Josie and the Pussycats: The Complete Series

The fictitious pop group Josie and the Pussycats, spun off from the Archie comics, were the stars of this short-lived animated TV series from 1970, one of Hanna-Barbera's most slapdash. In each episode, the band—somehow achieving a full sound with only guitar, drums, and tambourine—accidentally arrive somewhere and foil an evil villain's plans to take over the world. The band's friends are mainly Scooby-Doo knockoffs (complete with Casey Kasem voicing a Shaggy-like character), with the exception of the conniving Alexandra (voiced by Sherry Alberoni), who essentially wants to steal the spotlight from sweet Josie (a cat called Sebastian is also on hand to provide occasional comic relief). The writing is drearily expository, while the jokes and animation are sub-par. Even the music sounds less like the snappy bubblegum pop of The Archies than a dated and dull quasi-soul. The 2001 live-action movie, with its cool buzzsaw songs and media-savvy humor, is a genuine guilty pleasure; the cartoon, on the other hand, is strictly for nostalgic fans. Presenting all 16 episodes on a double-disc set, DVD extras include a tribute to cartoonist and illustrator Dan DeCarlo, who worked on the Archie comics and created Josie and the Pussycats. Optional. (J.M. Anderson)