Tom and Jerry Tales (CW)

TOM AND JERRY TALES welcomes back everyone's favorite cat-and-mouse pair in their umpteenth TV incarnation. The content of the shorts (three per episode) follows the classic cartoon tradition pretty closely, too. Characters are flattened beneath anvils, swatted into various shapes (by rackets and waffle irons and whatnot), and generally abused, yet they still pop back up to run and chase another day. Tom (voiced by Don Brown), in particular, is still the bad cat he always was.

What's different this time around? Thankfully, not the animation, which bills itself as being done in the old, pen-and-ink Hanna-Barbera style and comes pretty close to living up to the claim. Two things are missing in this iteration: the connection to the music (which was one of Tom and Jerry's great strengths in its heyday) and a certain internal logic. Once, Tom chased Jerry (Sam Vincent) primarily because cats chase mice. Sure, they might be competing for food, or Tom might think he planned to eat Jerry, but in general, that was the plot. Occasionally, a dog would be added. Tom and Jerry Tales has a lot more surrounding plot rigmarole that doesn't serve any purpose other than detracting from the basic comedic premise. Which, in the end, begs a question: Why an all-new Tom and Jerry? The best answer seems to be Why not?

TV Rating: TV-Y7-FV
Network: CW
Cast: Don Brown, Michael Donovan
Genre: Kids' Animation
Where to watch: CW