The New Batman Adventures: "Holiday Knights"

Premiered September 13, 1997.

"I'll bet you've been a good little Bat Boy this year.  Unfortunately, Harley and I are still on the naughty list!"
-Poison Ivy.

This Batman episode features three holiday vignettes.

December 22:

Christmas is approaching and the criminal duo of Poison Ivy (Diane Pershing) and Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin) are looking for some holiday fun.  They crash a party where they encounter Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy), Gotham City's most prominent billionaire.  Poison Ivy gives Bruce a kiss while wearing her hypnotic lipstick and Wayne becomes their servant.  

Poison Ivy kisses Bruce Wayne. 

Harley and Ivy take Bruce to a department store and go on a shopping spree, using Bruce's credit cards.

But the effects of the lipstick begin to wear off.  When Harley tries to kiss Wayne to restore the hypnosis, she accidentally knocks him down an open elevator shaft.  But thankfully, Wayne changes into Batman and pursues the larcenous duo.

Bruce Wayne is forced to carry Harley & Ivy's haul.

December 24:

Police detectives Harvey Bullock (Robert Costanzo) and Renee Montoya (Liane Schirmer) are working undercover as a mall Santa and elf, respectively.  They're investigating a shoplifting ring that's been hitting Gotham department stores.

Detective Bullock is not very good at playing Santa. 

When several kids are witnessed stealing merchandise, the detectives spring into action.  They're shocked to discover that the shoplifters are actually Batman's old foe, the shapeshifter known as Clayface (Ron Perlman).

Thankfully, Barbara Gordon (Tara Strong) is shopping for Christmas presents and changes into her Batgirl identity to fight Clayface.

December 31:

New Year's Eve arrives, but Batman and Robin (Mathew Valencia) don't get to ring the New Year in peace.

Thousands are gathered in Gotham Square to celebrate the New Year.  However, the Joker (Mark Hamill) plans to set off a sonic bomb rigged to the Gotham New Year's Bell which will go off at midnight and kill all the revelers.

Joker has a henchman check the rigging of the sonic bomb. 

It's up to the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder to prevent the Joker from carrying out his evil plan!

Will Gotham City have a Happy New Year?

RigbyMel says:

I quite enjoyed this episode of vingettes from different points in the holiday season.

It's always fun to see Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy wrecking havoc and their shopping montage - making use of Bruce Wayne's credit cards - is pretty amusing.   Of course, they don't know that Bruce is actually Batman and wind up getting more than they bargained for!

I also like that Harley really wants a Christmas tree, but Ivy forbids it on plant abuse grounds   (although, Harley sort of gets her wish in the end ...).

The second sequence is not quite as strong.   Detective Bullock's terrible Santa-ing is fun to watch.   I really wish that Batgirl had been given more of a chance to shine here, but it's still nice to see her in action.

Joker's madly malevolent mayhem definitely makes for a fun adventure.

Joker unmasks ... some Joker masks!

He makes some good use of joker masks to put Batman and Robin off of this trail, and plays a mean stride piano version of "Auld Lang Syne."   One has to give him points for creativity!

Gotham City Christmas decorations. 

There's also a touching little tag sequence near the end of the episode that takes place in the wee hours of New Year's Day that involves Commissioner Gordon (Bob Hastings).

Batman and Commissioner Gordon share a New Year's toast.

The voice work in this episode is top-notch.   I can't say enough good things about Arleen Sorkin and Mark Hamill's villain voicing.   I also like that Robin the Boy Wonder is obviously being voiced by a teenager in this episode,  that is not often the case and Mathew Valencia did a good job here.

This holiday superhero episode is definitely worth a look if you've the time or inclination (and since it covers both Christmas and New Years here's a special variant rating for you!).

RigbyMel's rating:

3 candy canes

AND

3 champagne flutes

J.A. Morris says:

I mostly agree with my co-blogger, but I think I enjoyed "Holiday Knights" a little more than she did.

