and characters are made to be as cartoony as possible. Myself, I see OOJH as a bad show with the potential to be good, or at least less bad. Yes, it's stupid, but with some revising, the show could be better than it is.

However, given that Jimmy is a live action series starring kids who are pushing puberty and will eventually get older than the parts that they're playing, I don't see it running for years. I don't see it continuing with Jimmy at age 20 with the Appleday toons helping him get his 1st job.

[Movie06]

However, given that Jimmy is a live action series starring kids who are pushing puberty and will eventually get older than the parts that they're playing, I don't see it running for years. I don't see it continuing with Jimmy at age 20 with the Appleday toons helping him get his 1st job.

That's another reason why I think OOJH might last for just two seasons.

[Racattack!Force]

That's another reason why I think OOJH might last for just two seasons.

That's the problem with live-action shows. You either age the characters or end the show.

[Blackstar]

Well, "Outdoors" was pretty much how I thought it would be...........mediocre.

Undoubtedly, my biggest complaint about this episode was Jimmy's dad. Man, was he annoying here. His character is OK in small doses, but a little of that guy goes a long way. Also, would it kill the writers to have Yancy do something alien-esque once in a while? Such wasted potential.

Also, it didn't help matters any that this was yet another episode where Jimmy's mom isn't seen at all, only referred to. I realize that the prevailing attitude among fans is that TV moms are boring characters, but seeing the lovely Rachael Quaintence was one of my very few reasons for tuning in to this train wreck of a show. But if Mrs. Roberts has been downgraded to being a perpetually off screen character, then I have no real reason to keep tuning in. Louisa's last on screen appearance (to date) was in the episode "Sick Day", and the shows' been going down a slippery downward slope ever since. I could probably deal with the lack of Mrs. Roberts if the rest of the show were actually good, but it isn't, not by a long shot. I'm going to try to give the writers the benefit of the doubt since this was the last episode of season 1, and because it was probably mostly thrown together just before the writers' strike, but if things don't improve by season 2, I'm out. I'm gone. I'm never tuning in to this dreck again, and you can take that to the bank, Daddy-O.


And thus, the curtain goes down on Out of Jimmy's Head's 1st hit or miss (but mostly misses) season.

[Silverstar]

^T'was a mediocre outing, but I did kind of enjoy the flashbacks; Yancy and Jimmy as little kids were cute. Also, we learn that their dad isn't going senile, he's always been a dope.

Say, have you noticed how the mom hasn't been seen in the last 4 or 5 episodes, but in each of them was referred to in the present tense a few times, as if she were on Earth, not in space? I did learn from the IMDB that Rachel Quaintance (the actress who plays Jimmy's mom) also appeared in an episode of ABC's Carpoolers as well as a few episodes of CBS's The New Adventures of Old Christine prior to the writers' strike. Perhaps the reason she's made so few flesh-and-blood appearances this past season was because of other commitments. Perhaps in season 2 Ms. Quaintance will finally be freed up to start appearing on the show more often, or maybe they'll just replace her with a different actress. IMHO, Ms. Quaintance is a talented and attractive actress, and I'd hate to see her go, but if hiring a new actress to play Mrs. Roberts is what would need to happen in order to get the character to be seen on the show more frequently, I'd grudgingly deal with that. I'd find the dad's character easier to tolerate if the mom were around more to provide contrast. The 2 of them had some pretty decent chemistry together in "Sleepover"; it seems unusual that they have yet to repeat that.

[Nexonius]

Snoresville. Now I know what can put me to sleep. and OOJH is it.

[Antiyonder]

A lot of fans hate OOJH with the fury of 1000 suns for being a live action show on CARTOON Network, and to an extent, I can see where they're coming from, although in the shows' defense, there is some animation in it. Plus, the live action bits and characters are made to be as cartoony as possible. Myself, I see OOJH as a bad show with the potential to be good, or at least less bad. Yes, it's stupid, but with some revising, the show could be better than it is.

