A little history here about Rockin’ With Judy Jetson, a new DVD-created-on-demand from the Warner Archive…
Apparently in 1987 and 1988, a series of TV movies were created for syndicated TV featuring some of Hanna-Barbera’s strongest franchises. There, we got new movie-length installments of Yogi Bear, Scooby Doo, and even Top Cat. I am assuming (without actually finding confirmation) that these aired on Saturday afternoons across the country as part of the package.
The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones, which was released a few months ago to DVD, was one of the first “movies” done, where Rockin’ with Judy Jetson was done in the second year. The movie involves the teenage Judy as her favorite singer makes her famous by singing her song – only it’s not her song after all. There’s some intrigue with a mean witch who hates music.
There are some good things about this movie. The most important is that Janet Waldo is the voice of Judy Jetson – not Tiffany who played her in Jetsons: The Movie. In fact, this might be the last production to have most of the original Jetsons cast. The animation style is “retro” though there’s a bit of an 80’s feel to it – in some ways it’s The Jetsons by way of Jem and the Holograms.
But also, there’s bad. The Jetsons worked best when it had social commentary – even Jetsons Meet The Flintstones had that. This… is squarely for kids. And it’s probably more appealing to girls. Of which I am neither. There might be an emotional/nostalgia connection for those who remember watching this when it was first on, but it was kind of lost on me, even though I do love The Jetsons. From an animation history standpoint, I think it’s great to have and it’s always been something I’ve been curious to see. But it’s not The Jetsons’ finest moment.
But hey. I’m not the target audience. A kid – especially a girl – would probably love this, as would nostalgic folks.
Rockin’ With Judy Jetson is now available from the Warner Archive. You can get it exclusively at the Warner Archive site!