Ivy and Harley's Christmas shopping was loads of fun.  In fact, their holiday story would have made a great full-length episode.  Harley is a great character and was always lots of fun in this series.  I laughed out loud several times at her and Ivy's antics.  

The Clayface portion wasn't as strong, but Clayface is an interesting character and one of the most bizarre villains in Batman's rougues gallery.  I also appreciated the presence of Det. Renee Montoya in the Christmas Eve segment.  Like Harley Quinn, Montoya was created for the animated series.  She was a good character and has gone on to have a long career in comic books as well, fighting crime as Batwoman and the Question.

In addition to Montoya, Batgirl's appearance in this segment gave it two protagonists who are women, something you don't often see in superhero programming.

The Joker is one of the greatest villains of all time and his scheme here is as humorous as it is evil.  I was also glad to see that New Year's Eve was featured in this vignette.

The Joker prepares to pop open his New Year champagne.

Compared to Christmas, there are very few New Year's-themed episodes, specials or films.  It's nice to have one more show to watch on New Year's Eve.

A huge crowd gathers to ring in the New Year in Gotham Square.

This episode can be found on the Batman:The Animated Series, Vol. 4 dvd set.  It's also available for streaming on Amazon and iTunes.

"Holiday Knights" is something that should be added to your Christmas and/or New Year's viewing and is highly recommended.  If there's anything to criticize, it's that these stories could have been expanded and this series could have gotten more holiday episodes.

J.A. Morris' rating:

.5


3 and a half candy canes.

AND

.5


3 and a half champagne flutes.

Spectacular Spider-Man: "Shear Strength"

Premiered October 27, 2009.
Note:We recently reviewed "Reinforcement," the Christmas episode of this series.  The episode reviewed here is the follow-up to "Reinforcement."  This review contains more SPOILERS than usual.  I strongly recommend you watch "Reinforcement" before checking out this New Year's Eve episode.


It's New Year's Eve in the Big Apple.

The super-villains known as Electro (Crispin Freeman) and Vulture (Robert Englund) escaped police custody after Spider-Man (Josh Keaton) defeated them on Christmas Eve.  They are brought by the Tinkerer (Thom Adcox-Hernandez) to a lab where they will meet their mysterious new boss who calls himself the Master Planner.  The criminals are surprised to learn that the Planner is none other than Doctor Octopus (Peter MacNicol)!

With the help of the Tinkerer, Doc Ock has wired his brain to every computer in New York.
He uses this new power to create chaos in the city.  This makes traffic lights malfunction and creates  accidents.  Doctor Octopus also taps into the NYPD's communications and sends the police on wild goose chases all over town.

At the same time, Peter Parker is hanging out with his friends Gwen Stacy (Lacey Chabert) and Mary Jane Watson (Vanessa Marshall) at a Manhattan coffee shop.  Mary Jane, wanting to play match-maker for her friends, tries to get Gwen and Peter to join her in attending the New Year celebration in Times Square.  But Gwen is still not sure Peter is truly interested in her.  MJ informs Gwen that she's all he ever talks about.

Plans change when Gwen is zapped by Electro...

...and taken away by the Vulture to the Doc Ock's hideout.

 
Ock, using his "Master Planner" identity, contacts Gwen's father, New York police Captain George Stacy (Clancy Brown).  The villain tells Stacy that if he wants to see Gwen alive, he has to give Doctor Octopus Homeland Security codes that will give access to every computer in the country. Stacy reluctantly says he will comply with Doc Ock's demands.

Captain Stacy is forced to give in to Doc Ock's demands.

Peter is furious over this and puts on his Spider-Man suit to rescue Gwen.  Spidey catches Tinkerer, who tells him Gwen is being held in Doc Ock's underwater headquarters.

Spidey shakes down the Tinkerer for information.

Spidey finds Gwen, but if he wants to rescue her, he'll have to go through Doctor Octopus.

