| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that although the appearance of some of the characters in this '70s cartoon borrows liberally from the then-hugely popular Charlie's Angels, it's actually surprisingly tame. Plus, for its era, it has relatively little minority or sexist stereotyping. All three girls are smart and adventurous and in control of their caveman, who's more like a pet than the Angels' Charlie. That said, villains do tend toward easy/cliched targets like Soviets and other Cold War enemies.
CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS is one of Hanna-Barbera's classic formulas -- crime-fighting teens in a van with a mascot -- at its goofiest. In this case, the mascot is a caveman (voiced by Mel Blanc) defrosted by Taffy (Laurel Page), Dee Dee (Vernee Watson-Johnson), and Brenda (Marilyn Schreffler): Three smart, adventurous girls whose beauty is equaled only by the striking inappropriateness of their scanty clothing (apparently, even in the ice cave, mini-skirts rule.)
The surprising thing about Captain Caveman is that it isn't worse than it is. The "mysteries" are up to the level of Scooby-Doo, clues are found and deciphered by all three young women (no matter how dizzy their voices may sound, they're all pretty capable), and Captain Caveman's antics are funny -- at least to the average 6-year-old. It sounds like a massively misogynistic Charlie's Angels knock-off, but while the angels are here, the sexism isn't. These girls are in charge, rollicking around in their van seeing the world -- apparently the ultimate idea of adventure to a late-'70s youngsters.
Families can talk about what other shows they think influenced this one. What does it have in common with The Flintstones? Scooby-Doo? Charlie's Angels? Josie and the Pussycats? Why do you think the people who make these shows would want to make a new one that has so much in common with other ones? Is it OK to "borrow" ideas from other movies or TV shows for your own? Why or why not?
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| Topics: | friendship |
| TV rating: | TV-G |
| Network: | Boomerang |
| Cast: | Marilyn Schreffler, Mel Blanc, Vernee Watson-Johnson |
| Genre: | Kids' Animation |