Customer Reviews

Josie and the Pussycats - The Complete Series

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love 'Josie and the Pussycats.' I threw out my old VHSs filled with a lot of the episodes when Cartoon Network use to have marathons of it, anxious for the DVD set.

When I got it, I put it in and was sorely disappointed. On a semi-big screen TV, you'll quickly notice "dirt" galore all over the episodes. This is bad because Josie ATP is a brightly-colored cartoon (unlike the darker Scooby Doo) so the dust, dirt and lines are instantly visible. Another big thing that urks me is there is NO LAUGH TRACK ANYMORE. WHY? Well people all over the internet who sneer at the laugh track, enjoy the awkward pauses where the laughs use to be! And the packaging...it's hard to get the DVDs out! Who's the genius that designed this??

I'm glad I only paid 20 dollars, although I would have probably been better off buying bootlegs on the internet or something. Although it's great to see Josie and the gang, and a nice tribute to poor Dan DeCarlo, this DVD set is surprisingly disappointing. 3 stars because they actually gave Josie a DVD set...but they could've done a lot better.

Josie and the Pussycats were like the Beatles or the Monkees. A girlband who goes on madcap adventures, without really trying. This trio of ladies were stereo types, but it worked so well

This Hanna Barbara series retreaded tracks left by the Beatles (in Help! and Hard Days Night) and the Monkees (The Monkees: Season 1). What makes this work is the animated adventures. Some of the humor could only be done in animation...and it worked. This 70's show paved the way for the animated adventures of the (musical) Hardy Boys, The Partridge Family 2020, The Jackson Five and The Osmonds (all not available at this time on DVD)

The show had great animated voice talent. Janet Waldo (the voice of Judy Jetson and Penelope Pitstop) did the voice of Josie. Jackie Joseph did the voice of the lame brain Melody. Barbara Pariot did the voice of Val. Radio DJ and the voice of Shaggy from Scooby Doo Casey Kasem did the voice of their manager of Alex Cabot, the band's manager.

Only 16 episodes were done of this series, but for Hanna Barbera fans these cartoons are golden oldies. They are still great work that could run on Saturday morning TV again or Cartoon Network today..so why arent they

I have a question for those at Warner Brothers DVD animation..when are you releasing the Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space?

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

With its catchy theme song, likeable characters and funny plotlines, "Josie and the Pussycats" was one of the best Hanna-Barbera Series ever produced for Saturday Morning television.

Its release on DVD sparks many a memory of Saturday mornings spent in my pajamas as a six year old, enjoying Alpha Bits or Fruit Loops cereal while partaking of the broadcast fare. "Josie and the Pussycats" was a very important part of that ritual. My memories of the show are so vivid that I even remember the "In the Know" segments sandwiched between programs that featured the cast of "Josie" presenting light news features. If memory serves "In The Know" presaged "In The News" which ran for years on CBS Saturday Mornings.

Watching re-runs on Boomerang, I am amazed at how well the show holds up and the 'chase' songs were consistently good. Sure the plots were almost interchangeable, but, so what? The shows were fast paced, hilarious, and to borrow a lyric from the theme, we were invited to "c'mon watch the good guys win."

Unfortunately, this great cartoon premise lasted only a season before producers made the stupid decision to place the characters in Outer Space and for a show with far out plots, this premise was too way-out.

Can't wait to view the original adventures of Josie, Valerie, Melody, Alan, Alexander , Alexandra and Sebastian the Cat with my kids for another generation of enjoyment.

If you had the least inclination to view this product on Amazon, you'll probably like owning it.

Based on what's been posted by other Amazon reviewers, the chief disappointment about "Josie and the Pussycats" seems to be its reliance on the same cookie-cutter plot episode after episode: the band travels to some exotic location and--against all odds--gets mixed up with another monolithic James Bond-caliber villain (who's eventually driven to articulate the obligatory angst about "those meddling kids"), culminating in a chase scene that's accompanied by a groovy ditty from the mini-skirt era. And of course, the gang triumphs in the end; roll the credits.

It's a good criticism. In fact, it's so good that it could be applied to just about any of the animated products churned out of the prolific studios of Hanna-Barbara--including the studio's most celebrated (and lucrative) creation, "Scooby Doo," which not only relied on the repetition of a contrived formula every episode--it was the same formula that would later be warmed over in "Josie and the Pusssycats" (to name but one of Hanna-Barbera shows that would attempt to cash in on minor variations of the Scooby Doo gimmick).

If this kind of repetition disappoints you, then you're not going to want to own any kid-vid products from the '60s, '70s or '80s. You may not even want to check them out of your local library. But there's nothing particularly worse (or better for that matter) about "Josie and the Pussycats."