 
Their battle destroys Doc Ock's headquarters and Spidey ends up buried under tons of machinery.

Will Capt. Stacy give Master Planner the codes?  Will Doc Ock honor their agreement and release Gwen?  If not, can Spider-Man rescue Gwen?  Will Peter and Gwen share a New Year's kiss at midnight?

J.A. Morris says:

The holiday spirit isn't as strong in "Shear Strength" as it was in the previous episode, but it's adorned with some holiday trappings. Mary Jane says she'll be attending the Times Square's New Year celebration at the beginning, and it ends with characters watching the ball drop on TV.

Peter's Aunt May (Deborah Strang) counts down the last ten seconds before the New Year and two characters share a kiss (I won't say which characters) at midnight.  "Auld Lang Syne" is played over the closing credits instead of the usual theme music.  And Aunt May's house still has some Christmas decorations on the wall, so it still feels like the Holiday season.

  
The plot of "Shear Strength" is a loose adaptation of one of Spider-Man's greatest stories that was originally published in 1965.  So old school fans of the webhead will appreciate this episode.  We get lots of great fight scenes, plus some dramatic developments in Peter Parker's personal life.   I hated to reveal the true identity of the Master Planner, but Doctor Octopus reveals himself about two seconds into "Shear Strength." 

While Gwen's life and the fate of the world are at stake, there's also plenty of humor in "Shear Strength."  For example, check out Doc Ock's "Evil Genius" coffee mug!:

The voice cast of Spectacular Spider-Man was always good and this episode is no exception.  Josh Keaton was always great delivering Spidey's trademark sarcasm.  This episode he switches back and forth between smart alec and deadly serious, since Gwen's is endangered by his enemies.  Peter MacNicol (an actor best known for roles in Ally McBeal and Ghostbusters II) is also outstanding as Doctor Octopus.  MacNicol's Doc Ock is no cackling madman, he's a cold, calculating, brilliant criminal tactician.  

Doctor Octopus pins Spidey to the wall!

This is a good episode, but it works better if you think of it as a follow-up to "Reinforcement." Maybe watching both episodes back-to-back is the best way to enjoy them.

"Shear Strength" has been released several times on home video.  It's available on The Spectacular Spider-Man:The Complete Series blu ray set.  You can also find it on a standalone dvd called The Spectacular Spider-Man:Volume Five.

This is how the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration is depicted in this episode, Peter & Aunt May watch it on TV.

This is a good episode, but it works better if you think of it as a follow-up to "Reinforcement." Maybe watching both episodes back-to-back is the best way to enjoy them.

Peter gets a surprise midnight visitor on New Year's Eve.

Just like New Year's Eve is the less festive sister holiday to Christmas, "Shear Strength" is solid, but slightly less enjoyable than Spidey's Yultide outing.  

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 champagne flutes.
 

Maude: "Nostalgia Party"

Premiered December 30, 1974.

"This is going to be a fabulous party, the most fantastic party ever!  I mean I guarantee you this is not going to be one of those typical New Year's Eve disasters, where all the guests sit around waiting for Guy Lombardo to come on while two drunks throw up in their paper hats."
-Maude Findlay

Maude tells Mrs. Naugatuck about her party plans.

Dateline:December 31, 1974: Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) is excitedly planning her New Year's Eve party.  She hopes it will be the greatest party of all time.  Maude says it will have what other parties don't: a scavenger hunt!  She will hide "little gifties" all over the house, and whoever finds the most "gifties" wins a prize.

Mrs. Naugatuck says it feels more like Labor Day than New Year's Eve to her!

Mrs. Nugatuck (Hermione Baddeley), the housekeeper,  is unimpressed with the plans.
Especially since the party means that she has to work on New Year's Eve.

