B.C.: The First Thanksgiving

While writing in "Thanksgiving Cartoons" in the search blank in YouTube, I discovered this B.C. animated special was listed. What a great surprise to find this cartoon after partially knowing about it for years! Directed by Warner animation veteran (and Chuck Jones protégé) Abe Levitow, "B.C.: The First Thanksgiving" does Johnny Hart's classic comic strip a great service to its creator which is not surprising since Hart co-wrote the script. Hilarious stuff like B.C.'s discovering fire (not to mention his Jack Benny-like voice and characterization) and the other cavemen chasing the turkey as the turkey keeps playing tricks on them are among the highlights of many in this inventive and satirical animated special. I also loved the jazz-rock with a little bit of country-flavored score. There was also another character who talked liked Bogart. Among the voices were Daws Butler, Don Messick, and singer Joanie Sommers as both the Cute Chick and the Fat Broad. I highly recommend this for anyone searching on YouTube.

B. C. The First Thanksgiving has to be the sexiest thing in the world. I came every time I watch it. The music, and animation the characters it's just the best time to watch on Thanksgiving.

That horrifying, blood-curdling baritone scream after the caveman burns his hand, and a curiously lengthy pause, as the burning tree stump looks as though it has come to demonic life, and the flames dance and lick the air, ... accompanied by that hideous, genuinely frightening scream, ... will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

I'm not joking, that is a genuinely frightening moment ( which is replayed a second time only moments later ) in this lazily animated, unapologetically awful adaptation of John Hart's comic strip cavemen, who, in this TV film, supposedly somehow celebrate Thanksgiving, despite the fact that cavemen existed hundreds of millions of years before the celebration of Thanksgiving even began. Furthermore, they seem to be preparing food they are familiar with, and seem to be aware of the fact they are acknowledging some sort of holiday, so it doesn't appear to be the * first * of anything.

This is not even unintentionally funny, it's lazilly animated, poorly voiced ( the characters' voices change from one scene to the next ) and aside from the title, it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but, you know, Happy Thanksgiving. It really doesn't even do anything with the fact​ that they're cavemen. The jokes would be the same, regardless of what time period the story was set, and they would still suck.

When I first saw the show, it was absolutely hilarious. The old cave woman was like a cheerleader exhorting the men to go after the turkey like it was a football game. The men went wild after being pump up by the cave woman. I can't understand why CBS did not show B.C.: The First Thanksgiving every Thanksgiving Day or at least before Thanksgiving. I wonder what were the ratings for that show went it first went on the air back in 1973? After the first time, it seem to just disappear. It seems to be the same with Garfield's Thanksgiving and Garfield's Halloween. At least CBS had shown Garfield's Halloween for a couple of years, then decided not to show it anymore.

As tradition among the television networks,Thanksgiving themed television specials,shows,movies and made-for-television movies are presented. One of them dealt with the first Thanksgiving set in Cro-Magnon Man times,not to mention this was based on the "B.C." comic strip. If you're not familiar with the comic strip that appears in syndicated newspapers across the country..it goes like this....The "B.C." Comic Strip is based on a group of cavemen who get into in a series of prehistoric shenanigans. The main character was B.C. himself who is a naive but humble slob who gets himself into all sorts of misadventures. It wasn't until the comic strip's creator Johnny Hart brought B.C. and his cave pals out of the comic strip pages of the newspaper to having their first of two animated specials specifically design for television.

The first B.C. animated special premiered as a special presentation for NBC-TV on November 19,1973 titled "B.C.-The First Thanksgiving" that was produced and directed by long-time Chuck Jones animator Abe Levitow and featured three of the best voice-over cartoon actors of their day. You have the great Daws Butler as B.C. along with veteran voice-over actors Bob Holt(as Wiley/Grog),and the great Don Messick(as Peter/Thor/ and Turkey)not to mention Joanie Sommers(as The Fat Broad/Cutie Chick).

In this first animated feature the group of cavemen have to catch a turkey that will go on the rock soup that's being made. So,the chase is on! In perspective,the B.C. world didn't go any further except with two animated features:One depicting the first Thanksgiving and the other dealing with Christmas. It was never depicted as an animated series and always stayed as a comic strip until it's creator Johnny Hart passed away in 2007 on his drawing board. It's still running today as a weekly comic strip thanks to Johnny's grandson.