See, as you or Silverstar pointed out, one factor of the show is that the cartoon characters don't appear often. Add that to the fact that Cartoon Network promote this show as "Their first live action show" rather than "Their first cartoon/live action hybrid".

Despite having full live action movies and show, I get the feeling that the Appleday toons were add to merely justify the show's presence on the Network. In other word, here's how I envision the idea:

Exec 1: I've noticed that most of these episodes revolve around Jimmy's school life.

Exec 2: Your point being?

Exec 1: Considering that the Appleday Toons are part of the castm shouldn't they have more screen and story time?

Exec 2: The only purpose that the Appleday Goons serve is shutting up those naysayers who believe Cartoon Network should focus on animation 24/7.

Exec 1: Kind of pointless considering we've had movies that are 100% live act....

Exec 2: Away with you now.

[Darklordavaitor]

Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Mr.Roberts mention that this was his and his wife's anniversary? Typcial OOJH, ignorning any potentially decent storylines.

[kaleb]

I liked the introduction of a new cartoon character (the owl) into the mix because I'm getting tired of the same cartoons not doing much anyway. I especially enjoyed how bizarre the owl became as the story evolved. He drew a parallel to the insanity we see from Sonny. Also, I thought the flashbacks were a nice departure from the usual humdrum in the school.
This episode offered new material, surroundings and style that was much needed. Even though the dad was dumb as usual, he didn't act super-ridiculously stupid as usual, which we can thank the writers of the show for, like in the episode when he thought Sonny's robot was Jimmy. He just acted regular-ridiculously stupid.

[Blackstar]

Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Mr. Roberts mention that this was his and his wife's anniversary? Typcial OOJH, ignorning anything potentially decent storylines.

^Agreed. It struck me as being a bit odd that Mr. Roberts mentioned his and Mrs. Roberts' anniversary, and then it never came up again in the entire episode. Then in the 2nd half of the story, we see Mr. Roberts going to the campsite instead of being at home getting tender with his wife. It's their anniversary and what does he do? Go camping without her!

Which brings up another nitpick I have with this show; we've almost never seen Jimmy's parents display any kind of physical affection for one another. I get that OOJH is a kids' show and all, but Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are happily married (allegedly), I don't think that it would hurt the show to see some of that on screen once in a while, I think. There's something to be said when even Mung Dahl and Truffles on Chowder show more affection for each other than Jimmy's mom and dad do.

The thing is, Chowder already did an story like that with the short "Mung on the Rocks". Now, if OOJH had done a "Mung on the Rocks" type of story with Jimmy & Yancy's parents, that would have been interesting to see. Aside from the fact that Mrs. Roberts would had to have been seen there in order for it to work, I think that would have been a more interesting story than the one that we got.

Honestly, the best thing about this episode was the flashbacks, and even with them, the idea was better than the execution. Too bad Mrs. Roberts didn't appear in any of the flashbacks. I would have liked to have seen how she looked in the past. I pictured her having really long hair and dressing like a hippie. Sad how I actually spend time thinking about this sort of thing.

[NewcomerDC]

I sat at home saying to myself like everyone else that maybe the show would work better with the young Jimmy and Yancy. Of course, that would contradict what CN was trying to do when selling this show to younger viewers who would shut it down as another teen show.

Now I didn't know about the anniversary, but I will make this clear. I's obvious that, like the incident with That's So Raven, the mom quit the show. From what I've read, Jimmy's mom is a great actress and I'm sorry for not seeing her in anything else other than this show.

This episode failed to make me laugh and sometimes it does in small doses. I think that the second season might be the nail in the coffin that we and for the sake of the writers, actors, both live-action and voice, need.

[Blackstar]

Now I didn't know about the anniversary, but I will make this clear. I's obvious that, like the incident with That's So Raven, the mom quit the show. From what I've read, Jimmy's mom is a great actress and I'm sorry for not seeing her in anything else other than this show.