Maude is undeterred, but her enthusiasm is dampened when her friends Vivian (Rue McClanahan) and Arthur (Conrad Bain) say they just attended a "scavenger hunt" party the night before.  Maude is convinced her party is ruined.  She gets angry when she learns that Vivian invited Estelle and Herman Ellinger, a couple who always have arguments and ruin everyone else's good time, to her party.

No one feels like celebrating 1974, Maude's friends and family are in a cranky mood.   They all agree it was an all-around bad year.  Maude's husband Walter (Bill Macy) has had a tough year running his business.  Inflation has hurt his appliance shop and Walter doesn't see that improving in 1975.

In this atmosphere, Arthur suggests they celebrate their favorite years instead of the current one.  Maude likes this idea and tells everyone to come to her party dressed as their "most nostalgic year".

Guests in nostalgic outfits of various eras

Vivian arrives dressed in a Shirley Temple outfit as if she was 5 years old (and her father's favorite child).  Her husband Arthur is 1952, the year he attended the convention where Dwight Eisenhower was nominated.

Walter does a Groucho Marx impression in uniform

Walter puts on his old Army uniform.  He says 1942 was a great year for him.

"That long-stemmed American beauty, Gypsy Rose Findlay!"

Maude tops them all. She reenacts her 1945 College Freshman Review performance, wearing what can best be described as lingerie and performs a burlesque dance for her guests!

The Ellingers arrive along with 90 something year old Aunt Polly (Judith Lowry).   The couple immediately get into a fight with each other and depart, leaving Aunt Polly behind.

The bickering Ellingers with Aunt Polly caught in the middle

As it turns out, the nostalgia angle leads to more arguments.  Maude and Arthur point out that Walter's favorite year was "great for Hitler, Moussolini,  and Hirohito".  Maude tells Arthur that '52 was a terrible year, with a recession and conflicts in the Middle East.  Vivian says Maude was "the campus zit queen" during 1945.

Aunt Polly breaks up the argument by blowing a noisemaker to get everyone's attention

Aunt Polly puts things in perspective and proposes a toast to her favorite minute, saying,  "Last year isn't important, it's what's happening now."   This causes everyone at the party to rethink their bickering and have a more positive approach.

J.A. Morris says:

There are not that many "New Year's" themed episodes.  And that's because there aren't many stories that can be told about Christmas' lesser sibling (plus, most series are on hiatus during the Christmas holidays).  But this episode makes good use of the New Year's Eve setting.  It's a typical episode of Maude, but that's not a bad thing.  Everyone has some good one-liners.  Maude gets in some zingers at Arthur, her political nemesis.  Mrs. Naugatuck points out Maude's classism.  Vivian says something slightly airheaded.

Vivian's childish behavior makes Maude want to throw up in a party hat!

 Bea Arthur deserves kudos for dancing around in a showgirl outfit.  It's something rarely done on tv (then or now) by a woman in her 50s, and she sells it!

I really like the idea of a party where guests dress as their favorite year.  Of course it helps when you have a sitcom's costume department to help you.  But the message here about living in the now and not romanticizing the past is a good one.

Arthur chants "I like Ike", the slogan for Eisenhower's 1952 campaign.

"Nostalgia Party" is a very good episode with plenty of laughs and some nice philosophy thrown in for good measure.

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 and a half champagne flutes.

RigbyMel says:

I really enjoyed this episode, which was new to me this past year.  (I've been watching quite a few episodes of Maude on the Antenna TV network recently.)

Mrs. Naugatuck winking

The nostalgia party idea is a really fun one,  and I like that this episode humorously points out that the "good old days" depend largely on point of view.    I also like that Aunt Polly, a feisty older lady,  puts all the bickering in perspective by suggesting that taking pleasure in "now" is a very important part of life.   That's a good message to ponder most days (not just New Year's Eve/Day).

Maude and Walter share a New Year's Eve kiss

This episode can be found on Maude:The Complete Series DVD set.  The series also currently airs on the Antenna TV Network  and is well worth checking out!

RigbyMel's rating:

3 and a half champagne flutes