What makes us willing to shell out hard-earned cash (or equally hard-earned credit) on these specimens of dreadful production value is not our appraisal of their quality when viewed through 21st century eyes, be it the animation, writing or even singing. It's nostalgia pure and simple. That's why I open my review as I do: if there's enough nostalgia to persuade you to look at the product, it's very likely that this show has a special place in your past and in your heart today.

Sure, when we watch this stuff today we catch things we didn't catch before. We've all grown up. But just as surely, we catch all the things that we did catch before; it's a time machine that takes us back to a nostalgic vision of the early '70s that only era's children ever experienced. Obviously watching this stuff doesn't denude us of our modern-day identity; we just get a chance to remember that those kids in the '70s were also us; we are one. Heavy stuff, but I think that's what going on behind the tingle of emotion we experience. And the real double-whammy of this nostalgia is that we can share it with our kids, at the very least more effectively than our parents could have shared grainy, black-and-white broadcasts of "Hopalong Cassidy" flicks or "Shirley Temple" movies. The next generation, while very different from our own, shares more in common culturally with us that we did with our parents. My five-year-old daughter, for example, recognizes that these Hanna-Barbara cartoons look "different" from what she's accustomed to, but she hasn't picked up on anything different that is also a deterrent. She enjoys them. My dad tried getting me interested in old westerns from the '30s and '40s, and I just couldn't stand the stuff (to say nothing of how Shirley Temple movies struck me).

That said, the value of all of these shows, "Josie" included, will no doubt be proportional to your affection for them 30 or more years ago. Audiences had decades to fall in love with Scooby Doo. They had only one year (or two, if you count the show's "Pussyscats in Outer Space" sequel) to fall in love with Josie. Now connoisseurs may argue that Scooby's longevity proves it to be a vastly superior show, but personally I classify such stilted critiques in the same category with comparative analyses of the various vintages of Cold Duck.

That said, if the cancellation of Josie was a childhood trauma, Amazon's got the cure three decades later. But if it was Scooby Doo you really loved and you have only fond memories of Josie, you'll probably only like this new DVD collection, whereas you'll love the Scooby DVD collections. And in light of what's on the tube these days (in between the rapidly multiplying quantity of commercials), just finding something you like isn't half bad. In that context, "Josie" might actually be better the second time around.

'Josie and the Pussycats' has to be one of the best Saturday morning cartoons ever conceived. No, I am serious about this. 'Josie...' has everything going for her. There was dystopian menace, represented by some mad scientist, intent on some mayhem. Of course parents could have protested about the propaganda, but since I agreed with them who cares? But the entertainment was solid and consistent throughout with some of the silliest and funniest writing ever presented to kids.

Most of the success relies on the cardboard characterization. There's Josie, the girl next door. Then, Valerie, the girl genius, who was more than a token representative of African-Americans. Although as a boy, I rolled my eyes at Alan, the coveted boy of every band member, it did provide a plot device. Predictably Alexandra provided a lot of laughs as the conniving, jealous nemesis plotting for his company. Then, there was Alexander (Casey Kasem), the hapless, cowardly brother who added so much to the fray. To finish them off there was empty headed Melody, whose innocence kept everyone on their toes. (Even today, dumb blonde jokes sometimes get under the radar, so I don't see this series being pulled off the shelves just yet.) Oh, and you can't help but remember Sebastian, the resourceful cat, who had paws equipped like a Swiss army knife.

All of the hijinx had great timing and educational import as chase scenes dismantled science gone wrong in flowing, pre-MTV music video sequences. Allegedly, the Hanna-Barbera team were exhausted by the mayhem they created each week, and, unfortunately, they lost in a kiddie gender battle to the less worthy 'Saturday Superstar Movies' (from ABC?), but it was a quality production from its inception, one that electrified me as a child.

Besides all of this, nearly every cartoon on Saturday morning after 1968 had to have a back-up band. And, although Archie had all the hits, the flow from the action went well with the music.

At the risk of my reputation, I have to give full praises for 'Josie' and her 'Pussycats'. As a well-rounded entertainment with fun characters and fluid chase scenes, this top-notch Hanna-Barbera series deserves to be up there with 'Jonny Quest' and 'Scooby Doo' for its fun and import.

I'm glad to see this finally available on DVD. Picture quality is better than it ever has been - but the show-even on TV has suffered from poor audio quality. Again, it's better than it has been but could be better. The most annoying factor is how the theme music drags when it first starts(from the menu version, to the extro) the song starts, but slows down slightly until it picks up speed again. It's a minor thing-but considering how popular the theme song was that more attenton wouldn't be paid to getting this right.

Now that we have this, Let's have Speed Buggy, and maybe Josie & The Pussycats in Outer Space.
Also, what would be a nice bonus on some of these DVDs is a seperate track of just the background incidental music. Love that stuff.

