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STUDIO: Disney
MSRP: $32.99
RATED: NR
RUNNING TIME: 275 Minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Introductions by Leonard Maltin
• Screen test
• Mickey Mouse Club episode
• Publicity and stills
The Pitch
“Let’s make a serial show but without all that annoying action stuff and leave those cliffhanger things off too. Kids will watch it becuase of the Mouse or Annette hitting puberty.”
The Humans
Tim Considine and David Stollery
The Nutshell
A serial about the “adventures” and goings-on at a boy’s dude ranch. Each episode is about 11 minutes long and originally aired during the Mickey Mouse Club.
The Package
I love the packaging Disney has for these sets. I’m a sucker for tin cases (probably has something to do with my love of old lunchboxes). The cover art itself is rather bland, but so is the show, so that’s probably expected.
The extra features included in the set are pretty decent. There is the usual bits of “found’ footage (like a screen test) and solid bonus feature (the entire Mickey Mouse Club episode where Spin and Marty first premiered).
However, the stuff with Leonard Maltin is really good. Honest. I’m not always his biggest fan but he does a really good job on these disks. His introduction to each disk gives just enough background and history to make you interested in what you are about to see. He also does not ramble on and on and on and on and end up giving a bad history lesson. The introductions are short and informative and set up the series very well.
“So, anyone see that new movie Brokeback Mountain?”
*nervous laughter*
The Lowdown
Back in the day The Mickey Mouse Club was HUGE (I’ve been told). Every kid watched it for some reason. Seriously… have you ever watched an episode of the Mickey Mouse Club? Why would anyone watch it? I love Disney cheese more than the next guy but that show is so sickeningly revolting it is hard to stomach. I’d rather listen to a Jessica Simpson CD.
Given that last sentence, can you guess my take on the Adventures of Spin and Marty?
I cannot think of an example that is as sickeningly sweet as Spin and Marty. Nothing has a stronger “Gee wiz, Ah shucks” feeling as this does. Not even Leave It to Beaver was this annoying.
Let me give you an example. The kids at the Triple R ranch are taking guesses at what the Triple R means. The big punch line? You ready? Wait for it… One kid says “I know, Rest, Relaxation and Reading old comic books.”
Please continue to read after you’re through laughing. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Yeah. Pretty much every joke ends with a punch line that masterful.
Even worse is that every situation the kids find themselves in are devoid of any sense of danger or excitement (or any other element needed to have an “adventure”). Nor do the episodes end with a cliffhanger. They occasionally end at a point someone is going to make a decision, but nothing demands you tune in again next week.
I guess the 50s were an easier time. When shows like this captivated the youth of a generation. Golly. Must have been fun.
I have no caption that can do this picture justice.