Fraidy Cat

Many people tend to think of the 70's as the worst decade for cartoons. About anything was either a rehash, or a spinoff. But then, Uncle Croc's Block came into view, produced by Filmation. UCB had four cartoons on its roster; Wacky and Packy, M-U-S-H, Fraidy Cat, and Waldo Kitty.

Fraidy Cat is a surreal experience, but it's worth the viewing. The show follows the life of an anxiety-struck cat named Fraidy. Fraidy lived through eight of his nine lives, and on his ninth and final life. As said in the intro, he wants to "make it last."

His only problem? Every time he says the numbers "one" to "eight", a homonym or word that rhymes with a number, he summons a past life from different time periods. For example, his first life comes from the stone age, and his fifth life the cowboy age.

Fraidy always gets into trouble in every episode. In one episode, for example, he gets stuck in a bird feed store, which is inhabited by love-hungry cockatoos. Another has him swiping food from a dog show, which has the contestants noticing.

It's actually very easy to sympathize with the main character, with all the things he goes through in each episode. Plus, some characters actually help him, such as Hep Cat, the eighth life, and Kitty Wizard, the second life. Some characters are very unlikeable such as Boss Mouse and Cloud Nine, the nine-shaped storm cloud that chases Fraidy whenever "Nine", or "Nein" is uttered.

Some scenes can be funny and light-hearted such as the scene where Fraidy gets an entire bucket of lollipops even though he hates them.

Sure, the animation is crusty, very stiff, and the voice acting could've used more emotion, but it gives the show the charm and aesthetic of a cheap mid-70's show.

Overall, if you're an obscure animation buff, give this show a watch!

When looking at the large plethora of animated TV series in the 1960's and 70's, it's actually quite hard for one to find a worthwhile cartoon that is actually brilliant. Animation had originally fully blossomed in the 30's, with great cartoon series like the Loony Toons, Merrie Melodies, Popeye the Sailor, Betty Boop, etc. Back then, animation was admirable: smooth, action-packed, and very well drawn. Then the 50's and 60's came around, and cheap cartoon shows became the norm. Popeye the Sailor got wrecked in the pitiful TV series of the same name, and Hanna Barbara with their cheap animated shows changed the face of everything forever. Cartoons were no longer really good - something that continued for several decades. Even shows like "Scooby Doo! Where Are You?" which were entertaining in plot had cheap designs and lackluster animation.

"Fraidy Cat" is not an especially outstanding show in the typical poor design, and one that had such a short run-time it is nearly never acknowledged in cartoon history. Only twelve episodes were made (six more were written that appear in IMDb's episodes list, but were never created). Of those twelve episodes, I've seen nine at least - 75% of the show's output, and they're not bad to watch. The premise is original, as it deals with a literal 'Fraidy Cat' who has already used up eight of his lives, each of which appears to him as a ghost whenever he says a number. The ninth life is a puff of smoke that tries to kill him.

Overall, despite the animation as usual being cheap and stiff, "Fraidy Cat" is another fairly enjoyable vintage cartoon. Granted, it's pretty immature and stupid at times, but the idea is original enough to make it work, and the situations in each episode are comical. Not a brilliant show and understandable that it ran only twelve episodes, but enjoyable lighthearted fun.