Saturday morning nostalgia reigns supreme with the delightful DVD release of the original animated "JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS." When I was a little boy, my Saturday morning TV ritual included both "SCOOBY DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?" and "JOSIE." Both shows have a lot in common-- and not just because Casey Kasem provided the voice for both "Scooby-Doo's" Shaggy and "Pussycats" manager Alexander Cabot III-- but in terms of plot premise, too.
"Josie and the Pussycats" were a bubble-gum pop group. The girl group,-- Josie, bubble-head blonde Melody, and smart Valerie-- along with Alexander, Alexandria, Alan, and cat companion Sebastian, traveled the world and spent as much time battling weird, nefarious super-villians as they did making music. When I was five years old, I had a crush on Josie, voiced by Janet Waldo, whose name, strangely, does not appear in the closing credits. Turns out, I would have a crush on Josie's hunky boyfriend Alan today. Hee Hee! Hah! Hah!
My favorite villians are Mastermind in "Never Mind A Mastermind" and the evil Countess who develops a strange perfume-like mist to turn everybody in the world old in the final episode "Don't Count On A Countess." One episode, "Plateau Of The Apes Plot," even seems to be inspired directly by "PLANET OF THE APES." Each episode featured an extended "chase sequence" and a bubble-gum pop song like "Clock On The Wall", in addition to the unforgettably catchy title song that opened the show each week.
"JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS" fans will likely also want to purchase the Saturday Morning cartoon DVD releases of "THE PEBBLES AND BAM-BAMM SHOW" and "SABRINA, THE TEEN-AGE WITCH." Great Fun-- I can't wait!

What is the opposite of excelling yourself? Whatever it is, that's what Warners have managed to do with this DVD release. The episode prints are terrible, full of scratches, which I probably wouldn't mind so much if they'd even bothered to keep the correct Hanna Barbera logo at the end of them. The "extras" are hardly worthy of the name, and to top it all, the DVD case is very cheap and flimsy. If you're a die-hard fan and it's on sale at a huge discount, then sure, buy it. Otherwise - avoid.

Josie and the Pussycats is one of the cartoons from my childhood.

The wife bought it for me, and it is worth getting. Especially at $14, the price when we got it.

However, don't be expecting too much.

Josie, for a main character, is amazingly vanilla. Alan is a big lump. Why does Alexandra want him? Speaking of Alexandra, why does everyone else put up with her? I get the brother, but the rest?

Fortunately, there are two characters that save the day for me. Melody and Sebastian. Yeah it's the same scene every time, but I just like watching her drum and her comments actually make me laugh. Sebastian is the brains of the outfit and I have never seen a character combine helpfulness and malice so well.

The villains are just embarrassing. Midas and Nemo? Seriously? I suspect most of the viewers could have come up with better villains.

July 20, 2010


Josie and the pussycats are on DVD. Let me start out by saying this show is really fun to watch. This show is about a musical group and their friends and they travel all over the world singing. While the doing this they always seem to get caught up in some villain's evil plot. Then they have to find a way tp save the day and themselves.

This show is one of many shows that are somewhat based on Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

The character on the show are listed below:

Members actually in the band-:

Josie- lead singer; Alexandria's enemy; likes Alan
Valerie- plays the tambarine; the smart girl
Melody- plays the drums; the stupid girl

Other characters:

Alan- the tough guy; likes Josie but Alexandria gets in the way
Alex- the scardey guy and Alexandria's brother
Alexandria- a mean spirited girl; likes Alan and dislikes Josie; is always making things worse for the gang.


There were 16 episodes in the original series (listed below):

1. The Nemo's a No-No Affair
2. A Greenthumb is not a Goldfinger
3. The Secret Six Secret
4. Swap Plot Flop
5. Midas Mix-Up
6. X Marks the Spot
7. Chili Today and Hot Tamale
8. Never Mind A Mastermind
9. Plateau of the Ape Plot
10. Strangemoon Over Miami
11. All Wong in Hong Kong
12. Melody Memory Mix-Up
13. The Great Pussycat Chase
14. Spy School Spoof
15. The Jumpin' Jupitier Affair
16. Don't Count on a Countess


The DVD set is great with all the original episodes presented. It also includes bonus features about the show itself which is good compared to other DVD's bonus features.



This is a really great show and for all ages. I'm still hoping for the DVD release of the spin-off Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space. It has the basic original plots but in outer space. I'm also hoping for DVD releases of the other shows based off of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? like Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, Clue Club, and Goober and the Ghost Chasers. If you have any comments on this show or other shows like this please leave me one.

Also on the market of new DVDs are The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo: The Complete Series, Johnny Bravo: Season One,Scooby's All Star Laff-A-Lympics, Vol. 1, Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s, Vol. 1, Super Friends!: Season One, Vol. Two, and Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One

And finally coming soon to DVD are Dexter's Laboratory: Season One and Scooby's All Star Laff-A-Lympics 2 (Full).