From Cartoon Network
Devlin is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for ABC in 1974. The series later appeared in reruns on USA Network from the 1980s until the early 1990s and on Cartoon Network from 1992-2000. In 2000, The series began airing on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang.
The series was inspired by the huge popularity of Evel Knievel and featured Ernie, Tod and Sandy Devlin, orphans who earned their living as circus performers. Ernie was a motorcycle daredevil, while Tod and Sandy helped out as mechanics. At almost every stop, there was some sort of crime or mystery that had to be solved by the Devlins.
The original title for the show was Wild Wheels, and the title character was "Dare" Devlin. Concerned about potential criticism that the show glorified dangerous activity, ABC nixed the title, changed the character's name to Ernie, and mandated the regular presentation of safety tips.
Noel Murray from the AV Club website wrote:
"Then in 1974, Hanna-Barbera took its biggest swing at making more adult-friendly kids shows with two new Saturday series, neither of which survived past one season.These Are The Days was aWaltons-inspired half-hour drama, about an eccentric family in an early 20th century American small town. And Devlin—recently released on DVD by Warner Bros.—was another serious-minded half-hour cartoon, equally inspired by the “wandering hero” TV genre and real-life celebrity stunt performer Evel Knievel.
All of this thoughtful guidance and earnest sibling support would be fine if Devlin was just a family show: like a pen-and-ink Eight Is Enough. But it’s also a cartoon about a guy in a cool jumpsuit, riding a motorcycle through flaming hoops. It was essentially pitched as Evel Knievel: The Animated Adventures—and Knievel wasn’t exactly known for being good-hearted and level-headed. There was a certain vital craziness missing from Devlin.
And yet, compared to most of the Hanna-Barbera comedies of the era—especially the unwatchable Wait Till Your Father Gets Home—Devlin is weirdly compelling. Nostalgia plays a role in that, to be sure. Anyone who grew up in the ’70s recalls Evel Knievel mania, which spawned toys, lunch-boxes, a major motion picture (starring George Hamilton!), and the pilot episode for an ongoing live-action series (starring Sam Elliott!) Here then was another attempt to capitalize on a national phenomenon. The lack of dynamism in Devlin was partly the fault of Hanna-Barbera’s writers, for trying to produce something socially responsible. But the show’s real weakness was that death-defying motorcycle jumps just couldn’t be as thrilling when rendered in limited animation."
Now a word from our sponsor:
Check Out:
No comments:
Post a Comment