Nostalgia time!

Anyone remember a multi-culti PBS series called "Vegetable Soup"? Taking a peek at Youtube, I find that that lots of people do! Which begs the question: is there anyone interested in reissuing the show on DVD? Because "Electric Company" has gotten the DVD treatment. And yes, there is a famous name or two attached to "Vegetable Soup": Bette Midler did the voice of Woody the Spoon. Not as iconic as Morgan Freeman's "Easy Reader," but still notable.

Also notable are the opening credits. Why didn't these cartoon characters get their own animated series to themselves? They're tons trippier (and more fun to watch) than that dull stoner Shaggy.



Update: Okay, it seems I'm not the only one who remembers this show. Nick Sagan shares his memories of being creeped out by the opening credits, the aforementioned Woody the Spoon, and the marionette segments. Sagan on the cartoon rock band:

This is not warm and fuzzy kids' animation. This is psychedelic, surrealist, Yellow Submarine-inspired, "hey kiddies, don't the freaky people, like, totally trip you out?" animation. Now imagine that you're six years old and watching these demonic squiggles kick out the jams while song lyrics are practically shrieked at you in some kind of weird, jazzy gospel blasphemy: "It taaaakes... AAALLLLL KIIIIINNNNDDDSS of VEGGGETTABBLLESSS!"

Jazzy gospel blasphemy? I don't remember the theme song being that bad. In fact, it seemed pretty groovy--even if weird freaky animated people were playing it. Then again, I have a weakness for cartoon rock bands (it's a 1970s nostalgia thing, you know). I can't help myself.

Leave it to Sagan to sum up many people's feelings regarding Vegetable Soup:

Vegetable Soup scared me silly when I saw it, and yet I couldn't turn away. Why did I keep watching it? And why do I remember it fondly today, nightmarishly weird though it was?


Via Sagan, here are the weirdest kiddie shows on the air today. Eesh. You call this weird? This is nothing. I remember...I remember...oh, here comes that nostalgia trip again...

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