Well, that would certainly explain why the mom has been a no-show for the past 9 episodes. It could also be Rachael Quaintence's availability and/or some behind the scenes drama that's to be blamed for why Ms. Quaintence wasn't credited in the shows' opening title sequence. But this is definitely not good news for me. Aside from the cartoon characters, pretty much the ONLY reasons I tune(d) in to Out of Jimmy's Head was to see Mom and Yancy, and now that one of them is gone, my enthusiasm for the show is automatically cut in half. To be honest, the only reason I hung on as long as I did was because I thought that eventually, I'd get to see Mrs. Roberts again. But now, like I said before, that no good. That no good.

However, if that truly is the case, then the obvious solution to that would be to simply replace her with another actress for season 2, since it's obvious that the writers' don't want to kill her character off, as the other characters have continually been referring to Mrs. Roberts in the present tense. I mean, Robin and Craig were each played by Asian American actors in Re-Animated, the movie that preceded the series, and no explanation was given as to why they suddenly went from being Asian-American to African-American, so where's the harm in bringing in a new Mrs. Roberts, really?

If Rachael Quaintence is truly off the show for good, I really hope that the producers decide to hire another actress for the role of Mom instead of just keeping her off screen for the rest of the series. Jimmy's mom is one of my favorite OOJH characters and it's a shame that she only appeared in 4 episodes (so far). I'd truly hoped that Mrs. Roberts would appear more prominently in season 2.

[Racattack!Force]

Now I didn't know about the anniversary, but I will make this clear. I's obvious that, like the incident with That's So Raven, the mom quit the show. From what I've read, Jimmy's mom is a great actress and I'm sorry for not seeing her in anything else other than this show.

Dang, I should have realized that the actress quit once I heard her character went to England to study law. Rachael Quaintence left you say? They will either use divorce, killed, keep her off-screen, or replacement.

[NewcomerDC]

Dang, I should have realized that the actress quit once I heard her character went to England to study law. Rachael Quaintence left you say? They will either use divorce, killed, keep her off-screen, or replacement.

No, I wa saying that what IF she did quit ala the actress who played Raven's mom in which she claimed that her character wasn't getting enough exposure as Victor and the rest of the Baxters. I rather see a spin-off with her or, like everyone says, Ms. Quaintence for the fact that her trips in space would be more exciting than this show.

[Racattack!Force]

Well, her character doesn't seem to be getting exposure...okay, that's it. I'm running away to Burbank this summer to knock some sense into them. Then again, it may be too late...

[Lavenderpaw]

Y'know,y'all say how much you HATE this show and yet you watch it.I think deep down you guys like it or you wouldn't be contributing to the ratings.

[Silverstar]

the actress who played Raven's mom (quit because) she claimed that her character wasn't getting enough exposure as Victor and the rest of the Baxters.

Hm. I didn't know that was the reason why T'Keyah "Crystal" Kemah left That's So Raven. Should've figured as much. And now we're stuck with...groan...Cory in the House. There's so much evil in the world...

Rachael Quaintence left you say? They will either use divorce, killed, keep her off-screen, or replacement.

We won't know for certain if that's the case until season 2 premieres this Friday (and maybe not even then), but IF that is indeed the case (and I gotta say, the evidence supporting that theory is strong), then I hope they choose to go with a replacement actress as opposed to killing/divorcing Mom off or just keeping her off-screen for the rest of the show. The former choices would be too dark and poignant for a show like OOJH, and that latter choice is what they've been doing for the remainder of the first season, and frankly, it just comes off as hokey. And OOJH doesn't need to get any hokier. I'm hoping that they only did that because it was just before or just after the writers' strike and they were still scrambling to find a replacement actress.

I had a weird thought this afternoon: IMO, a good choice for a replacement Mrs. Roberts (if one is indeed required) would be Lise Simms, the actress who played the mom in Disney Channel's Phil of the Future. Just a thought, since I've also seen her in various commercials. I think she could do a good job, provided the shows' writing were to greatly improve, of course.

Funny, we're talking more about the lack of Rachel Quaintance on OOJH than we are about this week's episode. Of course, it wasn't much to talk about.