The Warner Brothers Home Entertainment press release for the January 13, 2015 DVD release of "the Tom and Jerry show: Funny Side Up" shares regarding this 13-episode set of the second half of the first season of this Cartoon Network series that "everyone's favorite cat and mouse duo storm back on the scene." A tag line on the back cover of the DVD set expresses a similar sentiment in stating "the cat and mouse battle for the house."
Along a similar line, an article at the time of the premiere episode of "Tom" earning a top rating for its time period essentially reports that the more than 50-year history of these characters shows there apparently are endless variations on how a cat can chase a mouse. This piece is negligent only in not mentioning that the impact of the classic adventures of Tom and Jerry includes the hilarious "Itchy and Scratchy" cartoons on "The Simpsons."
The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of a Cartoon Network promo. for "Tom" expertly conveys the terrific fun and look of the show. It will make you want to get a cat and mouse of your own despite the ensuing heavy property damage.
The wonderfully retro opening credits for "Tom" has Tom Cat chasing Jerry through the 50s-style letters of the title of their series; this leads to two always amusing (and often hilarious) roughly 10-minute shorts featuring our stars.
The arguably best aspect of this series for old-school animation fans is that the buzzkills behind non-violent cartoons are absent; these cartoons are chock full of wonderfully twisted cartoon violence that lacks any lasting impact.
The aptly titled "Turn About" gets the set off to a great start by having house cat Tom and tougher alley cat Butch compete for the affection of the sultry cat named Ginger. An initial hilarious scuffle between the boys regarding getting ice for Ginger results in Tom being the victor with the prize being an invitation to Ginger's home.
Butch subsequently sabotaging the efforts of Tom to make the rendez-vous results in simultaneous adventures. Jerry the mouse and his baby cousin Tuffy (who can be considered the Scrappy-Doo of "Tom") inadvertently repeatedly pummel Tom out of a mistaken belief that he is a hideous creature.
Meanwhile, Butch is outsmarted in that he becomes the victim of fall-on-the-floor funny pranks at the paws of the most adorable mischief-makers ever. Lighting dynamite under the chair in which Butch is sitting right below a chimney is a personal favorite in this sequence.
The Tom and Butch rivalry continues in another notable episode; a competition for the honor of "Top Cat" leads to these boys facing off in a competition to capture Jerry; this leads to under-handed tactics to foil this effort and to incurring the wrath of Spike the bull dog, who is Jerry's protector.
An adorable Christmas entry titled "The Plight Before Christmas" occurs in the regular format of Tom and Jerry living with two witches who rule with iron wands. The fallout from the antics in which our heroes engage requires that they go out in the woods in search of a Christmas tree.
Santa is the victim of a subsequent magic-related mishap during the aforementioned mission; the resolution of this dilemma provides a sweet (but not saccharine) holiday message.
The aforementioned success in keeping the concept of playing cat and mouse fresh includes our heroes traveling. "Just Plane Nuts" and "Crusin' for a Bruisn'" are self-explanatory and another outing uses "Star Trek" technology to transport these furry fellas to Paris.
This discussion of the latest exploits of two of the most enduring and successful animated characters ever shows that there is no reason that they will be scrapping in hologram form or whatever other technology entertainment is being presented in 50 years from now.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Tom" is welcome to email me; you can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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